Current Projects
 

Easter Seals Project ACTION is a national program which supports innovation and cooperation in solving transit accessibility issues. Funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, and administered through Easter Seals, Project ACTION has supported research and demonstration grants to provide solutions to accessibility issues in public transit since 1990. This page describes contract projects which are currently under way.

Projects of 2008

Project No. 454-6211-01-200
Title:  A Survey on the Use of Taxis in Paratransit Programs
Vendor: Westat, Rockville, Md.
Project Start Date: 1/28/08

The goal of this project is to provide actionable information to individuals and organizations in local communities to help them understand and assess quality of service and cost variables associated with the delivery of taxi paratransit compared to conventional ADA paratransit service. Through a survey of transit systems and taxi operators in the United States, the project will determine (1) to what extent taxis are now used in the provision of paratransit services and (2) what quantitative and qualitative factors contribute to and serve as measures of successful transit authority use of taxis for paratransit services.

Project No. 454-6211-01-201
Title: Accessible Pathways to Bus Stops and Transit Facilities
Vendor: Institute of Transportation Engineers, Washington, D.C.
Project Start Date: 1/19/08

The project will create a process guide that presents demonstrated strategies and techniques used to increase coordination between individuals within all transportation disciplines to comprehensively design pedestrian networks that connect bus stops, other transit facilities, and major destinations that embrace ADA and universal design principles. The guide will contain case studies of communities that have successfully created processes to improve the path of travel, enhancing the use of accessible transportation services. 

Project No. 454-6211-01-202
Title: Bus Rapid Transit and Accessibility
Vendor: TranSystems Corp., Medford, Mass.
Project Start Date: 2/20/08

The goal of this project is to create an Accessibility Design Guide for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems. This guide will identify accessibility issues common to BRT operations, effective and ineffective ways of addressing those issues, and examples of how each issue was addressed by current BRT systems. To achieve this goal, the objectives of the project are to:

1) Identify ADA requirements and other accessible design elements associated with BRT systems;
2) Identify exemplary BRT systems that have addressed accessibility requirements and have significant input from the disability community;
3) Develop a Design Guide based on information collected during site visits and research.

Project No. 456-6211-01-101
Title: Project ACTION in Action: Helping Schools Meet the Transportation Needs of Students with Disabilities
Project Start Date: 6/08

Project grants were awarded to:

1. Allegheny Intermediate Unit near Pittsburgh, Pa.
2. The Partnership Transportation Management Association of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and Montgomery County Education to Workforce Partnership Schools, North Wales, Pa.
3. TASH/Twin Valley School District (TVSD) in Elverson, Pa.
4. Kearney Public Schools, Kearney, Neb.
5. R&D Transportation, Moorpark, Calif., and Los Angeles County School Districts, Calif.
6. East Valley School District, Spokane, Wash. 

Project No. 455-6211-01-106
Title: Effective Approaches for Increasing Stop Announcements
Vendor: TranSystems Corp., Medford, Mass.
Project Start Date: 6/19/06

Project objectives are to identify, with the help of disability organizations and riders, fixed-route service providers who are successful in implementation of stop announcement and vehicle/route identification policies and programs. The project will:

1.Collect detailed information from identified “exemplary” systems on the keys to their success and the policies, programs and materials which they have developed;

2.Develop a detailed resource guide that provides information to transit agencies, disability organizations and riders on how to improve stop announcement and vehicle/route identification performance.
 

#455-6211-01-108
Title: Guide to Effective Communication for Paratransit Service
Vendor: ENTRA Consulting Associates, Cincinnati, Ohio
Project Start Date: 10/1/07

The project will create a resource guide that identifies communication needs of customers with disabilities and paratransit providers. Identification of the relevant technologies will be framed in the context of how they fill specific customer service needs. The guide will include information on:

1. Assistive technology and accessibility features of personal devices, including cell phones and PDAs, for use by passengers with disabilities, including technologies that help providers communicate directly with passengers;

2. Customer service benefits gained from connecting providers with customer communication devices and from networking technology for coordinating service between providers;

3. A comparison of technological solutions that range from basic and low cost to more advanced and expensive that result in improved paratransit customer service.
 

Learn more about our completed projects.

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