Document

West County Transportation for Seniors & People with Disabilities

Prepared for:WCCTAC Study Session

July 30, 2010

Prepared by:Paratransit Working Group

Study Session Objectives

WCCTAC S&PwDTransportation Study Session, July 20102

Get to know transportation needs of, and services for, West County’s population of seniors and people with disabilities (S&PwD)

Provide guidance to Paratransit Working Group for programming dedicated Measure J funds

Flesh out need or desire for West County-wide initiatives or program

Overarching Policy Issues


Quality of LifeEquality in Mobility

Aging in Place – Independence & MobilityAccess to Health & Social Services

Affordability of Transportation Services

Financial & InstitutionalAmount of Funding and Subsidy

Effectiveness, Efficiency, AccountabilityEquity in Funding

Strategic & FlexibleCollaboration and Cooperation

Congestion & Air Quality

Priority of Transportation for S&PwD Relative to Other Public

Services (Police, Fire, Public Works, etc.)

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Presentation Outline


I. Basics of Transportation for S&PwDII. Transportation for S&PwD in West CountyIII. What Have We Learned?IV. Discussion/Q&A

I. Basics ofTransportation for S&PwD


Terminology (as used in presentation)Term Definition

ADA/Non-ADA Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, designated equal access to public transit for people with disabilities as civil rights. Non-ADA are services that are independent of Federal ADA requirements –may be beyond or just different.

Age in Place Not having to move from present residence in order to secure necessary support services in response to changing personal needs

CBTP Community-Based Transportation Provider – provides non-ADA transportation services. Not confined to seniors and people with disabilities, may extend to other demographics including youth, low-income, etc.

Demand-Response or Dial-A-Ride (DAR)

Service that operates in response to calls from passengers to the operator. Vehicles are dispatched to pick-up passengers and transport them to their destinations. Vehicles do not operate over a fixed route or on a fixed schedule. Routes change depending on the demand.

Fixed Route Transit service that operates on set schedule along specific routes

Low Income Below 200% of Federal poverty level

Mobility Management Approach to providing mobility that moves beyond establishing and operating traditional fixed route transit systems to fostering and organizing a network of diverse transportation services and providers to satisfy customer needs. Involves several functions and stakeholders. Starting point is the identification of transportation needs of a specific community and identifying service options and demand management strategies to respond to those needs. Transit agencies often serve as a travel agent by brokering customer needs with a variety of service providers and providing one-stop customer information on available services.

Paratransit Non-traditional transportation modes, such as ADA paratransit, municipal dial-a-ride services, community shuttles, and vanpool programs that are not fixed route or rail services but generally complement or supplement them.

Senior Person aged 65 or over

Travel Training Teaching a person how to ride fixed route transit

WCCTAC S&PwD Transportation Study Session, July 20106

S&PwD Population & Growth


190,000

130,000

300,000111,000

1,300,0001,000,000

0 500,000 1,000,000 1,500,000

Low-Income

Disabled

in 2030Aged 65+

in 2030Contra Costa

Population in 2005

30% increase

170% increase

Sou

rce:

AB

AG

- Aged 65+, Disabled, & Low-Income categories are not mutually exclusive

- 2030 projections for Disabled and Low-Income categories not readily available as of this writing

Spectrum of Needs


Transportation needs change as a person ages Physical and/or cognitive abilities of rider

Walk, drive, fixed route, ADA, homebound Level of assistance needed – curb-to-curb, door-to-door, door-

through-door; help with grocery bags, etc. Transitioning from one predominant mode to another

Nature of trips Proportion of home-based work to non-home-based work changes Some trips may be more predictable

Need to provide menu of services at any given time

Types of Services & Relationships


ADA: Federal Civil Rights Requirements Only for those who can’t take fixed route due

to disability – eligibility not tied to age

Comparable to fixed route: w/in ¾- mile, same days & hours

Minimum next day service, within 1 hour of requested time

No more than 2x fixed route fare

No restrictions, prioritization by trip purpose

No limits on number of trips, no waiting lists

Fixed Route

Non-ADA

ADA

Non-ADA: Broad Spectrum of Discretionary Choices

Independent of spatial, temporal, & eligibility limits of ADA

Coordinated with health and human services (ex. adult daycare)

Mobility Management (like a brokerage and travel agent)

Many stakeholders

Incr

easi

ng

leve

l of s

ervi

ce

Paradigm Shifts Prior to ADA Paratransit aligned with social services Provided by non-profits & transit agencies under Rehabilitation

Act of 1973 Systems smaller and more flexible

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Equal access to public transit tied to civil rights Extended to all activities of government Unfunded mandate – funds diverted

Present Realign with social services Broader concepts of Mobility Management, Aging in place


Mode Choice Factors


Disability – ADA or Not ADA Certified?

