ACCESS Vans
ACCESS vans provide on-campus transportation for students, faculty and staff with temporary or permanent disabilities. Van riders who will need to use the van for more than two days must register with us and provide medical documentation of their need for the service.
Operating Hours
Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Rides are scheduled every fifteen minutes throughout the day.
Request a Ride
To request a ride, call (413) 695-0065. Give your name and extension, the date you are requesting the ride and the time and location of both the pickup and drop-off points.
Reservations
We ask that you make your reservation at least 1-1/2 hours in advance. The ride schedule fills on a first-call, first-served basis. It is preferable to schedule rides one week in advance of the ride date.
Drivers will also accept standing reservations for the duration of a semester. Repeated last minute cancellations or failure to show for a scheduled ride may compromise your access to the van service. Drivers will wait five minutes past the scheduled pick-up time and then they must go on to their next rider. If you miss a ride, call the van service and the driver will make every effort to get back to you as soon as the schedule allows.
Pick-Up Sites
- Quadrangle: interior side
- Seelye Hall: back door (near the elevator)
- Bass Hall: closest door to Public Safety
- Burton & Sabin-Reed: stop sign on College Lane
- McConnell Hall: closest door to Tyler House
- Hillyer: between Hillyer and College Hall
- Bell Hall: on Round Hill Road by the front door
Maps of the campus buildings are available at the Office of Admission, Public Safety or online.
Rules & Regulations
Inclement Weather & Snow Days
If driving conditions should become too dangerous, the van service will not be available. In this event, all passengers with scheduled rides will be notified of cancellations. A message will also be placed on the cell phone voicemail to let callers know that the service has been interrupted.
Off-Campus Rides
Off-campus rides must be approved in advance by the director of disability services. Please note that off-campus rides are not the primary purpose of the van service and authorization is reliant upon several factors, including available time in the ride schedule. The van cannot provide transportation to areas beyond the immediate Northampton area. Transportation to other campuses in the Five College area are available for individuals with disabilities who cannot use the bus system, provided they give advanced notice by calling PVTA at UMass.
Driver Restrictions
Drivers are not responsible for carrying or lifting items in or out of buildings, nor can they come into a building to look for a passenger. You must be at the designated pick-up point.
More Information
If you have any concerns that cannot be addressed by the driving staff, please contact us.
Reminder: Public Safety is not responsible for transporting students.
