Gadabout Transportation Services is a nonprofit transportation service for older and disabled residents of Tompkins County. In addition to their regular service, Gadabout also has a contract with TCAT to operate TCAT’s paratransit service.
ADA Paratransit
TCAT’s ADA Complementary Paratransit service (operated by Gadabout) is a specialized, door-to-door transport service for people who are not able to ride the fixed-route transit system because of a disability.
For more information, click on the following links:
TCAT’s ADA Complementary Paratransit operated by Gadabout
TCAT’s Reasonable Modification Policy
Title VI Civil Rights and Limited English Proficiency
Regular Gadabout Service (Non-ADA certified)
Service Animal Policy
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, service animals are allowed on buses. Service animals are animals that have been trained to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities. The bus operator may ask if the animal is a service animal and what tasks the animal has been trained to perform.
Service animals must be under control by the person with disabilities at all times and must not occupy a seat and must either sit on the floor, or on the person’s lap. If the animal is not under the control of the owner or if the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, the operator may require the animal to leave the bus.
More than one service animal may accompany a rider on a single trip. Different service animals may provide different services to a rider during trips or at the rider’s destination. [Section 2.6 of FTA ADA Circular 4710.1].
Origin-to-Destination Paratransit
Gadabout provides service from a passenger’s point of origin to their specific destination. Gadabout provides a minimum to curb-to-curb service and will provide assistance beyond the curb to the door as long as it is accessible, does not fundamentally alter the nature of our service, or pose a threat to safety.
Reasonable Modifications
Gadabout will provide reasonable modifications upon request to ensure that our transportation services are accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for reasonable accommodations may be made in advance via the following ways:
- Email us at: gadaboutbroup@tcatmail.com (Please write in the subject line: Attn: Executive Director
- By postal service:
Write to:
Gadabout Transportation
Attn: Executive Director
737 Willow Ave.
Ithaca, NY 14850 - Phone: (607) 277-9388 ext. 1200
When contacting us by phone, please ask for Kristen Wells, Executive Director
ADA Complaint Instructions
Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc., operates its programs and services without regard to disability in accordance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”).
This law protects qualified individuals with a disability from discrimination on the basis of that disability in the services, programs, or activities.
This notice is posted to inform the public of the provisions of Title II of the ADA and the requirements of the federal ADA regulations.
The US DOT ADA Final Rule, effective July 13, 2015, revised the local complaint process requirements in 49 CFR Parts 27 and 37 to require that recipients sufficiently advertise the process for filing an ADA-related complaint and communicate a response promptly to any individual filing a complaint.
The ADA Coordinator, or his/her designee, shall be responsible for overseeing investigations and responses to complaints of discrimination based on disability for both fixed-route and paratransit services.
How to File an ADA Complaint: Fill out an ADA Complaint Form or call Customer Service at (607) 277-7433 within 180 days of the alleged incident. In addition to obtaining complaint forms by downloading from this site (see below) forms are available and will be sent by email or by regular mail through the postal service by contacting:
Attn: Jennifer Jennings
ADA Coordinator
737 Willow Ave.
Ithaca, NY 14850
- By phone: (607) 277-9388 ext. 1420
- By email: tcat@tcatmail.com
- By phone for those with hearing or speech disabilities: 7-1-1 New York Relay
- In person: Ithaca Tompkins Transit Center (ITTC) offices (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.) 737 Willow Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850
- By mail via United States Postal Service, using the above address
Complaints taken orally and in writing should include:
- The name, address, and telephone number of the individual or representative filing the complaint; complaints filed on behalf of third parties must describe or identify the alleged victims of the discrimination;
- An explanation of the discrimination or denial of service;
- The date the alleged violation(s) occurred;
- and signature of the person filing the complaint.
All ADA complaints received within 180 days of the alleged incident will be investigated.
Upon receipt of the complaint, the information will be reviewed, and the ADA Coordinator will inform the complainant within 10 days that his or her complaint has been received. The coordinator will have up to 30 calendar days to investigate the alleged incident and respond via letter or email. If the complainant is satisfied with the outcome, or if the complainant does not wish to pursue his or her case, the coordinator can administratively close the case.
As soon as the complaint has been reviewed, the investigator will issue one of two letters to the complainant: 1) a closure letter or 2) a letter of finding (LOF). A closure letter provides brief information about the allegation and states that there was no finding of an ADA violation. An LOF provides brief information about the allegations and the interviews regarding the alleged incident. This letter explains what actions were taken. If the complainant wishes to appeal the finding, he or she will have 10 business days to do so.
Tracking and Record Retention
The ADA Coordinator will be responsible for tracking all ADA concerns/complaints for the purpose of establishing trends in allegations of discrimination.
The ADA Coordinator will maintain a summary log of all ADA concerns/complaints. In addition, all documentation and materials gathered during the investigation are maintained for no less than one (1) year. Summaries of ADA complaints or the complaints themselves will be retained for at least five (5) years.
