Rider insights: How NJ Transit’s Access Link Riders’ Choice Pilot is redefining mobility freedom
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 forward-thinking programme gives eligible riders up to $20 off on 10 Uber trips per month, to 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 at the forefront. And it’s made waves throughout the community.
Since its launch in 2024, the Access Link Riders’ Choice Pilot 2.0 has provided over 269,000 journeys with Uber.* The response to the programme’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, discover first-hand perspectives from ALRC riders and caregivers on how this programme transforms daily life and broadens what it means to move.
Voices of the programme
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-standing user of Access Link Riders’ Choice and a 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 mother to three Access Link riders. She describes the programme as “tantamount to a different way of life.”
Sharice Frazile, mother 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
On how flexibility empowers
“As a mum and a carer, the fact that the [Access Link Riders' Choice programme with Uber] takes things off my plate is brilliant. I can be travelling abroad and still make sure my daughter has a real-time ride. If I forget to [book] a ride with Access Link['s dedicated vehicles], I can schedule an Uber. That is amazing, and takes a lot of worry away.” - Sharice Frazile, carer to three ALRC riders
On innovation in paratransit
“Innovation to me is meeting the rider’s needs where they are and what their expectations are and what they need. And thus far, so far with the Riders' Choice programme and the other TNCs that NJ Transit offers, it is a 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 trouble.” - Sharice Frazile, carer to three ALRC riders
On why spontaneity matters
“Disability is one of those things where we typically don't have spontaneity built into our lives…you call your doctor and they say, 'Well, can you come in today?' I’ve had that situation. Four years ago, I couldn't have [come in without advance notice]. [Now, if] I call my doctor and say, 'Oh, I need an appointment.’ And they say, 'Oh, we have an opening today. Can you come in?' I'm like, 'Yes, I can come in.' I mean, it is such a relief." - Wanda Williford, ALRC rider
On the freedom to go—whenever you need to
“Where before, we needed to schedule days in advance or [stick to] the hour windows and all of these things…the way that the programme has [incorporated Uber], again, makes managing [my daughter’s] life, makes managing my two wheelchair users’ lives different in a wonderful way.” - Sharice Frazile, carer to three ALRC riders
As NJ Transit continues to innovate its services to move its community, stories like those of Wanda and Sharice serve as a reminder that transport is about more than just moving between two points. It’s about the freedom to live life on one’s own terms.
More information
If you’re interested in enhancing your service offerings with Uber Transit, please visit uber.com/transit.
*Uber data as of 30 July 2026.