OCEANSIDE–Each year, the North County Transit District provides over 180,000 rides to LIFT paratransit passengers throughout Northern San Diego county.
Since 2012, LIFT ridership has increased by over 50%. In an effort to improve these services and increase service efficiencies, the transit district is implementing changes in the program later this year.
“We are committed to providing quality paratransit service to those who cannot use our fixed-route service,” said Matthew Tucker, North County Transit District’s Executive Director. “These changes will help modernize the paratransit system in North County, increase program efficiencies, and provide our customers with more tools for utilizing the system.”
New Operator – Summer 2017–NCTD contracted with MV Transportation to provide high-quality LIFT paratransit service. MV will begin management of LIFT operations no later than July 1, 2017.
New Technologies – Summer 2017–In addition to call-in reservations, customers will be able to book, confirm, or cancel trips 24 hours a day through an automated phone and online system.
Fare Structure Administration – Fall 2017–Trips will reflect the San Diego Association of Governments’ Comprehensive Fare Ordinance by charging based on the number of transfers a trip would have taken on the fixed-route system, rather than a flat-rate for all trips.
New Payment Option – Fall 2017–A new payment processor, EZ-Wallet, will be implemented to enable customers to prepay for their trip with a credit or debit card.
New Eligibility Procedure – Fall 2017–All applicants will complete a paper application and some will later participate in an in-person assessment to determine which mode of transportation best fits an applicant’s needs.
Information about these and other updates to the service are being communicated to existing LIFT customers through mail, and are available online at www.GoNCTD.com/LIFT. Customers can also attend one of the community outreach events regarding the changes.
