LOCAL RESPONSES TO MEETING THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS OF THE HANDICAPPED: THE EXPERIENCES OF SIX TEXAS CITIES

The attempts of six Texas cities to meet the transportation needs of handicapped citizens by making extensive use of existing community transportation providers are described. An analysis of these experiences reveals that intuitive solutions to providing cost-effective services for handicapped riders are often simplistic. In particular the analysis found that (a) contracting with an existing provider is only cost-effective if the provider is asked to perform traditional services and not innovative ones, (b) contracting with an existing provider can only generate cost savings if a city is willing to trade off direct control and supervision for lower unit costs, (c) dedicated services (vehicles and drivers) can provide a high level of service but often at high unit costs, (d) segregating riders who require minimal assistance from those who require extensive assistance can reduce costs if different providers are used for each group, and (e) every limitation on rider eligibility and contract service provision generates the need for additional administrative staff, which can significantly increase unit costs. The experiences of the six Texas cities suggest that solutions to the problem of devising transportation sevices for special groups depends on careful analysis of the capabilities of existing community providers; a firm understanding of the trade-offs between levels of service, cost, and control; and some hard decisions about what level of transportation service a community expects and to which special groups it should be delivered. (Author)

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1980/784/784-007.pdf
• Summary URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=LOCAL+RESPONSES+TO+MEETING+THE+TRANSPORTATION+NEEDS+OF+THE+HANDICAPPED%3A+THE+EXPERIENCES+OF+SIX+TEXAS+CITIES&author=S.+Rosenbloom&publication_year=1980
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Transportation for the Transportation Disadvantaged. 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:
  • Rosenbloom, Sandra
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 39-45
• Monograph Title: Providing Transportation Services for the Elderly and Handicapped
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 784
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Cities; Contractors; Control; Costs; Level of service; Paratransit services; Persons with disabilities
• Geographic Terms: Austin (Texas); Dallas (Texas); El Paso (Texas); Fort Worth (Texas); Houston (Texas); San Antonio (Texas); Texas
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00335196
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309031737
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 16 1982 12:00AM