TCRP Report 101: Toolkit for Rural Community Coordinated Transportation Services

Front Matter R1-R12
ToolKit Introduction 1-7
Section I: Basic Coordination Concepts 8-8
Some Definitions 9-10
The Evolution of Efforts to Coordinate Specialized Transportation Services 11-12
Who Needs to Be Involved in Coordinated Transportation Services? 13-13
Problems That Coordination Addresses 14-15
Goals for Coordinated Transportation Services 16-16
How Coordination Works 17-17
Summary 18-18
The Overall Benefits and Costs of Coordination 19-19
What are the Possible Benefits of Coordination? 20-28
How to Use Coordination's Benefits 29-29
The Costs of Coordination 30-30
Factors That Inhibit Coordination 31-32
Requirements of Federal Funding Programs 33-35
Problems with Accountability, Cost Allocation, Paperwork, and Reporting 36-36
Operational Challenges to Coordinated Transportation 37-37
Summary 38-38
Section II: Implementing New Coordination Efforts 39-39
Introduction 40-40
Implementation Steps for Coordinated Transportation 41-69
Summary 70-70
Chapter 4 - Frequently Asked Questions About Coordination Efforts 71-71
Will Coordination Save Me Money? 72-72
What Are the Important Federal Funding Sources for Rural Transportation? 73-76
What Funding Sources Am I Missing? 77-77
Which Legislative Barriers Do I Need To Watch Out For? 78-79
Where Can I Get Planning Funds? 80-80
Some Agencies are Willing to Participate, But Others are Not. What Should We Do? 81-81
With All the Work on Coordinated Rural Transportation Systems for Many Years, Why Isn't Coordination Easier? 82-82
Will Coordination Require That I Give Up My Vehicles? Control Over My Funding for Transportation? The Welfare of My Clients? 83-83
Why Have Some Coordinated Transportation Systems Failed to Succeed or Survive? 84-84
What are the Fundamental Components of Successful Coordination? 85-86
Summary 87-88
Section III: Techniques For Improving Current Coordination Efforts 89-89
High-Impact Coordination Strategies for Transportation Operators 90-94
Lessons Learned from Successful Coordination Efforts 95-96
Summary 97-98
Chapter 6 - Tools For Addressing Detailed Coordination Issues 99-99
Accounting and Financial Management 100-103
ADA, Section 504, and Coordinated Rural Transportation Services 104-108
Budgeting 109-118
Consensus Building and Setting Goals and Objectives 119-122
Involving Stakeholders 123-127
Marketing and Public Information 128-133
Monitoring and Evaluation 134-140
Needs Assessment 141-145
Organization of the Planning Process 146-149
Organizational Framework for Coordination 150-153
Strategic Direction Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats 154-157
Technology 158-168
Vehicle Fleet Status and Evaluation 169-170
Volunteers 171-177
Summary 178-178
Section IV: Casebook Of State and Local Coordination Models 179-179
The National Coordination Picture 180-181
Elements of Successful Coordination Efforts 182-187
Common Problems and Solutions 188-189
Statewide Coordination Profiles 190-207
Summary 208-209
Methodology 210-210
Benefits of Coordinated Rural Transportation Services 211-212
Challenges and Opportunities 213-214
Recommendations for Success 215-220
Case Studies of Local Coordination Efforts 221-317
Summary 318-319
Bibliography 320-322
List of Abbreviations 323-323
Glossary of Technical Terms 324-335
Contact List For Case Study Systems 336-337
Appendix A: Stakeholder Interview Guide 338-340
Appendix B: Survey of County Transportation Services 341-345
Appendix C: Sample Transportation System Survey Forms 346-364
Appendix D: Identifying Best Practice Systems 365-366
Appendix E: Coordination Workshop Facilitation Guides 367-370
Appendix F: Detailed Operating Cost Categories for Coordinated Transportation Systems 371-375
Appendix G: Examples of Various Interagency Agreements to Enhance Coordination 376-409
Appendix H: Sample Transportation Coordination Plan Report 410-414
Appendix I: Example of State Legislation Creating Statewide Coordinating Council 415-2
Table 1: Primary Audiences for Sections of this Toolkit 3-23
Table 2: Potential Coordinated Transportation Benefits: System Characteristics (Inputs) 24-24
Table 4: Potential Coordinated Transportation Benefits: Service Attribute Assessments 25-25
Table 5: Potential Coordinated Transportation Benefits: Users' Overall Service Assessments 26-26
Table 6: How to Generate Provider/Program Cost Savings 27-93
Table 7: Strategic Approaches to Coordination 94-135
Table 8: Potential Coordinated Transportation Benefits 136-160
Table 9: Potential Connections Between Technologies and Productivity and Efficiency 161-180
Table 10: State Coordination Activities 181-182
Table 11: How Coordination Activities Have Been Implemented 183-229
Table 12: Operating Statistics for Huron County Transit 230-267
Table 13: Operating Funds for the Link (FY2000-2001) 268-268
Table 14: Transportation Network Driver Hours 269-302
Table 15: South Central Transit's Fare Structure 303-229
Figure 1: Huron County Transit Funding Sources 230-230
Figure 2: Huron County Transit's Ridership Increase 231-421
Abbreviations used without definitions in TRB publications 422-422

