Canadian Issues in Rural and Small Urban Transit Systems for the Disabled

This paper describes how there are a great variety of transit service options for the elderly and the disabled in Canada. Most of the elderly and the ambulatory disabled are able to use conventional transit services. The operators of conventional transit services have undertaken significant modifications in an effort to make the conventional transit services as accessible as possible. Accessibility to conventional transit systems has generally not been a major issue because of the provision of high-quality parallel systems and services that are available in most urban communities. Residents of small communities and rural areas who are elderly, disabled, or otherwise mobility disadvantaged often have a greater need for specialized forms of transportation than those who reside in cities and the reasons for this are: (1) conventional public transit systems generally do not exist in communities of less than 10,000 people; (2) small communities may not be able to provide sufficient business to support a taxi company; (3) distances to major local activity centers are usually greater because of the necessity of centralizing the institutions; (4) low density and linear rural development patterns increase walking distances and feelings of isolation; and (5) remote employment locations may reduce the availability of automobiles during the day. The paper describes how there are two basic transit services used in small communities and rural areas. These include subsidized taxi systems that use conventional automobiles and systems that use small buses and vans, which are often equipped with wheelchair accommodation. Small communities usually have two or more of these services effect.