Selecting bus stops for accessibility improvements for riders with physical disabilities

Abstract

Bus stops are key links in the journeys of riders with disabilities. Inaccessible bus stops prevent people with physical disabilities from using fixed-route bus services, thus limiting their mobility. Due to limited budgets, transit agencies must select bus stops for which their improvements, as part of the effort to comply with the Americas with Disabilities Act (ADA), can maximize the overall benefits to riders with physical disabilities. In this paper, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to combine the factors affecting the benefits to riders with physical disabilities, and a binary linear programming model was used to identify bus stops for ADA improvements based on budgetary and construction cost constraints. As an application example, the optimization model was applied to the 5,034 bus stops in Broward County, Florida. Compared to the usual approaches, the optimization model provides a more objective platform on which to identify bus stops for ADA improvements.