Our Mission

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Accessible Public Transportation will research and develop methods to empower consumers and service providers in the design and evaluation of accessible transportation equipment, information services, and physical environments.

What's New:

Awards for Tiramisu

Tiraimsu placed second in the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA) Best New Innovative Products, Services, or Applications category of their 2011 Best of ITS Awards. A paper by the team also received the 2011 Best Paper Award from the Public Transportation Group of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. Click here to learn more about the ITSA award >>

Tiramisu a Finalist for ITSA Award

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA) has selected Tiramisu as a finalist for the Best New Innovative Products, Services, or Applications category of their 2011 Best of ITS Awards. Click here to learn more >>

Tiramisu Released to the Public

The team has released Tiramisu, a transit rider information system to the general public. The smartphone app lets riders share vehicle location and fullness, so other riders can see when their bus is coming and whether they will be able to get on. The software also allows riders to report problems, kudos, and suggestions about their experiences. The app, which initially only works in Pittsburgh, is free in the iPhone App Store and will be available for Android soon. Click here to learn more >>

Usability Study on Public Transit Buses

The Usability Study on Public Transit Buses investigated the user requirements for patrons of public transit buses. The study investigated getting on and off public buses, circulating inside of buses, understanding the communication and information systems of public buses, as well as issues concerning rider safety. Click here to learn more >>

GeoAccess Challenge Report:

The GeoAccess Challenge Team, which includes the RERC-APT, has released a report, Data-Enabled Travel: How Geo-Data Can Support Inclusive Transportation, Tourism, and Navigation through Communities, in response to a 90-day challenge launched by the White House, FCC, and Department of Commerce. This report focuses on how can transportation data and other geo-data be used to increase accessible travel by people with disabilities. It explains what the team has learned about the potential of geo-data for accessible travel. It also offers suggestions to interested stakeholders about next steps toward the realization of this potential.

Click here to learn more >>