Complaints can also be filed directly to the Federal Transit Administration at:
Office of Civil Rights
Federal Transit Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington DC 20590
Phone: 888-446-4511
See: FTA “File a Complaint website
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications services.
Title VI
Policy Statement
It is Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc. policy to assure full compliance with the Title VI Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and related statutes and regulations. Specifically, Title VI provides that “no person in the United States shall on the ground of race, color, national origin, or disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination”. There is no distinction between the sources of funding. Gadabout receives Federal funding and won’t deny transportation services as protected by Title VI Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Circular 4702.1B and 42 U.S.C. Section 2000d. Gadabout also assures that every effort will be made to prevent discrimination in its operation to minority, low-income, and limited English proficiency populations. This plan was developed to guide Gadabout in its administration and management of Title VI, ADA, and other related activities.
Kristen Wells
Executive Director
Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc.
737 Willow Ave.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 273-1878
Complaint Procedure
- Who may file a complaint: Anyone who believes that they have been subjected to discrimination may file a complaint. An authorized representative may be designated to file a complaint on behalf of the complainant. Complaints should be filed within one hundred and eighty (180) days from the date of alleged discrimination.
- Where and who to file with: A complaint may be filed with Patty Poist Title VI Coordinator.
- Options for filing a complaint:
- A complaint form can be filled out (see Appendix A for English & Appendix B for Chinese)
- A letter can be written to the Title VI Coordinator with the following content:
- Your full name, address, the name of the party discriminated against, and how you would like to be contacted (i.e., telephone number, email address, etc.)
- The name of the agency, organization, or institution that you believe has discriminated;
- A description of the act or acts of discrimination, the date or dates of the discriminatory acts, and the name or names of the individuals who you believe discriminated; and other information that you believe necessary to support the complaint. How, when, where, and why they believe they were discriminated against.
- The complaint must be in writing and signed by the complainant or their representative. It is recommended that you retain a copy for your records.
Sign and send the letter to:
Title VI Coordinator
737 Willow Ave.
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone (607) 277-9388 ext. 560
Fax (607) 277-9551
- If a complainant needs assistance to write the complaint and are unable to locate someone to assist them, the Title VI Coordinator will, upon request, assist you in locating an advocate or representative who is not associated with the agency to assist you. This includes assistance for people with limited English proficiency or if an auxiliary aid or service is needed (i.e.: an interpreter reader, larger print, Braille materials, or audio disk).
- The complainant will receive an acknowledgement within 10 business days from receipt of correspondence informing them whether the complaint will be investigated by our office.
- The Title VI Coordinator has 30 calendar days to investigate the complaint.
- If more information is needed to resolve the case, the Title VI Coordinator may contact the complainant. The complainant has 30 business days from the date of the letter or other correspondence to send the requested information. If the Title VI Coordinator does not receive additional information within 30 business days, the Title VI Coordinator can administratively close the case. A case can be administratively closed if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue the matter.
- The Title VI Coordinator will send one of two letters:
- A closure letter will summarize the allegations and state that there was not a Title VI violation and that the case is closed.
Or
- A letter of finding will summarize the allegations and the interviews regarding the alleged incident and explain whether any disciplinary action, additional training of the staff member or other action will occur. If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision, they have 30 days after the date of the closure letter or letter of finding to do so.
- All written complaints, appeals, and responses will be retained by the Title VI Coordinator and a copy will be kept in the Gadabout office for at least seven years.
- Complainants may also file a complaint with the Tompkins County:
Tompkins County Compliance Officer Department of County Administration
125 East Court Street, 3rd Floor
Ithaca, New York 14850
- Any person or entity who believes they have been subjected to unlawful discrimination based on race, color, age, national origin, religion, or disability in any programs, activities, or services of NYSDOT or an organization funded through the Department may file a complaint. An individual or a representative may file the complaint no later than 180 days after the date of alleged discrimination, unless extended by the department. In accordance with this procedure, complaints of discrimination must be directed in writing, signed by the person(s) or their representative and must include the complaint(s) name, address, and telephone number to:
Title VI Coordinator, Office of Civil Rights
New York State Department of Transportation
50 Woolf Rd, 6th floor
Albany, NY 12232
Phone (518) 457-1129
Email OCR_TitleVI@dot.ny.gov
NYSDOT acknowledges all allegations of discrimination received by mail, fax, or e-mail.
- In addition to your right to file a complaint with the Department, you also have the right to file a Title VI complaint with the FTA, http://fta,dot.gov/civilrights/12884.html:
Federal Transit Administration Office of Civil Rights
Attention: Title VI Program Coordinator
Est Building, 5th Floor-TCR
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Phone (202)366-4000
Investigations of Title VI allegations commence within (30) thirty days of a filed complaint. The NYSDOT Title VI Unity duly and timely notifies the complainant(s) of NYSDOT’s determination and resolution.