August 4, 2026

Rider insights: How NJ Transit’s Access Link Riders’ Choice Pilot is changing the way people get around

Uber Transit

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NJ TRANSIT’s Access Link Riders’ Choice (ALRC) Pilot 2.0 expands mobility access for its paratransit customers by offering on-demand rides with Uber. This innovative program gives eligible riders up to $20 off on 10 Uber trips per month, which can be used for travel to work, appointments, and leisure across five service regions in New Jersey.

Unlike traditional paratransit services, which often require booking days in advance and restrict travel to rigid time windows, NJ Transit’s approach puts flexibility and convenience front and centre. And it’s made waves throughout the community.

Since its launch in 2024, the Access Link Riders’ Choice Pilot 2.0 has delivered over 269,000 rides with Uber.* The response to the program’s same-day capabilities has been overwhelmingly positive, from riders and the families and carers who support them.

Now, we’re handing the mic over to the voices that matter most. Below, check out firsthand perspectives from ALRC riders and carers on how this program changes daily life and broadens what it means to move.

Voices of the program

In an exclusive webinar with Easterseals, a leading disability advocacy organisation, Access Link Riders’ Choice participants joined to share their insights. Here’s who joined us that day:

Wanda Williford has been a long-time Access Link Riders’ Choice user and paratransit rider since 2017. She is the former president of the National Federation of the Blind and currently serves as an officer with the New Jersey Council of the Blind.

Sharice Frazile is a carer and mum to three Access Link riders. She describes the program as “tantamount to a different way of life.”

Woman with glasses and floral top speaking, gesturing with her hand, blurred background.

Sharice Frazile, mum and carer to three ALRC riders, speaks during an Easterseals webinar.

Impact, in their words

On opening doors and changing lives

“The fact that [NJ Transit] has now offered an on-demand service [through] a rideshare voucher system has…and this is not hyperbolic…changed my life.” - Wanda Williford, ALRC rider

How flexibility empowers you

“As a mum and a carer, the fact that the [Access Link Riders' Choice program with Uber] takes things off my plate is fantastic. I can be travelling overseas and still make sure my daughter gets a ride in real time. If I forget to [book] a ride with Access Link['s dedicated vehicles], I can schedule an Uber. That’s brilliant, and really takes a lot of stress away.” - Sharice Frazile, carer to three ALRC riders

On innovation in paratransit

“To me, innovation means meeting the rider’s needs wherever they are, understanding their expectations and what they require. So far, with the Riders' Choice program and the other TNCs that NJ Transit offers, it’s been a real game changer here in New Jersey.” - Wanda Williford, ALRC rider

On becoming part of the daily routine

“My daughter expects it when she comes downstairs in the morning. She's like, 'I'm waiting for my Uber.' She already knows she'll get where she needs to go without any worries.” - Sharice Frazile, carer to three ALRC riders

On why spontaneity matters

“Disability is one of those things where we usually don’t have spontaneity built into our lives… you ring your doctor and they say, ‘Well, can you come in today?’ I’ve been in that situation. Four years ago, I couldn’t have [come in without advance notice]. [Now, if] I ring my doctor and say, ‘Oh, I need an appointment.’ And they say, ‘Oh, we’ve got a spot today. Can you come in?’ I’m like, ‘Yes, I can come in.’ I mean, it’s such a relief.” – Wanda Williford, ALRC rider

On the freedom to go—whenever you need to

“In the past, we had to book days ahead or [stick to] the hour slots and all that… the way the program has [incorporated Uber] now, again, makes managing [my daughter’s] life, and managing the lives of the two wheelchair users I care for, different in a fantastic way.” - Sharice Frazile, caregiver to three ALRC riders

As NJ Transit keeps innovating its services to move its community, stories like Wanda and Sharice’s remind us that transport is about more than just getting from A to B. It’s about the freedom to live life your own way.