ABSTRACT
This chapter describes efforts undertaken by the Common-wealth of Massa-chusetts to improve options available to persons with disabilities for travel between cities and regions of the state. It includes the purchase of the first wheelchair-lift equipped intercity coaches operated in the United States and the development of a “reciprocity” agreement between all of the state’s public transit operators so as to provide local service at either end of a trip. Implementation of the specific programs has removed a number of barriers to statewide travel for persons with disabilities. Demand for the service, which has been low to date, can be expected to increase as more of the state’s 225 intercity buses are made accessible and as the program becomes better known. The “reciprocity” agreement, statewide pass program, and public information efforts developed in Massa-chusetts could also serve as a model for national and international application.
