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TCRP J-06, Task 33 [Completed]
Costs of Meeting Accessibility Requirements for Over-the-Road Buses
| Project Data |
| Funds: |
$50,000 |
| Research Agency: |
KFH Group |
| Principal Investigator: |
Fred Fravel |
| Effective Date: |
1/10/2000 |
| Completion Date: |
4/27/2000 |
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**The FINAL REPORT is available here in portable document format (PDF) as TCRP Web Document 13.**
A 7-page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY is also available.
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TCRP Web Document 13 is available in portable document format (PDF). (A free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader is available at https://www.adobe.com.) Click on the link below to access the report. NOTE: Because of the very large size of this file, it will take some time to download. We regret the inconvenience.
TCRP Web Document 13
ABOUT THE FINAL REPORT
This report addresses the costs to over-the-road bus (OTRB) operators of complying with the Final OTRB Accessibility Rule of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA.) The report is intended to provide objective information for deliberations regarding the costs of meeting accessibility requirements in light of federal funding under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), which assists private operators with the costs of ADA compliance. This report presents ranges of estimates for capital, training, and maintenance costs--within the broader context of other costs and revenue issues. The appendixes include a summary of previous studies of major revenue-related issues and other factors associated with making OTRBs accessible. The report will be of interest to policy makers, federal officials, industry representatives, bus manufacturers, disability rights advocates, and professionals concerned with estimating the incremental costs to private operators of implementing the ADA.
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This report includes findings of the work performed under TCRP Project J-06/Task 33, Cost of Meeting Accessibility Requirements for Over-the-Road Buses. The study originated with a request from the American Public Transportation Association in September of 1999 and was completed by KFH Group under a 4-month contract for $50,000. The study objective was to estimate the capital, training, and maintenance costs in making OTRBs accessible to persons with disabilities, in compliance with the Final OTRB Accessibility Rule of the ADA.
OTRBs are defined as buses with a high passenger deck and are most often used in scheduled service that takes passengers from city to city or on local and regional tours and charter trips. Federal requirements for providing accessible service on OTRBs vary by the size of operator and type of service. Firms with fixed-route service and revenues of at least $5.3 million annually face the most significant requirement, including a deadline for 100-percent fleet accessibility by October 2012. Separate requirements and deadlines are defined for smaller firms and firms operating on-demand.
In this study, the research team developed an estimate of the number of privately operated OTRBs and conducted a survey of regular-route OTRB operators to obtain information on existing OTRB fleets, current fleet accessibility, vehicle replacement plans, and training needs. The report presents a range of compliance costs for operators providing regular fixed-route service and for operators providing demand-response service. Also presented are analyses testing the sensitivity of various cost components. Amortization summaries for purchases of accessibility equipment that may be financed are included as well. It is unclear what effect accessibility requirements will have on revenue-related issues in the OTRB industry and what role revenue-related issues will have in overall compliance costs. To improve the body of understanding regarding these revenue-related issues, this report includes a review of previous cost analyses and previous estimates of newly generated ridership, loss of seating and package capacity, and possible fare increases or service discontinuation in rural areas.
An expert panel was formed to define the study technically, review products and materials, and ensure that the research agency's final report is based on a valid and objective research process. The panel met twice and consisted of 5 voting members and 13 non-voting liaisons. Liaisons represented organizations with special interests in the study and provided comments, thereby improving and informing the quality of research with their participation. Liaisons had no responsibility with regard to the approval of study findings or this final report. The acceptability of the work plan, study products, and final report was determined by voting members of the panel during executive sessions held in the course of panel meetings. The author of this report is the principal investigator of the research agency, KFH Group.
ADDITIONAL STUDY BACKGROUND
Regulations promulgated by the Department of Transportation implementing provisions of the ADA require that, over time, all OTRBs operated by private for-profit providers be equipped with wheelchair lifts. Private operators use such buses primarily for intercity service, charter service, and tour service. Section 3038 of TEA-21 authorizes a "Rural Transportation Accessibility Incentive Program," which makes funds available to private operators of OTRBs, to finance the incremental capital and training costs of complying with the DOT's OTRB Accessibility Final Rule, "Transportation for Individuals with Disabilities" (49 CFR Part 37), published in a Federal Register notice September 24, 1998.
That rule contains various deadlines for the phase-in of accessible bus service by OTRB operators. Requirements are established for new bus equipment, and procedural requirements are set for providing service and employees training. There is a need for information on the financial cost of these requirements, as compared with the level of resources currently available.
RESEARCH APPROACH
The research project addressed the issue of the costs involved by the following: - Developing an estimate of the number of privately operated OTRBs to determine the number of accessible vehicles that need to be acquired and the acquisition schedule that will be required to meet the requirements of the U.S. DOT Final Rule implementing the ADA.
- Surveying bus companies to obtain information on the annual maintenance costs of accessibility features and on the numbers of drivers, mechanics, and customer service staff who will need to be trained.
- Analyzing the capital, training, and maintenance costs of compliance to determine the direct costs faced by the industry for accessibility equipment and training to meet the ADA Final Rule requirements. The analysis included the incremental costs of accessible vehicles, including wheelchair lifts, additional doors, structural modifications, folding seats, restraint systems and other vehicle modifications to meet the requirements (all of which are likely to be included as a package on new vehicle orders.)
- Summarizing the major revenue-related issues and other qualitative factors from previous studies, including lost revenue resulting from loss of seating and package express capacity at peak travel periods, potential revenue gains resulting from new ridership by persons with disabilities and their travel partners, and ridership loss from potential service discontinuation in rural areas or from fare increases required to offset ADA compliance costs.
RESEARCH STATUS: The study is completed. A preliminary draft final report was delivered March 1, 2000. The final report was delivered April 27, 2000. The final report is available in portable document format (PDF) through this website -- see above.
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