Launching a wheelchair-accessible ride service in Los Angeles
Rider-needs analysis and coordination of vehicle and service readiness across Hyundai, Kia, and the service platform.
Service launched · August 17, 2021
How I got the pilot to launchSimplified view of the workflow
Context
EnableLA is a wheelchair-accessible ride service in Los Angeles and part of Hyundai Motor Group’s Universal Mobility Project. It needed ADA-compliant vehicle modifications, trained drivers, and a booking operation to be ready together, across two vehicle brands and a service platform.
Decision & trade-off
The Universal Mobility Project aims to serve many groups with mobility barriers, including older adults, pregnant women, children, and low-income families. I recommended starting with people who use wheelchairs and keeping the pilot bounded to one city and weekday daytime hours. This gave the teams a specific need and a scope they could deliver.
My actions
I mapped barriers across the rider journey and used them to guide vehicle and service requirements. I coordinated Hyundai, Kia, Hyundai Motor America, and ButterFLi, the Los Angeles platform that runs the service, across the modification of Palisade and Telluride SUVs, driver training, and booking by app, web, and phone. I also supported the group’s work with the World Economic Forum’s Inclusivity Quotient initiative: I joined the project meetings and provided the EnableLA material for an article published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Outcome
EnableLA launched on August 17, 2021, with rides available on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hyundai Motor Group described it as the first wheelchair-accessible vehicle service in Los Angeles County to use modified SUVs. The pilot brought vehicle readiness and service operations together in a working service.