Each year the National Center for Mobility Management develops briefs on current topics in the field of mobility management. Any mobility management professional is welcome to suggest topics that they would like to have NCMM staff research by contacting us by email or by phone (866-846-6400).
2023
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the ADA by Will Rodman. (2023) Will Rodman, Research Scientist at Texas A&M has answered questions about what the ADA requires, finding funding sources, exclusions, and how to handle common situations.
Creating Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities in the Transportation Workforce (2023) When transportation planning professionals are equipped with knowledge and skills about disability topics, they can help create welcoming and engaging employment settings for individuals with disabilities. This new NCMM learning module was completed in collaboration with the Transit Workforce Center and offers hiring professionals’ strategies to recruit and retain individuals with disabilities in the transportation workforce. Learn about partnerships, inclusive hiring, and accommodations to attract and retain employees with disabilities.
Effective Coordination Strategies: Mobility Ohio (2023) Mobility Ohio is an Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)-led collaboration between seven Ohio state agencies that fund community and human service transportation (HST). In Ohio, HST is currently provided in a fragmented and inefficient manner. Several state agencies invest at least $500 million annually to transport their clients and customers to jobs, medical care and other destinations. These journeys make it possible for their clients to lead meaningful, productive lives. However, each agency has developed its own programs, policies, and procedures for transportation independently from other agencies. At the same time, people often don’t have a way to get to jobs, the grocery, and other destinations. Mobility Ohio is consolidating these policies and breaking down silos to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of HST. A group of ongoing pilot initiatives represents the culmination of more than seven years of collaboration between ODOT and multiple state-level human service agencies on reforming HST for improved safety, quality, and efficiency through coordination. Seven participating agencies form the Mobility Ohio Committee, including ODOT; the Departments of Aging, Developmental Disabilities, Health, Job and Family Services, and Medicaid; and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.
Higher Education Learning Module: Content for Higher Education Faculty to Address Disability and Mobility Topics for Future Transportation Professionals
(April 2023) This NCMM Learning Module includes content about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Human Services Transportation Coordination, and Mobility Management. College faculty can use this material, including student assignments, to integrate in preservice curriculum for future transportation professionals.
Implementation of the Mobility Management Sustainability Assessment Tool (MM-SAT), Lessons Learned
(March 2023) NCMM worked with the State of Mississippi and the State of Minnesota to test assumptions, assess the understanding of certain concepts, and explore how a group of mobility management professionals used the MM-SAT. This document will introduce the participating states, explain how each approached the MM-SAT, and lessons learned. In April 2022, the MM-SAT Tool was made accessible to all, and using this tool, NCMM continues to take an active role in promoting and helping states to understand and use this new product to aid in the development of building stronger and enduring mobility management networks.
Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM): Building Partnerships Checklist
(March 2023) State level coordination with non-DOT agencies to advance transportation services in a state can be daunting. It may not be readily apparent to state officials how coordination can occur. NCMM obtained examples and strategies of coordination across the country and developed this information brief titled, Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM): Building Partnerships Checklist. Use this tool to develop new ideas regarding state level coordination, or to extend your existing coordination activities. As always, NCMM welcomes your feedback regarding this brief and any additional examples you have regarding coordination.
Mobility Management Network State Implementation Guide
(March 2023) This NCMM information brief provides a description of three state mobility management networks across network elements including governance, funding, activities, partnerships, performance measures, and sustainability. This brief builds on the work of previous NCMM products including the Statewide Mobility Management: Factors Affecting the Creation and Success of Networks (July 2020) and the NCMM State of the States Report (September 2018). This brief is intended to help states identify the characteristics that can be important to developing and advancing a statewide mobility management network.
SUMC and NCMM Collaborate to Produce a Learning Module on Universal Mobility
(February 2023) Innovations in transportation and technology hold great promise to improve mobility services, but they need to be planned with, inclusive of, and centered on the principles of universal mobility. Universal Mobility is a design practice that ensures that all transportation services are inclusively designed and available for all user groups. The Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC) and the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM), both supported by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in collaboration with a diverse working group, teamed up to bring this resource together. This module offers insight into how to ensure transportation services are inclusively designed and available for all user groups.
2022
Community & Public Partnership: Trip Subsidy Program in San Francisco Helps Older Adults and People with Disabilities Maintain Health and Connections (June 2022) NCMM partnered with Community Living Campaign, a San Francisco nonprofit, to share their work with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to reduce social isolation among older adults and people with disabilities through transportation subsidies, leading to improved physical and mental health outcomes for this population. This report showcases the fully subsidized taxi rides program that the Community Living Campaign implemented in San Francisco. Download the PDF
Higher Education Practices to Prepare Future Transportation Professionals Regarding Disability, Accessibility, and Mobility Management (April 2022) This NCMM Information Brief, Higher Education Practices to Prepare Future Transportation Professionals Regarding Disability, Accessibility, and Mobility Management provides the results of a NCMM study regarding content in higher education preparation programs and offers recommendations regarding how to integrate disability-related content in preparation programs. The brief also includes recommendations regarding the recruitment and retention of individuals with disabilities into the transportation industry.
