One’s disability alone does not guarantee eligibility for the ADA service. To be eligible for ADA service, a disability must prevent the use of CAT’s fixed route bus service and the origin and destination of your trip must be within 3/4 (three-quarters) of a mile of a fixed route. ADA Service is provided within the same daily and hourly scheduled of the fixed route service.

A person may be given “conditional” eligibility for ADA paratransit service if they are able utilized the fixed route bus under certain conditions but not others. In those situations, eligibility will be determined according to that circumstance or condition as it relates to the person’s disability.

Passengers who require the assistance of a Personal Care Attendant must have this approved during the eligibility review.

If you are approved for ADA service, you will receive an approval letter along with a CATConnect identification card. This card can be shown to other transit agencies identifying you as ADA eligible. If you lose your I.D. card, you may get a replacement at CAT Operations Office located at 8300 Radio Road.

Visitors

Visitors who are eligible for ADA service in other cities and have documentation may use the CATConnect service during their visit to Collier County. Visitors who do not have documentation of ADA eligibility from another transit agency, but can provide documentation of a disability, may be eligible to use the service for up to twenty-one (21) days.

Transportation Disadvantaged (TD): Individuals who because of a mental or physical disability, income status, or age are unable to transport themselves or to purchase transportation and are, therefore, dependent upon others to obtain access to healthcare, employment, education, shopping, social activities, or other life-sustaining activities, or children who are handicapped, or high risk or at risk (as defined in § 411.202). In addition, the individual’s trip origin and/or destination must reside outside the ADA corridor.

For Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) Non-Sponsored Paratransit Service (also known as CAT Connect) in Collier County the following criteria are used for determining Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) eligibility by the Mobility Manager:

1. The individual is unable to transport themselves or to purchase transportation:

1. If public transit is available, applicants must show why it cannot be used;

2. The Mobility Manager will perform a functional assessment to determine if the applicant is not able to use public transit.

2. There are no other funding sources available to pay for the requested trip (i.e., Agency sponsored, Senior Services (Older Americans Act), Medicaid for Non-Emergency Medical Trips).

3. The individual meets one or more of the following criteria:

1. Physical or mental disability, as outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA); or (staff will refer to the physician diagnosis and guidance for qualifying);

2. The individual falls under “children-at-risk” as defined in F.S. 411.202;

3. Individual and household income status is 150% of the federal poverty level or less; or (staff will use approved documents to verify income for qualifying)

The eligibility process does not provide for self-declaration. The Applicants will sign the application attesting the information they provide is truthful and accurate. If a TD applicant is determined to be ineligible for TD services, due to an incomplete application, additional processing time will be given until the required or missing information is received. If the application is determined to be ineligible after a complete review, the applicant may appeal this determination by following the appeals process outlined.

After meeting the eligibility requirements, service is provided only to individuals by CATConnect under the following ADA guidelines:

Eligible riders may schedule a trip on the Paratransit system by downlading the new rideCATconnect app (as of March 1, 2022) or by calling the CATConnect office at 239.252.7272, Monday through Friday, 8:00am until 5:00pm. If calling after hours, on the weekend and/or on a holiday, please follow voice mail instructions and leave your name and trip information on the voice mail. Someone will return your call to confirm your reservation.

Passengers approved for Paratransit service are required to book their reservation (through the app or by phone) no later than the day before the requested trip, or up to two weeks in advance. Same day service is not available. It is permissible under ADA regulations for reservations staff to negotiate the requested pick-up time within a one-hour window before or after the passenger’s requested pick-up time. For TD trips, due to the size of the County, the pick-up time may be within a two-hour window before or after the passenger’s requested pick-up time.

When you call to schedule a trip, please be ready to provide:

Each trip is limited to one destination. Brief stops at locations before the scheduled destination will not be allowed. If multiple destinations are needed, each section of the trip must be scheduled separately. A separate fare is required for each destination.

CAT Cash Account Set-Up

Beginning March 1, 2022, tickets will no longer be used to pay for trips. Please stop by one of our transfer stations to set up an account with cash or mail us a check to set up your account before you ride with us. Then every time a trip is completed, the fare will be deducted from your account.

CAT Cash balances can be checked through the NEW rideCATconnect app, available in the Apple Store or Google Play Store.

Download the rideCATconnect app here:

Apple IOS: Apple IOS

Google Play: Google Play:

ADA Trips

The fare for this service is $3 for a one-way trip. A reduced fare of $1 may apply if certain household income guidelines are met. Household income information is not required for eligibility of the program. This program does allow/transport a single guest or Personal Care Attendants (PCA).

A PCA is defined as an individual who is medically necessary to aid an ADA passenger. A passenger must be pre-approved to take a PCA. PCA’s do not have to pay a fare to ride. Guests are required to pay the same fare.

TD Trips

The fare for TD trips is based on an income scale and varies from $1, $3 or $4 per one-way trip. This program does not allow/transport guests.

Passengers are required to be ready up to one (1) hour before their drop-off (appointment) time. For longer, cross-county trips, you may be required to be ready up to two (2) hours before your trip. For the return trip, the driver may arrive up to fifteen (15) minutes after your requested return pick-up time.

CATConnect is door-to-door transportation. If a passenger lives in an apartment building, adult care living facility, nursing home, or similar place that has a common lobby, the passenger is required to meet the driver in the lobby. The passengers are to be fully dressed and ready to board the vehicle. Drivers are not allowed to assist passengers in dressing. Drivers are not allowed to lift, carry or load passengers into their mobility devices (i.e., wheelchair, scooter, etc.). Passengers may board the vehicle either via lift, ramp or doorway. Drivers will assist riders when entering and leaving the vehicle. This includes offering a steady arm when walking, assisting in bringing the rider’s wheelchair or other mobility devices to and from the main door, or if requested, assisting with unlocking and/or opening a main entrance door of the building or residence. Drivers are not allowed to enter residences.

If the destination is in an office complex, hospital or has a common lobby, drivers will leave the passenger in the lobby.
CATConnect drivers are required to announce themselves and wait for passengers five (5) minutes after their scheduled pick-up time. If a passenger is not ready, the driver will then call dispatch to request permission to mark the trip as a no-show. If the trip is beginning at a residence, dispatch should then try to call the passenger. If the trip is beginning at a place other than a residence, the driver will have the passenger paged or attempt to locate the passenger. A no-show notice will be mailed to the passenger.