Mobility Services for All Americans (MSAA)

Research Overview

Improving traditional paratransit and other human service transportation (HST) operations using ITS technologies can help optimize and manage passenger trips for those Americans experiencing mobility challenges. These improved services provide expanded travel opportunities and flexibility that otherwise may not be available. Through the Mobility Services for All Americans (MSAA), initiative the U.S. DOT fosters partnerships among paratransit service providers, local governments and other public, private, and non-profit assistance organizations to share data and better manage resources to improve mobility options for all. Additionally, the MSAA research environment is providing an opportunity to test out new creative way to align and share assets across organizations and break down institutional barriers through coordinated planning and deployment.

The Transportation Problem

Currently, there are economic and social inefficiencies associated with providing mobility services for vulnerable Americans. Specialized transportation services for seniors, persons with disabilities, and the economically disadvantaged are provided by many independent service providers and are funded through multiple independent funding programs. In many locations, human services transportation is fragmented, resulting in service area gaps (geographical areas where service is not provided) or limited service area size due to an absence in trip transfers between transportation providers. Often, customers have to contact multiple case workers for multiple funding programs, trip requests have to be made well in advance, scheduled trip times are inconvenient, pick-up wait times are long and difficult to estimate, trip travel times are long, and accessibility to transit for older adults and persons with disabilities is limited. Due to the inefficiencies, limited resources, and a lack of funding and travel coordination in our current system, delivery of human services transportation is challenging.

The ITS Opportunity

The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program opened up new opportunities to bring together transportation and health and human services researchers to solve mobility problems of the transportation disadvantaged community. The U.S. DOT ITS Joint Program Office launched the MSAA initiative specifically to provide a coordinated effort and apply technological solutions to barriers experienced in accessibility and mobility for the transportation disadvantaged. Researchers are working to provide effective and efficient MSAA coordination by integrating ITS technologies into a physical or virtual Travel Management Coordination Center (TMCC) that networks all parties together and uses ITS technologies that are tested and proven and have demonstrated significant benefits and return on investment. To learn more about the application of ITS and TMCC technology click here. To access TMCC examples and developer resources click here.

Research Approach

Embracing the notions of institutional coordination and cooperation alongside technology integration, initial phases of MSAA adopted a five-phased approach with two embedded go/no-go decision points to advance the quality and efficiency of human service transportation (HST) delivery. These five phases were:

• Phase 1: Coalition building
• Phase 2: Foundational research
• Phase 3: Planning and design of ITS-enhanced HST
• Phase 4: Deployment and evaluation of ITS-enhanced HST models
• Phase 5: Documentation and outreach

For additional details on the initial phased research approach click here

MSAA Development and Design Projects

In 2005, 8 regions were selected for MSAA Phase 1—System Development and Design.  These 8 regions included:

In 2009, 3 of the original 8 regions (Aiken, SC, Camden, NJ, and Paducah, KY) were down selected and awarded additional funding for Phase 2 -- Model Deployment, Evaluation, and Technology Transfer.  These projects were finalized in 2011.

For additional details of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects click here.

MSAA Deployment Planning Projects

In 2015, the MSAA Initiative provided new funding for deployment planning projects to further improve HST coordination and delivery. The purpose of this deployment planning effort is to replicate and advance the success of TMCC phased‐implementation by providing “seed” funding to these regions and to leverage other federal, state and local resources to build up coordinated community transportation services.  Three regions were chosen for the deployment planning projects, including:

• VIA Mobility Services, Denver, CO
• United Cerebral Palsy San Louis Obispo/ Ride-on Transportation, San Louis Obispo, CA
• Atlanta Regional Commission, Atlanta, GA

These projects kicked off in late 2015 and are expected to be completed in late 2016 or early 2017.  Research findings for these projects will be shared as they become available.  For more details on these projects click here.

MSAA Moving Forward

The MSAA program has a vision for a phased approach for research, planning and deployment of increasingly sophisticated mobility services.  These services can be better understood through the following story boards developed to show the progression of services into the future.  Follow each link to access the story boards.

• Stage 0: Current System [these can be hotlinks to the actual story boards]
• Stage 1: System Interoperability
• Stage 2: Multi-Modal Accessibility and Traveler Connectivity
• Stage 3: Real-Time Traveler Aid and Demand Response Transportation
• Stage 4: Automated Travel

User centric transportation systems of the future depend on greater data-sharing, system interoperability, institutional coordination, and technology integration to deliver optimized transportation operations and traveler experiences.  Accomplishing this requires innovative research and management tools.  MSAA is an important evolutionary component of U.S. DOTs research initiatives found within the over-arching ITS Strategic Plan. Within the U.S. DOT research hierarchy, MSAA research results support the realization of a new research initiative and transportation strategy known as Mobility on Demand (MOD).  For more information on the overarching MOD program click here.

Research Findings and Important Results

MSAA Phase 1

The original MSAA Initiative developed eight innovative approaches to coordinating and delivering human services transportation. In developing TMCC concepts of operations and system designs, the sites varied in their visions.  Expectations for the envisioned systems included: improved customer service, expanded service, more service providers, enhanced service delivery, and unified billing.  For more details on the results of the development and design projects click here.

HST service provider Aiken, SC (Source: Mobility Services for All Americans Initiative: Systems Impact Evaluation – Final Report, Aiken, SC, November 2013)

MSAA Phase 2

The 3 model deployment sites in Phase 2 (Aiken, SC, Camden, NJ, and Paducah, KY) were evaluated based on efficiency, cost, coordination and customer satisfaction.  Some of the research findings from this model deployment include increased number of rides provided, reduced operating costs, improved coordination, and customers satisfied with the system performance. 

MSAA Background – For additional background information on the MSAA program click here. 

Documents

• Mobility Services for All Americans Fact Sheet [PDF]
• Presentations
• Publications

Resources

• United We Ride
• FTA
• HHS
• National Transit Institute
• Media

Research Contact

Charlene Wilder
Transportation Program Specialist
Federal Transit Administration
(202)366-1077
charlene.wilder@dot.gov

Robert Sheehan
Program Manager, Multimodal ITS Research and Deployment
ITS Joint Program Office
(202) 366-6817
robert.sheehan@dot.gov