TCRP C-01 [Completed]
Personal Mobility Aid Securement and Passenger Restraint on Transit Vehicles
| Project Data |
| Funds: |
$299,971 |
| Research Agency: |
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation |
| Principal Investigator: |
Steven Reger |
| Effective Date: |
7/15/1993 |
| Completion Date: |
1/14/1996 |
|
Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), providing access to public transit vehicles for individuals with disabilities is a well established goal of all public transit agencies. The number of transit users with disabilities who require personal mobility aids is increasing. Because of the variety of personal mobility aids being used by these individuals, there is a need to develop universal personal-mobility-aid securement and passenger-restraint systems (hereinafter referred to as securement and restraint systems) that will interface with these devices on buses and paratransit vehicles. The securement and restraint systems needed are for passengers using mobility aids--not for all passengers.
There are many considerations that transit providers must address in using securement and restraint systems; they include safety, ease of use, liability, maintenance, operator interaction, securement time, and system cost. These systems must address the following additional considerations: (a) compliance with ADA and applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) as well as consideration of other relevant standards, such as those of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE); (b) acceptance, feasibility, and ease of use by personal-mobility-aid users; (c) acceptance, feasibility, and ease of adaptation and implementation by both personal-mobility-aid manufacturers and transit-vehicle manufacturers.
The securement and restraint systems currently in use on transit vehicles do not meet all of the considerations listed; however, a number of research projects have supported the development of prototype systems. These include, but are not limited to, projects that were funded by the Federal Transit Administration (e.g., Project ACTION) and Canadian government agencies. Standards for securement and restraint systems are being developed by the CSA and SAE and may be developed by other voluntary and regulatory organizations. Considering the increased ridership by persons using mobility aids and the greater variety of mobility aids being used, there is a need to develop securement and restraint systems that are compatible with transit buses and paratransit vehicles.
The objectives of this research were to (1) develop and validate performance guidelines for securement and restraint systems to be used on buses and paratransit vehicles and (2) develop design concepts and create a working model to validate the feasibility of the performance guidelines. The guidelines consider the relevant needs of users, transit operators, and manufacturers.
Status: The project has been completed.
