Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page R1
TRANSIT
TCRP
SYNTHESIS 74
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
Sponsored by
Policies and Practices for the Federal
Effectively and Efficiently Transit Administration
Meeting ADA
Paratransit Demand
A Synthesis of Transit Practice
OCR for page R2
TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2008 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
SELECTION COMMITTEE*
CHAIR OFFICERS
ROBERT I. BROWNSTEIN
AECOM Consult, Inc. Chair: Debra L. Miller, Secretary, Kansas DOT, Topeka
Vice Chair: Adib K. Kanafani, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California,
MEMBERS Berkeley
ANN AUGUST Executive Director: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
Santee Wateree Regional Transportation
Authority
JOHN BARTOSIEWICZ MEMBERS
McDonald Transit Associates J. BARRY BARKER, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
LINDA J. BOHLINGER
HNTB Corp. ALLEN D. BIEHLER, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg
PETER CANNITO JOHN D. BOWE, President, Americas Region, APL Limited, Oakland, CA
Metropolitan Transportation Authority--Metro LARRY L. BROWN, SR., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson
North Railroad DEBORAH H. BUTLER, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern
GREGORY COOK Corporation, Norfolk, VA
Veolia Transportation WILLIAM A.V. CLARK, Professor, Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles
NATHANIEL P. FORD DAVID S. EKERN, Commissioner, Virginia DOT, Richmond
San Francisco MUNI
NICHOLAS J. GARBER, Henry L. Kinnier Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
FRED M. GILLIAM
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority University of Virginia, Charlottesville
KIM R. GREEN JEFFREY W. HAMIEL, Executive Director, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, MN
GFI GENFARE EDWARD A. (NED) HELME, President, Center for Clean Air Policy, Washington, DC
JILL A. HOUGH WILL KEMPTON, Director, California DOT, Sacramento
North Dakota State University SUSAN MARTINOVICH, Director, Nevada DOT, Carson City
JOHN INGLISH MICHAEL D. MEYER, Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia
Utah Transit Authority Institute of Technology, Atlanta
JEANNE W. KRIEG
Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority
MICHAEL R. MORRIS, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments,
DAVID A. LEE Arlington
Connecticut Transit NEIL J. PEDERSEN, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore
CLARENCE W. MARSELLA PETE K. RAHN, Director, Missouri DOT, Jefferson City
Denver Regional Transportation District SANDRA ROSENBLOOM, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
GARY W. MCNEIL TRACY L. ROSSER, Vice President, Corporate Traffic, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR
GO Transit ROSA CLAUSELL ROUNTREE, Executive Director, Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority,
MICHAEL P. MELANIPHY Atlanta
Motor Coach Industries
FRANK OTERO HENRY G. (GERRY) SCHWARTZ, JR., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc., St. Louis, MO
PACO Technologies C. MICHAEL WALTON, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of
ROBERT H. PRINCE, JR. Texas, Austin
DMJM+Harris LINDA S. WATSON, CEO, LYNXCentral Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Orlando
JEFFREY M. ROSENBERG STEVE WILLIAMS, Chairman and CEO, Maverick Transportation, Inc., Little Rock, AR
Amalgamated Transit Union
MICHAEL SCANLON
San Mateo County Transit District EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
BEVERLY SCOTT THAD ALLEN (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington, DC
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
JOSEPH H. BOARDMAN, Federal Railroad Administrator, U.S.DOT
JAMES S. SIMPSON
FTA REBECCA M. BREWSTER, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute,
FRANK TOBEY Smyrna, GA
First Transit PAUL R. BRUBAKER, Research and Innovative Technology Administrator, U.S.DOT
FRANK WILSON GEORGE BUGLIARELLO, Chancellor, Polytechnic University of New York, Brooklyn, and Foreign
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris Secretary, National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC
County J. RICHARD CAPKA, Federal Highway Administrator, U.S.DOT
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS SEAN T. CONNAUGHTON, Maritime Administrator, U.S.DOT
WILLIAM W. MILLAR LEROY GISHI, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department
APTA of the Interior, Washington, DC
ROBERT E. SKINNER, JR. EDWARD R. HAMBERGER, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
TRB JOHN H. HILL, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
JOHN C. HORSLEY JOHN C. HORSLEY, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway
AASHTO and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
J. RICHARD CAPKA
FHWA
CARL T. JOHNSON, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
J. EDWARD JOHNSON, Director, Applied Science Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space
TDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Administration, John C. Stennis Space Center, MS
LOUIS SANDERS WILLIAM W. MILLAR, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
APTA NICOLE R. NASON, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
SECRETARY JEFFREY N. SHANE, Under Secretary for Policy, U.S.DOT
CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS JAMES S. SIMPSON, Federal Transit Administrator, U.S.DOT
TRB ROBERT A. STURGELL, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT
ROBERT L. VAN ANTWERP (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
*Membership as of January 2008. *Membership as of January 2008.
