Exploring what barriers impact accessible transit pick up and drop off, and how can they be addressed through planning and design?
Project Description:
Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) is always looking for ways to improve the overall customer experience when using public transit. The role of specialized transit is to make sure that people who have a disability and functionally cannot use conventional transit have access to the transit that they require to go about their daily activities.
A door-to-door service is provided to clients who qualify for accessible transportation service (ATS). The service is provided by a contractor (DARTS). Sometimes, pick up and drop off is not easily accomplished: sometimes this is due to the accessibility of the site, and sometimes, while the site is accessible, there may be other issues: lines of sight (e.g., the location where stopping is allowed is around the corner from the accessible entrance, or the vehicle, while close, can’t easily be seen for some other reason), lack of close location to pull a vehicle in to the desired location (e.g., at a large park), heavy traffic around a curbside drop off location.
In this project, students are encouraged to work directly with service end-users, drivers, and other stakeholders to understand the overall experience of accessible transit in Hamilton. We have received over 800 responses to our customer service survey and will contact respondents who would be interested in sharing their lived experience and potentially having students join them on DARTS trips as part of their ethnographic research. The design research will involve understanding the challenges associated with different disabilities, service locations around the city, and scheduling. The design team will help identify opportunities to advance the overall service experience, which may include recommendations to minimize barriers in the built environment and for better new-builds, thereby improving mobility, independence, and participation in society of people with disabilities in Hamilton.
Intended Outcomes:
This research will contribute to design considerations in planning roads and transit systems in the City of Hamilton.
In Scope:
Exploring the challenges faced by end-users through interviews and possibly joining clients on trips.
City Staff: Michelle Martin, Manager, Accessible Transportation Services
Secondary City Staff: Amanda McIlveen, Manager, Transit Strategic Planning,
Mike Field, Manager of Transportation Operations
Jason VanderHeide, Manager of Transit Scheduling and Infrastructure
Instructor: Andrea Hemmerich, PhD, Sessional Faculty Member, Faculty of Engineering
Course: SEP761