Sun Van Application
If there are questions that you cannot answer or if you need assistance to complete this form, including alternative formats, please call 505-724-3100.
Thank you for your interest in Sun Van’s services for people with disabilities. As part of the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, paratransit service is provided by all public transportation systems. This public transportation service is limited to persons who are unable to independently use regular public transit (the bus, or ABQ RIDE, or the train), some or all of the time, due to a disability or health related condition.
Sun Van eligibility is based on “functional” criteria. Eligibility is not based on type of disability, mobility aid(s) used, medical diagnosis, or age, but rather on whether there are barriers that prevent them from using the bus. Paratransit is a “shared-ride” service that operates at the same times and in the same areas as the fixed-route buses.
Service Eligibility
ADA paratransit eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. According to ADA regulations, eligibility is strictly limited to those who have specific limitations that prevent them from using accessible public transportation, not those that make it difficult or inconvenient to use.
Individuals are eligible based on any one of the following 3 categories:
Individuals are ADA paratransit eligible if their disability prevents them from:
- Getting to and from bus stops or train stations within the service area.
- Using the fixed-route system because the bus route or rail station is not accessible.
- Independently navigating the system.
Your application may be approved for full eligibility (unconditional), which means you can make all your trips on Sun Van, or on a conditional basis, in which you are determined to be able to ride ABQ Ride for some of your trips. If you are found to be capable of using regular bus for all trips, without the help of another person, you will not be eligible for paratransit.
Interview
Following receipt of a completed application, we will call you to set-up either a phone or in-person interview. Sun Van interviews are a required part of the eligibility process. You must participate in the interview in order to complete the process. For in-person interviews, Sun Van will provide a free ride to and from the interview if needed. The Sun Van in-person interview is held at:
The Transit Department Administrative Offices
Alvarado Transportation Center
100 1st Street SW
(located on the southeast corner of 1st Street and Central Avenue)
Timeline
The application process can take up to twenty-one (21) days to complete from the date a complete application was received. Once the application process is complete, a letter will be mailed to you indicating your eligibility, expiration date of certification, conditions of eligibility (if applicable), whether authorized to ride Sun Van with a Personal Care Attendant (PCA), a Sun Van ID card and a “Sun Van and You!” booklet outlining Sun Van’s services.
If you do not receive notification of eligibility within twenty-one (21) days from the date of the interview, you will receive presumptive eligibility, which will enable you to ride Sun Van. Sun Van service will be provided until and unless Sun Van denies the application.
The following application can be completed by you or you can have someone help you fill it out. Please provide full responses to all of the questions on the application. The application questions must be completed in their entirety before being processed. We may contact you if information is missing and we are happy to help you complete any missing information. All information provided by the applicant will be kept strictly confidential. Included in the application is a medical waiver form that requests permission to contact your healthcare provider if the information on the form is unclear or insufficient to make an eligibility determination.
To help us determine your eligibility, please click the button bellow and complete the online application.