Paratransit Fleet Configurations (2024)
Chapter: Appendix A - Survey Instrument
APPENDIX A
Survey Instrument
TCRP Synthesis Project J-07/Topic SB-38
Paratransit Fleet Configurations
Project Purpose
The Transportation Research Board, through its Transit Cooperative Research Program, has commissioned the Texas A&M Transportation Institute to conduct a research study on the potential benefits and challenges of diversifying paratransit fleet configurations.
For the purposes of this survey, "fleet configuration" and “fleet mix” refers to the mix of vehicle types in the paratransit fleet. A paratransit fleet that is composed of different types of vehicles, vehicles of differing capacities, and/or vehicles with differing levels of accessibility are considered to have a “diverse” fleet configuration.
The objectives of the research are to identify and document the following:
- The different ways that transit agencies have diversified their dedicated paratransit fleets (e.g., by mixing wheelchair-accessible and non-wheelchair-accessible vehicles or by mixing vehicles with different capacities)
- How paratransit fleet configurations have been diversified over time
- The motivations underlying transit agencies diversifying their fleet configuration
- Other factors that transit agencies consider in maintaining or diversifying the fleet mix of their paratransit service(s)
- Whether or not changes to the diversification of paratransit fleet configurations resulted in transit agencies achieving the expected benefits
- How the new, diversified fleet configuration changed scheduling/dispatching and other operational policies, service performance standards, and/or vehicle retirement/purchasing plans
- What unexpected outcomes or challenges were experienced, and how were these resolved
- How changes to the diversification of the paratransit fleet configuration affected planning decisions regarding future operations
Guidance for Completing This Survey
The purpose of this survey is to obtain information from transit agencies on the above-listed topics. The focus of the survey is on paratransit fleets, not general-public demand-response fleets. The survey is also focused on dedicated fleets.
If you operate multiple paratransit services, please complete this survey with respect to a paratransit service that has a diverse fleet.
Your answers will be saved whenever you advance to the next page of the survey. You can finish the survey later by accessing it again from the same device and browser within a two-week period. If you accessed this survey through a unique survey link e-mailed to you, you can pause taking the survey and return to complete it at any time using the same link.
Please complete the survey by February 24, 2023. This survey should take about 15 minutes to complete.
Questions should be addressed to Will Rodman, Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
Thank You!
By clicking the button below, you are agreeing to participate in the survey. There is no penalty for not participating in the survey or not completing it.
Page 1: Contact information
Please provide contact information for the individual filling out the survey.
Agency/Organization:
Paratransit Service Name:
| City: | State: |
| Contact Name: | Title: |
| E-Mail: | Phone: |
Page 2: Description of paratransit service
Please specify the paratransit service for which you are completing this survey:
What was the ridership (number of passenger trips) on the paratransit service in CY or FY 2022? _________________
Please specify the total number of vehicles currently in your dedicated paratransit fleet:
[If zeroes are entered in both fields, go to Page 10.]
Please fill out the table below to provide more information about your dedicated paratransit fleet.
Examples are provided in the first two lines.
| Type of Vehicle | Number in Revenue Fleet | Number of Spares | Seating Configuration | Accessibility Features | CDL Required? (Yes/No) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [specify options in pulldown menu] [Relevant FTA Transit Asset Management rolling stock categories are Automobile, Bus, Cutaway Bus, Minivan, Minibus, Sport Utility Vehicle, and Van. Will also include Other (please specify).]] | [Number field] | [Number field] | [Number field for seats (not including driver)] [Number field for wheelchair spaces] |
[specify options in pulldown menu—to include Wheelchair Lift, Boarding Ramp, Kneeling, and None of These] | |
| Mini-Bus | 5 | 1 | 20 + driver | None | Yes |
| Cutaway | 14 | 3 | 9 + 1WC + driver | Wheelchair lift | No |
| SUV | 3 | 0 | 4 + driver | None | No |
Page 3: Use of non-dedicated service providers
Do you use non-dedicated service providers to accommodate paratransit service overflow?
Page 4: Changes in the configuration of the paratransit fleet
Have you changed the configuration of your paratransit fleet in the last five years?
[If yes, continue to Page 5.]
[If no, go to Page 10.]
Page 5: Paratransit fleet changes
Please briefly describe how the configuration of your paratransit fleet has changed over the past five years. For example: Did you introduce new types of vehicles or change seating configurations? Did you remove any types of vehicles? Did you change the proportion of one or more types of vehicles in the fleet?
[Text box]
Why did you make the above described changes? Check all that apply.
Did the changes result in the expected benefits?
[If yes, show the following text box.]
Please briefly describe the benefits achieved in the text box below.
[Text box]
Page 6: Impact of paratransit fleet diversification on other transit agency functions
Did the changes to your fleet impact how you schedule and/or dispatch paratransit service?
[If yes, show the following text box.]
Please briefly describe the impact on scheduling and/or dispatching paratransit service in the text box below.
[Text box]
Did the changes to your fleet impact other operational policies and procedures?
[If Yes, show the following text box.]
Please briefly describe the impact on other operational policies and procedures in the text box below.
[Text box]
Did the changes to your fleet require you to hire more (or fewer) drivers?
[If one of the first two options is selected, show the following text box.]
Please briefly describe the impact on hiring of drivers.
[Text box]
Did the changes to your fleet cause you to modify service performance standards?
[If yes, show the following text box.]
Please briefly describe the impact on service performance standards in the text box below.
[Text box]
Did the changes to your fleet impact vehicle retirement/purchasing plans?
[If yes, show the following text box.]
Please briefly describe the impact on vehicle retirement/purchasing plans in the text box below.
[Text box]
Did the changes to your fleet impact planned future paratransit service levels?
[If yes, show the following text box.]
Please briefly describe the impact on planned future paratransit service levels in the text box below.
[Text box]
Page 7: Unexpected challenges
Did you encounter any unexpected challenges when diversifying your dedicated paratransit fleet?
[If yes, show the following text box.]
[If no, go to Page 8.]
Please briefly describe the unexpected challenges and how you addressed them in the text box below
[Text box]
Page 8: Lessons learned
What advice would you give other transit agencies that are considering diversifying their paratransit fleets?
[Text box]
Page 9: Case study participation
Would you be willing to participate in a case study to discuss your survey responses in more detail? The case study would likely take the form of a web meeting of 1-2 hours, after which we would prepare and transmit a case study summary document for your review.
Page 10: End of survey
Thank you very much for participating in the TCRP Synthesis SB-38 survey!
[Alternative versions of the end-of-survey message can be displayed depending on the point at which the respondent reached Page 10 and whether or not the agency expressed interest in participating in a case study.]
