In this webinar, join an interactive discussion about the opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned as transit agencies continue to provide paratransit service in the “new normal” environment. This session will reflect on lessons learned about the administration and delivery of paratransit services. Presenters will share information about:
- Modifications and adjustments that agencies implemented to respond to the needs of customers eligible for paratransit services
- Considerations regarding new and innovative models for paratransit service
- Opportunities to embrace the voice of riders, particularly those with disabilities, in paratransit service
Speakers:
Judy Shanley, Ph.D., Easterseals Director at the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) and Secretary of the APTA Access Committee
David Rishel, Principle of Delta Services Group, Inc. and Chair of the APTA Access Committee’s Transit and Paratransit Operations Subcommittee
Brianne Eby, Senior Policy Analyst, Eno Center for Transportation
Watch the Recording:
Judy Shanley, Ph.D. is the Assistant Vice President, Education and Youth Transition at the national office of Easterseals in Chicago, IL and serves as Easterseals Director of the FTA-funded National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM). She manages Federal projects, conducts research, and provides technical assistance regarding transportation coordination and mobility management. Shanley convenes diverse audiences and provides professional development to align mobility solutions with the needs of all riders. Shanley also oversees Easterseals national education and youth transition programs and brings together school, VR, workforce, and public transportation providers to support postschool outcomes for youth. Prior to Easterseals, Shanley worked at the U.S. Department of Education, where she wrote federal grants and monitored programs to ensure compliance with Federal regulations. Prior to Federal service, Shanley was a Principal Research Analyst at the Americans Institutes for Research for 9 years. She earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Florida and an M.B.A. and a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling, both from Syracuse University.
David Rishel is Principal at Delta Services Group, a transit-focused consulting firm near Philadelphia. He started his career in the late 1980’s at Mayflower, managing their SEPTA paratransit contract in Philadelphia. He then joined New Jersey Transit in 1992, as the founding Director of their ADA Unit. In this position, he designed, implemented and managed one of the only state-wide ADA paratransit systems in the country, serving 18 New Jersey counties, Philadelphia and New York City. At NJT, David was also responsible for the agency’s overall ADA compliance, including bus, rail, subway, light rail and all passenger facilities. In 1999, he left New Jersey to become a consultant and has specialized in paratransit and mainline ADA compliance projects. Some of his most notable work has been in Boston, as the principal consultant advising the settlement of the MBTA’s ADA lawsuit; in Detroit, serving as the Independent Monitor of their ADA settlement; in Los Angeles, leading the redesign of the Access Services passenger eligibility process; and, working with WMATA’s MetroAccess to redesign, procure and implement their ongoing ADA paratransit service. David is currently Chair of the APTA Access Committee’s Transit and Paratransit Operations Subcommittee and is the most recent Chair of the Research Subcommittee of the TRB Paratransit Committee.
