'Mobility for All' Responds to Growing Need for Quality Paratransit Service

"Seniors and people living with a disability who need accessible transportation across the Portland region have dealt with a patchwork of inadequate services for years," write Catie Gould and Emily Guise. "A new initiative called Mobility for All hopes to change that by creating a one-call, one-click regional transportation information system."

Much of the improvements from Mobility for All will be implemented in operations infrastructure, rather than in fancy new vehicles. "The new initiative focuses on creating a centralized database and call center for transit resources in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties," according to the article. "At the highest level of investment, the system could provide coordinated ride booking, dispatching and payment."

According to the article, the need for improved paratransit services is growing as the region's population ages—at a rate faster than the national average. Ride Connection, a private non-profit paratransit service saw a 28 percent increase in rides between 2014 and 2016, according to the article.