2024

ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION

Park & Ride

Click here for the full National Trails Accessibility Plan for the 2024 Ann Arbor Art Fair.

National Trails offers wheelchair-accessible vehicles across its fleet, including mid-size and full-size motor coaches as well as school buses. The vehicles are designed to effectively meet the needs of various wheelchair types and sizes:

  • Manual Wheelchairs - Ranging in weight from 5 lbs to 35 lbs

  • Power Wheelchairs - Ranging in weight from 33 lbs to 50 lbs

  • Transport Wheelchairs - Ranging in weight from 19 lbs to 60 lbs

ADA SHUTTLE ACCESSIBILITY

  • Upon arrival to the shuttle locations (Briarwood Mall or Huron High School) purchase your shuttle wristbands with National Trails staff.

  • If you or anyone in your party requires an ADA Accessible vehicle, please let a National Trails staff member know on-site.

  • Arrangements will be made to accommodate your wheelchair or scooter.

  • A National Trails driver will operate the wheelchair lift, and securely fasten the wheelchair in the designated tie-down space.

  • Arrangements can also be made for families traveling with small children who require the use of strollers.

SMOOTH ONBOARDING

To facilitate a smooth onboarding experience, National Trails will appoint a designated Ambassador who will coordinate transportation services for passengers requiring wheelchair assistance. The Ambassador will work closely with dispatch and drivers to arrange boarding service for ADA-passengers and ensure timely boarding based on vehicle capacity and shuttle circuit time.

DESIGNATED ONBOARDING PLAN

In order to alleviate congestion during times of increased ridership, the Ambassador will instruct passengers to wait in designated lines (stanchions and cones with signage will be used to provide passengers with the highest level of visibility and least amount of confusion) to prepare for boarding. Persons requiring wheelchair lift assistance will be boarded by the driver, who will be operating the wheelchair lift equipment and securing the passenger in the designated tie-down areas of each vehicle. During which time, the Ambassador will delegate other (non-ADA) passengers to their seats based on the number of passengers in their party.

In the event that there is more than one passenger in a party that requires a wheelchair-lift-equipped vehicle, the Ambassador will arrange with the passengers and their party for their ridership preferences.

Would the party prefer to:

  • Wait for a school bus with more than 1 wheelchair tie-down space and ride together

  • Or ride on a first-come-first-serve basis (albeit not together as one party) in multiple vehicles (school buses or motorcoaches)

Allowing the passengers to make their own decision as to how they would like to ride - whether together or separately, gives the passengers and their party the power to take ownership of their departure schedule. The Ambassador will be sure to communicate with passengers an approximate time of when the next multi-wheelchair accessible vehicle will arrive, allowing the passengers to make the most informed decision for themselves.

SCHOOL BUSES

Photos of a wheelchair lift on a school bus.

MOTOR COACHES

Photos of a wheelchair lift on a motor coach bus.

Questions about bus accessibility prior to the Art Fair? Please contact:

  • National Trails Main Office (248) 353-9510

  • Info@NationalTrailsBus.com

It is crucial that inquiries about accessibility are addressed with a sense of urgency prior to the Ann Arbor Art Fair to ensure the best customer service possible is provided and that every patron feels heard. Emails may not be monitored in real-time and the main office may not be able to help with event-specific questions.

Art-Go-Round

May Mobility is putting accessibility at the forefront of their operations in partnership with companies like BraunAbility, the world's leading manufacturer of mobility transportation solutions. In collaboration with BraunAbility, they’re modifying the May Mobility Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS (S-AM) to include ADA-compliant wheelchair ramps in their vehicle fleets. In addition, they are working to equip their vehicle cabins with speakers and a display to help people with audio and/or visual impairments see and hear important information about their journey.

Click here to read more about May Mobility’s committment to accessibility.

City Buses

TheRide buses are accessible (ramps and no step boarding) and in accordance with FTA/ADA guidelines have automatic annunciators and displays identifying time point locations, and landmarks. Information about schedules can be found at www.theride.org or by calling route information at 734-996-0400.