Demand Response
Demand Response operates in the city limits of Frankfort, providing one way, door to door service, depending on the needs of the passengers and the accessibility of the Deviated Fixed Route.
These services require a minimum of a 24 hour notice and reservations must be scheduled before 2:30 p.m. the day before the requested pick up.
All trips will be scheduled on a first come first serve basis.
Passengers with medical appointments have priority scheduling.
The maximum advanced time allowed to make reservations is one month.
Demand Response Service operates Monday-Friday. The service is not available during holidays that are observed by the City of Frankfort. Hours of operation are 5:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Who is Eligible?
Individuals who wish to use the demand response service must require the service due to inability to use the Frankfort Transit Deviated-Fixed Route Service. Reasons for inability to use the route service include:
Pick up or drop off location is further than ¾ of a mile from a bus stop.
Time of needed arrival is before Deviated-Fixed Route Service begins (service provided under JOBS access program).
Rider is unable to access a bus stop due to a disability.
Rider is unable to gain access or ride the route bus due to a disability.
For individuals requesting access to Demand Response Service due to a disability, a Reasonable Accommodation Form must be submitted and approved by Frankfort Transit. Reasonable Accommodation Forms can be requested by contacting dispatch at 502-875-8565 or printing the form below .
Reasonable Accommodation Form
For individuals requesting access to Demand Response Service due to a disability, a Reasonable Accommodation Form must be submitted and approved by Frankfort Transit. Reasonable Accommodation Forms can be requested by contacting dispatch at 502-875-8565 or filing out this form and sending it to Frankfort Transit, 315 W. Second St. Frankfort, KY 40601 or email jmhall@frankfort.ky.gov
Reasonable Accommodation Form- English
Reasonable Accommodation Form- Spanish
Fares
Demand Response is a pay-as-you-go program that collects exact cash, check, pre-paid tickets or pre-sold passes when boarding. Drivers do not carry change or handle money.
Demand Response (one-way) $2.00
Ticket Book (10 tickets) $20.00
Monthly Demand Response Pass $50.00
How to Schedule a Ride
Trips can be scheduled by calling (502) 875-8565. Office hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.- 5 p.m. When calling for a reservation, your call will be answered in the order it is received.
Reservations are accepted 14 days in advance. Trips must be scheduled 24 hours in advance and before 2:30 p.m. prior to the day of service. We cannot schedule same day trips or trip changes. Riders may only schedule a maximum of 3 trips per day. A trip is considered one pick-up and one drop-off.
When Scheduling, Please Have the Following Information Available:
Name of passenger
Day and date of your trip
Requested pick-up time or appointment time
Exact street address of the trip origin and destination (business names and intersections will not be accepted)
It is the Rider’s responsibility to provide location addresses
Number of people traveling with the passenger, including personal care attendant (PCA) and/or companion and/or service animals.
Please confirm dates, times, and addresses before ending the call to ensure the accuracy of your scheduled trip.
Cancelling a Trip
To help Frankfort Transit provide better service opportunities for all Demand Response passengers, we ask that you cancel trips as early as possible. To cancel a trip, please contract dispatch at (502) 875-8565. All cancellations of trips should take place at least on hour prior to your scheduled pick-up time. Cancellations that occur with less than a 1 hour notice will be considered a “No-Show”. Excessive late cancellations will be treated in the same manner as excessive No-Shows when warranted. In addition, more than six cancellations within a 30 day period may result in a suspension of riding privileges for up to 14 days for the first offense and 30 days for the second.
What is a No-Show?
A no-show occurs when a Demand response passenger does not board the vehicle within 5 minutes after it arrives on time within the 30-minute ready window. If a driver cannot locate you when they arrive, the driver can wait only five minutes for you. It is important when calling for a return trip that you notify dispatch which door you will be located at if you are at a building with two entrances. The driver will knock on your door or look for you in the lobby of the building, but you must be present and ready to board.
If your trip was a “No Show” we will suspend all other scheduled trips for the remainder of the day. If a trip is still required, you must call and speak to a dispatcher. Your trip will be based on the next available bus and could result in longer wait times.
Riders are only allowed a certain number of no-shows within a 30 day period. A courtesy letter will be sent to riders with excessive no-shows. Passengers who continually miss scheduled rides may face suspension from the service. Four no-shows within a 30 day period may result in a 2 week suspension of Demand Response services.
It is not the intent of Frankfort Transit to ever deny a rider service for needed appointments and errands, nor is it the intent of this policy to punish riders for rides missed due to circumstances that were out of the rider’s control.
The following circumstances do not count against a rider when determining the number of No-Shows:
Illness that prevents the rider from traveling, including chemotherapy and dialysis patients whose treatments may make them too ill to travel.
Family emergencies
Transit agency error, including scheduling mix-ups
Transit agency bus is late for the pick up
Other circumstances that may arise that upon review demonstrate the missed ride was due to factors out of the passenger’s control
If at any point you have been charged with a No-Show in error or wish to appeal a suspension, you may call the Frankfort Transit Superintendent at (502) 352-2089.
