PAL Direct Trip Planner is designed to give you quick and easy 24-hour access to NFTA's Paratransit information and services. It allows you to book, confirm and cancel a ride, notify us of changes to your personal information, and submit complaints, commendations and general feedback.

Although PAL Trip Planner is designed to be easy to use, an online help module is available to provide users with extra assistance if necessary.

There are two ways to access Help information.

First, help is always available on the left side menu under the heading "Services:". Depending on what screen you are on, clicking this Help option will take you to information specific to that screen.

Second, throughout PAL Trip Planner there are links to Help located on the top right of most screens. Clicking on these links will also take you to Help for the screen that you are on.

Click on the links above to further explore what is available within the PAL Direct Trip online Help module.

The Trips screen displays the trips you have previously booked in the system. The trips are sorted in chronological order and an overview of each trip is displayed on the screen, which includes the trip date, times, status and pick-up and drop-off location information. On this screen you can confirm, cancel, or repeat trips that you have previously booked in the system.

Filtering Trips

By default, the trip list will include all of the trips booked for this month.

If you would like to display the trips for a specific date, click the date on the calendar that you are interested in viewing.

If you would like to return to displaying all of your trips, simply click on the month at the top of the screen. Use the 'Prev' and 'Next' buttons to access past or future months.

Actions

There are three actions available for each trip. They are Detail, Cancel and Repeat.

Clicking on the Detail icon will bring up a new screen that will display additional information about the trip, including any comments about the pick-up and drop-off locations, and any information on additional passengers.

The Cancel icon can be clicked to bring up the cancellation confirmation screen. On this new screen, you will be presented with the complete details for the trip and asked to confirm the cancellation. Clicking the Cancel Trip button will cancel the trip and provide you with a confirmation number.

The Repeat icon can be used to repeat or copy a trip. Clicking the button will bring you to the Book a Trip screen with the pick-up and drop-off locations already entered. You only need to enter a date and time for this new trip and follow through with the remainder of the booking process

On the Trips screen, the color highlighting the trip indicates the trip status. Green = Scheduled Red = cancelled late Orange = cancelled in advance Yellow = Requested

Terminology

Following is a list of terms used in the Review or Cancel Trips summary and detail screens.

Date:

The requested date for the trip.

Requested Time:

The time you requested to be picked up for the trip.

Scheduled Time:

The pick-up window or timeframe that the vehicle is scheduled to arrive.

Estimated Time:

The current estimated time that the vehicle will arrive. The estimated time may differ from the scheduled time and key fluctuate based on current traffic, road and weather conditions.

Drop-off/Appointment Time:

The time you requested you would like to be dropped off at your destination.

Start Window:

The earliest time that the vehicle should arrive.

End Window:

The latest time that the vehicle should arrive.

Status:

The current status for the trip can be one of the following:

• Requested (highlighted yellow): The trip request has been entered into the system and waiting to be assigned to a vehicle. Trips are assigned to a vehicle the day prior to the trip date.
• Scheduled (highlighted green): The trip request has been scheduled and assigned to a vehicle.
• Cancelled in Advance (highlighted in orange): The trip was cancelled in advance of the pick-up time.
• Cancelled Late/No show (highlighted in red): The trip was cancelled within 2 hours of the pick-up time, not providing enough notice; or the vehicle arrives at the pick-up location within the 30-minute pick-up window, waits the required 5 minutes and the customer did not board the vehicle.

Pick-up Location:

The location/address from where you'll be picked up.

Drop-off Location:

The location/address where you'll be dropped off.

Creating a booking is simple with PAL Trip Planner. For details on how to book a trip, review the step by step instructions below:Pick-Up LocationSelect your Pick-up location by from the list of Frequently Used Addresses. If your pick-up address is not listed, please contact one of our ADA Controllers to add a new address.Drop-Off locationSelect your Drop-off location by selecting from the list of Frequently Used Addresses. If your drop-off address is not listed, please contact one of our ADA Controllers to add a new address.Select the dateSelect the date that you wish to travel. A list of valid travel dates is provided in the drop down calendar. If the date that you wish to travel is not listed, you will need to contact one of our ADA Controllers.TimeSelect whether you would like to request to be picked up at a certain time (i.e. Pick-up Time) or dropped off at a certain time (i.e. Drop-off / Appointment Time). A list of valid travel times is provided in the drop down box. If the time that you wish to travel is not listed, you must contact an AD A Controller.Mobility AidThese are your current mobility aids. To add or remove a mobility device, please contact our Paratransit Customer Service Office.Additional PassengersIf you will be traveling with additional passengers, click the icon. Select the Passenger Type and then click Add Passenger.Trip NotificationsIf you need to update the phone number used for your trip notification FOR THIS TRIP ONLY enter the phone number here.Request this rideClick the Request This Ride button to book your trip.

