FARES
There are no fare charges for medical/dental appointments to the Dallas County Health and Human Services Nutrition Program. However, there are fare charges for other requests, as follows:

Grocery Store, School and Work: $1.00 each way

Books of tickets may be purchased in advance through the transit drivers or the Dispatch office.

Contact 972-237-8546 for further information.

TRAVEL COMPANIONS

Passengers may travel with one (1) companion, if space is available. The companion must travel to the same location as the passenger and will not be permitted to depart the vehicle at a difference location. Companions must be 16 years of age or older, unless an exception is approved by the Transit Coordinator or by the Transportation Services Director in writing (emergency cases only may be approved by verbal approval).

If a passenger requires assistance while traveling, they may have a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) travel with them. The PCA must be 16 years of age or older, unless an exception is approved by the Transit Coordinator or by the Transportation Services Director, in writing (emergency cases only may be approved by verbal approval).

CARRY-ON PACKAGES

Passengers are limited to five (5) carry-on packages. Each Package must be equal to, or be smaller, than a brown paper grocery bag and packages are limited to 10 pounds each.

Driver assistance in loading or unloading is not required, therefore, please plan to carry only items which you can manage independently.

BEHAVIOR/CONDUCT

Smoking, eating or drinking is not permitted on the transit vehicles. Carrying concealed weapons is also prohibited.

Passengers must wear seatbelts at all times. Individuals utilizing wheelchairs must allow the drivers to properly secure the wheelchair with the appropriate securing devices.

Abusive behavior or language will not be tolerated. Each violation will be examined and handled on an individual basis.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer satisfaction is the number one goal of The Grand Connection. Please let us know how we are doing! Every transit vehicle is supplied with Customer Comment Cards. They will be distributed, upon request, to any passenger or PCA with a complaint or a commendation. Customers will receive a response with two (2) business days of receipt of the Customer Comment Card

EMERGENCY INFORMATION

It is very important to keep The Grand Connection up-to-date on all emergency contacts. Please advise the Dispatcher immediately of any changes-it is for your safety.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Hours of operation:

                Monday – Wednesday -Friday:  4:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

                Tuesday and Thursday:  7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

                Saturday:  no service

                Sunday:  no service

During severe weather, The Grand Connection may cancel or delay operations, if it is deemed unsafe to operate. We also do not operate on the following City holidays:

New Year's Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving - Thursday and Friday
Christmas

SCHEDULING TRIPS

All trips requests must be made at least TWO (2) WORKING DAYS IN ADVANCE of the day you wish to travel. You may call up to two (2) weeks in advance of the trip. Please call the dispatch line at (972) 237-8546. Give us a detailed message regarding your trip request.

You must give the following information to the Dispatcher when requesting a trip:

(1) Your name and phone number
(2) Address of your pick-up point-including the building name of your apartment complex
(3) Address of your destination-including the doctor's name, building name/number, suite/room number
(4) Day and date of travel
(5) Pick-up time preferred, appointment time, length of time needed and preferred time for a return trip.

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE

If you travel to the same place on a routine schedule, you may wish to request a "Subscription Service". This eliminates the need to continually request a trip. It automatically places your trips on the schedule. These are generally established for work, school, Nutrition Program, Dialysis Center or therapy trips as well as other places individuals travel to on a regular basis.

At the present time, we take dialysis patients to Irving Dialysis for treatment, as space is available. If you need this type of subscription service, please contact the Dispatcher for availability.

Subscription Service capacity is limited and offered only on first come, first served basis. If there is no space available at the time you wish to travel, you will be put on a waiting list until that time slot becomes available.

TRIP TIMES AND "NO-SHOWS"

The dispatcher will call you to confirm the times of your trips. The driver may arrive 15 minutes before or after the scheduled time. For instance, if your pickup time is scheduled for 12:00 p.m., the driver may arrive between 11:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., depending on how much time the previous trip pickup required. The driver is required to wait only 5 minutes after they arrive within the scheduled time window. If you miss your trip, it will be recorded as a "No-Show" and your return trip will be automatically canceled.

You may be placed on probation if on three (3) occasions in a 6 month period you fail to show or you do not call to canel a requested trip before the driver arrives. If the abuse continues, you may be placed on suspension. After the suspension, you may be required to re-apply for transportation service requests.