No-Show Policy
A passenger will be placed into a No-Show status when he/she is unavailable for pick-up of a scheduled Demand Response, Deviation or JOBS trip and has not notified Frankfort Transit to cancel that trip at least one (1) hour in advance.
Trips in which passengers will not be picked up due to circumstances related to service will not be considered a no-show.
TWO (2) WITHIN ANY 14 DAY PERIOD: Verbal and written warning that contains a one time letter explaining the policy and procedures.
FOUR (4) WITHIN ANY 30 DAY PERIOD: If two (2) additional no shows occur within any 30 day period, Frankfort Transit may suspend all transportation services for repeated violations of Frankfort Transit Policies.
Cancellation Policy
Trips must be cancelled at least one (1) hour prior to the scheduled pick up time.
Four (4) cancellations within a thirty (30) day period may result in the suspension of riding privileges for up to thirty (30) days.
Any passenger who is unavailable for pick-up of a scheduled Demand Response or Fixed-Route Deviation will be considered a No-Show.
Cancellations made less than one (1) hour before the scheduled trip will be considered a No-Show.
What is a Will-Call Trip?
Trips scheduled with Demand Response are considered Will-Call trips for return transportation (except when scheduling through JOBS access). Your return trip will be set up as a “WILL CALL”. An estimated time for return will be entered; however, you MUST contact dispatch at (502) 875-8565 to let them know when you are ready to be picked up or if you need to cancel your return trip.
Will-call trips can result in a wait up to 1 hour. Please be prepared for the wait and bring with you medications, appropriate weather attire and other supplies you may need while you are out.
When Should I be Ready?
When you schedule your pick-up appointment, you will be given a “30-minute ready window”. This ready window 15 minutes before your scheduled pick-up and ends 15 minutes after your scheduled pick-up. (Example: If your pick-up is scheduled for 9:00 a.m., your bus will arrive between 8:45 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.
The rider should be prepared to board the Demand Response vehicle within 5 minutes of arrival any time within the 30-minute window.
What is the "5 Minute Wait Period"?
Demand Response Service is a shared ride, multi-passenger bus service. Frankfort Transit provides more than 60,000 trips annually. Each pick-up scheduled is very important to us. We ask that riders be ready to board the vehicle within 5 minutes of the vehicle arriving to allow ample time to pick up passengers. If all attempts to locate the rider have failed within the 5-minute time period to board, the driver is instructed to depart and you will be consider a “No-Show.” (Example: If your pick-up window is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., and the bus arrives at 8:45 a.m., you must present yourself to the driver no later than 8:50 a.m.).
Personal Care Attendants
A disabled passenger may have one (1) personal care attendant (PCA) ride with them. The PCA's may accompany their passenger for free.
To ensure sufficient seating capacity, the passenger should inform the Scheduler when making a reservation that a personal care attendant is required and will be accompanying the passenger.
The PCA is expected to care for the passenger while in route to the destination.
The PCA must furnish any care over and above routine passenger assistance provided by the Driver.
Use of the PCA is the discretion of the passenger.
Nursing Homes and Adult Facilities
Passengers should be picked up in the main lobby ready to board the vehicle within 5 minutes of the vehicle arriving during the 30-minute pick-up window. Drivers are not permitted to go to rooms to pick up riders. Drivers cannot assist riders into or out of nursing homes, so please have staff ready to assist the individual boarding/off boarding. If an individual other than the rider is responsible for the fare, please notify the dispatcher so the fare can be collected from staff personnel or a PCA at the time of boarding. Riders will be dropped off in the main lobby of the nursing home and staff will be notified.
Children
Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult for all Frankfort Transit services. All children, regardless of age, are required to pay the same fare as the adult rider.
Under Kentucky State Law 189.125
(3) (a) Any driver of a motor vehicle, when transporting a child of forty (40) inches in height or less in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, and highways of this state, shall have the child properly secured in a child restraint system of a type meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards. (b) Any driver of a motor vehicle, when transporting a child under the age of eight (8) years who is between forty (40) inches and fifty-seven (57) inches in height in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, and highways of this state, shall have the child properly secured in a child booster seat. A child of any age who is greater than fifty-seven (57) inches in height shall not be required to be secured in a child booster seat under this section. All child safety seats must be secured by the parent or legal guardian. Frankfort Transit drivers are not responsible to fasten and secure the seat.
This is Kentucky State Law, No Exceptions.
Service Cancellation Due to Weather
Due to weather, such as snow and ice, Demand Response services may be cancelled or delayed. Frankfort Transit will make every attempt to operate if local law enforcement permits us to use the streets. For your safety, drivers will use their discretion to determine road conditions. If streets, driveways, or sidewalks are not cleared for safe passage, the driver will not be able to complete the pick-up. If you are not comfortable traveling in these conditions, please call and cancel your trip.
