https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Public Works & Utilities


Article

Doing good is good business

Doing good is good business

CAPS-DC ensures mobility for disabled residents
  • Written by Neville Waters
  • 26th January 2015

By Neville Waters, DC Taxicab Commission

Public transportation can create challenges for any commuter, but for wheelchair-bound passengers in Washington, D.C., the systems in place were especially limited and burdensome. To ensure all residents had equal access to transit services, a local coalition of members of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments established rollDC, a pilot program to place 20 wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) in service through two district taxicab companies. Now, the district is uniting with the DC Taxicab Commission (DCTC) to pilot a similar program.

Funded through a Federal Transit Administration grant, rollDC ensured WAVs were available to serve on a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week basis, to provide on-demand, point-to-point taxi service for mobility device users. Prior to rollDC, none of the 7,000+ taxis in local operation had such capabilities. MetroAccess, operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), was the one primary transportation option for residents and visitors who need ramp- or lift-equipped vehicles.

MetroAccess fares are less expensive than rollDC, but require riders to undertake a lengthy pre-registration process and book rides one day in advance. MetroAccess also follows a shared-ride model, which often means riders endure a longer trip to their respective destinations.

The DCTC believed that there was a business solution to the challenges associated with MetroAccess, and consulted with WMATA to discuss how to increase the number of WAVs on the district’s streets.  

The result of the discussions is the Coordinated Alternative to Paratransit Services pilot program that is marketed as CAPS-DC. The objective of the program is to transition ambulatory customers from MetroAccess to standard taxi service. Benefits of CAPS-DC include increasing the number of WAVs in the district’s overall taxi fleet, improving the overall transportation experience for program participants, adding new riders to the customer base of taxicab companies and saving taxpayers up to $2 million in subsidy payments to WMATA.

CAPS-DC riders will see no increase in their out-of-pocket expense as compared to MetroAccess and will receive point-to-point transportation without the multiple stops. Residents can book a ride with one hour’s notice. A companion can ride at no charge and two participants may ride together to the same location for no additional charge.
“The financial impact of CAPS-DC is a reduction of total costs by 59 percent as compared to MetroAccess,” says Karl Muhammad, ADA manager for the DCTC.

WMATA transferred 33 WAVs to qualified taxicab companies for initial use with the CAPS-DC program. The participating taxicab companies will purchase new WAVs for every 3,000 rides taken via CAPS-DC. It is projected that 55 to 60 WAVs will be added to the district’s fleet in the first year.   

“This pilot project will offer users a higher quality level of service,” says DCTC Chairman Ron M. Linton. “CAPS-DC will allow participants to book rides easier without multiple stops; reduce the cost to district taxpayers; and increase the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles available to the public.”

In addition to the CAPS-DC pilot program, the DCTC added incentives to encourage adoption of more fuel-efficient, wheelchair-accessible vehicles by offering longer service years, extending use from seven years to up to 12 years. The ultimate goal of these programs, planners say, is to make D.C. a model city, with taxicab fleets comprised of 100 percent wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

_____________

To get connected and stay up-to-date with similar content from American City & County:
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Watch us on Youtube

Tags: Public Works & Utilities Article

Most Recent


  • MSPs
    The MSP downstream cyberthreat paradox: Understanding the city and county connection
    Recently the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) along with the FBI, NSA, and international cyber authorities issued a cybersecurity advisory aimed at protecting managed service providers (MSPs) and their customers. This high-level advisory has been gestating for some time ever since the SolarWinds and Kaseya supply chain cyber-attacks. A software supply chain attack occurs […]
  • EV chargers
    Cities steadily adding more EV chargers for public to use
    Local governments are making headway as they develop their electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. “Progress varies depending on what stage governments are at in the electrification strategy and funding availability,” says Brandon Branham, assistant city manager and chief technology officer for Peachtree Corners, Ga., which is part of the Atlanta metro. Its 2022 population is estimated […]
  • Four years after Hurricane Michael, Panama City, Fla. is replanting, rebuilding
    It’s been nearly four years since Hurricane Michael ripped through Florida’s panhandle, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake that’s still being felt.   “We lost 80 percent of our trees,” said Greg Brudnicki, mayor of Panama City, a municipality of around 30,000 people on Florida’s panhandle. He estimated the number of trees the […]
  • infrastructure
    The road to America’s infrastructure overhaul is paved in technology
    When it comes to infrastructure construction and maintenance, the road we took to get here will not lead us where we need to go tomorrow. An influx of government funding including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and various coronavirus recovery programs provides a generational opportunity to invest in roads, bridges, airports […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • How local governments can get ahead of the infrastructure wave: Strategies to mitigate risk
  • Prioritizing rapid restore leads to stronger ransomware attack recovery
  • Ultrafast electric vehicle charging will propel local governments into the future
  • The Colonial Pipeline attack: What it means for critical infrastructure, and why businesses need to have a plan in place

White papers


The PIO’s Ultimate Guide to Social Media

16th May 2022

Gain Greater Visibility Into Your Public Works Fleet

16th May 2022

Arizona Arts Center Meets Rapid Deadline with Hundreds of Thousands in Savings

26th April 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

The MSP downstream cyberthreat paradox: Understanding the city and county connection dlvr.it/SQYVjs

17th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Philanthropic group to launch assistance portal for local admins navigating federal bureaucracy dlvr.it/SQY16G

17th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Report: Nearly 95 percent of America’s mayors face harassment, threats and violence dlvr.it/SQTn2z

16th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

The PIO’s Ultimate Guide to Social Media dlvr.it/SQTdCK

16th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Gain Greater Visibility Into Your Public Works Fleet dlvr.it/SQSqXG

16th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Report: Almost half of public sector retirees don’t touch their retirement plans for a decade dlvr.it/SQKMjp

13th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Four steps to ensure your budget prioritizes equity dlvr.it/SQJgZz

13th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Victims of Surfside condo collapse settle for nearly $1B in class action lawsuit dlvr.it/SQJffb

13th May 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X