Innovation in a Mobility, Transportation, or Parking Program

Automating Disability Cart Service

• Owning Agency: University of Arizona
• University of Arizona, Parking and Transportation Services Staff

Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) at the University of Arizona offers the free Disability Cart Service for those with long- or short-term disabilities. In 2017, PTS was focused on growth and realized that this service was underdeveloped and could become more efficient. The process of collecting a ride request, establishing a schedule, and assigning a driver could take more than six hours each day.

In fall 2018, PTS began a two-phase project that created a highly desired, free ride service that now provides over 2,700 rides a month. In phase one, PTS created an in-house scheduling tool to allow riders to more easily access the service and to assist dispatchers in creating schedules. Phase two rolled out the TapRide application, which allows for auto-assignment of rides and better management of schedules. TapRide had only previously been used for on-demand ride services; Disability Cart Service is the first to use the app to manage a scheduled ride service.