(TRENTON) – The full Assembly and Senate on Thursday both unanimously approved a bill (A-4208) to adopt paratransit best practices, require greater coordination among paratransit service providers and establish regional paratransit coordinating councils. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk.
The measure’s sponsors, Assembly Democrats Daniel Benson (D-Mercer, Middlesex), Carol Murphy (D-Burlington) and Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) released the following joint statement on the bill:
“Paratransit providers serve seniors and disabled residents who would otherwise have difficulty accessing public transportation. We’ve heard from many paratransit riders and providers that the current fragmented system can work better for all involved, including improving wait times, communication, and service quality.
“A person who is elderly or disabled shouldn’t receive lower quality service than others who use public transportation. There needs to be equity in our transit system for all riders.
“This legislation will improve the reliability of paratransit service by increasing coordination between state paratransit providers, county agencies, and the developmental disability community to improve efficiency, as well as reducing costs and creating best practices for providers to follow. With these investments, our goal is to ensure riders have a safer and smoother trip.”