System Integration for Access: Using Policy and Technology to Advance the Public Good of Accessible Transportation

Date: May 28, 2019

1 minute read

The nature of accessibility in transportation is changing. With new and enhanced approaches to mobility becoming commonplace along with the growing needs for accessibility that come with an aging population, accessible transportation is of ever growing importance. The principal site for accessibility barriers occur today around the barriers that arise at transportation nodes, making effective system integration of paramount importance.To be sure, improved system integration will continue to require sustained infrastructure investments, but digital technologies and the digital revolution writ-large provide new opportunities for addressing barriers and improving access.

Digitally empowered personal navigation tools, augmented reality technologies and the proliferation of big data all present novel options for actors seeking to improve the accessibility of transportation. With that being said, some of the most radical improvements to the accessibility of Canada’s transportation system will occur as the result of successfully embracing more incremental technologies through enhanced governance, such as rapid and reliable information-sharing between transportation service providers. This report finds that there are a range of digital solutions which can be put to use to improve system integration and the effectiveness of the transportation system in Canada overall.