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Current Practices in No-Show and Late Cancellation Policies for ADA Complementary Paratransit: Synthesis of Practice

The purpose of Synthesis Report #60 Practices in No-Show/Late Cancellation Policies for ADA Paratransit, published in 2005 by the Transit Cooperative Research Program, was to document current and innovative practices of U.S. transit agencies in the development and implementation of passenger no-show/late cancellation policies for paratransit programs operated under the regulatory requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The synthesis examines no-show/late-cancellation policies both as a possible way to improve system productivity, efficiency, and capacity, and also as a way to better serve riders with disabilities who may experience difficulties with the advance reservation nature of most ADA complementary paratransit operations. The synthesis includes a literature review and an overview of the regulatory requirements of the ADA. The regulatory overview is supplemented by a review of findings published by the FTA Office of Civil Rights in recent ADA compliance reviews and in response to formal complaints filed with that office. The synthesis also includes an on-line survey of 134 U.S. transit agencies, as well as a summary of policies submitted by transit agencies as part of the information collected for this project. The findings suggest that there is a diversity of interpretations with respect to what constitutes excessive no-shows and/or late cancellations and how to handle them. The findings also suggest that systems that have implemented comprehensive no-show policies have been able to reduce the incidence of no-shows, thereby expanding capacity to serve additional trips or to at least make use of slack time generated by advance cancellations provided there is sufficient notice given in advance of the scheduled pick-up time. Those using computerized scheduling and dispatching indicated the greatest ability to use slack time. The findings also suggest that many systems have developed no-show and late cancellation policies that could be construed as overly restrictive when compared with recent regulatory interpretations. As required by the Synthesis Program guidelines, this project reports on the current state of the practice and does not evaluate or recommend changes in the way no-shows and late cancellations are handled by local transit agencies. The synthesis includes a list of elements that transit agencies may wish to incorporate when developing or reviewing no-show and late cancellation policies, and suggests additional research that could be pursued related to this topic.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: CD-ROM
  • Pagination: 5p
  • Monograph Title: TRB 85th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01024894
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: 06-2057
  • Files: BTRIS, TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: May 31 2006 7:55AM