Accessible transit service in Edmonton celebrates 50 years

The Dedicated Accessible Transit Service, which provides transit for adults living with disabilities, is celebrating 50 years in Edmonton.

The City of Edmonton celebrated 50 years of Dedicated Accessible Transit Service (DATS), the paratransit service.

The door-to-door transit service provides shared public transportation access for riders who can’t use other forms of transit because of physical or cognitive disabilities.

“This is such an essential public transportation system that allows our most vulnerable Edmontonians to connect to community, connect to services and connect to employment,” said Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, who worked for DATS in the 1990s.

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As part of the celebration, DATS riders were invited to tour the main DATS facility garage, see the different types of Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) vehicles and meet with employees. The DATS fleet doesn’t only consist of buses. It also has accessible minivans and taxis to provide flexibility depending on the needs of the client.

“Our staff, our drivers, people in our call centre, they build really close relationships with people that use the services. That’s special to them,” said Paul Schmold, the manager of paratransit service with ETS.

The program began in 1975 as a two-year pilot. In 2024, DATS provided more than 930,000 trips for its riders.

A new plaque marks the anniversary at the Percy Wickman garage, named after the disabled former MLA and Edmonton city councillor.

Wickman’s contributions were “crucial” to the creation of DATS, as well as wheelchair accessibility on LRT, according to the city.