PLANNING TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR HANDICAPPED PERSONS USER'S GUIDE

This user's guide has been prepared as part of National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 8-27 to determine the more cost-effective means of meeting the transportation needs of handicapped people. The purpose of the guide is to provide planners, whether they are employed with a transit agency, city government, or metropolitan planning organization, with guidelines that will permit them to identify cost-effective solutions to the problems of providing for the transportation needs of handicapped people. These guidelines should be of specific use to planners who investigate the more cost-effective ways transit operations can meet various regulations concerning handicapped services. The material presented in this document should assist planners in identifying and evaluating alternative ways of providing mobility to the general handicapped population who have difficulty using regular public transportation services. The intent of these guidelines is to address the mobility needs of an entire population as well as specific market segments of transportation handicapped persons with diverse travel needs, located throughout a geographical area. Experience has shown that only a small percent of the total eligible transportation handicapped market is likely to avail themselves of these services, even though the services are provided to the entire market segment. (Author)