Service and Methods Demonstrations Program – Summary Report: December 1981

This report summarizes the activities and accomplishments of the UMTA Service and Methods Demonstrations Program for FY 1979, 1980, and 1981. Overall program objectives, current activities, and future directions are briefly described. Current demonstration projects are identified in each of the four major program areas of conventional transit service innovations, pricing and service innovations, paratransit services, and transportation services for special user groups. In addition, ongoing program activities in the areas of evaluation methodology and information dissemination are discussed. This report also presents major new findings concerning the costs, impacts, and implementation considerations of the following innovative transportation service concepts: system wide transit route restructuring, transit transfer policies, articulated bus, transit fare prepayment strategies, free fare transit, van pooling, transportation brokerage, taxicab regulatory revisions, high-speed waterborne transit service, bicycle transit integration, wheelchair accessible fixed-route bus service, door-to-door transit services for special users, user-side subsidies, coordination of social service agency transportation, special purpose transit services for inner-city residents, and rural public transportation. This information was obtained from detailed evaluations of SMD-sponsored demonstrations and case study analyses of locally initiated projects.\n