How can you ensure public transit is equitable for all?

Make public transit and exercise related activities free and encourage free exercise activities for all. Measure exercise participation and attempt to discover positive outcomes associated with the exercise activities over a five year period to either sunset or extend the free exercise activities

In rail, there are many well-known barriers to accessible travel. From a lack of step-free access, to a lack of staffed assistance, rail has many areas where barriers are well-documented and in the process of being rectified (often not rapidly enough). However, it is vital to continue to work with rail users across all backgrounds to identify how barriers and the perception of barriers changes over time - gender barriers in rail, for example, have recently been thrown into focus; from the design of stations to lighting, we must constantly examine access needs through speaking to those with lived experience, in order to continue to grow an inclusive transport mode.

Assess existing gaps and barriers. Engage with stakeholders and communities. Apply equity principles and criteria. Implement and monitor equity actions. Learn and improve continuously. Here's what else to consider.

Ensuring equitable access to public transit is a crucial goal, and RFID-based, hands-free access technology, powered by AI can play a significant role in achieving this objective. To create equitable access to public transit, it's imperative to first identify and understand the existing gaps and barriers that various demographic groups may face. With a thorough assessment of existing gaps and barriers, we can then develop targeted strategies and improvements to make public transit more inclusive and equitable for all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Our company focusing on accessibility, affordability and what is appropriate. The only way to find out if what we are doing is appropriate is to go out into the community and Ask people what they need? . Often decisions and policies are based on large data sets. I work from the tenet- if I can make it better for one person I make it better for everyone. One of the issues, is that older people are reporting loss of strength in their hands - their grip strength - which is so important for getting onto a bus, gripping a seat to sit down or stand up, putting on a seat belt. Often the consideration is given to the step up height which is mobility and strength in hips - so a low floored bus, or ramp may not be everything that is needed.

A wide range of different communities access rail; from rural to urban, and experiencing a wide range of barriers, not all rail users experience trains in the same way. That is why the work of community rail is so vital. Community rail is grassroots, community-led movement, made up of community rail partnerships, ‘station friends’ volunteer groups, and other community groups, trusts, enterprises, and schools engaging with railways and stations in different ways. Across Britain, there are more than 75 community rail partnerships and thousands of volunteers, working tirelessly to improve rail for their local area and represent the needs of their communities.

Make this process as accessible as possible. Typical feedback is low and very few people show up for stakeholder engagements. Find ways to connect with people on a one to one level and try to reach and engage them via various platforms. Allow them to see the impact of what you do with their suggestions

Also use these principles when needing to take decisions in daily operations. Ensure that when resources are short, cutbacks will first be made for those services impacting the people who are least dependent on transit.

Create an equity dashboard! Make sure that people can see your actions and that you are accountable for what you say is important

Within transport, one of the key areas which can build on access, equity, and inclusion is innovation. Innovation can unlock access for communities and groups that have been marginalised by rail; from on-demand transport and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) solutions, to apps which help women to identify the safest walking routes, to geofencing solutions which help people with disabilities access support in stations, innovation has a vital role to play. In order for innovation to thrive, it must include the input of those with lived experience, be supported culturally within an organisation, have financial backing, and be flexible and willing to adapt.

Make sure to have access to data and ensure interoperability of data, so that it will be easier to plan and operate. The analysis and performance is just as good as the data accuracy at hand.