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Passenger Suspension of Service Policy 3.2025

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Objective

The purpose of this policy is to outline the circumstances under which passengers may be temporarily or permanently suspended from using the public transit services provided by the City of Cottonwood through Cottonwood Area Transit. This ensures the safety, comfort, and well-being of all passengers and staff.

Scope

This policy applies to all passengers utilizing the public transit services operated by Cottonwood Area Transit.

This policy does not seek to limit, replace, or conflict with any federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance and does not limit or prevent any law enforcement agency or entity from taking any lawful action against any person in or on public transit services provided by Cottonwood Area Transit.

1. Grounds for Suspension

Passengers may be suspended from using public transit services for inappropriate behavior directed towards passengers and/or Cottonwood Area Transit personnel. Grounds for suspension include but are not limited to the following:

  • Violence or Aggression: Engaging in physical or verbal violence, threats, or any form of aggressive behavior towards other passengers or staff. Passengers are prohibited from bringing any items of a dangerous nature on-board buses including: weapons; flammable liquids; dangerous, toxic or poisonous substances; vessels containing caustic materials, chemicals, acids or alkalis; fishing rods which are not broken down or have unsecured or exposed hooks or lures, ski poles unless secured to skis or have tip covers; sheet glass and sharp objects.
  • Vandalism: Damaging or defacing transit property, including buses, stops, and facilities.
  • Fare Evasion: Instances of fare evasion or fraud.
  • Food, Drink, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Illegal Drugs: Riders may not bring open food or beverage containers onto Cottonwood Area Transit. Food must be kept in a sealed or resealable container and beverages must be sealed or in a spill-proof container. Eating food is strictly prohibited. Fast food items, drinks, and convenience store beverages are prohibited as they can create spill hazards. Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol to the extent that it poses a risk to oneself or others. Passengers are prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages or possessing open containers of alcoholic beverages while on the bus. Passengers are prohibited from smoking (i.e. tobacco marijuana, electronic cigarettes and vaporizers) on buses.
  • Harassment: Any form of harassment, including but not limited to, sexual harassment, racial discrimination, or bullying.
  • Disruptive Behavior: Actions that disrupt the safe and comfortable operation of the transit service, including, but not limited to being loud, abusive, indecent, profane or disruptive.
  • Commercial Activity/Solicitation: Engaging in unauthorized canvassing, selling, soliciting or distributing any material on-board buses.
  • Indecent Exposure: Indecent exposure is prohibited. Tops, bottoms and footwear are required at all times. Additionally, exhibiting inappropriate personal hygiene, i.e., an individual whose bodily hygiene is so offensive as to constitute a nuisance to other passengers, is prohibited.
  • Unauthorized Animals: All animals (except service animals) must be carried inside an enclosed and secured cage or carrying case small enough to fit on a rider’s lap, and must not endanger or disturb other passengers. Service animals must be under the control of their handlers, must not block seats or aisles and must not pose a direct threat to any passengers or employees. Service animal handlers are responsible for any damage caused by their service animals. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, Cottonwood Area Transit personnel may ask whether a passenger’s animal is a service animal and what service the passenger’s animal is trained to perform.
  • Non-Compliance with Policies: Failure to comply with transit policies and regulations.