Age – Over or Under 65?

Trip Origin Location & Time – Within or Outside Fixed Route?

Trip Destination Location & Time – Within or Outside Fixed Route?

Return Trip Time – Within or Outside Fixed Route?

FIXED ROUTE ADA Non-

ADA

Advanced Notice – Known or Not?

Reported Unmet Needs in Bay Area


Enhanced Fixed Route

• More service in suburban & rural areas

• More direct service to activity centers

• Increased frequency & longer span of service

Enhanced Paratransit

• Same day, beyond hours and locations of fixed route

• Accommodations for uncommon wheelchairs

Connectivity

• Inter- and intra-county travel, for both fixed route & paratransit

• Enhanced accessibility accommodations at transfer sites

Information & Other Assistance

• How to use public transit & accessible features

• Information in variety of formats

• Proper training of service personnel

Pedestrian Access & Land Use Coordination

• Accessibility to bus stops & transfer stations

• Better coordination between land development & transit provisions

In 2005, MTC surveyed the nine-County Bay Area to prepare the Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan, and this is what the people said:

II. West CountyTransportation for S&PwD


Senior (65 & Over) Population


1,100

580

570

2,500

1,400

890

480

490

290 260

1,400

4,700

9,800

Source: 2000 Census

2,600

30

East Richmond Heights

Bayview-Montalvin

North Richmond

People w/ Disabilities (5 & Over) Population


450

1,000

1,100

3,300

2,600

1,600

700

650

1,400 630

2,000

3,700

20,000

Source: 2000 Census

6,900

30

East Richmond Heights

Bayview-Montalvin

North Richmond

Service Providers


Fixed Route

•AC Transit•BART

ADA

•East Bay Paratransit Consortium (EBPC) (serves ALA & CC Co, SF destinations)

Community-Based

•El Cerrito•Richmond•San Pablo

Fixed Route

•WestCAT

ADA

•WestCAT(also serves Martinez destinations)

Community-Based

•WestCAT•Richmond

Northern Area

Southern Area

Note: This is only illustrative of the general service area of each provider. Actual service areas are more defined and can cross over between the Northern & Southern Areas.

Services


EBPC WestCAT El Cerrito Richmond San Pablo

Paratransit Service/Hours of Operation/ Reservation Window

Complementary ADA/ Same as fixed route/1-3 days advance reservation

Complementary ADA/Same as fixed route/1-14 days advance reservation, same day if available

Dial-A-Ride (DAR)/ M-F 6a-8p, Sa 9a-7p

Door-to-door/M-Th 9a-5p/1-10 days advance reservation, 830-930a to reserve for same day

Door-to-door/M-F 730a-5p/1 to 10 days advance reservation, same day if available

Taxi Scrip/24-7

Door-to-door/M-F 830a-4p/1 to 5 days advance reservation, same day if available

Service Area Southern West County, most of Alameda County, San Francisco

ADA depends on fixed routes, gen. Northern West County

DAR anywhere in service area

El Cerrito Richmond, East Richmond Heights, North Richmond, Kensington,Rollingwood, El Sobrante, El Cerrito, San Pablo, up to Appian Wyin Pinole

San Pablo

Other Services Standing orders

Transfers to other ADA providers

Group day trips (nursing homes)

Standing orders

Transfers to other ADA providers

Standing orders

Special Purpose Trips (Nutrition, Shopping, Other Activity Center, Employment, School)

Group day trips (throughout Bay Area)

Standing orders

Special Purpose Trips (Nutrition, Shopping)

Group day trips (within West County)

Subsidized EBPC tickets

Special Purpose Trips (Nutrition, Brown Bag, Doctors Hospital)

Group day trips (throughout Bay Area)

