WPRTA is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of its services on the basis of race, color or national origin as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
No person or group of persons will be discriminated against with regard to fares, routing, scheduling, or quality of transportation service that WPRTA / Greenway Public Transportation furnishes, on the basis of race, color or national origin. Frequency of service, age and quality of Greenway Public Transportation vehicles assigned to routes, quality of Greenway Pubic Transportation stations serving Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba counties, and the cities of Conover, Hickory and Newton, and location of routes will not be determined on the basis of race, color or national origin.
Title VI Documents:
For additional information on Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority’s obligation regarding non-discrimination, please write to:
Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority
Title VI Coordinator
P.O. Box 459
Conover, N.C. 28613
or contact the Title VI Coordinator by calling 828-464-9444
Any person who believes that he or she has individually, or as a member of any specific class of person, been subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin may file a Title VI complaint with WPRTA. The complaint may be filed by mail, PO Box 459, Conover, NC 28613 or by calling 828-464-9444.
The complaint must be filed within 180 days of the date of the alleged discrimination. Written complaints may be sent to the address shown above. In addition to the Title VI complaint process at WPRTA, a complainant may file a Title VI complaint with the Federal Transit Administration, Office of Civil Rights, Regional IV, 230 Peachtree, NW Suite 800, Atlanta, GA 30303.
Accessible services
Accessible format (s):
WPRTA information materials on transportation services are available to the public in print and electronically via the Internet. Upon request, they are available in foreign languages, large print, Braille, audio cassette, and other formats as requested.
ADA Complimentary Paratransit Service
The Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority paratransit system operates in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and is designed to serve individuals whose disabling conditions or functional limitations prevent them from using the regular fixed route services of WPRTA. Service is provided within 3/4 of a mile to and from the city bus route in the cities of Conover, Hickory and Newton. The program allows eligible riders to ride WPRTA paratransit vans at a cost of $ 2.50 per trip.
Within twenty-one (21) days of receipt of a completed application, an eligibility determination will be made. Submitting this application does not guarantee eligibility. The determination of eligibility will be made in writing and will inform the applicant of the acceptance or denial of eligibility. In the event of a denial, you will be provided with the specific reason for the denial and a description of the appeal process.
ADA Paratransit Eligibility Standards:
Under ADA regulations, people who qualify for paratransit services fit into at least one of the categories:
The person may not, as a result of a physical or mental impairment, get on, ride or get off an accessible WPRTA vehicle.
The person has a specific disability-related condition (including limited vision, hearing, or disorientation), which prevents them from traveling to or from a location to board or disembark from the bus.
Visitors who are eligible to ride ADA Paratransit on other public transportation systems may be eligible to ride up to 21 days per year on complimentary Paratransit service available in the cities of Conover, Newton, and Hickory. Fax documentation regarding your current eligibility status to 828-466-0570 or call 828-465-7628 for additional information.
How to apply (**go to our ADA page)
Reasonable accommodation / modification of the ADA
The WPRTA provides reasonable modifications / accommodations to the ADA as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (section 504), as amended effective July 13, 2015 to require public entities providing designated public transportation (e.g. fixed route, demand response and ADA supplemental paratransit) to make reasonable modifications / adaptations to policies, practices and procedures to avoid discrimination and ensure that its programs are accessible to people with disabilities, unless providing such accommodations is an expense and administrative burden or constitutes a fundamental alteration of the program or activity.
The NPRM recognized three types of modifications that would not create an obligation for a transportation provider to agree to a request: (1) Those that would fundamentally alter the provider's program, (2) those that would create a direct threat, as defined in 49 CFR 37.3, as a significant risk to the health or safety of others, and (3) those that are not necessary to allow a person to receive services from the provider.
Passengers can request a reasonable accommodation / modification through the following:
Throughout the eligibility process when requesting the service, the request should be as specific as possible and include information on why the requested modification is needed to allow the individual to use the transportation provider's services.
