Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 U.S. adults has a disability. (2) Section 2(b) of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101) recognized that individuals with disabilities face discrimination when using transportation services and sought to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. (3) Thirty-five years after the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with disabilities continue to face systemic discrimination and a lack of accessible transportation options. (4) Transportation is a core component of independent living; without the ability to easily move from one location to another, especially to drop a child off at day care, arrive at work on time, or run basic errands, true community living is impossible. (5) Technology is changing the way the transportation industry provides services. (6) Paratransit services often use outdated methods for dispatch and routing. Paratransit riders are not able to track the status of their rides and are often given 30 minute or longer pick-up windows before or after the rider’s desired departure time. Lengthy pick-up windows result in uncertainty about driver arrival times. (7) The majority of paratransit services do not allow riders to book day-of services. In such cases, riders are required to book trips at least 1 day prior. Without a same-day service solution, riders have no way to address urgent healthcare, employment or other needs that arise. Adding this capability to paratransit services would be hugely impactful to riders. (8) As technology continues to change the way people move from one place to another, the transportation sector, including Federal agencies, local transit systems, and private entities must innovate and provide services in a way that increases access to these services and empowers individuals with disabilities to travel independently in their communities.