Table of Contents

Front Matter R1-R12

ToolKit Introduction 1-7

Section I: Basic Coordination Concepts 8-8

Some Definitions 9-10

The Evolution of Efforts to Coordinate Specialized Transportation Services 11-12

Who Needs to Be Involved in Coordinated Transportation Services? 13-13

Problems That Coordination Addresses 14-15

Goals for Coordinated Transportation Services 16-16

How Coordination Works 17-17

Summary 18-18

The Overall Benefits and Costs of Coordination 19-19

What are the Possible Benefits of Coordination? 20-28

How to Use Coordination's Benefits 29-29

The Costs of Coordination 30-30

Factors That Inhibit Coordination 31-32

Requirements of Federal Funding Programs 33-35

Problems with Accountability, Cost Allocation, Paperwork, and Reporting 36-36

Operational Challenges to Coordinated Transportation 37-37

Summary 38-38

Section II: Implementing New Coordination Efforts 39-39

Introduction 40-40

Implementation Steps for Coordinated Transportation 41-69

Summary 70-70

Chapter 4 - Frequently Asked Questions About Coordination Efforts 71-71

Will Coordination Save Me Money? 72-72

What Are the Important Federal Funding Sources for Rural Transportation? 73-76

What Funding Sources Am I Missing? 77-77

Which Legislative Barriers Do I Need To Watch Out For? 78-79

Where Can I Get Planning Funds? 80-80

Some Agencies are Willing to Participate, But Others are Not. What Should We Do? 81-81

With All the Work on Coordinated Rural Transportation Systems for Many Years, Why Isn't Coordination Easier? 82-82

Will Coordination Require That I Give Up My Vehicles? Control Over My Funding for Transportation? The Welfare of My Clients? 83-83

Why Have Some Coordinated Transportation Systems Failed to Succeed or Survive? 84-84

What are the Fundamental Components of Successful Coordination? 85-86

Summary 87-88

Section III: Techniques For Improving Current Coordination Efforts 89-89

High-Impact Coordination Strategies for Transportation Operators 90-94

Lessons Learned from Successful Coordination Efforts 95-96

Summary 97-98

Chapter 6 - Tools For Addressing Detailed Coordination Issues 99-99

Accounting and Financial Management 100-103

ADA, Section 504, and Coordinated Rural Transportation Services 104-108

Budgeting 109-118

Consensus Building and Setting Goals and Objectives 119-122

Involving Stakeholders 123-127

Marketing and Public Information 128-133

Monitoring and Evaluation 134-140

Needs Assessment 141-145

Organization of the Planning Process 146-149

Organizational Framework for Coordination 150-153

Strategic Direction Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats 154-157

Technology 158-168

Vehicle Fleet Status and Evaluation 169-170

Volunteers 171-177

Summary 178-178

Section IV: Casebook Of State and Local Coordination Models 179-179

The National Coordination Picture 180-181

Elements of Successful Coordination Efforts 182-187

Common Problems and Solutions 188-189

Statewide Coordination Profiles 190-207

Summary 208-209

Methodology 210-210

Benefits of Coordinated Rural Transportation Services 211-212

Challenges and Opportunities 213-214

Recommendations for Success 215-220

Case Studies of Local Coordination Efforts 221-317

Summary 318-319

Bibliography 320-322

List of Abbreviations 323-323

Glossary of Technical Terms 324-335

Contact List For Case Study Systems 336-337

Appendix A: Stakeholder Interview Guide 338-340

Appendix B: Survey of County Transportation Services 341-345

Appendix C: Sample Transportation System Survey Forms 346-364

Appendix D: Identifying Best Practice Systems 365-366

Appendix E: Coordination Workshop Facilitation Guides 367-370

Appendix F: Detailed Operating Cost Categories for Coordinated Transportation Systems 371-375

Appendix G: Examples of Various Interagency Agreements to Enhance Coordination 376-409

Appendix H: Sample Transportation Coordination Plan Report 410-414