ACCESSIBLE BUS SERVICE IN PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA

The Palm Beach County Transportation Authority introduced accessible fixed-route service on its countywide CoTran bus service in May 1980. CoTran provided 100% (full-fleet) accessible service, using 23 retrofitted buses and 40 new buses, all equipped with front-door lifts manufactured by Transportation, Design and Technology. An UMTA Service and Management Demonstration grant funded purchase and installation of retrofit equipment, marketing, driver training and data collection for evaluation purposes. The Transportation Systems Center was responsible for this evaluation study, conducted by its evaluation contractor, Multisystems. This report covers the accessible service project implementation and operation through July 1981. Data was supplied by CoTran, including surveys of lift users and non-users conducted about one year after implementation. Among the key conclusions of the evaluation are that in areas where service frequencies are low, routes are widely spaced and there are curb barriers to wheelchair travel, lift ridership will be minimal. Despite the fact that Palm Beach County appeared at first to offer ideal conditions for a demonstration project of this type, characteristics of the area and the transit system combined with the lack of a close working relationship between the transit operator and the disabled community, made for a small lift ridership comprised primarily of individuals without other alternatives. Nevertheless, the project was successfully implemented and the lift was able to be used by those in standard size wheelchairs. The marketing programs were effective in at least informing the disabled public of the availability of service. Drivers and other riders reacted favorably for the most part, and there was no disruption of regular bus service. While operating costs were lower than in several other similar projects, the cost per trip was still quite high, $56 per trip excluding capital costs.

• Corporate Authors:

  Multisystems, Incorporated

  1050 Massachusetts Avenue
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02138

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  Service and Management Demonstrations Program
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Englisher, L S
  • Wexler, A L
• Publication Date: 1983-3

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 264 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accessibility; Aerodynamic lift; Aged; Bus transit; Buses; Fixed routes; Operating costs; Persons with disabilities; Reliability; Ridership; Vehicle maintenance
• Uncontrolled Terms: Bus maintenance; Lifts
• Geographic Terms: Palm Beach (Florida)
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus services
• Subject Areas: Maintenance and Preservation; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00373767
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-MA-06-0049-83-1Final Rpt., HS-035 222, DOT-TSC-UMTA-83-11
• Contract Numbers: DOT-TSC-1412
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 30 1983 12:00AM