To start the certification process, you must complete and return Part A of the Application for Paratransit Eligibility. This section must be completed in its entirety. The information about the licensed/certified Healthcare Professional, teacher, or social worker familiar with the applicant’s history must be included in the application.

If you would like to receive an application by mail and/or need assistance filling out the application, please get in touch with the CobbLinc Paratransit Administrator at (770) 429-7855 during normal business hours, Monday through Friday.

Completed applications can be returned via:

• Email: CobbLincPara@cobbcounty.org
• Fax: (470) 689-0009 (Attn: Paratransit Application)
• U.S. Mail: CobbLinc Customer Service & Paratransit Center, Attn: Paratransit Certifications, 431 Commerce Park Drive Marietta, GA 30060-2737

Part B of the Application for Paratransit Eligibility is used to verify functional ability and must be completed by the health care professional, teacher, or social worker identified by the applicant in Section A of the application. All medical information provided regarding your disability will be kept strictly confidential.

Once the completed Part A and Part B are returned to CobbLinc, the application will be considered complete and eligibility will be determined within 21 days. If this process is not completed within 21 working days, in compliance with ADA Sec 37.125 (c), the applicant will be presumed eligible and may use the paratransit service until a decision is made. The applicant will be notified of the final decision in writing.

The determining factor in deciding if a passenger qualifies for ADA Complementary Paratransit service is whether the passenger can functionally ride or access the bus. It is not a medical determination; it is a functional ability analysis. A disability that makes travel more difficult, but not impossible, does not qualify an individual for eligibility.

ADA regulations outline three categories of ADA Complementary Paratransit eligibility:

• Category 1 is for persons with disabilities who cannot use the fixed-route system without the assistance of another person.
• Category 2 is for persons with disabilities who could use the fixed-route system if the vehicles were accessible and available.
• Category 3 is for persons with a “specific impairment-related condition, which prevents such individual from traveling to a boarding location or from a disembarking location on such system” (ADA regulation 37.123(e) (3)).

If an applicant is denied eligibility, the applicant may appeal the decision either in writing or in person.

Appeals must be submitted within 60 calendar days from the date of the notification letter of the applicant’s eligibility status.

To begin the appeals process, please send the notification letter of eligibility status, along with all additional information you would like the Appeal Panel to consider, to:

CobbLinc Administrative Offices Attn: Paratransit Appeals 463 Commerce Park Drive, Suite 112 Marietta, GA 30060-2737

If nothing in the eligibility decision is changed after reviewing all available information, an appeals hearing will be scheduled. CobbLinc will notify you in writing of the location and time of the appeals hearing. The appellant may attend the hearing, but it is not mandatory. The appellant must provide his/her own transportation to the appeals hearing. The appellant will receive written notification of the Appeals Board decision within 30 calendar days of the appeals hearing date.

Paratransit certification is good for four (4) years unless temporary eligibility is given based on a temporary functional need. The certification expiration date will be noted in your certification letter. An application form will be mailed to the customer two (2) months prior to the expiration date, along with an enclosed letter informing the customer that their certification for paratransit service is up for renewal. Failure to return the application in a timely manner may result in a loss of service.

Denial of Recertification

If the application for recertification is denied, the customer may continue to use the paratransit service for 60 calendar days from the date of the notification letter. If the customer does not file an appeal within those 60 calendar days, the customer’s service will be discontinued on the 61st calendar day.

Appealing Denial of Recertification

If an applicant is denied recertification, the applicant may file an appeal within 60 calendar days from the date of the notification letter of the applicant’s recertification status. If an appeal is filed, the appellant can continue to use the paratransit service until the Paratransit Appeals Board determine the customer’s eligibility. The customer will receive written notification of the Appeals Board decision within 30 calendar days of the appeals hearing. If the recertification application appeal is denied by the Appeals Board, paratransit service will be discontinued 10 business days from the date of the Appeals Board decision letter.

Once approved, applicants must go to the CobbLinc Customer Service & Paratransit Center located at 431 Commerce Park Drive, Marietta, GA 30060 to receive their identification card. Eligible customers may ride the CobbLinc Paratransit Service for free to receive their CobbLinc Paratransit Photo ID. However, the return trip is not free.

The CobbLinc Paratransit Photo ID is a special Breeze Card with a photo and must be presented to the operator upon boarding the paratransit vehicle. The CobbLinc Paratransit Photo ID is accepted at other transit agencies within the United States. Consult with the local transit agency regarding applicable rules and regulations.

Lost/Stolen Paratransit ID Cards

If a customer misplaces their CobbLinc Paratransit Photo ID, or if it is lost or stolen, a replacement card can be obtained for a fee of $5.00 by visiting the CobbLinc Customer Service & Paratransit Center located at 431 Commerce Park Drive, Marietta, Georgia 30060, Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Contact the CobbLinc Paratransit Administrator at (770) 429-7855 for questions regarding the CobbLinc Paratransit Photo ID. Trips cannot be taken without showing a valid CobbLinc Paratransit Photo ID.