Eligibility Unable to take fixed route due to disability

65 or older or unable to take fixed route due to disability

DAR open to all

65 or older or disabled residents of El Cerrito

Group day trips open to non-residents

65 or older or disabled residents of Richmond, East Richmond Heights, North Richmond, Kensington, Rollingwood, El Sobrante

60 or older EBPC-eligible San Pablo residents

Coordination ADA Provider to ADA Provider Bay Area-wide agreement Certification is honored by all operators Transfers coordinated Confidentiality of sensitive client information (HIPAA) Fares payable to each provider

ADA Provider to Community-Based Transportation Provider (CBTP) and vice-versa Refer to each other by phone

CBTP to CBTP Refer to each other by phone


Operations


EBPCTotal (Contra Costa)

WestCAT El Cerrito Richmond San Pablo

Registered Clients 22,600 (2,500) 2,000 290 3,100 130

Passenger Trips 686,400 (87,400) 37,500 3,000 17,500 150/580 tix sold

Operating Cost $30,494,000 $1,158,000 $95,800 $1,151,000 $119,000

Operating Cost/ Passenger

$44 $31 $32 $66 $163

Revenue Service Hours

389,000 (46,700) 13,900 1,400 14,500 190

AveragePassenger Trip Distance

10.5 2.3 2.8 6.0 7.2

Number of Denials 1,938 (233) 0 3 Not tracked 0

Number of Group Trips/Passengers

18/107 0 92/660 61/411 164/1,205

Number of Vehicles

175 12 2 12 3

Service Delivery Method

Contracts withSeveral Providers

Contracts withOne Provider

City-owned Vehicles City-owned Vehicles City-owned Vehicles

Vehicles Deployed From

Oakland, San Leandro, Fremont

Pinole El Cerrito Richmond downtown San Pablo

Source: FY 2008-09 Data in FY 2010-11 Measure J Program 15 Claims

Funding


Fund EBPC WestCAT El Cerrito Richmond San Pablo

Measure J 133,400 (<1%) 146,100 (13%) 75,500 (72%) 315,200 (27%) 96,200 (93%)

Fares 2,100,000 (7%) 50,000 (4%) 11,700 (11%) 114,900 (10%) 5,800 (6%)

TDA (State) - 753,700 (66%) - - 350 (<1%)

STA (State) - 1,600 (<1%) - - -

FTA (Federal) - 192,100 (17%) - - -

General Fund 24,500,000 (78%) - 16,300 (16%) 718,800 (62%) -

Nutrition Program - - 800 (1%) 5,000 (<1%) 560 (1%)

Other 4,800,000 (15%) 2,250 (<1%) - - -

Total 31,500,000 (100%) 1,145,700 (100%) 104,400 (100%) 1,153,800 (100%) 102,900 (100%)Note: EBPC’s General Fund = $16.7M from AC Transit & $7.6M from BART; Other = ALA Co Measure B Source: FY 2010-11 estimates in FY 2010-11 Measure J Program 15 Claims

Measure J accounts for 12% of total funding spent in Contra Costa - nominal portion of ADA budget, large portion of CBTP budget

Farebox recovery low, subsidy high – akin to fixed route

Est. sales tax subsidy per EBPC passenger: ALA - $8, CC - $1.50

Only Richmond & El Cerrito supplement with General Fund contribution

Funding (cont’d) Measure J accounts for 12% of total funding spent in

Contra Costa – nominal portion of EBPC & WestCAT budget, large portion of CBTP budget

Farebox recovery low, subsidy high – like fixed route Est. sales tax subsidy per EBPC passenger ALA - $8, CC - $1.50

Only Richmond & El Cerrito contribute General Fund Fixed route and ADA have access to many funding

sources, but most controlled by others CBTP have access to fewer funding sources but have

greater discretion


Funding Detail – Measure J


0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032

2033

2034

Program 20b New Services= 0.65

Program 15 Growth = 0.231+0.035/yr

Richmond – 0.545

San Pablo – 0.166

El Cerrito – 0.093

PER

CEN

T O

F TO

TAL

SALE

S TA

X

FISCAL YEAR

Program 15 Base = 0.994 Total

Programmed Unprogrammed

WestCAT – 0.190

0.231

1.071

Funding Detail – Measure J (cont’d.)


