AN ASSESSMENT OF WHEELCHAIR LIFT BUSES IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This is the executive summary of an interim report covering the first of a two-year study of rear-door lift-equipped bus operations in Westchester County, New York. Westchester County operates 105 lift-equipped Advanced Design Buses (GMC/RTS Models) that have been in service since 1979. The county's bus system is operated by 16 private bus companies and provides county-wide service through 56 transit routes and 14 PLT (Personalized Local Transit) routes. Thirty-two of the county's 56 regular bus routes are served exclusively by lift-equipped buses. The allocation of buses to routes is such that each of the 32 routes is "fully accessible." Westchester County has also decided to make the lift available to passengers with baby carriages, shopping carts, bulky cartons, bicycles, as well as to wheelchair-confronted persons. This report describes the experiences to date with the use of lift-equipped buses in the county. The wheelchair-confined person ridership has been low, but the county is developing programs to encourage usage. There have been mechanical problems with the lift that manufacturer is trying to correct. The author states that a true demand of transit ridership by handicapped cannot be ascertained unless the difficulties in accessing the bus stops are removed. Bus drivers experience difficulties in aligning the rear door with the curb at bus stops because bus stops are frequently occupied by other vehicles. Operators feel that it is too early to tell about the impact of the lift buses on operating costs, although they experienced lower maintenance costs due to the new buses replacing the older ones. (UMTA)

• Corporate Authors:

  Polytechnic Institute of New York

  Transportation Training and Research Center, 33 Jay Street
  Brooklyn, NY  United States  11201

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Falcocchio, J C
• Publication Date: 1980-10

Media Info

• Pagination: 10 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Access; Aerodynamic lift; Buses; Cost allocation; Maintenance management; Operating costs; Persons with disabilities; Ridership; Wheelchairs
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lifts; Maintenance costs
• Geographic Terms: New York (State)
• Old TRIS Terms: Allocations
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00334286
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-NY-11-0023-81-1Intrm Rpt.
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 15 1982 12:00AM