OCR for page R3
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
TCRP SYNTHESIS 74
Policies and Practices for
Effectively and Efficiently
Meeting ADA
Paratransit Demand
A Synthesis of Transit Practice
CONSULTANT
DAVID CHIA
Planners Collaborative, Inc.
Boston, Massachusetts
S UBJECT A REAS
Public Transit
Research Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in Cooperation with
the Transit Development Corporation
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2008
www.TRB.org
OCR for page R4
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM TCRP SYNTHESIS 74
The nation's growth and the need to meet mobility, environ- Project J-7, Topic SB-15
mental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit ISSN 1073-4880
systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of ISBN 978-0-309-09803-8
upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, Library of Congress Control Number 2008925352
and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is nec- © 2008 Transportation Research Board
essary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate new
technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations
into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Pro-
COPYRIGHT PERMISSION
gram (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the
transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for
meet demands placed on it. obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the
The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce
Report 213--Research for Public Transit: New Directions, pub-
material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes.
lished in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Federal Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be
Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, or Transit
Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product, method, or
recognized the need for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document
modeled after the longstanding and successful National Coopera- for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment
tive Highway Research Program, undertakes research and other of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the
technical activities in response to the needs of transit service provid- material, request permission from CRP.
ers. The scope of TCRP includes a variety of transit research
fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, fa-
cilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and ad- NOTICE
ministrative practices. The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Coop-
TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. erative Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board
Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Coun-
authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Effi- cil. Such approval reflects the Governing Board's judgment that the project
ciency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum concerned is appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of
agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the National Research Council.
the three cooperating organizations: FTA, the National Academy of The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this
Sciences, acting through the Transportation Research Board project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly com-
petence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropri-
(TRB); and the Transit Development Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a
ate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are
nonprofit educational and research organization established by those of the research agency that performed the research, and while they
APTA. TDC is responsible for forming the independent govern- have been accepted as appropriate by the technical panel, they are not nec-
ing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selec- essarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the Transit Develop-
tion (TOPS) Committee. ment Corporation, the National Research Council, or the Federal Transit
Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodi- Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
cally but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical
the responsibility of the TOPS Committee to formulate the re- panel according to procedures established and monitored by the Transporta-
search program by identifying the highest priority projects. As tion Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the
part of the evaluation, the TOPS Committee defines funding National Research Council.
levels and expected products.
Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, ap-
pointed by TRB. The panels prepare project statements (requests The Transportation Research Board of The National Academies, the
for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance Transit Development Corporation, the National Research Council, and the
and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for Federal Transit Administration (sponsor of the Transit Cooperative
developing research problem statements and selecting research Research Program) do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or
manufacturers' names appear herein solely because they are considered
agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative re-
essential to the clarity and completeness of the project reporting.
search programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP
project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.
Because research cannot have the desired impact if products
fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on
disseminating TCRP results to the intended end users of the re- Published reports of the
search: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice,
and other supporting material developed by TCRP research. are available from:
APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and Transportation Research Board
other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban Business Office
and rural transit industry practitioners. 500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can coop-
eratively address common operational problems. The TCRP results and can be ordered through the Internet at
http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
support and complement other ongoing transit research and train-
ing programs. Printed in the United States of America
OCR for page R5
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol-
ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology
and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in
1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni-
cal matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad-
emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration
and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for
advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs
aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve-
ments of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the
services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining
to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of
Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative,
to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the
Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate
the broad community of science and technology with the Academys í p urposes of furthering knowledge and
advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad-
emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences
and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scien-
tific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both the Academies and the Insti-
tute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively,
of the National Research Council.
The Transportation Research Board is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council. The
mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and
progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisci-
plinary, and multimodal. The Board's varied activities annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and
other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of
whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation depart-
ments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation,
and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org
www.national-academies.org
OCR for page R6
TCRP COMMITTEE FOR PROJECT J-7 COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF
CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
CHAIR CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research
FRANK T. MARTIN Programs
PBS&J, Tallahassee, FL EILEEN P. DELANEY, Director of Publications
MEMBERS TCRP SYNTHESIS STAFF
DEBRA W. ALEXANDER STEPHEN R. GODWIN, Director for Studies and Information Services
Capital Area Transportation Authority, Lansing, MI JON M. WILLIAMS, Associate Director, IDEA and Synthesis Studies
DWIGHT FERRELL DONNA L. VLASAK, Senior Program Officer
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority DON TIPPMAN, Editor
MARK W. FURHMANN CHERYL Y. KEITH, Senior Program Assistant
Metro Transit, Minneapolis, MN
ROBERT H. IRWIN TOPIC PANEL
Consultant, Calgary, AB, Canada ELIZABETH H. ELLIS, KFH Group, Inc.
DONNA KELSAY DWIGHT FERRELL, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
San Joaquin Regional Transit District, Stockton, CA LEX FRIEDEN, Baylor College of Medicine
PAUL J. LARROUSSE W. JOE KING, JR, Access Services Inc.
