Assessing existing and needed community transportation for people with disabilities in North Dakota

Mobility is fundamental for people to live full and satisfying lives in their communities. For adults with disabilities, access to community transportation is often limited. The objectives for this study are to obtain a current and accurate description of existing and needed community transportation for adults with disabilities in North Dakota, establish a methodology for obtaining this information that can be used over time to assess progress in providing transportation for adults with disabilities in the state, and create a data collection instrument that can be used by communities and states beyond North Dakota for collecting similar information. A survey was developed to collect information from individuals regarding their travel behavior, ability to make needed or desired trips, use of community transportation options (public transit, human service agencies, other), unmet needs, and difficulties encountered. A large percentage of the respondents were transit-dependent or dependent on others for rides. The survey results indicated that a significant percentage of respondents desire more trips than they are currently taking, and lack of transportation appears to be the main limiting factor. The survey also revealed significant dissatisfaction with available transportation options, both in the community and for long-distance trips. The most significant concerns with public transportation regarded service availability.