Strollers, Carts, and Other Large Items on Buses and Trains (2011)

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5 Summary of Literature Review Materials examined included articles in journals, news- papers, and industry magazines, as well as transit agency websites. The literature review focused primarily on North American transit properties, but also examined policies in Scandinavian countries. A 2003 article published by the Association for European Transport was also reviewed. Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), a large body of literature has been written on the topic of wheelchairs. Because accommodation of wheel- chairs is well established in federal regulations, wheelchair policies are essentially standard throughout the industry and were not repeated in the chapter on wheelchairs. Current issues reflected in the report are about the lack of standard securements and wheelchair sizes and about the move toward low-floor vehicles for ease of boarding. There is much less in the literature about other mobility aids. Some recent incidents with Segways that have made the news are documented. According to the reports, the incidents have spurred new policies to handle Segways. Similarly, conflicts involving strollers have made headlines, which are recounted in the literature referenced here. As with wheelchairs, transit agencies are very familiar with carrying bicycles and have developed policies and pro- cedures. The 2006 TCRP Synthesis 62, Integration of Bicy- cles and Transit, is cited as a virtual bible of information regarding the history and current practices of bike integra- tion on various transit modes. As evidenced by the literature search, policies regarding luggage, carts, and other large items seem to be developed in response to particular circumstances experienced by the transit agencies rather than universally, as in the case of wheelchairs and, for the most part, bicycles. The literature review also recounts how transit agencies and manufacturers are modifying vehicles in an attempt to better accommodate large items on trains and buses. Survey A web-based survey was used to gather data on transit agency policies. The survey was tailored to operations that CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW Strollers, Carts, and Other Large Items on Buses and Trains is a synthesis of the state of the practice by transit agen- cies in managing capacity on vehicles carrying customers with large items. Items covered in this TCRP Synthesis include chapters on wheelchairs; Segways, scooters, and other mobility aids; strollers; bicycles; luggage; and mis- cellaneous large items such as skis and dog carriers. The synthesis also includes a discussion of vehicle designs to accommodate these various large items. Various riders compete for space on vehicles. The syn- thesis contains examples of public information materials designed to communicate transit agencies’ policies that attempt to deal with this competition. Brief case studies illustrate some of the challenges, best practices, and social issues that arise from this competition. The objective was to document the state of the practice on issues identified in the scope: • How space is prioritized, particularly among people with disabilities, the elderly, and parents with strollers; • Passenger safety issues posed by large items; • Transit agency capacity problems in the transportation of large items; • Complaints, incidents, and claims by the public relat- ing to large items on transit vehicles; • Restrictions, blackout periods, and size limitations imposed by the transit agency; and • Communication of policies to the public. METHODOLOGY Three data collection methods were used. First, a review of relevant literature was conducted on each of the types of large items described in the overview. Second, data collection was done using an original web-based survey. Finally, interviews were conducted with survey respon- dents whose agencies had a particular successful or inno- vative practice or an experience that highlighted many of the issues with large items. Each chapter about a large item contains at least one agency profile in a brief case study format.

6 tains a profile of an agency representing a successful practice or a description of an event that illustrates the complexity of issues in dealing with that large item. These profiles were primarily based on phone interviews or e-mail exchanges directly with staff at the highlighted agency. Some infor- mation was gleaned from websites and published articles. Profiles were selected based on material that emerged in the literature search or the survey. ORGANIZATION OF REPORT Following this introduction, the report is organized into nine topical chapters. Chapter two describes the characteristics of the 42 surveyed transit agencies. Chapters three, four, five, six, and seven discuss agency policies regarding wheelchairs; Segways, scooters, and other mobility aids; strollers; bicy- cles; and luggage and other large items, respectively. Chap- ter eight looks at vehicle design considerations with both a literature review and survey results. Chapter nine discusses policy considerations, including implementation, enforce- ment, public information, and public perceptions. Chapter ten examines the study conclusions. The appendixes include the survey questionnaire (Appendix A), the list of participat- ing agencies (Appendix B), a summary table of agency poli- cies (Appendix C), and sample policies (Appendix D). were relevant to different types of agencies—those that oper- ated only buses, those that operated only rail, and those that operated both bus and rail. Surveyed agencies were chosen to cover a wide spectrum of services and practices, includ- ing size. The review was designed to survey a representa- tive sample of small, medium, and large agencies. Small agencies operate up to 50 vehicles at peak times; medium agencies operate between 51 and 250 vehicles; and large agencies operate more than 250 vehicles. Each of the survey candidates was e-mailed or phoned in advance to explain the goals of the review and to obtain a commitment to fill out the survey. Commitments were received from 42 pro- spective agencies to complete the survey when the link was e-mailed to them. The response rate among the 42 agencies surveyed was 100%. Fourteen small agencies, 12 medium- sized agencies, and 16 large agencies responded. When percentages or a number of responses are indicated in the question-by-question analysis in the body of this report, it refers to the percentage of responses to that question rather than to the overall survey response rate. In other words, the question reflects the responses of the subset of respondents who answered that question. Agency Profile Case Studies Each of the chapters dedicated to a particular large item— wheelchairs, mobility devices, strollers, and so on—also con-