2. Suspension Process

  • Warning: Passenger engaging in prohibited conduct will be giving at least one (1) written warning regarding the conduct or behavior for which a service suspension is contemplated unless conduct inflicts serious harm on another passenger or on Cottonwood Area Transit personnel, results in serious damage to Cottonwood Area Transit property, and/or creates an immediate risk to safety, may warrant immediate suspension of service without a warning, and/or permanent suspension from the service.
  • Incident Reporting: Incidents must be reported to the transit department by staff or passengers, providing a detailed account of the behavior and any supporting evidence.
  • Investigation: The Transportation Manager will investigate the reported incident to determine the validity of the claim and gather all relevant information.
  • Notification: If a suspension is warranted, the passenger will be notified in writing of the suspension, including the reasons for the suspension, its duration, and any conditions for reinstatement.
  • Suspension of Unidentified Passengers: While every attempt will be made to identify a passenger who violates this policy, passengers who cannot be identified by name and address are also subject to these sanctions. A posting will be provided in the operations department to assist in identifying the individual. In these cases a John/Jane Doe suspension or exclusion can be issued. The photograph of the person will be posted for drivers and operations personnel along with the relevant details leading to the suspension or exclusion. These persons will be identified as John/Jane Doe followed by the date of the suspension.
  • Right to Appeal: Suspended passengers have the right to appeal the decision in writing. Appeals may be submitted online at https://cottonwoodaz.gov/FormCenter/Transportation-7/Cottonwood-Area-Transit-Passenger-Suspen-93. Appeals must be submitted within 10 business days of receiving the suspension notice. The City Manager will review the appeal and issue a final decision.

3. Duration of Suspension

  • Temporary Suspension: Depending on the severity of the incident, a temporary suspension can range from a few days to several weeks.
  • Permanent Suspension: For severe or repeated violations, a passenger may face permanent suspension from using public transit services.

4. Reinstatement Conditions

  • Passengers who have been suspended may be required to meet certain conditions before reinstatement, such as providing assurances of future compliance with transit policies.

5. Non-Compliance with Suspension Order: Trespassing

  • If an individual subject to a suspension order enters a facility or utilizes the services before the reinstatement date, police will be called and the individual will be subject to arrest for trespassing. Suspensions of individuals who trespass may be extended.

6. Communication

  • Public Information: Information about the suspension policy will be made available to all passengers through the transit website.
  • Staff Training: Transit staff will receive training on the enforcement of this policy and the procedures for reporting and handling incidents.

6. Policy Review

  • This policy will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary to reflect changes in legal requirements, industry best practices, and organizational needs.

Approval

This policy was approved by Council Resolution at a legally authorized City Council meeting held on March 4, 2025.

Verde Shuttle to Sedona Shuttle for Car-Free Hiking

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Did you know that you can use the Verde Shuttle to get to the Sedona Shuttle park and ride lots on SR 179 and SR 89A? From there, you can catch the Trailhead Routes to Sedona’s favorite trailheads.

  • You can ride the Verde Shuttle to the SR 89A Park & Ride at Upper Red Rock Loop Road, right next to the Courtyard Marriott.  There they can catch the Sedona Shuttle Trailhead Routes to Mescal and Dry Creek Vista trailheads to access an array of trails, including the one to Devil’s Bridge.
  • Or you can take the Verde Shuttle to the SR 179 Park & Ride lot and catch the Sedona Shuttle Trailhead Routes to Cathedral Rock and Little Horse Trailheads. 
    • Southbound (from Uptown) – Use the Verde Shuttle stop on US 179 north of Arrow Drive
    • Northbound  (towards Uptown) – Use the Verde Shuttle stop on US 179 just south of Morgan Road

The Sedona Shuttle runs Thursday through Sunday from 7 AM to 5:30 PM, and daily during peak periods such as spring break. For all the details, visit SedonaShuttle.com.

Pay your fare with your smartphone and the Token Transit app

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Now you can pay your Verde Shuttle fare with your smartphone. Just download the Token Transit App from Google Play for the App Store. Set up is easy and you can link it to a credit or debit card. Then you will never have to worry about having exact cash again.

Within Token Transit, choose Cottonwood Area Transit as your system. Then you can use the app to purchase fares for either Verde Shuttle or CAT. You can purchase a single fare ticket or a monthly pass. You can even use the app to buy tickets for the $1.00 per ride fare for Verde Shuttle trips within Sedona. If you qualify for the discounted fare, half price tickets are available as well.

Here is a link to a video tutorial that tells you everything you need to know about using Token Transit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SA6Oe6oWMI

Verde Shuttle Route Changes and Hours of Operation Changes – Spanish Version

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El Verde Shuttle esta anunciando cambios en las rutas actuales y nuevos horarios de operación. Los cambios están programados para entrar en vigencia el sábado 1 de octubre. El nuevo horario de operación será de 6:00 a.m. a 9:00 p.m., los 7 días de la semana. Por lo tanto, el primer autobús saldrá de la Biblioteca de Cottonwood a las 6:00 a.m. y el ultimo autobús saldrá de la Biblioteca de Cottonwood a las 9:00 p.m.