Building a Mobility Management Network: Characteristics and Considerations (April 2022) The National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) supports the design and implementation of mobility management networks at the state and regional levels through the provision of technical assistance. Our multi-tiered delivery of technical assistance provides rich learning regarding the characteristics and considerations of building a state or regional mobility management network. This learning can be useful to others who are seeking to advance their mobility management network. This NCMM Information Brief, Building a Mobility Management Network: Characteristics and Considerations, offers readers practical strategies and steps to develop mobility management networks.
Section 5310 Grant Funding: Connection with Mobility Management Information (April 2022) For the NCMM Section 5310 Grant Funding: Connection with Mobility Management Information brief, NCMM researched, and sourced national examples to identify programs using FTA Section 5310 funding that demonstrate qualifying mobility management activities performed by various agencies around an area defined as a state. This brief will review the language used in 5310 that outlines the eligible programs and projects needed to coordinate a mobility network and enhance the options available within their state or local communities. This guide will highlight a diverse range of examples and is intended to be utilized by organizations and agencies as a tool to implement similar models in their regions.
Mobility Management Sustainability Assessment Tool (MM-SAT) Implementation Guide (April 2022). With help from the field, and relying on models from other sectors, the MM-SAT and this implementation guide were developed as a framework to help you assess, grow, and sustain your organization wherever you are at in your development and capacity. The MM-SAT includes five dimensions including organizational infrastructure, collaboration and coordination, service delivery, evaluation and continuous improvement systems, and environmental impacts that can be used by mobility management professionals to assess characteristics that can influence long-term sustainability.
State of the State: Transportation Coordination and Mobility Management in New Hampshire (April 2022). New Hampshire embarked upon the creation of a mobility management network in 2020 in what has become the most ambitious coordination project in a generation. The network is a collaborative partnership that unites on-the-ground mobility managers with the SCC, Regional Coordination Councils, NH Department of Transportation, NH Department of Health and Human Services and other federal, state, and local agencies and commissions.
Building Partnerships and Merging The Gaps: Mississippi DOT Mobility Management Summit (September, 2022) The Mississippi Department of Transportation with their mobility managers from six regions across the state gathered virtually for a training summit hosted and facilitated by NCMM in partnership with Equiticity and Easterseals. Mobility managers participated in a range of workshops on the following topics: how to build CCAM partnerships, marketing eligible activities, the overall role of mobility managers and more. Recently, after these workshops, the mobility mangers in this region have produced wonderful projects and results in their regions. Watch the training summit in two parts here and here.
2021
State of the State: Transportation Coordination and Mobility Management Efforts in Florida (April 2021) Florida has long been at the forefront of innovative thinking regarding coordinated transportation, especially for the “transportation disadvantaged.” In 1989, the Florida Legislature created the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged (CTD) within the Department of Transportation (DOT) to coordinate the transportation services provided to the transportation disadvantaged. This brief explores the structure, funding models, and the current status and hurdles faced by the CTD.
Cross Sharing and Cross Partnership Funding Models (March 2021). In this brief, NCMM has researched and sourced national examples that support the ability of transit agencies, human service and non-transportation organizations to connect services across multiple types of funding sources. By implementing cost sharing and cross partnership funding programs to coordinate transportation services, agencies and organizations can leverage resources to allow for expanded services to vulnerable populations and other riders who may not have access to standard public transportation options. This guide explores available funding sources and highlights a diverse range of cost sharing and cross partnership funding examples and case studies that have been obtained by interviewing stakeholders from around the country, and is intended to be utilized by mobility managers as a tool to implement similar models in their communities.
Framework to Develop a Continuum of Mobility Services (March 2021). This NCMM information brief can help mobility management professionals identify potential transportation services that can be included in a continuum of mobility services, to ensure that people with disabilities, older adults, and those with low income have opportunity created by safe, reliable, and accessible transportation options. Second, this brief can help mobility management professionals identify funding sources, using a mix of public and private revenue, to support the advancement of mobility systems. Finally, a continuum of mobility services requires continuous evaluation to ensure that the needs of riders are addressed. Only through a persistent focus on the return on investment and the assessment of mobility inputs can transportation administrators, planners, and funders truly recognize the value of such investments.
