T3 Webinar Overview
Findings and Lessons Learned from the MOD Sandbox Demonstrations: Accessibility Focus
Date: Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET
Cost: All T3 webinars are free of charge.
PDH: 1.5 | View PDH Policy
T3 and T3e Webinars are brought to you by the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) ITS Joint Program Office (JPO). References in this webinar to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the USDOT.
Background
In 2016, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) established the Mobility on Demand (MOD) Sandbox Program as a foundational element of FTA’s strategic research focus on mobility innovation. Through the Sandbox Program, 11 communities were supported in creatively leveraging a range of mobility options from bike- and car-sharing systems to demand-responsive bus services. Some projects sought to improve services for those who use wheelchairs, or have other impairments, as part of a suite of concepts, technologies, and solutions with the potential to advance the Complete Trips for All vision that sits at the center of FTA’s mobility innovation research efforts. The Sandbox Program has afforded FTA the opportunity to demonstrate solutions designed to offer higher-quality, more person-centered mobility options that meet the needs of all travelers, regardless of any limitations they may have.
Broadly, the MOD Sandbox Program connects people to their communities, mitigates socio-economic disparities, advances racial equity, and promotes affordable access to opportunity. For example, the program has allowed community college students to access night classes after local buses stop running, made it possible for travelers with disabilities to travel more spontaneously, increased carpooling to transit stations, connected rural communities, and provided useful mobility options in areas where bus service was not available.
This session focuses on travelers with disabilities. It highlights findings from independent evaluations funded jointly by the USDOT ITS Joint Program Office and FTA, from three MOD Sandbox Demonstrations that had a particular focus on providing accessible, responsive service.
The webinar will include presentations from the implementing public transportation agencies and a panel discussion among demonstration project staff and members of the independent evaluation team.
Target Audience
The target audience includes: public transportation agencies; regional development organizations (RDOs); regional transportation planning organizations (RTPOs); States; metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs); city and county transportation professionals; MOD service providers; technology providers and integrators; and other agencies interested in the planning and implementation of MOD services.
Learning Objectives
Objectives of this webinar are that participants will gain an understanding about:
- Challenges and possible solutions for providing responsive, integrated, person-centered mobility to those who use wheelchairs, or have other impairments;
- Latest developments in integrated mobility innovation;
- Changing role of public agencies, from service providers to mobility managers;
- Lessons learned in forming and managing public-private partnerships;
- Strategies for leveraging MOD services; and
- Best practices for planning, deploying, and evaluating MOD services.
Host
Gwo-Wei Torng, Director of Mobility Innovation, FTA Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation
Presenters
- Les Brown, AICP, Senior Transportation Consultant, ICF
- Adam Cohen, Senior Research Manager, UC Berkeley
- Todd Plesko, Interim Executive Vice President of Growth/Regional Development, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
- Jing Xu, Interim Assistant Vice President for Planning and Development, DART
- Bonnie Epstein, Director of Mobility Services, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)
- Penny Grellier, Community Development Administrator, Pierce Transit (PT)
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