TAXIS THAT SAVE YOU MONEY IN ADA PARATRANSIT

The efforts of the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) in California to add taxis to ADA paratransit services are detailed. The paper compares 2 pricing schemes for using taxis in ADA paratransit service: 1) the user-side subsidy, and 2) managed service where selected trips are provided at meter rates. The fallacy of using average-cost pricing to compare taxi and paratransit trips is examined. Often overlooked is the fact that taxi trips tend to be shorter than paratransit trips; comparing the short taxi trip with an average-length paratransit trip gives a distorted view of the savings. SamTrans set aside the concept of user-side subsidy service in favor of a managed-taxi plan where taxis replace selected paratransit trips and the agency pays the full meter rate and an administrative fee. With a simple marginal-cost pricing concept, SamTrans identified paratransit driver shifts that could be replaced by taxi at great savings. Results of a demonstration project to test whether managed taxis could reduce ADA paratransit operating costs are provided.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/1931594090
• Corporate Authors:

  American Public Transportation Association

  1666 K Street, NW, Suite 1100
  Washington, DC  United States  20006
• Authors:
  • Welch, W
  • Dubost, C
• Conference:
  • 2003 Bus and Paratransit Conference Proceedings
  • Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Date: 2003-5-2 to 2003-5-4
• Publication Date: 2003

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 10p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cost effectiveness; Paratransit services; Persons with disabilities; Pricing; Taxi services; Trip length; Urban areas; User side subsidies
• Identifier Terms: Americans with Disabilities Act; San Mateo County Transit District
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00960529
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 1931594090
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 2 2003 12:00AM