Specific services that serve the needs of people with limited mobility and those 65+ in the US
Demand-Response Service:
In the US, public transport services – operated by local, regional, and state governments – have existed since the 1970’s that pick people up directly at their homes and take them where they need to go. These have, historically, been popular in rural and suburban areas where buses, trams, and trains operating on fixed routes were seen to not be financially sustainable. While they are often available to anyone, in many places the primary riders are people with limited mobility and those 65+. This type of public transport is called “demand-response” public transport (DRT). In Belgium, this service type is comparable to the “belbus” service of De Lijn.
ADA Paratransit Service:
In the 1990’s, when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, part of the legislation required that a service for people with disabilities be provided in parallel to any public transport service with fixed routes via buses, trams, and trains. This meant that in urban areas a new form of “demand-response” public transport – operated by/through public transport agencies – was provided, called “ADA paratransit.” The riders are exclusively people with limited mobility.
On-Demand Service:
By the early 2010’s, with Uber and Lyft beginning to provide services, the public transport community in the US became very aware that the same type of technology could be applied to improve the operation of all types of demand-response and ADA paratransit services. In addition to requesting a trip by phone, for example, it could be requested through an app. Instead of wondering where the vehicle is, the real time vehicle information could be shown on the same app. In addition to paying cash, payment could be handled through the app. Such services are called "on-demand" public transport (ODT).
Summary:
There are pros and cons, and many details to be addressed, but many public transport agencies across the US began starting new “on-demand” services – which operated similarly to demand-response, but leveraged the new technology. They also began looking at their existing demand-response and ADA paratransit systems and considered applying the new technology to improve operations and the rider experience.
Civic Sphere’s projects on these service types:
> Guidebook: Adopting New Software for Public Transport Operations
> Roadmap: Expanding “Uber-like” Accessible Public Transport Service
> Roadmap: Integrating “Uber-like” and Other Accessible Public Transport Services
Demand-Response Service:
In the US, public transport services – operated by local, regional, and state governments – have existed since the 1970’s that pick people up directly at their homes and take them where they need to go. These have, historically, been popular in rural and suburban areas where buses, trams, and trains operating on fixed routes were seen to not be financially sustainable. While they are often available to anyone, in many places the primary riders are people with limited mobility and those 65+. This type of public transport is called “demand-response” public transport (DRT). In Belgium, this service type is comparable to the “belbus” service of De Lijn.
ADA Paratransit Service:
In the 1990’s, when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, part of the legislation required that a service for people with disabilities be provided in parallel to any public transport service with fixed routes via buses, trams, and trains. This meant that in urban areas a new form of “demand-response” public transport – operated by/through public transport agencies – was provided, called “ADA paratransit.” The riders are exclusively people with limited mobility.
On-Demand Service:
By the early 2010’s, with Uber and Lyft beginning to provide services, the public transport community in the US became very aware that the same type of technology could be applied to improve the operation of all types of demand-response and ADA paratransit services. In addition to requesting a trip by phone, for example, it could be requested through an app. Instead of wondering where the vehicle is, the real time vehicle information could be shown on the same app. In addition to paying cash, payment could be handled through the app. Such services are called "on-demand" public transport (ODT).
Summary:
There are pros and cons, and many details to be addressed, but many public transport agencies across the US began starting new “on-demand” services – which operated similarly to demand-response, but leveraged the new technology. They also began looking at their existing demand-response and ADA paratransit systems and considered applying the new technology to improve operations and the rider experience.
Civic Sphere’s projects on these service types:
> Guidebook: Adopting New Software for Public Transport Operations
> Roadmap: Expanding “Uber-like” Accessible Public Transport Service
> Roadmap: Integrating “Uber-like” and Other Accessible Public Transport Services
