Looking Globally to Improve Paratransit Locally

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)’s Access-A-Ride (AAR) paratransit system is the largest in the world, providing over 10 million trips annually to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. The system faces significant challenges, including rapidly increasing ridership, pressure to expand its on-demand (e-hail) pilot, and no dedicated federal funding. To help address these challenges and better understand the global paratransit landscape, the MTA commissioned the Wagner Capstone team to analyze U.S. and international paratransit systems, develop case studies, and provide recommendations. The team conducted a review of academic literature and relevant policy materials, alongside approximately 25 interviews with paratransit experts and practitioners. Key findings include that the United States is the only country that mandates door-to-door paratransit service, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence present opportunities to improve efficiency and optimize operations, and targeted strategies could encourage greater use of conventional transit and reduce reliance on AAR.