Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Problems. Topic SB-25. Practices for Establishing ADA Paratransit Assessment Facilities

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations require establishment of a process for determining eligibility for complementary paratransit service provided in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The ADA paratransit eligibility certification process is used to accurately identify who is eligible to use ADA paratransit services so that appropriate service is provided to the intended beneficiaries and costs are properly managed. To make eligibility decisions, transit agencies often use in-person interviews and, in some cases, functional assessments of an individual's ability to use fixed route transit for some or all of their trips. Little is known about the actual or optimal physical facilities used to perform these assessments. A synthesis study is needed to identify and document practices related to the characteristics, benefits, and costs of establishing ADA paratransit assessment facilities. The results of this synthesis will provide transit agencies with information on current practices to develop and structure ADA paratransit assessment facilities. The Synthesis will document, but not be limited to the following: * Decision-making process in establishing facilities, including community involvement/outreach used process; * Implementation process used to establish facilities; * Facility purpose and use; types of assessments performed, etc.; * Physical structure of centers including: size and capacity and location (single or multiple sites); * Equipment, indoor versus outdoor courses and other strategies to document an applicant's ability to use fixed route transit; environmental considerations, etc.; * Functional activity flow for applicants from entrance to exit; * Initial construction, start-up, equipment, ad on-going annual operating costs; * If other related activities are co-located, whether facilities are owned and managed by the local transit agency or contracted; * Whether staff is in-house or contracted and full-time or part-time and staff qualifications. This synthesis will explore these issues and document successful practice. A literature review, survey of selected transit agencies and/or other stakeholders, and detailed case examples/profiles will be accomplished to report on the state-of-practice, including lessons learned, challenges, and gaps in information.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=3616

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $40000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project J-07, Topic

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001
• Project Managers:

  Vlasak, Donna

• Performing Organizations:

  TranSystems Corporation

  5528-B Hempstead Way
  Springfield, VA  United States  2215
• Principal Investigators:

  Thatcher, Russell

• Start Date: 20141216
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 38306

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Decision making; Equipment; Evaluation and assessment; Facilities; Paratransit services; Persons with disabilities; Plan implementation; Public transit; State of the practice
• Identifier Terms: Americans with Disabilities Act
• Uncontrolled Terms: Eligibility
• Subject Areas: Law; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01547911
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project J-07, Topic
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Dec 17 2014 1:00AM