Program Annual Funding(2011$)

EBPC WestCAT El Cerrito Richmond San Pablo

15 Base $645,000 $0 $123,000 $60,000 $354,000 $108,000

15 Growth $150,000 + $22,700/yrup to $695,000 total in 2034

TBD

20b New Services $422,000 TBD

Total $1,217,000 - $1,762,000

15 Base - fixed percent of sales tax to providers under Measure C

To guarantee continuation of existing services

Distribution percentages based on seniors, disabled, and low-income populations in 2000 (per Census data)

15 Growth - increasing percent of sales tax per year

For growth in target population and to include providers that didn’t receive Measure C, i.e. EBPC in West Co

20b New Services - fixed percent of sales tax

To supplement Program 15 services; ADA & non-ADA qualify

III. What Have We Learned?

The Paratransit Working Group has been working togetherfor the past year and a half...


What Have We Learned? Need for Self-Audit Need for Unifying Goals Overlaps Gaps Opportunities for Increasing Efficiency Additional Paratransit Possibilities for West County Sustainability


Need for Self-Audit (Beyond Financial)

There has not been an assessment of West County’s S&PwD needs & how well services meet those needs Trip origins and destinations (within and without West Co) Trip types and characteristics (health, social; recurring & on-

demand) User types (distribution by age and ability - fixed route-capable,

ADA, and CBTP; income level; language proficiency) Assessment of needs against provisions; identification of unmet

needs

Could result in different service prioritization May require consultant assistance


Need for Unifying Goals Different needs competing for same pot of money ADA – financial and operating assistance; increase focus on

West County versus Community-Based Transportation – maintain and expand

services; enhance community focus

Different horizons Address current funding shortfall versus Plan for longer term

Need for clarity in role of WCCTAC Respect local flexibility and discretion versus Be proactive about identifying needs for the region

Need for assurances versus flexibilityWCCTAC S&PwDTransportation Study Session, July 201027

Overlaps


Difficult to determine 256 permutations for every round trip

taken using fixed route, ADA, or CBTP Not including other factors specific to

individual – language proficiency, comfort levelwith fixed route or obtaining ADA certification, relationship with drivers, etc.

Not necessarily inefficient If trip can be served at lower cost by different provider If controlled through operational agreements

Need further study

Gaps Clients and Services Beyond ¾-mile ADA coverage – probably

limited; would need GIS analysis to confirm Beyond days & hours of ADA service – none in El Cerrito and

San Pablo (Richmond has taxi scrip, WestCAT has DAR) Special purpose, group trips – limited in WestCAT service area Non-ADA certified clients crossing CBT boundaries (ex. well

senior traveling from Richmond to County Hosp in Martinez)

Funding EBPC: equitably share given role in West Co paratransit WestCAT: contributions from Pinole, Hercules, County Richmond: contributions from County


Opportunities for Increasing Efficiency Enhance coordination among existing providers Scheduling and transfers via software & agreements ADA eligibility certification Resource sharing

Provider-specific enhancements Performance monitoring and reporting for Non-ADA High-tech

Expanding CBT services to be West County-wide Explore different service model(s) & additional

partnerships to enhance flexibility In-house vs. Contract vs. Hybrid, Trip Brokerages,

Decentralized vs. CentralizedWCCTAC S&PwDTransportation Study Session, July 201030

Additional Paratransit Possibilities for West County

Same day service with taxis Coordination with Area Agency on Aging services -

Caring for Seniors, Meal Delivery, Consultation Services, Legal Services

Recurring cross-boundary trips to West County destinations – Medical, Shopping, etc.

Travel training, volunteer driver programs, non-profit shuttles, van retirement program

Mobility management


Sustainability Future demand and supply Senior Population Growth = 170% from 2010 to 2030 Future Funding

Measure J Program 15 guaranteed increaseby formula – est. 8% from 2010 to 2030

ADA is unfunded mandate, tied to transit Transit varies based on Fed & State fiscal situations

Shortfall may need to be addressed throughchanges to funding and in-kind contributionsfrom other sources (tax, GF, fares, grants)

Existing system is not sustainable as is Will need to change demand or supply or both Better to do in controlled fashion where feasible


IV. Discussion/Q&A


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