Volpe Center: Transportation Strategic Plans

Accessibility for Aging and Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations

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3. Vision, Goals, Outcomes, and Partners

A broad partnership among government agencies, industry, universities, and not-for-profit organizations, this partnership seeks to improve mobility through better management of paratransit operations, advanced transit technologies, and livable communities.

As stated in the NSTC's Transportation Technology Plan, this initiative's vision is "a transportation system that meets the mobility and accessibility needs of the elderly, the poor, persons with disabilities, and all other Americans without access to a private automobile." Its ultimate goals are to (1) create transportation systems that serve the needs of older and transportation-disadvantaged people while taking full advantage of existing services, resources, and development patterns; (2) promote development of transit-compatible communities; and (3) expand opportunity by preserving communities and enhancing transit.

Possible measures of success in attaining these goals include the accelerated introduction of new technologies and services, improved effectiveness of services by measure of integration with other critical services, and the initiation of new interagency research, development, and technology programs. Among the near-term outcomes of this initiative are the following from the Department of Transportation (DOT) FY 2000 Performance Plan:

By 2000, increase to 11.68 percent the percentage of urban population living within a quarter-mile of transit stops with service frequency of 15 minutes or less (non-rush hour) from a 1996 baseline of 11.22 percent.
Increase the percentage of key rail stations that are in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) from 19 percent in 1996 to 47 percent in 2000.
Increase the percentage of bus fleets that are ADA-compliant from 63 percent in 1996 to 82 percent in 2000.
Increase the number of employment sites that are made accessible by Job Access and Reverse Commute transportation services.
Increase transit ridership from 39.0 billion passenger-miles in 1996 to 40.56 billion in 2000.

The partners will achieve these outcomes through two means. First, partners will coordinate and integrate Federal agencies' efforts to optimize existing transit and paratransit services. Second, they will incorporate state, local, and private efforts and develop innovative transportation alternatives.

The DOT partners in this initiative include the Office of the Secretary (OST), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office. Other Federal partners are the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Among the current and potential non-Federal partners are state, local, and tribal agencies; Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs); Area Agencies on Aging; housing authorities; associations (American Public Transit Association, Community Transportation Association of America, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, National Association of Regional Councils, National Governors' Association); the private sector (information and communication system vendors, transit providers, employers); nongovernmental organizations and foundations (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Easter Seals, Eno Transportation Foundation); and universities.

The FTA's Office of Research, Demonstration, and Innovation provides overall program management for this partnership. However, the management structure and process make full use of existing mechanisms for interagency cooperation- for example, the ITS Joint Program Office, the Access and Mobility Coordinating Council, and joint FTA/HUD efforts- and incorporate ongoing guidance from non-Federal participants.

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