Framing the Issues of Paratransit Services in Delaware - Final Report
Date
2008-01-31T18:48:50Z
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Abstract
Public transit agencies nationwide have struggled to develop cost-effective paratransit services
and service delivery methods that both provide access to transportation and meet the mobility
needs of disabled persons, as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
Paratransit service providers must meet the challenge of managing the delivery of complex
service mandates in the face of increasing demand and customer service expectations, shifting
demographics, and changing technology, compounded by the growing fiscal pressures of rising
costs and increasing competition for revenues.
Delaware’s policy decision to have service delivery practices that significantly exceed the federal
ADA mandate has proven to be costly. Paratransit ridership is expected to continue to increase
by at least 11% each year. Confronted with projected exponential cost increases associated with
paratransit operations, a population with increasingly elderly demographic characteristics, and
burgeoning rural land development, DTC faces a “perfect storm” as it seeks to fund future
paratransit service.
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Keywords
Paratransit, ADA, Delaware, cost-effective, ridership, mobility, disabilities, transportation