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Title	ROAD TRANSIT
Accession No	00646391
Authors	Smerk, G M
Journal Title	TRANSIT CONNECTIONS
Corp. Authors / Publisher	Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation
Editors	Middleton, W D; Smerk, G M
Publication Date	19930900
Description	p. 7-19
Languages	English
Abstract	Horse powered buses were used experimentally in Paris as early as the 17th century, and animal-powered cabs were fairly common in European cities by the end of the 18th century. Omnibuses began to ply the streets of London in 1829, and in other cities of Europe and in New York City omnibus service began a year or so later. Today, as we are getting ready to enter the 21st century, the standard transit vehicles will perhaps be the low-floor bus and the low-floor streetcar. The article reviews the development of road transit, from the horse-powered, through diesel buses, small buses and van conversions, the pollution concerns and clean buses, to the electric trolleybus. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its focus on the need to make transit accessible is credited with the development of the low-floor vehicles. The author then discusses bus operations, focusing on the following areas: basic system design; local service; feeders and shuttle service; express bus service; HOV lanes and busways; commuter bus; and paratransit. Finally, ridesharing is discussed, starting with the premise that an automobile with a single passenger is not a very efficient way to move people. The alternatives mentioned are carpooling and vanpooling.
TRT Terms	Accessibility ; Bus transportation ; Busways ; Commuter service ; Electric buses ; Express buses ; High occupancy vehicle lanes ; Highway transportation ; Local transportation ; Paratransit services ; Ridesharing ; Trolleybuses
Identifier Terms	Americans with Disabilities act
Other Terms	Local service; Paratransit
Subject Areas	U31 CONVENTIONAL TRANSPORTATION SERVICES; U33 NON-URBAN & LOW-DENSITY AREA TRANSPORTATION; U32 PARATRANSIT SYSTEMS & SERVICES; U34 TRANSPORTATION OF SPECIAL USER GROUPS
Availability	Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation
TRIS Files	UMTRIS
Database	TRIS Online

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