Increasing Access to Transit: Localized Mobile Information
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2019
Subject Area
ridership - behaviour, technology - intelligent transport systems, planning - signage/information
Keywords
Disability, transit, mobile, crowdsourcing, field study
Abstract
While several studies note the challenges that people with disabilities face when using public transit, little work has investigated how mobile transit information apps affect accessibility. To address this gap, we recruited transit riders who are blind, who have low vision, who use mobility devices, and who have no disabilities. We asked them to use a transit information app, Tiramisu, for 21 days during their regular travel. We observed participants struggling with a number of barriers that had previously been reported. However, the localized transit information also removed barriers to travel; we observed participants engaging in less preplanning and more opportunistic travel. We also identified new opportunities to improve transit use through mobile information.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Taylor&Francis, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Steinfeld, A., Bloomfield, L., Amick, S., Huang, Y., Odom, W., Yang, Q., & Zimmerman, J. (2019). Increasing Access to Transit: Localized Mobile Information. Journal of Urban Technology, Vol. 26, pp. 45-64.
