Bus Rapid Transit Project
Overview
Introduction
An introduction to the idea, history and plans for evaluating rear facing Securement as a means for providing fast, independent use of BRT by persons using wheelchairs.
Concept and Innovation
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems will need to feature very rapid loading and unloading to minimize the station dwell time as is done with light rail systems. Wheeled mobility aids (wheelchairs) are a part of this rapid loading and unloading so technologies such as rear facing compartments, docking systems, and two-point oblique systems are being considered to replace the traditional forward facing four-belt securement system. The proposed project will study wheelchair and wheelchair-user response to the use of rear facing compartment securement. The concept is that mobility aids can be safely transported using passive securement rather than active securement such as the belt securement currently in use by virtually all transit agencies. This passive securement would be accomplished by stationing wheelchairs in locations where their movement is constrained by the walls of a compartment. This study will be a demonstration of this system and will determine both the safety and the user comfort level for this type of mobility aid accommodation.
Potential Impact and Payoff for Practice
It is anticipated that the results of this study will have a major impact on the thinking for wheelchair securement. It will open the door for a review of the existing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. It will provide more options for interior design of BRT vehicles in particular and of new transit vehicles in general. Finally, in the long run, it is anticipated that securement of wheelchairs on mass transit vehicles may become a non-issue for both the wheelchair users and the vehicle operators.
The principle benefit of the proposed research will be a determination on the adequacy of rear facing compartment securement systems. Specifically, the project will determine whether this type of passive securement will provide acceptable levels of comfort and safety for users of wheeled mobility aids. In addition, the project would result in a knowledge of transit vehicle operating dynamics, the effect of those dynamics on passengers using wheelchairs, and detailed information that would justify less restrictive requirements for wheelchair securement.
The ADA regulations are currently a one-size-fits-all requirement that wheelchairs be forward facing and secured such that there never be more than two inches of motion. At the time these regulations were drawn up there was no data available to justify taking into account the operating characteristics of transit vehicles and the wide characteristics. As a result, the ADA requirements have made the adoption of securement systems that are appropriate to the size and type of transport vehicle particularly challenging. This proposed research is key for the transit industry, as well as for persons with disabilities in that it will provide a clear basis for review of the current ADA requirements. A number of federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Access Board will benefit from the results of this research. The results of this research will be key to providing information for re-evaluating the regulations of the ADA concerning mobility aid orientation and securement, changes that are needed as a precursor to the design of BRT vehicles .
Project Background:
Wheelchair securement is an issue in public transit that has not been clearly resolved even though it has been more than a decade since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA requires that wheelchairs be secured forward facing and such that they will not move more than two inches in any direction, even during a crash of the transporting vehicle. Rear facing securement is an option only if there is a forward facing securement station. Since the ADA was put into law, some advances have been made in securement technology but they have yet to make it into the marketplace. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). One of the keys to BRT is the design of new transit vehicles that can operate in a fashion analogous to light rail. An important factor in the success of BRT implementation will be minimization of the bus stop dwell time. Two of the major contributors to dwell time are mobility aid securement and fare collection procedures. Off vehicle fare collection reduces dwell time, and permits the use of multiple access/egress doors. The securement of mobility aids is still a major problem for the designers of new transit vehicles.
In Europe and Canada, a different concept in mobility aid securement has emerged. This consists of a padded compartment for a mobility aid in a rear facing orientation. The wheelchair is stationed in this compartment but there are no belts or other attachments to the chair. Currently, this concept would not be considered in the U.S., due to public perceptions on rear facing and interpretation of the transportation regulations of the ADA. However, this approach appears very attractive for the innovative BRT systems which will use new transit vehicles, new modes of operation and new operating conditions.
An important part of the successful development of new securement concepts is a thorough demonstration of both their effectiveness and user acceptance. This would necessarily include demonstrations based on commonly occurring circumstances in vehicle operation, situations such as accelerating around a corner, crossing railroad tracks, or starting on a steep hill. The assessment of wheelchair securement must include both a measurement of wheelchair dynamics and a measurement of vehicle dynamics during these operations. For the vehicle, the principle variable of interest is acceleration because it is the driving force behind motion of passengers and mobility aids. For the wheelchair the principle variable of interest is displacement because it is motion of the wheelchair that leads to both user discomfort and potential safety hazards. The assessment must also include a review of user perceptions as related to specific events encountered during the demonstration.
The demonstration/evaluation of rear facing compartment securement will be carried out using a variety of vehicles and a variety of mobility-aid types. Throughout this project, Lane Transit District (LTD) of Eugene, Oregon, will be a primary collaborator. They have indicated a desire to continue the partnership we have had in the past for the testing of new approaches to securement. They currently have a fleet of buses on which they have indicated we may install the necessary systems. This fleet includes traditional style buses, articulated buses, low floor buses, and most recently hybrid power (gas turbine/electric) buses. Also, they will be one of the first transit systems in the nation to be implementing BRT. Other groups that have provided intent to collaborate on this type of research include three securement system manufacturers, three other transit agencies, a school bus service, and a wheelchair manufacturer.
