Paratransit: The coming of age of a transportation concept

Abstract

The nature and potential of paratransit is examined, and the question of what accounts for its growing popularity is considered. The family of services known collectively as paratransit arose in the 1960's with rapid suburbanization and the need for transportation services that would approximate the convenience and ubiquity of the automobile, yet preserve the inherent economy and efficiency of public transportation. The concept of multipurpose community paratransit services are of special promise. Outstanding examples of such services are to be found in El Cajon, California, and Westport, Connecticut. In central cities paratransit can serve as a valuable complement to regular transit. The use of taxis to replace buses on routes that are little frequented, has been successful in German cities such as Munich, Stuttgart, and West Berlin. Potentially, the most far-reaching opportunity for paratransit lies in the concept of paratransit/transit operations. Although paratransit is not an alternative to the traditional transit services, it represents a viable mode in the current search for energy-saving transportation systems.