Issues on the Application of an Advanced Public Transit System to Dial-a-Ride Service

Abstract

The Federal Transit Administration‘s Advanced Public Transportation System (APTS) program consists of demonstration projects that illustrate the use of new technologies in public transit. In view of the fact that similar systems are beginning to use new technology to locate and dispatch vehicles, this article reports on a study that examined issues that must be considered in implementing new systems. Specifically, the study focused on initial parameters for the computer program, defining and accessing these parameters in relation to quality of service, and measuring rider responses to guarantee performance.The implications of these issues for service quality were examined for the APTS demonstration project in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The study analyzed consumer response to the Mobility Manager, a Geographic Information System (GIS) applied to the site’s demand-responsive minibus service for the elderly and people with disabilities. Survey data from two questionnaires issued before and after the implementation of the Mobility Manager were utilized to examine travel behavior and perceived service quality. In addition, data from driver manifests issued after implementation of the Mobility Manager are used to clarify results.