PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN PARATRANSIT PLANNING

Repeated rate increases, allegedly declining levels of service, and growing community dependence on public transit due to rising costs of living and energy shortages brought the Dade County, Florida, taxi system under sharp criticism. Transportation planners found that analyzing the situation and recommending corrective measures were complicated and difficult because of the largely unregulated, traditionally private-enterprise nature of the taxicab industry. A taxi study task force was, therefore, established that consisted of industry representatives from fleets of every size, local governmental officials, and (after a series of public hearings) interested citizens. Administrative and regulatory alternatives and possible operational improvements were presented to the task force for review and comment. The alternatives ranged from partial to complete control of the taxi industry by Dade County. The task force concluded that uniform county regulation of taxicab service was essential and legislation providing for county control of the taxi industry was passed by the Florida General Assembly in June, 1974. A model ordinance to establish a taxicab bureau with county jurisdiction was then submitted to the taxi task force and later approved and passed in modified form by the county commission. By late 1975 the county became involved in rate making and also in requesting the taxicab industry to provide service to the transportation disadvantaged. An important outcome has been the continuance of the taxi force, which perpetuates cooperation among citizens, government, and industry concerning transportation service issues that affect all. /Author/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1976/618/618-009.pdf
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=PUBLIC+INVOLVEMENT+IN+PARATRANSIT+PLANNING&author=D.+Hinds&author=A.+Wulkan&author=C.+Schimpeler&author=J.+Corradino&publication_year=1976
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Citizen Participation in Transportation Planning. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Hinds, David H
  • Wulkan, Allen
  • Schimpeler, Charles C
  • Corradino, Joseph C
• Conference:
  • 55th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1976-1-19 to 1976-1-23
• Publication Date: 1976

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 41-46
• Monograph Title: Transportation issues: the disadvantaged, the elderly, and citizen involvement
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 618
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Laws; Paratransit services; Public hearings; Public participation; Regulations; Taxicabs; Transportation planning; Urban transportation
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Highways; Law; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00163605
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309025974
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 13 1981 12:00AM