Paratransit Fleet Configurations
The increase in the population of older adults who are ambulatory but are eligible to use
paratransit has increased the demand for paratransit service delivery. This growth has, in
turn, led some transit agencies to move away from standard one-vehicle type fleets in
favor of a mixed fleet incorporating smaller accessible vehicles and non-accessible
vehicles (generally sedans).
TCRP Synthesis 174: Paratransit Fleet Configurations,
from TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program,
focuses on the different ways that transit agencies have configured their
dedicated paratransit fleets. The first wave of fleet configuration changes has provided some expected benefits of
lower operating costs and greater service delivery flexibility due to incorporating smaller
vehicles into the fleet mix. These changes have also brought forward a set of service
delivery issues, including increased costs, maintenace concerns, and complications in
the reassignment of riders.
This Summary Last Modified On: 3/8/2024