2020
Integrating Emergency Management and Mobility Management (July 2020). Explores emergency management concepts, synergies with mobility management, and potential strategies for mobility management professionals looking to partner with emergency managers. In addition, NCMM researched and interviewed stakeholders from around the country to share five case studies of programs that showcase the promise of partnerships with emergency management.
Statewide Mobility Management: Factors Affecting the Creation and Success of Networks (July 2020). Builds on the findings presented in the 2018 Mobility Management: State of the States Report. It documents that in many ways, statewide mobility management networks are at the forefront of the next generation of the delivery of transportation services. Although there is no single blueprint for implementing a successful network – and definitions of “success” vary widely – the research and analysis demonstrate that there exist a growing body of best or promising practices around mobility management that can greatly benefit existing and nascent networks.
State of the State: Transportation Coordination Efforts in Kansas (January 2020). Over the past nine years, Kansas has made efforts to better coordinate transportation services across the state. Implementation of the transit coordination efforts is led and managed by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). One of the main features of the Regional Transit Business Model are the coordinated transit districts (CTDs), in which teams of transit providers, city and county officials, medical providers, and human service agencies were
created.
State of the State: Transportation Coordination Efforts in Nebraska (January 2020). The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), along with a broad range of partnering agencies, initiated the Statewide Mobility Management Project in December 2015 with the goal of improving travel options for residents and visitors of the state. Through this statewide approach to addressing mobility needs, alternatives that fill in service gaps were identified, and an implementation plan was initiated.
Examples of Mobility on Demand Policies and Public-Private Partnerships to Increase Accessibility. This case study offers examples of mobility on demand policies and programs that improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Informed by five policies and over 20 programs at the state and local level, the report identifies innovative approaches that improve accessibility for individuals who previously have been left behind in the wake of mobility-on-demand. The examples are organized by Policies and Service Coordination & Trip Planning Programs. Each example provides an overview of how the program featured works, unique partnership qualities, and additional information.
2018
Opportunities to Improve Community Mobility through Community Health Needs Assessments. As a part of the Affordable Care Act, tax-exempt hospitals are required to perform community health needs assessments (CHNAs) every three years to identify the obstacles to improving community health, and then to create an action plan to address those obstacles. Many of these CHNAs have subsequently focused on mobility issues, which include access to transportation, safe biking and pedestrian facilities, and the ability to reach essential amenities, among other factors that inhibit or enable people to achieve better health outcomes.
This report explains CHNAs, what steps certain communities, guided by their CHNAs, have taken to address mobility challenges, and what, if any, impact such strategies have had. The report also identifies opportunities and strategies for mobility professionals to play a greater role in the CHNA process and engage local healthcare entities in community mobility issues.
Building a Regional Mobility Management Network: Lessons from a Regional Planning Organization. Councils of Governments can have a major role in building state and regional mobility management networks. In this new NCMM Information Brief, the Greater Portland Council of Governments, Maine, describes their work to coordinate human service transportation through mobility management. The resource offers suggestions and lessons learned that can be replicated nationally
Summary of NCMM Peer Exchanges. NCMM hosted a series of peer exchanges on various issues within the public transit industry such as the transition from transit agencies to mobility authorities, demonstrating a commitment to innovation through partnerships with traditional and new stakeholders, and exploring new and innovative integrated mobility models. This document summarizes the conversations occurring in the mobility industry.
State of the States Report 2018: Statewide Mobility Management Networks are vehicles to further the cause of comprehensive transportation coordination efforts, and support services for riders with disabilities, older adults, and those with low income, while simultaneously improving mobility services for all riders.
Drawing upon survey results and a nationwide scan of existing mobility services, NCMM, with the support of the University of Illinois, Chicago, produced this report that seeks to provide a set of recommendations for human services and transportation professionals interested in improving existing or implementing new statewide mobility management networks, as well as understanding barriers to formation and sustaining mobility management networks at the state level. NCMM will publish state profiles in the near future.
Autonomous Vehicles: Considerations for People with Disabilities and Older Adults. The age of autonomy is coming. Though we don’t know when, it’s important to begin planning now to ensure this new mobility revolution includes people with disabilities and older adults from the very start. NCMM provides context and considerations for mobility managers to positively contribute to this shift.
Improving Mobility Access through Complete Streets and Mobility Management. Mobility management and Complete Streets are closely related concepts, focusing on the integration of the two areas to reach common goals of safety, livability, customized transportation solutions, equity, and accessibility. Explore what defines Complete Streets, why integrating the two initiatives makes sense, the role that mobility managers have within the context of local Complete Streets projects, and firsthand remarks from mobility management professionals on how they became engaged in the Complete Streets movement in their towns and regions.