- When scheduling an appointment with the WPRTA Call Center
- Upon request to a vehicle operator with the approval of the Dispatch Office when an advance request for modification / accommodation is not feasible
- Whenever possible, requests for modifications should be made in advance. This is particularly appropriate when a permanent or long-term condition or barrier is the basis of the request (for example, difficulty accessing a paratransit vehicle from the passenger's residence; the need to eat a snack on board the vehicle to maintain blood sugar levels of a diabetic; lack of an accessible path to travel to a bus stop, resulting in a request for the bus to stop within walking distance of the stop location)
Compliments and complaints:
WPRTA values comments, compliments, complaints and suggestions from passengers and agencies.
Comments can be mailed to WPRTA at PO Box 459 Conover, NC 28613, by calling 828-464-9444, or by emailing customerservice@mygreenway.org.
Complaints can be mailed to WPRTA at PO Box 459 Conover, NC 28613, by calling 828-464-9444, or by emailing customerservice@mygreenway.org.
Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority administrative appeals process for individuals denied eligibility for paratransit and for individuals suspended from service.
If you disagree with a decision or have more information that you would like the WPRTA to consider, you have the right to appeal in person at 1515 4th St. SW, Conover, NC 28613 or in writing to WPRTA PO Box 459, Conover, NC 28613 within 60 days from the date of the denial letter.
An applicant for WPRTA ADA Paratransit Service who has been determined to be ineligible, conditionally eligible, or suspended from public transportation has the right to appeal the decision in person.
The administrative appeal process is intended to provide individuals who have been denied eligibility or those who have been suspended from service the opportunity to have their cases heard by an official (s) other than the one who took the initial determination.
Structure of the appeal process
The Executive Director will hear the initial appeal. A three-person panel who are members of the Transportation Advisory Board (TABAC) Appeals Committee will hear further appeals based on the Executive Director's decision.
How to file an appeal
Generally, WPRTA staff will make the initial determination of eligibility / denial / suspension in writing to the person involved. If an individual wishes to have the staff determination reviewed, the individual must request in writing a review of the determination within 60 days of the date of the initial determination. Requests for review should be sent to:
Executive Director
Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority
P.O. Box 459
Conover, NC 28613
The request to review the determination must be accompanied by supporting evidence, documentation, or other consideration that the appellant wishes to have considered. A finding will be sent to the person involved within 30 days of receipt of the request for review.
If the person is not satisfied with the Executive Director's decision, a new appeal may be submitted to the Transportation Advisory Board (TABAC) Appeals Committee. The appeal must be filed within 60 days from the date of the Executive Director's notice of review. Appeals to the committee should be directed to:
Director of Planning, Community Development and Data Services
COG of Western Piedmont,
P.O. Box 9026
Hickory, NC 28603
Once an appeal request is received at the WPRTA office, a hearing date will be set and written notice will be mailed to the applicant. The individual must appear in person. The TABAC determination is final and will be made within 30 days of receipt of the appeal request.
What to expect at the hearing
The hearing will review the judgment (s) that were made regarding the individual's eligibility in the initial determination.
Individuals who did not participate in the initial eligibility determination will hear the appeal.
It may be desirable for the staff member involved in the initial determination to be available to provide information and reasons for the initial decision.
The applicant may request the assistance of an interpreter at the hearing. The Appeals Committee will provide written notification of the appeal decision within 30 calendar days. This will include the specific reasons for the decision.
Presumptive eligibility will be granted to individuals with disabilities if a decision is not made within 30 days of the completion of the appeal process.
This document can also be obtained in other formats by contacting the WPRTA Programming Center at 828-464-9444 or 7-1-1 or 1-877-735-8200 for Relay.
ADA Complaint Form
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES (ADA) COMPLAINT FORM
INSTRUCTIONS: If you would like to submit an Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Complaint to the Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority, please complete the form below and return to the
WPRTA ADA Coordinator / Operations Director – Patti Foster Nelson, PO Box 459, Conover, NC. 28613
For questions, please contact WPRTA at (828) 465-7641 or
Email to: pfoster@mygreenway.org