Service Animals
Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.
Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties.
Service animals are working animals, not pets.
The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.
In addition to the provisions about service dogs, the Department’s revised ADA regulations have a new, separate provision about miniature horses that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.
Smoking, Vaping, Eating and Drinking on Demand Response Vehicle
Smoking, vaping, eating and drinking are strictly prohibited on any Demand Response vehicle. If you MUST eat or drink something due to a health condition, please alert your driver in advance. All drinks must be contained in a screw top lid.
Seatbelts and Safety Restraints on the Vehicle
Frankfort Transit cares about our passengers and employees and wants to make sure that no one is injured in a tragedy that could have been prevented by the use of a safety restraint. All occupants are required to wear seat belts and/or safety shoulder harness where appropriate in the Demand Response vehicles.
Biohazard & Bathroom Accidents
Should a biohazard or bathroom accident happen to you on board the vehicle, please discreetly notify the driver of the situation so that they and dispatch can make arrangements to get you home quickly and return the vehicle to a clean state. Frankfort Transit vehicles are not permitted to make stops along your scheduled route of travel to allow you to use the restroom. Please make the proper precautions prior to departure to ensure you will be able to make your entire trip without incident.
Code of Conduct
Frankfort Transit drivers and riders have the right to travel with the maximum of personal comfort and safety, and without threat of physical and verbal abuse. Therefore, any behavior by Frankfort Transit riders, their companions or their PCA’s that is determined to be violent disruptive, illegal, unsafe unsanitary, threatening, or invades the privacy of another may cause the offending person(s) to be refused or suspended from service. Additional Code of Conduct rules can be found on every Frankfort Transit vehicle.
Rider Responsibility
Frankfort Transit’s goal is to provide a safe, comfortable commute for individuals traveling with our services. To assure a pleasant commute for all, please observe the following guidelines:
Allow the driver to assist you onto the vehicle. Please ask for special assistance if needed.
All passengers (except PCA’s) must pay a fare with exact cash, check, ticket or pass.
Safety restraints must be worn at all times in Demand Response vehicles.
Children under the age of 8 or who are less than 57” tall, MUST be secured in a DOT approved child seat that is provided by and secured by the parent or legal guardian. This is Kentucky State Law, no exception.
All personal belongings and medications are the responsibility of the rider. They must be secured on the lap of the rider. Personal property may not remain in the aisle.
Grocery or store bags are limited to 4 plastic bags or 2 large bags and must be carried on the lap and not in another seat.
You must always stay secured while the vehicle is in motion.
DO NOT interfere with the driver while they are operating the vehicle.
Please allow adequate time for traffic conditions/weather delays to reach your destination.
Treat your fellow passengers kindly- Disruptive or illegal behavior (intoxication, selling drugs, abusive or threatening remarks, or obscene language or actions) will not be tolerated and may result in arrest, suspension or refusal of trip.
Demand Response riders may not request or refuse specific drivers, specific other riders, specific vehicles (unless the vehicle sent is not accessible for you or your mobility device) or specific route.
If you are in a power wheelchair, you must turn off the power while on the lift and during transport.
Riders are responsible to properly care, maintain and upkeep their mobility devices.
Riders are responsible for keeping their home walkways and ramps in good repair and sufficiently clear of snow, ice and debris to be safe for the Frankfort Transit driver and passenger to use.
Non-Service animals in the home or yard must be controlled as not to approach the driver.
Smoking or vaping, eating or drinking are strictly prohibited on all Frankfort Transit vehicles.
Respect others- no soliciting or panhandling allowed. DO NOT LITTER.
No literature may be given out while on the vehicle.
DO NOT abuse or damage Frankfort Transit property or equipment. This could result in prosecution and suspension of service.
Proper attire, including shirts, shoes or appropriate footwear is required to ride any Frankfort Transit service.
Personal music or electronic devices are allowed with headphones, if the sound is not audible to other passengers.
If you have any questions about your ride we ask that you contact dispatch at (502) 875-8565 as the driver does not have detailed information and may not us the radio to discuss specifics.
Driver Responsibility
Frankfort Transit drivers MUST ALWAYS:
Be courteous and professional at all times.
Drive safely. Wear a seat belt. NO CELL PHONES while driving.
Made a good-faith effort to locate you at the threshold of the residence or the lobby of a business.
Lend a steady arm if you need assistance.
Provide directions or act as a sight guide to/from vehicle if you are visually impaired. If you feel you need this type of assistance, notify the driver.
Maneuver your manual wheelchair if you need assistance.
Transport and secure all mobility devises and fasten passenger’s seatbelts and or safety harness if assistance is requested.
Drivers are NOT allowed to:
Operate or push your electronic mobility device.
Cross residential thresholds.
Lift or carry riders.
Walk so far away they lose sight of the vehicle.
Please understand that drivers are not caregivers. Drivers are there to safely transport you from your pick up location to your destination.