Date of Award

12-2024

Document Type

Campus Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Gerontology

First Advisor

Jan Mutchler

Second Advisor

Evan Stewart

Third Advisor

Elizabeth Dugan

Abstract

Paratransit services, or specialized origin-to-destination transportation usually targeting a transportation-disadvantaged population such as people with disabilities or older adults, provide about 100 million trips each year across the United States. Gerontology has a rich history of studying programs that serve older adults and the workforce that provides those services, but paratransit services, their users, and their workforce have been very rarely investigated with any depth from within gerontology. This dissertation advanced the study of paratransit riders and drivers using the lenses and methodologies of the social sciences. Study 1 used binomial and multinomial logistic regression to examine the characteristics of paratransit riders nationally, using data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey. Drawing upon data from ACCESS Transportation Systems (the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania regional paratransit service), Study 2 investigated whether paratransit customers cease or continue riding paratransit after a negative first service experience, using binomial logistic regression and zero-inflated negative binomial regression. Study 3, which focused on older paratransit drivers, contained both quantitative and qualitative components. In the quantitative portion, data from ACCESS Transportation Systems were used to study the relationships between driver age and aspects of job performance via zero-inflated negative binomial regression. In the qualitative portion, data from a semi-structured focus group of eight older paratransit drivers shed light on the subjective experiences of older paratransit drivers of their jobs. Overall, the results showed that paratransit appears to disproportionately serve populations that have historically experienced the greatest social adversity and the most transportation barriers. Socioeconomic variables were much more powerful predictors of subsequent use of paratransit after a first trip than the quality of the initial experience. Among paratransit drivers, age was negatively associated with negative job performance indicators like frequency of accidents and complaints. The third study’s qualitative component captured intrinsic motivation and development of soft skills that may contribute to lower rates of passenger complaints incurred by older drivers. Investment in paratransit constitutes an investment in older people’s quality of life, both by enhancing mobility options and career prospects.

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