Mobility as a Service: Concept and Practice. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a growing concept that aims to integrate all available transportation options in a given area to streamline access to local transportation options. This is an introductory guide to the concept and what it could look like as communities progress through its many steps.
2017
Mobility Management: Introduction, Implementation, Community Service and Seniors. Highlights the principles and history of mobility management for Senior Corps programs and presents special issues surrounding mobility management and senior mobility. The guide is divided into three sections: 1) the basic concepts and history of mobility management, 2) a step-by-step reference for starting a mobility management practice, and 3) mobility management for seniors as a specific population.
Coordination: Community Models, Outcomes & Lessons Learned. Takes a look at four coordination models—including one transit model—that offer lessons for public and private transportation managers. The models include partnerships and initiative programs created during the Hurricane Irene recovery period in New England; consolidation of county transit services in Minnesota; planning for mill town revitalization in Maine; and how transportation and food programs have worked together to help children access summer meals.
2016
Transportation to Healthcare Destinations: How A Lifeline for Patients Impacts the Bottom Line for Healthcare Providers. This document provides transportation providers with an understanding of the many ways in which the healthcare industry is affected when patients lack transportation to appointments. The companion document, Resource Guide for Conversations Between Transportation Professionals and Healthcare Professionals, assists transportation professionals in starting those conversations.
Carsharing: Providing Vehicle Access for People with Low Incomes. Introduces mobility management professionals to the concept of carsharing and explores how this type of service could benefit the individuals they work with, including those with lower levels of income.
The Complete Trip: Helping Customers Make a Seamless Journey. Introduces the concept of the “complete trip”— from planning and booking the trip to paying for and embarking on the journey to negotiating the physical infrastructure (e.g., sidewalks, street crossings) associated with the trip. It encourages mobility managers to anticipate potential stumbling blocks that may be encountered by the people they serve along the journey and to be proactive in assisting people in achieving a seamless trip. (Word version)
Cost-Sharing for FTA Grantees. Discusses issues that may arise as mobility managers collaborate with human service agencies in their community to provided coordinated transportation services. In these types of discussions, questions often arise about whether funds from human service agencies can be used to help match Federal Transit Administration funds. This brief reviews existing guidance on this issue.
Meeting the Health Care Access Needs of Veterans. Describes Veterans Affairs (VA) services designed to improve veteran’s access to health care, shares success stories of mobility managers working within and outside of the VA system to expand access options for the veteran community, and discusses opportunities for mobility managers to facilitate partnerships between community and veteran transportation providers.
Performance Measures for Mobility Management. Explains the value of performance measurement to mobility management, lays out a process for developing a performance measurement strategy, and suggests measures for a range of mobility management activities and ways to effectively share and leverage performance measurement results.
Transportation Strategies to Connect Youth with Summer Food Programs. Explores potential collaboration strategies mobility managers, transportation providers, and summer meal sites can pursue to reduce the number of children who go hungry each summer. Concludes with suggested strategies that mobility management professionals can use to support access to summer food programs programs within their communities.
2015
Facilitating Public Input into Transportation Plans: The Role for Mobility Management Practitioners. Looks at types of transportation planning organizations, transportation plans, and public involvement processes, and then explores the role of mobility managers in facilitating the public’s input into the plans.
Integrating Services Across Transportation Modes. Discusses the integration of transportation modes through a mobility management approach.
2014
Affordable Housing and Transportation: How Two Sectors Join Forces to Support Low-Income Populations. Examines different strategies employed to support the travel needs of older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income families in connection with housing. Travel orientation, ambassador, buddy programs are featured.
Developing Human Service Transportation Coordinated Plans. Profiles five communities that have developed coordinated human service transportation plans.
Promising Practices in One Call/One Click Transportation Information Programs. Profiles single-point transportation information access provided by a one-call and/or one-click (OC/OC) service in five communities.
Transportation Coordination: Enabled by Technology and Innovative Design. Profiles service coordination through the use of technology.
The Versatility of Cycling: Programs Evolve to Respond to Diverse Customer Needs. Reviews types of bicycle programs that exist, the populations they are serving, the innovations being implemented to expand the numbers of people who bike, and the community partnerships that are making these programs happen.
2013
Making First/Last Mile Connections to Transit: How Carsharing and Bikesharing Programs are Improving Connectivity. Looks at how car sharing and bike sharing programs are improving connectivity to transit.
There’s an App for That: Apps Help Mobility Management Professionals Empower Their Customers. Explores smartphone apps that assist people with disabilities, older adults, and people with limited income to connect to transportation options