Impacts of More Rigorous ADA Paratransit Eligibility Assessments on Riders with Disabilities

Due to the ever-increasing demand for complementary ADA paratransit trips, transit agencies have instituted a number of actions related to reducing the costs of this type of service, including steps to limit the demand through stricter and more complex ADA paratransit eligibility processes.The objective of this research was to document the changes the transit systems made to their ADA paratransit eligibility procedures and to determine the impacts these changes have had on riders with disabilities.The research report provides a brief history and overview of the ADA complementary paratransit regulations and services; summarizes increased demand and related agency ADA paratransit expenditures; documents recent trends and changes in the ADA complementary paratransit eligibility processes; and provides a summary of the best practices related to ADA paratransit eligibility procedures.17.