Citation

Casey R. Transp. Res. Rec. 1979; 718: 47-52.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1979, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

By December 1978, the number of transit authorities that operated fixed-route, wheelchair-accessible bus services totaled five. This paper is intended to disseminate information about these initial efforts. The majority of the operational data and results are from the experience of the St. Louis metropolitan area with accessible bus service, which was operated by the Bi-State Development Agency. Very few persons who use wheelchairs have used the fixed-route accessible bus services to date. Ridership has averaged only a few trips per day. However, the reliability of the services has been poor and some wheelchair boardings have been denied due to unavailability or malfunctioning of lift equipment. Consequently, judgment of the effectiveness of accessible bus services based on this early experience is premature. Accessible bus operations can have a substantial economic impact. In addition to the capital cost of the lift equipment, operating costs have increased due to the heavy lift maintenance and repair workload and, to some extent, to the changes in operational procedures that partical accessibility may necessitate. Due to the low number of riders who are wheelchair users, the overall mobility of this population group would seem to be little changed.