Appeals Procedures

Federal law restricts eligibility for ADA paratransit service (Access-a-Ride) to person who cannot utilize fixed-route transit services because of a disability. This determination applies only to our eligibility for Access-a-Ride service offered by the Regional Transportation District (RTD).

Under the provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, you have the right to appeal any determination stating that you are not eligible for the RTD ADA paratransit service or any restrictions which may have been placed upon your use of the service. You must make your appeal within sixty (60) calendars of receiving your determination letter.

  • If the applicant receives a denial letter or a letter listing conditions of service, a Notice of Right to Appeal from the Eligibility Determination Staff is included.
  • The applicant can request an appeal form by calling (303)299-2960 and an appeal packet will be mailed to them by certified mail. The “Request for Appeal of RTD Eligibility” determination is sent out with a due date of sixty-five days from the date that the customer was notified of the original decision.
  • The appeal should include specific information relating to the appellant’s condition and how it prevents them from using the RTD fixed route system under the eligibility criteria.
  • When the “Request for Appeal” form is returned to RTD, the file will be routed to the Paratransit Department administrative staff for review. The staff can uphold the denial or change the certification due to the new information provided by the appellant. If the staff decides the new information warrants the applicant to receive service, the applicant will receive that determination and the appeal has ended.
  • However, if the staff feels that the certification should be upheld, the file will then go back to the Appeal Coordinator to be prepared and disseminated to the Eligibility Review Committee. A copy of the interview file and the appeal documents is distributed to each Committee member via mail approximately one week prior to the Appeal Hearing.
  • A letter is sent to the appellant detailing date, time, and location of hearing. Transportation is provided free of charge to and from the hearing. An advocate is welcome to accompany the appellant. The Appeal Hearings are held the First Thursday of each month at 2:00 at 1660 Blake Street, Room B.
  • A person may re-apply for Access-a-Ride services after six months from the date of the interview. Understand, however, that re-applying does not guarantee a change ineligibility status. Eligibility is determined not by a disability, but by a person’s capabilities of using fixed-route services.

All hearings are recorded.

Eligibility Criteria

Please note: Eligibility can be determined only by the following categories:

  1. Unable to understand how to complete the bus trips due to cognitive disability.
  2. Require a lift-equipped bus and the bus you need does not have a lift. (This does not apply in the Denver area, as all of our buses are lift-equipped.)

  3. Unable to independently get to and from a bus stop or cannot get on/off the bus due to the impact of architectural barriers (i.e. broken or uneven sidewalks, lack of curb cuts) as they relate to an individual’s disabling condition. 
    (Note: ambulatory people who have difficulty with steps are allowed to use the hydraulic lift in order to board and de-board a bus.)

Join the Access-a-Ride Eligibility Review Committee