The nation's growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it. The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213-Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration-now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, modeled after the longstanding and successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program, undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of transit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes a variety of transit research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices. TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992.

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The integration of paratransit and transit services is necessary in order to fully achieve the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Many individuals with disabilities can use accessible fixed-route vehicles but do not because they are unable to get from their origin to an accessible bus stop. Using paratransit as a feeder service to the fixed-route system can minimize the total cost to the transit system of providing services to this segment of the population. It must be understood, however, that transferring patrons from one vehicle to another is undesirable to consumers. This is documented by the results of three studies covering a variety of locations across the United States. The surveys showed that a number of market categories of consumers ranked no transfers between vehicles as the No. 1 service feature that was necessary to attract them to the fixed-route system. Of 16 market categories, all determined no transfers to possess a positive utility for attracting them to fixed-route services. To satisfy consumer needs and to minimize costs to transit authorities, the negative characteristics of vehicle transfers must be mitigated through design. This can be done by providing timed transfers at designated points so that wait time is eliminated or minimized. Such transfer points must also be protected from the difficulties of poor weather conditions and must be well-lighted and secure. The provision of aids to assist in the transfer may also be necessary.

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