As transit agencies continue to seek ways to improve service efficiency, the availability of new technologies offers innovative solutions. One of these innovative areas is the use of personal GPS devices in paratransit. The conventional pickup procedure requires reservations via telephone or through the internet for the paratransit driver to meet passengers at designated locations. In this case, one of the potential problems is that a missed pickup may occur due to the ambiguity of address information. However, with the availability of existing mobile GPS devices, passengers can be located instantly, which facilitates the pickup process. This research paper explores the feasibility of using personal GPS devices to help with the development of a more efficient paratransit service. Four different GPS-tracking devices were tested for feasibility, and a prototype was developed. Under this prototype, the vehicle operator and the passengers are able to know each others location and the agency dispatcher can see both the operator and the passenger. With this additional information, it is expected that the pickup process will be optimized and the number of missed pickups be reduced. The methodologies as well as data flows are described, and suggestions for further research are presented.
Abstract