For people with disabilities, the elderly, and residents who live in underserved communities, barriers exist to accessing reliable transit. People with mobility issues may find it difficult to use public transport, and often rely on specialized services such as Paratransit. However, these services can be expensive, may require advance scheduling, and have limited availability.
According to a 2010 Census, up to 1 in 5, or 57 million people, in the US have a disability. William Riggs, Program Director and Associate Professor at the University of San Francisco and thought leader in the areas of autonomy and smart transport, believes that AV microtransit can play an important role in helping people with disabilities achieve their desired level of mobility, and reverse a currently supressed demand for travel.
