Statistics on travel patterns for people with travel-limiting disabilities

25.5 million Americans age 5 and older have self-reported travel-limiting disabilities, and 7 out of 10 people with travel-limiting conditions reduce their day-to-day travel because of their disabilities.

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People age 18 to 64 with disabilities report using a range of strategies to compensate for transportation limitations. These strategies include:

• Asking others for rides (44.3 percent)

• Limiting travel to daytime (22.6 percent)

• Using special transportation services such as Dial-a-Ride or reduced-fare taxis (12.3 percent)

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On-going issues with MTA services

The Access-A-Ride system has been known to be plagued by problems. The shortcomings of the program include drivers with poor accessibility training, long wait times and arrival delays, and the lack of flexibility in terms of trip planning. A report in 2016 found that nearly 32,000 Access-A-Ride customers had been stranded in the previous year, and less than 50% of rides arrive on time.

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On-going issues with accessible options in ride-sharing apps

• Uber’s “UberWAV” feature and Lyft’s “Access Mode” located an available WAV in only 26% of attempts combined, while they located non-accessible vehicles 100% of the time. For the attempts in which a WAV was located, the estimated wait time for a WAV was 17 minutes, versus a 4-minute estimated wait for regular service.

• In dozens of ride requests, Lyft offered discounted prices for inaccessible vehicles and did not offer those discounts to wheelchair users.

• Lyft failed to comply with New York’s upcoming Taxi and Limousine Commission rule, which comes into effect on June 1, 2019, mandating that at least 60% of wheelchair accessibility rides be serviced in 15 minutes or fewer.

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Current accessible transportations used by customers

Paratransit vehicle ridership has returned at a higher rate than the subways, buses, and commuter rail lines, reaching about 80% of its pre-pandemic levels. Riders noted the increased sense of safety they felt while using ride-hailing services which stemmed from the ability to track their journey using maps and share their trips details with others. However, the lack of familiarity with new locations often results in riders having to navigate inaccessible roads after being dropped off. Therefore, precise pick-up and drop-off locations are very important to riders with mobility issues.