National Transit Institute, New Brunswick, NJ PAUL J. LARROUSSE, National Transit Institute
WADE LAWSON JAMES LAUGHLIN, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris
South Jersey Transportation Authority, Atlantic City, NJ County (Texas)
DAVID A. LEE MAUREEN MCCLOSKEY, Paralyzed Veterans of America
Connecticut Transit, Hartford, CT LYNNE MORSEN, American Public Transportation Association
DAVID PHELPS KRISTI ROSS, Easter Seals Project ACTION
LTK Engineering Services, Moneta, VA PETER SHAW, Transportation Research Board
HAYWARD M. SEYMORE, III PARK WOODWORTH, King County (Washington) Metro Transit
Q Straint, University Place, WA STEVEN R. YAFFE, Arlington County (VA) Department of
PAM WARD Environmental Services
Ottumwa Transit Authority, Ottumwa, IA DOUG BIRNIE, Federal Transit Administration (Liaison)
JOEL R. WASHINGTON
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Washington, DC
FTA LIAISON
LISA COLBERT
Federal Highway Administration
TRB LIAISON
PETER SHAW
Transportation Research Board
OCR for page R7
FOREWORD Transit administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which in-
By Staff formation already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and
Transportation practice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a conse-
Research Board quence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem may not be brought
to bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may
be overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for
solving or alleviating the problem.
There is information on nearly every subject of concern to the transit industry. Much
of it derives from research or from the work of practitioners faced with problems in their
day-to-day work. To provide a systematic means for assembling and evaluating such
useful information and to make it available to the entire transit community, the Transit
Cooperative Research Program Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee au-
thorized the Transportation Research Board to undertake a continuing study. This study,
TCRP Project J-7, "Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Problems," searches out
and synthesizes useful knowledge from all available sources and prepares concise, doc-
umented reports on specific topics. Reports from this endeavor constitute a TCRP report
series, Synthesis of Transit Practice.
This synthesis series reports on current knowledge and practice, in a compact format,
without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Each re-
port in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge available on those mea-
sures found to be the most successful in resolving specific problems.
PREFACE This synthesis covers a wide range of policies and practices that transit agencies use to
provide service to persons with disabilities more effectively and more efficiently. As
demand for paratransit continues to increase in many communities, transit agencies are
looking for innovative ways to serve the individuals who must use paratransit, while also
operating more efficiently to contain costs and/or provide more service for the available
resources. Information is presented here for transit agency managers and paratransit man-
agers and their staffs, as well as other professionals involved in paratransit service deliv-
ery. This synthesis highlights policies and practices that transit agencies would be able to
apply to their own services, often without the need to devote significant funds, personnel,
or other resources. It also identifies certain practices and technologies that are still under
development or have not undergone extensive testing. They merit discussion because they
seem to offer great potential.
This synthesis includes a literature review that provides a baseline of information stud-
ies, of particular value in representing definitive studies in their respective areas and/or
bringing together much information in a single source. It documents 124 transit agency
responses to a selected survey effort and summarizes the findings from 17 transit agency
telephone interviews where staff provided further details about certain policies and prac-
tices that they believed to be innovative and/or potentially useful to others.
David Chia, Planners Collaborative, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, collected and synthe-
sized the information and wrote the paper, under the guidance of a panel of experts in the
subject area. The members of the Topic Panel are acknowledged on the preceding page.
This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records the practices that were
acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation.
As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now
at hand.
OCR for page R8
CONTENTS
1 SUMMARY
3 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Background, 3
Objectives, 3
Study Approach, 4
Report Organization, 4
5 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction, 5
Selected Publications, 5
10 CHAPTER THREE SURVEY OF PARATRANSIT PROVIDERS
Characteristics of Survey Respondents, 10
Paratransit Policies and Practices Used by Survey Respondents, 12
Fixed-Route Policies and Practices Used by Survey Respondents, 15
Summary, 17
18 CHAPTER FOUR CASE STUDY HIGHLIGHTS
Introduction, 18
Eligibility Policies, 18
Operating Practices, 21
Taxis and Other Flexible Capacity, 22
Coordination of ADA Paratransit with Other Transportation Services, 24
Improvements to Fixed-Route Service, 25
Incentives to Use the Fixed-Route System, 26
28 CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSIONS
30 REFERENCES
31 APPENDIX A SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
38 APPENDIX B SURVEY RESPONDENTS
41 APPENDIX C TELEPHONE INTERVIEW PARTICIPANTS
42 APPENDIX D KING COUNTY METRO CONDITIONAL
ELIGIBILITY WORKBOOK
OCR for page R9
47 APPENDIX E KING COUNTY METRO WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE
TAXI DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
51 APPENDIX F EXCERPTS FROM TRANSIT AUTHORITY
OF RIVER CITY'S TRANSIT STANDARDS MANUAL: A REFERENCE GUIDE