Booking Information Review

Once you click the Request This Ride button, you will be able to review the details of the trip before it is booked. The screen will display the Trip Notification Number, Requested Date, Requested Time, Pick-up and Drop-off locations, Space Type, Mobility Aid, Additional Passengers, and any other trips you may have scheduled for that day.

   

On the review screen you have the ability to continue with the booking, start the booking process over or make changes to the trip information before proceeding. If you click Book Trip, the system will continue with the booking and attempt to schedule your booking to a vehicle. If you click Start Over, you will be returned to the Book a Trip screen with all the information about this booking removed. If you click Edit Trip, you will be returned to the Book a Trip screen with all the information about this booking retained.

Accepting Booking

If you chose Book the Trip, the system will save the booking in the system and then attempt to schedule the trip to a vehicle. If a vehicle is available, you will be provided with the date and approximate pickup time for the vehicle. You must then choose to either accept or refuse the trip. If you click Accept Trip, your scheduled booking will be saved and you will be given a booking reference number. If you click Refuse Trip, the booking will be marked as a refusal and will not be scheduled.

  

The My Profile screen displays information that we have in your customer profile. The screen will display your Customer Identification Number, Name, Registered Addresses, Phone Numbers, ADA eligibility Status, imminent arrival and previous day. Note: If any of the information displayed on this screen does not appear to be correct, please contact our Paratransit Customer Service.

Changing Your Password

If you would like to change the password that you use to log onto the online system, or you forget your password, follow these steps:

• 1. Go to paldirect.nfta.com
• 2. Click on forgot password
• 3. Enter your Client Id and email address and submit your password reset request. (You must use the email address you have on file with us to use this feature.)

The Glossary is designed to provide users with definitions for some of the common terms that are used with PAL-Trip Planner.

PAL Direct Trip Planner

PAL Direct Trip Planner - self serve application that allows customers and others to use the Internet to request, confirm and cancel paratransit trips and to access other valuable customer and general information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Booked Trip

Booked Trip - a trip that has been requested and entered into the system.

Scheduled Trip

Scheduled Trip - a trip that has been requested, entered into the system and scheduled to a vehicle.

Subscription Trip

Subscription Trip - a trip that is repeated on an on-going basis from the same pick-up and drop-off locations at fixed times and days. Example: I want to travel from my home to work every weekday departing at 8:00 a.m.

Password

Password - the private code that a user must enter at the login prompt to gain access to the online system.

Requested Date

Requested Date - the requested date for the trip.

Requested Time

Requested Time - The time you requested to be picked up for the trip.

Scheduled Time

Scheduled Time - the time the vehicle is scheduled to arrive. Note: The scheduled time may be different than the requested time and is based on vehicle availability at the time of the request.

Estimated Time

Estimated Time - the current estimated time that the vehicle will arrive. The estimated time may differ from the scheduled time and may fluctuate based on current traffic, road and weather conditions.

Requested Drop-off Time/Appointment Time

Requested Drop-off/Appointment Time - the time you indicated you would like to be dropped off at your destination.

Start Window

Start Window - the earliest time that the vehicle should arrive.

End Window

End Window - the latest time that the vehicle should arrive.

Trip Status

Trip Status - the current status for the trip can be one of the following:

• Requested - the trip request has been entered into the system and waiting to be assigned to a vehicle.
• Scheduled - the trip request has been scheduled to a vehicle.
• Cancelled in Advance - the trip was cancelled in advance of the pick-up time.
• Cancelled Late - the trip was cancelled without providing sufficient notice.

Pick-up Location

Pick-up Location: The location/address from where you'll be picked up.

Drop-off Location

Drop-off Location: The location/address where you'll be dropped off.

Space Type

Space Type - the space requirement for a passenger within a vehicle (i.e. requires space for a wheel chair.)

Passenger Type

Passenger Type - describe a passenger's ability to get around (i.e. ambulatory, wheelchair, walks with a cane, etc.)

Repeat Booking

Repeat Booking -the act of creating a new booking by copying from a booking that is already in the system.

Cancel Trip

Cancel Trip - the act of canceling a trip that has already been booked and/or scheduled in the system.