Rosa P: A digital library for transportation research

Safety Evaluation of J-turn Intersections in Missouri [Research Brief]

Railroad Spike Failure Mitigation: Investigation of Tie Plate Hold-Down Elements [Research Results]

Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives Phase I and \u2161 Independent Evaluation: Crosscutting Report

Re-Examining Minimum Reinforcement Requirements for Shear Design: Final Report

Leveraging Probe Data for Improving Incident Management Practice in Rural Areas

Complete Streets Transportation
Pooled Fund (TPF) Study
Advantages of TPF  
Program Participation: 
• Conduct collaborative,  
cost-efficient research.
• Support real-world testing.
• Promote knowledge sharing 
and dissemination.
Source: FHWA.
Become a Partner Today to Shape the Future of Transportation
Complete Streets TPF Study
https://pooledfund.org/Details/Solicitation/1626
Learn More! 
Notice: This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. Non-Binding Contents: Except for the 
statutes and regulations cited, the contents of this document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the States or the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide information regarding existing requirements under the law or agency 
policies. Quality Assurance Statement: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement. Disclaimer for Product Names and Manufacturers: The U.S. Government does not endorse 
products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers’ names appear in this document only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document. They are included for informational purposes only and are not intended to reflect a preference, approval, or 
endorsement of any one product or entity.
Become a partner in our Complete Streets TPF Study and collaborate with others committed to enhancing 
safety and accessibility in transportation. Together, we can leverage our collective resources and knowledge 
to drive meaningful research and implement innovative practices that transform streets into safe, 
multimodal spaces for everyone.
Learn more about opportunities to partner today at http://pooledfund.org. 
FHWA-HRT-24-176 https://doi.org/10.21949/1521516
Source: FHWA.


Complete Streets Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) Study

Skew Detection System Replacement on Vertical Lift Bridges (Phase 2) [Technical Summary]

RESEARCH BRIEF  |  MPC 24-562 (project 677) |  September 2024
Understanding Paratransit 
Examining Time 
Inefficiencies and the 
Efficacy of Alternative 
Modes for Persons with 
Disability
the ISSUE
Paratransit is assumed to be an effective door-to-door service that enables people with disabilities to 
travel easily. However, when using the standard benchmark of car travel as a comparison, passive data 
show that paratransit often fails those with disabilities.
the RESEARCH
Researchers looked at Access-a-Ride trip data collected over 30 months, from January 2019 to June 
2021. The dataset, obtained from the Regional Transportation District (Denver), included about 1.16 
million trips detailing important information such as pick-up and drop-off locations. The researchers 
also estimated car trip duration for the same pick-up and drop-off points using the Google Distance 
Matrix API. They used a cleaned-up dataset with a randomly selected 10% sub-sample for this analysis. 
They examined the nature of paratransit demand using mapping and followed up with regression 
analysis where the outcomes were trip time on paratransit rides and a counterfactual for car travel for 
the same origin-destination pair. 
A University Transportation Center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation serving the
Mountain-Plains Region. Consortium members:
Colorado State University 
North Dakota State University 
South Dakota State University 
University of Colorado Denver 
University of Denver 
University of Utah 
Utah State University
University of Wyoming
the FINDINGS
On average, female paratransit riders spent less time on the road 
compared with male riders. Paratransit riders experienced the 
longest trip times during peak hours, specifically from 7 a.m. to 8 
a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., with trips taking about 22 and 12.5 
minutes longer, respectively. In contrast, car travel during these 
times would have resulted in a much smaller time difference of 
around three minutes. Cash payers tended to have slightly less 
efficient trips compared with those who used tickets. Notably, 
riders who did not pay out of pocket experienced more efficient 
trips. For older riders, trip efficiency decreased, but this decline 
was slower compared with car trips. Additionally, increased daily 
precipitation led to lower efficiencies for both modes of travel, with 
car trips being marginally more efficient. In contrast, higher average 
daily temperatures reduced the time spent on paratransit but did 
not affect car travel efficiency. 
the IMPACT
This research is important for practitioners and scholarly 
communities working to improve paratransit policies. Agency-side 
policy has not been the focus of researchers, who have largely 
investigated technology-enabled solutions to increase efficiency 
for travel modes of those with disabilities. This research examines 
other avenues, so far unexplored, to increase time-efficient travel 
for people with disabilities. For example, the analysis suggests 
that agencies should focus on improving paratransit services 
through adopting tools that eliminate pre-travel inefficiencies and 
leverage the spatial and temporal patterns to optimize operational 
efficiency.
For more information on this project, download the Main report at 
https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=1225
Lead Investigator(s)
Manish Shirgaokar 
manish.shirgaokar@ucdenver.edu
Aditi Misra 
aditi.misra@ucdenver.edu
Wesley Marshall 
wesley.marshall@ucdenver.edu
Research Assistant(s)
Cemal Akcicek, former RA 
Molly Wagner, former RA
Project Title
Understanding Paratransit: 
Examining Time Inefficiencies 
and the Efficacy of Alternative 
Modes for Persons with 
Disability
Sponsors | Partners
Regional Transportation District
Denver Metropolitan Region
USDOT, Research and 
Innovative Technology 
Administration
For more information or additional copies, visit the Web site at www.mountain-plains.org, call (701) 231-7767 or write to Mountain-Plains Consortium, 
Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, North Dakota State University, Dept. 2880, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050.
This publication was produced by the Mountain-Plains Consortium at North Dakota State University. The contents of this brief reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for facts and the accuracy of the information 
presented herein. This document is disseminated under the program management of the USDOT, Office of Research and Innovative Technology Administration in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government 
assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof. 
NDSU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of age, color, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawful off-campus 
activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, as applicable.  Direct 
inquiries to Vice Provost, Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Old Main 201, 701-231-7708, ndsu.eoaa@ndsu.edu.


Understanding Paratransit: Examining Time Inefficiencies and the Efficacy of Alternative Modes for Persons with Disability [Brief]

Light-Duty Vehicle Transmission Benchmarking \u2013 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime P810 Transmission and Q610 Rear Axle

Effect of Long-Term Inactivity on Railcar Bearings \u2013 Year 1

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