NRC TRANSBUS STUDY. PART 1: TRANSBUS PROCUREMENT. PART 2: MOBILITY OPTIONS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION HANDICAPPED

Transbus, a vehicle designed at government initiative to facilitate access by the handicapped, failed to develop any interest on the part of bus manufacturers when such buses were put out for bid by a consortium of 3 large cities. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation called for an independent review of the requirements and associated issues. DOT retained Mitre Corp. to perform this technical review and assessment of Transbus, and requested National Research Council to organize a review of the Mitre report to assure the objectivity of its findings. So that the issues be viewed in a broad context, DOT authorized an independent study by a separate NRC panel of options that may exist for facilitating transportation of the elderly and handicapped. NRC agreed with most Mitre Transbus findings except that it was felt Transbus could not be produced in the specified time frame; in some cases it was felt that Mitre statements could not be supported. Transbus was a low-floor bus which would be accessible by lift or ramp. Both technological and procurement problems discouraged Transbus production. The NRC Options Panel determined that more than 5 percent of the population are transportation handicapped in urban areas, but that the target group of the policy makers must be exactly identified. Options for them range from fully accessible fixed-route transit to specially equipped automobiles and vans. There is need for evaluation in terms of costs and benefits per passenger served, not just total costs. Each option must be considered in terms of local needs, conditions and resources. There is also need to address political questions such as whether the policy is to support accessibility for the handicapped or to support mobility for them. Funding for handicapped transport probably will come from transit services for the general traveling public.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Research Council

  Commission on Sociotechnical Systems, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20418
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 96 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accessibility; Aerodynamic lift; Aged; Buses; Industries; Mobility; Persons with disabilities; Policy making; Procurement; Ramps; Technology assessment; Transportation planning; Urban transportation; Vehicle design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lifts
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus design
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Design; Highways; Policy; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Society; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00390229
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 30 1985 12:00AM