Citilink launched a new Access Plus+ service this week to extend paratransit service options to residents outside of the standard coverage zone, with an increased cost.
The bus service already covers inside the Fort Wayne city limits, which goes beyond the ADA requirements, but the Access Plus service divides those zones and restructures fares.
Tyi’Erra Martin is the paratransit mobility manager for Citilink. She said the decision to divide zones, now called Access and Access Plus+, was due to the growth of the paratransit service.
“Back in 2013, we ran 10 Access buses each day with a cost of $1.5 million, and then in 2023 we were running 15 buses daily with an annual cost of $4.1 million," Martin said.
Now, the Access buses are for rides within the ADA-required ¾-mile outside of the fixed route boundary, while Access Plus+ is for any trips between that boundary and the Fort Wayne city limits.
The fair will be a bit different for riders of Access Plus+ as well, at $4.50. Martin said creating the premium service with an increased fair will help keep the system from having to make service cuts.
