City Launches DOT Paratransit Services

The City of Alexandria introduced a new app that allows users of the City’s paratransit service, DOT, to book pre-scheduled rides using a mobile device. DOT is a specialized transportation service for city residents and visitors who cannot use transit due to disability.

The new app and accompanying software will also improve efficiency and quality of service for riders by streamlining vehicle dispatching and shortening wait times. Other benefits include the ability to:

• Reserve, track, and cancel rides through the app

• Receive automated ride notification reminders the night before a reservation, when the vehicle is approaching, and when the vehicle has arrived

• Pay for fares by credit card

• Receive a 30-minute pickup window to allow service to run more efficiently and serve more riders

The enhancements to the DOT program were made through the City’s partnership with Via, a LOCATION-based transit technology company that has implemented similar improvements to paratransit programs in Hampton Roads, VA, Grand Rapids, MI, and Berlin, Germany. Via’s tech-enabled public transportation solutions are used by more than 600 communities in 36 countries.

Visit alexandriava.gov/Paratransit for more information on the City’s paratransit program, including service hours and instructions on booking a ride through the new app.

For inquiries from the news media only, contact the Office of Communications and Public Information at newsroom@alexandriava.gov or 703-746-3969.