Vera Institute of Justice

Overview

This 1981 report details the Management Information System for Vera's Easyride demonstration project. In order to address problems associated with growth, Easyride decided to automate internal operations through the development and installation of a computer software package capable of assisting registration, reservation, scheduling, billing, trip delivery and reporting. Easyride was "a transportation service for the elderly and people with physical disabilities. In addition to its core service, Easyride provided jobs for ex-offenders: they were the drivers and dispatchers of the specially designed vans that would pick up passengers living on the West and Lower East side of Manhattan, deliver them to their destination, and then transport them home. The success of the Easyride demonstration led to new state legislation, which in turn led New York State to create Access-A-Ride, a citywide transportation service for the same population." - From Vera's thirty-five year report.