Accessible Public Bus and Rail Passenger Information for Riders with Vision Disabilities

Successful use of public bus and rail requires access to accurate, timely information at every step—from the public way to the stop/station/transit center to the vehicle to the destination stop/station/transit center and back to the public way. A successful trip can involve planning the trip, finding and navigating the bus stop/station/transit center, negotiating the fare payment system, finding and using a fare gate, getting information (and updates on changes) about when and where the bus or train will arrive, boarding the correct conveyance, getting off at the correct location, exiting the station/transit center, and knowing the correct action in case of a service disruption. Passenger information is any information provided to passengers about where and when transit service is operating and how to access the service. It is typically conveyed in a variety of ways, including permanent signs, static maps, digital interactive maps, in-car digital displays, audio announcements, over-the-phone trip planning, and website and app-based tools, many of which rely on visual cues that are unavailable or difficult to use for people with vision disabilities. People with vision disabilities typically cannot drive, so many of them depend on public transit to travel for work, school, shopping, and medical services; to visit family and friends; and for recreation in order to live productive, healthy, and independent lives. This research should enhance the ability of the transit system to provide equally effective communication of passenger information for all purposes (e.g., planning the trip, boarding the correct conveyance, getting off at the correct location, service disruption information, etc.). The objective of this research is to produce a guide for transit operators that will help passengers with vision disabilities independently and efficiently navigate the transit systems.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5256

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $350000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project B-50

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Transit Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Garcia-Colberg, Mariela

• Performing Organizations:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System
  3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135
• Principal Investigators:

  Walk, Michael

• Start Date: 20221109
• Expected Completion Date: 20241208
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accessibility; Best practices; Guides to information; Public transit; State of the practice; Traveler information and communication systems; Visually impaired persons
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01789439
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project B-50
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Nov 25 2021 12:44PM