Expanding the New York City Accessible Dispatch Program

To support citywide expansion, MTM’s New York City-based team focused on performing outreach. Outreach is two-fold: promoting the service to individuals with disabilities, medical facilities, and advocacy groups to continue increasing ridership, and educating drivers to ensure they are aware of the program and how it works. During the first year of operation, our Outreach team hosted more than 50 webinars and attended 2,440 fairs, meetings, expos, fundraisers, and other events throughout the city to reach potential passengers. Through these events, as well as efforts on social media and traditional advertising in disability-focused publications, city newspapers, bus shelters, and more, we have reached more than 200,000 individuals.

Additionally, our team has focused on driver engagement to ensure drivers are familiar with the dispatch platform and realize they have the opportunity to earn more for taking Accessible Dispatch trips through the dispatch fee. This fee incentivizes driver to take trips, and ranges from $6 to $35 depending on the borough and the distance driven to pick up the passenger. In the first year of service, driver outreach included speaking with more than 1,200 drivers at city airports, hosting weekly securement refresher trainings at our office to ensure drivers are knowledgeable about how to operate their vehicle’s securement equipment, visiting taxi fleets and bases to speak with drivers, and partnering with local taxi organizations such as the Committee for Taxi Safety and the Metropolitan Board of Trade (MTBOT) for outreach to its drivers. Through these opportunities, we have directly spoken with and educated approximately 6,000 yellow and green WAV drivers, thereby increasing program awareness and encouraging drivers to participate in the program. We also have a dedicated driver hotline to ensure drivers have a direct point of contact for their questions and concerns