01042433

Component

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Most communities receive small amounts of federal, state, and local public funds to provide transportation for needy individuals including the elderly and disabled. Funding may be obtained by means of annual proposals written by non-profit organizations for specific needs (e.g. Options for Independence provides transportation for the physically disabled). Typically, most of the money is restricted for the purchase of vans and buses, and little is available for operations. Consequently there has been a proliferation of small organizations, each with inadequate operating funds, and each owning a few vehicles that can be used only for their own designated purpose. In many of these communities, pooling vehicles and combining the dispatching and other operations could provide significantly better service for everyone. However there are a variety of obstacles that must be overcome in order for a community to form a centrally coordinated operation. Three of the major concerns relate to effective scheduling, adequate record keeping, and customized reporting. This presentation will describe a computer based tool developed to help small communities coordinate paratransit services. The software was designed for desk top computers running Microsoft Windows or NT operating systems. It was developed according to industry standards in two modules: the database module or “back-end” and the interface module or “front-end”. The back-end stores all data in a Microsoft Access database. The front-end utilizes object oriented programming techniques to provide an efficient graphical user interface and to allow for future expansion. The back-end provides data storage for client information, funding agencies, vehicle data, driver information, individual trips, repeat trips, and trip archives. The front-end also provides a real-time dispatch screen showing all active vehicles and each passenger/trip trip ticket as scheduled, sent, on board, or delivered. Convenient input forms are provided for entering and editing trip information, including subscription trips. Some standard report formats have been included; however, a variety of custom reports can be easily generated using the tools supplied with the Access database. The software is currently in use at several locations ranging in activity from 650 trips per month to 1600 trips per month.

01042451

English

12p

2000

Seventh National Conference on Transportation Planning for Small and Medium-Sized Communities

CD-ROM

Computers; Coordination; Data storage; Databases; Dispatching; Object oriented programming; Paratransit services; Recordkeeping; Scheduling; Small cities; Software

Microsoft Access

Desktop personal computers; Reporting

Finance; Public Transportation

TRIS, TRB

Feb 28 2007 3:43PM

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