Intervention(s)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires public transit agencies to provide paratransit services for individuals whose disabilities preclude them from using fixed-route transit, such as buses or subways. This service is meant to be comparable in terms of service area and availability. Nevertheless, federal regulations allow paratransit to remain incongruous in one important respect: most services require riders to schedule trips a day in advance, limiting flexibility and spontaneity in ways that may be detrimental to rider mobility and wellbeing. To fill this gap, King County Metro (KCM), a public transportation agency serving the Seattle, Washington, area, has introduced an “Access On-Demand” (AOD) program, which allows paratransit users to take subsidized trips through a third-party platform without advanced reservations. The cost to riders is that of a bus ticket, $2.75, for trips that would cost $15-$50 through rideshare apps (although these are not generally available to wheelchair users).
This study will evaluate the impacts of KCM's on-demand program on paratransit customers’ mobility, transportation security, health, and wellbeing. We will use rich administrative and survey data to answer two primary research questions: (1) How does an accessible on-demand transportation option affect rider mobility, transportation security, and satisfaction? (2) How does an accessible on-demand transportation option affect riders’ physical and mental health, wellbeing, and access to health care? We hypothesize that the flexibility offered by AOD will benefit riders in each of these domains.