City of Kyle Agrees to Ensure Persons with Disabilities Equal Access to Its Reduced-Fare Transportation Program

DOJ Press

AUSTIN – U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas announced today that the City of Kyle (“Kyle” or the “City”) has entered into a settlement agreement with the United States to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to the City’s reduced-fare transportation program.

The “Uber Kyle $3.14 Program” allows Kyle residents and visitors to travel in an UberX vehicle to anywhere within Kyle’s city limits for as little as $3.14. After a rider pays the first $3.14 of an UberX fare for a qualifying trip, the City subsidizes the next $10. Individuals with disabilities may participate in the program by requesting wheelchair accessible vehicles through the UberWAV platform. Individuals who request UberWAV vehicles also pay the first $3.14 of a qualifying trip, while the City subsidizes the next $10 plus any additional charges specific to providing UberWAV services.

In 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office opened an investigation to determine whether the Uber Kyle $3.14 Program complied with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).  Under Title II, no qualified individual with a disability may be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs or activities of a public entity.

During its investigation, the United States observed significant disparities in the availability of UberX vehicles and UberWAV vehicles in Kyle. UberWAV vehicles were not available more than 40% of the time. Even when an UberWAV vehicle was available, the average wait time was substantially longer than the average wait time for an UberX vehicle. The United States also learned that a Kyle resident who uses a wheelchair had complained to the City regarding the lack of accessible vehicles in the Uber Kyle $3.14 Program.


After the United States informed it of these findings, the City proactively contracted with a vendor to supplement the Uber Kyle $3.14 Program with additional wheelchair accessible vehicles. The settlement requires the City to maintain its contract or a similar contract or program that will increase the availability of wheelchair accessible vehicles. Among other things, the settlement also requires the City to track response time details for requests for wheelchair-accessible vehicles compared to requests for non-wheelchair-accessible vehicles. The City must also advertise the improvements that are being made to the Uber Kyle $3.14 Program to increase accessibility on the City’s website and Twitter account.


“In the Western District of Texas, people with disabilities must be able to count on accessible transportation service that is equal to the service provided to others,” said U.S. Attorney Hoff. “We commend the City’s collaborative approach to promoting equal access for Kyle residents with disabilities.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liane Noble and Thomas Parnham handled this matter for the United States. As part of the agreement, the City did not admit to any past wrongdoing or violation of law or applicable law or regulations.

For more information on the ADA or this settlement agreement, please call the toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD) or access the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

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