Paratransit
2008 ridership 2008 budget 2008 cost/passenger
NYCTA 4.4M $ 284M $ 64
LAMTA 1.9M $ 83M $ 44
WMATA 1.7M $ 67M $ 38
MBTA 1.5M $ 50M $ 33
King County Metro 1.1M $ 42M $ 38
In the United States -- Future
Beginning in 2004 , the bus , rail and motor coach trade magazine Metro Magazine began conducting annual surveys of public and private paratransit providers : The US Government Accountability Office GAO released a report in November 2012 for the Federal Transit Administration which `` examined : ( 1 ) the extent of compliance with ADA paratransit requirements , ( 2 ) changes in ADA paratransit demand and costs since 2007 , and ( 3 ) actions transit agencies are taking to help address changes in the demand for and costs of ADA paratransit service . '' The report found that `` average number of annual ADA paratransit trips provided by a transit agency increased 7 percent from 2007 to 2010 '' and that the average cost of providing a paratransit trip is `` an estimated three and a half times more expensive than the average cost of $ 8.15 to provide a fixed-route trip . '' . [ 22 ] MTA Mobility vehicle operator assisting a customer in boarding a paratransit vehicle The Maryland Transit Administration reported paratransit ridership increases of 15% in fiscal 2012 , with double-digit increases expected in fiscal 2013 and 2014 . [ 23 ] The cost of providing paratransit service is considerably higher than traditional fixed-route bus service , with Maryland 's Mobility service reporting per-passenger costs of over $ 40 per trip in 2010 . [ 24 ] Paratransit ridership growth of more than 10% per year was reported in the District of Columbia metropolitan area for 2006 through 2009 . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 's MetroAccess service in Washington , D.C. conducted a peer review of large urban paratransit systems in the US in 2009 : [ 25 ]
Paratransit is the term used in North America for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. Paratransit services may vary considerably on the degree of flexibility they provide their customers. At their simplest they may consist of a taxi or small bus that will run along a more or less defined route and then stop to pick up or discharge passengers on request. At the other end of the spectrum - fully demand responsive transport - the most flexible paratransit systems offer on-demand call-up door-to-door service from any origin to any destination in a service area. In addition to public transit agencies, paratransit services may be operated by community groups or not-for-profit organizations, and for-profit private companies or operators. Typically, minibuses are used to provide paratransit service. Most paratransit vehicles are equipped with wheelchair lifts or ramps to facilitate access. In the United States, private transportation companies often provide paratransit service in cities and metropolitan areas under contract to local public transportation agencies. Transdev, First Transit and MV Transportation are among the largest private contractors of paratransit services in the United States and Canada.