Evaluating the State of Mobility Management and Human Service Transportation Coordination

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has been engaged, as part of its livability goals, in helping persons with disabilities, older adults, low income persons, and other transportation disadvantaged populations be to active and engaged in their communities by having access to the mobility options that make it possible to connect to employment, community services, and activities. The alternative is isolation or institutional care for these individuals, which drains governmental resources, thwarts individuals from contributing to their communities, and results in diminished health and unfulfilling lives for those who are not able or cannot afford to drive. To pursue this objective of community connectivity through mobility, the Secretary of Transportation chairs a Federal Interagency Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) that strives to coordinate federal programs funding transportation to improve community mobility options for transportation disadvantaged populations. Coordination and mobility management programs improve cost-effectiveness and quality of service. The FTA and its Council partners have worked to build a transportation coordination infrastructure that includes establishing coordinated transportation planning processes, mobility management coordination practices, one call/one click transportation management centers, and state leadership activities, including the development of state and regional transportation coordinating councils. However, a 2011 General Accounting Office (GAO) report suggests that duplication still exists and many improvements could be made to the coordination efforts. The GAO did recognize that improvements had occurred, specifically at the state and local levels, but suggested Congress may want to consider requiring federal funding programs to participate in coordinated planning. A 2012 GAO report further analyzed the issue by examining federal programs that may fund transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged, federal coordination efforts undertaken since 2003, and coordination at the state and local levels. In doing so, the GAO interviewed program officials from eight federal agencies and the National Resource Center for Human Service Transportation Coordination, state and local officials from five states, transportation researchers, and representatives from relevant industry and advocacy groups. Previous research has also examined the state human service transportation coordinating councils. While interviews of federal, state, and local officials have been conducted, less research is available regarding the impacts of these programs on end users. To that end, this study proposes to conduct a series of surveys across the country of human service transportation users. The effectiveness of these programs can ultimately be evaluated based on the economic and quality of life impacts they have on their users. This study will attempt to answer these questions and investigate quality of service and ease of access from the perspective of the user.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $50000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  DTRT12-G-UTC22

  2117905021

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  University Transportation Centers Program
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  National Center for Transit Research

  Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida
  4202 East Fowler Avenue, CUT 100
  Tampa, FL  United States  33620
• Project Managers:

  Volinski, Joel

• Performing Organizations:

  National Center for Transit Research

  Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida
  4202 East Fowler Avenue, CUT 100
  Tampa, FL  United States  33620
• Principal Investigators:

  Staes, Lisa

• Start Date: 20120901
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20160131
• Source Data: RiP Project 35425

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accessibility; Aged; Low income groups; Mobility; Quality of life; Transportation disadvantaged persons; Transportation planning
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01525070
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Transit Research
• Contract Numbers: DTRT12-G-UTC22, 2117905021
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: May 21 2014 1:00AM