Publication Detail
Advanced Information Techniques and Paratransit Services to Enhance Mobility of Elderly and Disabled Travelers
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UCD-ITS-RR-97-20 Research Report |
Suggested Citation:
Chen, Wan-Hui, Kelley Klaver, Rochelle Uwaine, Paul P. Jovanis (1997) Advanced Information Techniques and Paratransit Services to Enhance Mobility of Elderly and Disabled Travelers. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Research Report UCD-ITS-RR-97-20
This is a continuation of a study to further examine several advanced transportation services and information systems which were redesigned and reassessed based on the findings in the year-one study. The purpose of this study is to determine whether these systems could enhance the mobility of disabled and elderly travelers in their use of transit, paratransit, or advanced paratransit services through a questionnaire survey (referred to as the year-two survey). The advanced proposed systems included regular paratransit and two advanced paratransit systems (ie., real-time paratransit and real-time ridesharing), and five transportation information systems: computer, television, operator-assisted telephone, automated telephone, and personal information systems.
The year-two survey was conducted in the Sacramento area with 70 disabled, 150 elderly and 150 general subjects during April and June in 1996 using a Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) survey, and a mail-out-and-call-in survey. System attribute questions and stated preference questions with quantitative attribute values were employed to determine more specifically if and how advanced services could be used to increase the mobility of the disabled and elderly.
The survey results show that the disabled subjects relied on other people and/or alternative forms of transportation more than the elderly and general subjects to maintain their mobility. The survey results also show that it is possible that the mobility of the disabled and elderly travelers can be enhanced by the provision of important transit information, paratransit and advanced paratransit information. As for the ranking of the five information systems, both operator-assisted telephone and automated telephone systems were most preferred by the three groups and the elderly group particularly preferred the operator-assisted telephone system.
Two advanced paratransit services were compared with regular paratransit and the current mode used by subjects. Real-time paratransit (referred to as Instant Paratransit) was preferred by the disabled and elderly subjects. However, real-time ridesharing (referred to as Catch-A-Ride) was not as attractive to them as Instant Paratransit. Log-linear modeling results show that the selection between regular paratransit, real-time paratransit, or neither was affected by fare, the interaction between group type and car availability, and the interaction between mobility aid type and group type. The selection between regular paratransit, real-time ridesharing, or neither was affected by pick-up location and the interaction between group type and car availability.
The year-two survey was conducted in the Sacramento area with 70 disabled, 150 elderly and 150 general subjects during April and June in 1996 using a Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) survey, and a mail-out-and-call-in survey. System attribute questions and stated preference questions with quantitative attribute values were employed to determine more specifically if and how advanced services could be used to increase the mobility of the disabled and elderly.
The survey results show that the disabled subjects relied on other people and/or alternative forms of transportation more than the elderly and general subjects to maintain their mobility. The survey results also show that it is possible that the mobility of the disabled and elderly travelers can be enhanced by the provision of important transit information, paratransit and advanced paratransit information. As for the ranking of the five information systems, both operator-assisted telephone and automated telephone systems were most preferred by the three groups and the elderly group particularly preferred the operator-assisted telephone system.
Two advanced paratransit services were compared with regular paratransit and the current mode used by subjects. Real-time paratransit (referred to as Instant Paratransit) was preferred by the disabled and elderly subjects. However, real-time ridesharing (referred to as Catch-A-Ride) was not as attractive to them as Instant Paratransit. Log-linear modeling results show that the selection between regular paratransit, real-time paratransit, or neither was affected by fare, the interaction between group type and car availability, and the interaction between mobility aid type and group type. The selection between regular paratransit, real-time ridesharing, or neither was affected by pick-up location and the interaction between group type and car availability.