Reaching out to people with special transportation needs
PSRC is doing outreach to identify the mobility needs of people with special transportation needs as part of the work to develop the Regional Transportation Plan.
This has included virtual meetings with mobility coalitions, community groups, specialized transportation providers, regular transit providers, and other stakeholders in the region.
Specialized transportation services serve people who have difficulty transporting themselves due to age, income, or disability. Examples include paratransit buses, shuttles, volunteer driver programs, and school buses.
Also, many people with special transportation needs also rely on regular, fixed-route transit services to get around.
Outreach meetings included a short presentation on the Coordinated Mobility Plan, an interactive poll and encouragement to follow up with the online Future of Transportation Survey.
What we heard:
Top Mobility Challenges
- Longer travel times compared to driving personal vehicles
- Lack of services at times when they are needed
- Difficulty getting to medical appointments, pharmacies, and grocery stores
- Lack of information about available services
- Lack of physical infrastructure, such as curb ramps as a problem to get to desired destinations
- Long wait times when transferring between services
Emerging mobility needs identified by the community include:
- Better communication between drivers and riders with special transportation needs (especially those with a disability)
- Less complicated eligibility review process to ride/qualify for specialized transportation, like ADA Paratransit
- Perceived safety while on a bus or at waiting areas to ride transit
PSRC staff will continue outreach and work to prioritize strategies to address the needs expressed by the community. This will include the development of performance measures to track the progress of specialized transportation services, improve coordination between different types of services, and other aspects of transportation.
Learn more about the Coordinated Mobility Plan and the Regional Transportation Plan by visiting PSRC’s website. Share your story using specialized transportation services and learn about more ways to get involved on the Engage page.
