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City of Lawrence - COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION -  FIXED-ROUTE BUSES - click here

Independence, Inc.
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES        phone:  785-841-0333 ext 215
                                                                            1-888-824-7277

       SCHEDULING/OFFICE HOURS: 7:30 am - 3:30 pm   
                                                                    Monday - Friday

                                         BUS HOURS: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.   
                                                                    Monday - Friday

Qualifying for a Ride
Anyone in the Douglas County community is eligible for these rides, with a priority given to people with disabilities. If you question whether or not you would qualify, please call the Independence, Inc. transportation office.

Booking Rides
Independence, Inc. provides transportation to individuals living in Douglas County, and the city of Lawrence. We also make trips to medical appointments in Kansas City and Topeka.  We suggest that you schedule up to a week in advance if possible. The number of rides allowed is limited to four rides per day per person. All scheduling is done on a first-come first-served basis.  Please do not schedule with the drivers.  People needing the lift are our first priority.

A one week notice is required for any group scheduling rides for meetings. Groups can only book rides one week in advance.

Out-of-Town Rides
Requests for rides to medical appointments need to be made as soon as possible. We suggest you call first to find out about ride availability before scheduling your out-of-town medical appointment. This service is on a first come first served basis and is subject to the availability of a vehicle and a driver.  Priority is given to individuals who need the lift.  When calling to schedule your ride you will need to provide the time of your appointment, name of the doctor and/or clinic, the estimated time you will be finished, and a phone or room number where you can be reached.  We do not provide attendant care, lunches, etc.

Full Schedule
If you can use your own resources first, without jeopardizing your independent living goals, you need to do so.  We will attempt to schedule all requests that are received.  There are times when the number of requests exceed our ability to provide those rides.  It will sometimes be necessary to require that those consumers who can use their own resources do so.

Pick Up Times
Rides are scheduled to allow plenty of time for you to make your appointment. You need to be ready for your ride ten minutes prior to the scheduled pickup time.

Cancellations and No-Shows
Cancellations should be called in as soon as possible.  When you cancel your ride in advance you provide the opportunity for someone else to schedule a ride.  If you fail to call the transportation office and cancel your ride you are considered a no-show.  Also, cancellations an hour or less prior to the scheduled ride time will be treated as a no-show. If you miss your pickup, all of your scheduled rides for that day will be canceled.  

A consumer having three  no-shows in a 90-day period shall be suspended from ridership for 30 days. A letter of warning will be sent after each no-show in a 90-day period. A rider may appeal a suspension through the grievance procedure process. Rides will continue during the appeals process. Special consideration will be given for no-shows during inclement weather.

For riders with disabilities, the Independent Living Skills department at Independence, Inc. is available upon request to provide mobility and time-management training to help prevent no-shows. Call 841-0333 to inquire about this service.

If you are running late, please let us know.  We can only wait five minutes after arriving to pick you up, so let us know if you need to change your pick-up time.

Delays
Due to the number of rides we provide in a day it is not always possible for the bus to run on an exact time schedule.  If you have an important meeting, job interview, job schedule, etc., it is up to you to allow extra time to assure your scheduling needs can be met.

Donations
Please donate each time you ride, whatever you feel you can afford.  Twenty-five percent of the current transportation budget needs to come from outside sources to enable us to continue providing transportation.  If there are times when you are receiving third-party payments for transportation (from VA or SRS for example) we would appreciate it if you could pass that payment on to Independence, Inc.  We want the donation you make to be only what you feel you can afford. The fee for general public is $1.00 for one-way rides in Douglas County, or $10 for round-trip out-of-town medical appointments. 

Assistance
Due to scheduling demands, drivers must limit personal assistance to consumers to those activities which directly relate to their ride, i.e. assistance with hats, coats, doors, etc.  Personal care assistance, such as bowel-bladder routine and housekeeping are not considered driver responsibility.  If you are in need of a personal care attendant, please contact the Center.

Running Late
You need to be ready for your pickup ten minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time of the bus.  If you are running late for your scheduled pickup time, please call the transportation office.  Depending on the schedule, the lift-van can sometimes wait five to ten minutes.  Every attempt by the driver will be made to alert you that the lift vehicle has arrived by honking and/or knocking on the door.  If there is no response, the transportation office will telephone you.  If we cannot reach you by phone, we will assume that you do not need your ride and consider your pickup a no-show.  If you miss your scheduled pickup, all of your scheduled rides for that day will be canceled.

Return Ride
If you will be needing a return ride, it must be scheduled at the same time as the initial ride.  In some instances, for example a doctor's appointment, you do not know what time you will need your return ride.  In these cases your best guess will have to do. For an average, one hour after your appointment usually works.  If you schedule a return time and know you will not be ready, call the office and let us know.  We will pick you up when you are finished.