Booking Trips in Advance
To request a trip, call 203-744-4070, Option 3
Monday - Friday: 7:00am to 4:00pm (4:30pm for ADA trips)
ADA priority trips can be requested on weekends or holidays for the following day by calling 203-744-4070, Ext. 232.
You may make advance reservations for the week you’re in, and for any day in the following week, up until 4:00 p.m. (4:30 p.m. for ADA trips) the day before your trip. Trips for medical appointments and those with ADA priority status can be scheduled for the current week and any day in the following two calendar weeks.
When you call, the scheduler will give you a 30 minute window of time for which we will attempt to schedule your trip. We will call you back if we cannot schedule your trip within that window. Otherwise, anticipate that your bus will arrive during the time span given you.
Standing Booking Requests
If you have a regular trip, you can set up a standing booking request. This does not guarantee a ride, but eliminates the need for a weekly phone call to schedule. Standing requests will be cancelled if the customer fails to make 80% of scheduled trips within a two month period.
Trip Scheduling Priority
Booking requests are considered on a first-call/first-served basis, except during the peak calling period.
With limited space in the schedule, many riders book trips as soon as they can. The peak calling period for reservations is Monday from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m., when the earliest bookings can be made for the following week.
To accommodate the large volume of requests during the peak calling period, reservation requests coming in between 7 and 11 a.m. on Monday are considered equally. This means that there is no advantage to calling at 7 a.m. as opposed to any other time up to 11 a.m., and there is no need to rush to be the first to call.
If there is a conflict between trip requests during the peak calling period, priority is given to the passenger with the more reliable riding history over the last 60 days. Limiting trip cancellations will improve your chances to get preferred pick-up times.
Please note that the peak calling period will be moved to Tuesday if the scheduling office is closed Monday in observance of a holiday.
Same Day Trips
Same day trips may be made on a limited basis depending on openings in the schedule. There is a limit of 2 same day trips per month per rider, and same day trips have a higher fare of $4. For round trips, both trips must be pre-scheduled (no will-calls) to ensure an available bus.
Please note: Same day trip requests can only be booked Monday through Friday 7:00am - 4:00pm. and cannot be booked for evenings, weekends or holidays.
Please note: Same day trip requests can only be booked Monday through Friday 7:00am - 4:00pm. and cannot be booked for evenings, weekends or holidays.
Will-Calls (Medical Trips Only)
If you have a medical appointment and the time of your return trip is uncertain, you may leave your return trip unscheduled and call when ready. The number to call when ready is 203.744.4070 option 2. Will-calls are not available evenings, on Sunday, or for trips from or to New Milford.
The next available bus will pick you up after you call. You must call at least 45 minutes before the close of service in your town. Please be aware that unscheduled trips often require waiting time of over 30 minutes. For same day trips, both trips must be pre-scheduled (no will-calls) to ensure an available bus.
Canceling Your Trip
To cancel your ride, call 203.744.4070 option 2. Please cancel your trip with at least two hours advance notice for trips with both an origin and destination within the ADA service area, or twelve hours advance notice for trips outside the ADA service area. Last minute cancellations leave open space on buses that could have been used by passengers denied reservations.
No-Show & Late Cancellation Policy
The policies below address passengers that frequently fail to show for scheduled trips or cancel with insufficient notice.
Excessive trip no shows and late cancellations are an inconvenience to other passengers and reduce the efficiency of the bus service.
A no-show occurs when a passenger fails to show for a scheduled trip. A passenger cancelling at the door after a scheduled bus has arrived is also considered a no-show for the purpose of this policy.
A late cancellation is defined as a cancellation in which HARTransit fails to receive two hours advance notice for trips with both an origin and destination within the ADA service area, or twelve hours advance notice for trips outside the ADA service area.
No shows or late cancellations that are beyond the control of the passenger do not violate the policy. Passengers must explain the reasons for no shows or late cancellations to receive such consideration.
Should passengers claim that patterns of no-shows or late cancellations are beyond their control, HARTransit reserves the right to request documented verification, including professional verification of matters related to the passenger’s health or disability that may contribute to the pattern.
Passenger no-shows and late cancellations violate HARTransit policy when:
- There are 6 or more late cancellations OR 3 or more no-shows alone during the prior 60-calendar-day period.
- The violations amount to 15% or more of all trips scheduled for the period.
Warning Letters and Penalties
Passengers that meet the threshold will be notified according to the following schedule:
- First occasion: Written warning
- Second occasion: Second written warning
- Third occasion: One-week suspension
- Four or more occasions: Two-week suspension
Penalties will progress if repeated within 12 months of the last violation. If more than 12 months pass since the last action, the progression restarts at the first level.
In addition, after each step, violation tallies restart from zero over the next 60 days.
Letters notifying passengers of a suspension offer the passenger an opportunity to request a hearing with the Operations Manager to appeal the suspension before it is enforced. The hearing provides the passenger an opportunity to explain any mitigating circumstances that may prompt a reconsideration of the suspension. Passengers may request the hearing either verbally or in writing, and the suspension is delayed until the Operations Manager makes a final decision.
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