En un esfuerzo por servir mejor al alto volumen de pasajeros en Uptown Sedona, el Verde Shuttle ahora dará servicio a Uptown durante el viaje entrante de Cottonwood a Sedona y el viaje de ida de Sedona a Cottonwood.

Para obtener mas detalles sobre los próximos cambios en nuestro horario de operación y horarios de rutas, visite nuestro sitio web en www.verdeshuttle.com o comuníquese con la oficina de Verde Shuttle al (928) 634-2287.

Verde Shuttle Route Changes and Hours of Operation Changes – English Version

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The Verde Shuttle is announcing changes to the current routes and new hours of operation. The changes are scheduled to go into effect on Saturday, October 1st. The new hours of operation will be from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., 7 days a week. Therefore, the first bus will leave the Cottonwood Library at 6:00 a.m. and the last bus will leave the Cottonwood Library at 9:00 p.m.

In an effort to better serve the high rider volume in Uptown Sedona, the Verde Shuttle will now service Uptown during both inbound trip from Cottonwood to Sedona and the outbound trip from Sedona to Cottonwood. For more details on the upcoming changes to our hours of operation and route schedules, please visit our website at www.verdeshuttle.com or contact the Verde Shuttle office at (928) 634-2287.

Click here to download the new schedule.

Verde Shuttle to Reinstate Full Service

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COTTONWOOD, AZ – The Transit Department for the City of Cottonwood is excited to announce we are now fully staffed. The Verde Shuttle is set to reinstate full-service routes effective August 28, 2022 which includes the late-night buses. According to Transportation Manager Lisa Boring, “Verde Shuttle will return to operating just as it did before the cutbacks.”
Peak Days for the Verde Shuttle are considered Wednesday – Sunday and the buses will run approximately every 45 minutes from 6:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Monday – Tuesday the buses will run every 90 minutes from 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The regular fare for riding the Verde Shuttle Commuter from Cottonwood to Sedona is $2.00, while trips within Sedona are $1.00.
The Transit Department would like to thank all of our passengers for their patience during this time until we were able to get back to full-service. For more information about the routes and fares, visit www.verdeshuttle.com or contact the Transit Office at (928) 634-2287.

Mask Requirement No Longer in Effect for CAT and Verde Shuttle

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COTTONWOOD, AZ – As a result of a court order, effective immediately and as of April 18, 2022, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) January 29, 2021 Order requiring masks on public transportation conveyances and at transportation hubs is no longer in effect. Therefore, CDC will not enforce the Order. CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time.

In addition, effective immediately, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will not enforce its mask-related Security Directives. TSA is also withdrawing its Security Directive 1582/84-21-01E, which was issued on April 15, 2022, and was scheduled to take effect today.

Cottonwood Area Transit (CAT) and Verde Shuttle will no longer require the use of face masks on their buses or at transportation hubs. Use of face masks will be optional and we recommend that passengers continue to wear face masks.

To learn more about the Federal Transit Administration’s mask guidance for public transportation, please visit https://www.transit.dot.gov/TransitMaskUp.

For more information, or if you have questions, please contact the Cottonwood Area Transit (CAT) administrative offices at 928-634-2287.

Verde Shuttle Currently Operating 6 AM to 6 PM, 7 Days-a-Week

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Due to a shortage of drivers, the Verde Shuttle has reduced service to 6 AM to 6 PM daily. Please see the Monday-Tuesday schedule for correct hours and departure times on all days. For the latest updates, riders are encouraged to download the My Cottonwood App.

Verde Shuttle

Verde Shuttle is a service of Cottonwood Area Transit, connecting central Cottonwood with West Sedona, Uptown Sedona, and northern portions of SR 179.

Contact us at 928.282.0938

© 2025 Verde Shuttle