The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) recently awarded a grant from Transit Planning 4 All to inclusively plan and implement a mobility on demand solution in the Seattle-King County region!
Although many Seattleites are not moving around nearly as much as we used to because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us still rely on transit.
Transit Planning 4 All supports communities across the country to design and implement transportation solutions in partnership with people with disabilities and older adults.
Through September 2021, we will work with the community to plan on-demand solutions that address existing mobility challenges for accessing mass transit like buses, Link light rail, and Seattle Streetcar.
Mass transit is often the most reliable and cost-effective way to get around, especially for people with disabilities and older adults. However, barriers to accessing transit do exist. It’s part of our role to minimize or eliminate those barriers with our work in New Mobility, Transportation Equity, and accessibility – among other programs and projects.
Some barriers include:
- Bus stops and stations without ramps that support those using wheelchairs
- Infrequent or far away bus stops
- Limited parking around bus stops and stations
- Lack of bus stop amenities like shelters, benches, or accessible real time information
- Poorly maintained or incomplete sidewalks to safely walk to transit stops
- And others that we hope to hear about from you and work to address with our solutions.
On-demand connections to transit benefit everyone, but especially people with disabilities and older adults.
Mobility on demand uses technology, integrated transit networks, real-time data, and more to create a transportation system that works well for everyone – most importantly, the person traveling – safely and efficiently. Some mobility on demand solutions support first/last mile connections, which connect people from their home to transit hubs. These connections are important for people without a car or those who live a long walking/rolling distance away from a transit station.
