CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND PROBLEMS IN FINANCING SERVICES FOR TRANSPORTATION-DISADVANTAGED PERSONS. RESOURCE PAPER

The so-called elderly and handicapped group presents two types of transportation needs. The great majority can use conventional public transit or private vehicles. However, the seriously handicapped need vehicles that have special-access equipment, and some need special care or assistance to use even this. Like all other public transportation services, those serving elderly and handicapped persons operate at very large deficits. This is partly because of the low frequency of trip taking and partly because of the widely dispersed origins and destinations of most trips except those to work places. Most of the special services for elderly and handicapped persons are now provided by small (one- to three-vehicle) fleets owned by service agencies for client use. This is a very service-oriented system, but it is limited in capacity and costly if full-time paid drivers are used. Many of these small providers are being consolidated into larger, more efficient fleets that can meet demand peaks. However, the care given by these larger services may be more impersonal than that given by individual agencies. Major transit operators are also providing increasing amounts of service on regular routes with vehicles equipped with mechanically assisted access devices. Some transit authorities are also operating special van services. Urban Mass Transportation Administration operating-assistance funds are legally available for all special client transportation services except those for school pupils. But, to obtain these funds, operators must deal with a complex federal paperwork system that has different methods of operation for urban areas of more and less than 200,000 population and also secure entry into the local transit development plans and transit improvement programs, which may require other operators to share fund allocations. Another problem is the labor protective clearance, which may be withheld if volunteer, part-time, or other nonunion employees are being used and which can greatly increase costs to small special providers. The states should be pressed to provide direct operating assistance to special-clientele services. The need for access to public funds by special services is coming at a time of increasing subsidy demands by the largest transit operators and is accompanied by rounds of fare increases and service reductions. These subsidy problems are most severe in the dozen largest cities and disappear in cities that have populations of less than 500,000. However, many of the most important needs for special services are in the largest cities.