Issue Brief #4:
Statewide Independent Living Council

What does it mean to have a disability in Colorado?

Accessible Public Transportation

Public transportation allows for freedom to access goods and services and opportunities for employment within one’s community. A lack of public transportation can make it difficult for persons with disabilities (without their own transportation) to shop for groceries, make doctor appointments, visit friends and family, and secure and maintain employment.

The quality of the public transportation available to an individual with a disability in Colorado is often dictated by where he or she is living in the state. Individuals living in large cities have access to public transportation that is usually similar to that provided to the general public. Although transportation is often restricted to fixed areas and service hours are often very limited, these barriers are experienced by riders with and without disabilities alike. Transportation for individuals with disabilities in resort communities is usually very good. Fixed route buses are accessible to most riders and paratransit service can be accessed through a relatively quick application process. In terms of the hours of operation and the extent of the coverage area, the public transportation available in resort communities is usually far superior to that available in larger metropolitan areas. Outside of these resort communities, however, persons with disabilities living in rural communities often have significantly limited access to public transportation. All too often, public transportation is either extremely limited in scope or non-existent altogether.

Although it is very difficult to provide an overview concerning the accessibility of public transportation across the state, there are some generalizations that can be made related to public transportation in areas outside of the resort communities:

Most public transportation is limited to service Monday through Friday
In several small communities, service is available only once or twice a month, if it is offered at all
Transportation may only be available limited hours: often between 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Transportation may only be available by appointment or pre-scheduled route
Fees for transportation vary from free to $15 per trip
Much of the transportation provided for persons with disabilities in small communities is a service of a local non-profit

For a person with a disability dependent on public transportation, all of life’s activities outside of that person’s residence often must be pre-arranged and are limited to day-time hours, Monday through Friday. For many people with disabilities, there is no possibility for the joy of spontaneity outside their home environment and opportunities for employment are severely restricted.

The problem is especially acute for individuals with disabilities living in rural areas of Colorado that do not lie near resort communities. It will take a collaborative effort between members of the disability community and policy makers at the state, regional, county, and local level to develop creative and innovative solutions to this dilemma. Improving public transportation for persons with disabilities in rural Colorado, will require these entities to come together to acknowledge each group’s responsibilities in developing a budget and timeline to implement the necessary changes to the systems in place.

One innovative solution may be the creation of a voucher system for gas reimbursement for volunteers who would assist persons with disabilities with their transportation needs. With an open and frank dialog between policy makers and representatives of the disability community, it is likely that many other creative solutions could be developed that would help rural people with disabilities, without it becoming a financial burden to local communities and government agencies. These same solutions would also benefit seniors, young adults and others without access to private transportation.

Resource: Colorado Transit Resource Directory Published by Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA) and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) 5^th Edition Summer 2009

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Colorado SILC

"A Leading Authority on Independent Living in Colorado"

What does it mean to have a disability in Colorado?

Accessible Public Transportation