Spatially Equitable Transportation Service Access and Individuals with Disabilities’ Activities of Daily Living

Transportation is fundamental for individuals’ need to engage with their community for employment, goods and services, health, education, and socializing; with individuals with increased access to transportation reporting greater quality of life and lower levels of social isolation. Transportation access may be considered a basic right of a democratic society.  Indeed, the disability community recognizes increased transportation access as a primary way to improve individuals with disabilities’ independence, self-determination, and community integration. Understanding the relationship between transportation access and individuals with disabilities’ transportation needs is a necessary first step to support the full community integration of this, and other, disadvantaged populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the Utah Transit Authority’s (UTA) fixed-route transit service patterns and the spatial-temporal organization of individuals with disabilities’ activities of daily living across Utah’s Wasatch Front.  The study objectives included; developing a topological accessibility Index of Public Transit Provision (IPTP) to represent fixed-route bus and light-rail service patterns, developing an Index of Transportation Need (ITN) representing the spatial-temporal organization of individuals with disabilities’ ADLs and indicators of transportation disadvantage, and using the IPTP and ITN to develop an Index of Disparity between transport Need and Provision to identify under-served areas within the Wasatch Front from the perspective of individuals with disabilities. The research findings not only have theoretical significance regarding transportation system planning, but also directly support UTA’s efforts to implement more socially sustainable public transportation systems planning efforts. The findings demonstrate methods useful to transportation agencies in planning transportation systems to meet the needs of transportation disadvantaged populations.