This study focused on determining whether advanced transportation services and information systems could enhance the mobility of disabled and elderly travelers in their use of transit, paratransit, or advanced paratransit services. The advanced proposed systems included regular paratransit and two advanced paratransit systems (real-time paratransit and real-time ridesharing) and five transportation information systems: computer, television, operator-assisted telephone, automated telephone, and personal information systems.

This study examined the potential of advanced information systems to increase the mobility of disabled travelers using public transportation. A stated preference survey inquired as to whether subjects would make more trips by transit, paratransit, and/or real-time paratransit if kiosk, on-board, in-home, and/or personal information systems were available. The results show that these systems do have the potential to increase the use of public transportation by disabled travelers, as they allow for more trip flexibility that what is currently available. Regression and log-linear models show that transit users and those without cars are more likely to use transit if advanced systems were available. Wheelchair users are less likely than non-wheelchair users to use transit with advanced systems. KEY WORDS transit, paratransit, real-time paratransit, disabled travelers, ITS, transit information systems, mobility