National Academies Press: OpenBook

Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged (2004)

Chapter: Chapter 4 - Transportation Services and Operations

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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Transportation Services and Operations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Transportation Services and Operations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Transportation Services and Operations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Transportation Services and Operations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Transportation Services and Operations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Transportation Services and Operations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Transportation Services and Operations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Transportation Services and Operations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
×
Page 38
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Transportation Services and Operations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
×
Page 39
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Transportation Services and Operations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
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31 CHAPTER 4 TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AND OPERATIONS Because they serve a wide variety of special transportation needs and are planned, funded, and operated by many differ- ent types of organizations, transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged come in all shapes and sizes. To better understand the range of service alternatives, transpor- tation services for the transportation disadvantaged can be described from five different perspectives: • Mobility needs • Providers • Types of service • Service delivery methods • Models for coordinated services In addition to providing an overview of the different kinds of services that currently operate throughout the country, this chapter includes • Case study examples illustrating noteworthy operational and service delivery practices • Lessons relating to the delivery of transportation ser- vices learned by organizations participating in recent coordination efforts • Guidance on inventorying local providers of transporta- tion services for the transportation disadvantaged • References to other resources on the topic of transporta- tion services and operations MOBILITY NEEDS Specialized or human services transportation is generally developed in response to several different types of transportation needs. One significant category of needed trip is employment- related—a means by which transportation-disadvantaged indi- viduals can reach job opportunities. This might include job training, job interviews, regular employment, or vocational rehabilitation. Another need often served is access to medical services. Other needs include helping people reach various human services programs or facilities. For example, transpor- tation may be provided by senior centers to enable seniors to participate in nutrition programs or by Head Start programs so that parents are able to get children to a Head Start center. Sometimes the need is simply a general purpose one. People with limited mobility options may want to go shopping, to a movie, or to church. Specialized transportation services might be needed because an individual does not have access to an automobile or is unable to use fixed-route public transportation because of a disability or because of the nature of the trip he/she needs to make. Especially at night, on weekends, or in low-density suburban or rural areas, public transportation is often either unavailable or very inconvenient. PROVIDERS Transportation services for the transportation disadvan- taged may be provided—that is, funded, purchased, managed, or operated—by a wide variety of entities, including tradi- tional public transit operators and other transportation orga- nizations, human services agencies, and many types of com- munity organizations. (See Figure 3 for examples of the types of the different types of providers.) Transit Agencies Public transit systems such as city, county, or RTAs typi- cally count transportation-disadvantaged individuals among their customers in addition to other members of the general public. As required by the ADA, most public transit vehicles and systems are now accessible to, and used by, people with disabilities through the provision of fixed-route service using accessible vehicles and complementary paratransit service. Accessible services benefit seniors as well; transit agencies may also provide paratransit service for senior customers who do not meet ADA eligibility requirements. Transit providers may also contract with human services agencies to operate paratransit services for clients. In many areas, transit agencies act as brokers of service for Medicaid recipients and clients of other human services agencies. Human Services Agencies People using transportation services for the transporta- tion disadvantaged are often clients of a public or not-for- profit human services agency. These agencies may operate

32 Community Organizations Funding organizations like the United Way often provide resources to local agencies that enable them to provide trans- portation and other services that support United Way’s focus areas. In some areas, organizations such as the American Red Cross and veterans’ agencies operate transportation services for medical trips and other purposes. Faith-based groups are another source of transportation services, particularly in the area of job access transportation. TYPES OF SERVICE The mobility needs of transportation-disadvantaged indi- viduals can be addressed through a wide range of service types and strategies. At one end of the range are efforts to make tra- ditional fixed-route service more attractive or useful for the transportation disadvantaged. At the other end are more indi- transportation services to support their primary program goals, often because of a lack of public transit service in the area or specific transit service gaps. For example, local senior centers often provide transpor- tation to and from the center to enable seniors to participate in nutrition programs and other activities. There are usually one or more organizations in a given area that provide resi- dential or day program and employment services to individ- uals with developmental disabilities or mental retardation; these organizations often provide transportation service to program sites. At the state level, agencies that administer Medicaid and job access or workforce development programs typically provide (either by operating, purchasing, or subsidiz- ing) transportation services that make it possible for clients to access programs and services. The transportation services a human services agency pro- vides may be open only to its own clients or may also be avail- able to the clients of other agencies. Transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged may be provided by a wide variety of entities, such as the following: • York County Transit Authority, or rabbittransit, is a municipal authority serving York County, Pennsylvania. It operates fixed-route bus and flexible services as well as demand-responsive service for ADA-eligible individuals and clients of a number of human services agencies. Rider groups for whom the transit authority provides service include seniors, Medicaid recipients, individuals with developmental disabilities, low- income individuals, and job access clients. • Wake County in North Carolina created the Wake County Transportation System (WCTS) over a decade ago to serve the growing accessibility needs of the county’s transportation-dependent citizens. It operates as a unit of the County Department of Human Services and provides door-to-door service for clients of that Department as well as clients of other human services agencies in the community. It also provides limited service for the general public in rural areas of the county. The County owns the vehicles and contracts with a private vendor to manage and operate the service. • The Urban Rural Transportation Alliance in Maryland, also known as URTA, is an example of a private nonprofit human services transportation provider. URTA serves both urban and rural areas in central Maryland with mostly curb-to-curb trips to medical, employment, and other destinations. URTA provides medical transportation for Medicaid clients, an HMO, and other local human service organizations. • Ride Connection, a nonprofit agency in Portland, Oregon, was created to provide a more usable transportation system for older adults and people with disabilities than the local public transit operator, Tri-Met, was able to provide. It includes a network of over 30 agencies, utilizes a variety of funds from both public sources and private foundations and businesses, and involves more than 300 volunteers in providing the service. • Wheels of Wellness of Philadelphia is a nonprofit medical transportation brokerage. Wheels serves the primarily urban areas surrounding Philadelphia: five counties in Pennsylvania and four counties in New Jersey. Because Wheels is a brokerage, it is able to offer many types of services, including volunteer car service, taxi service, fixed-route public transit, and demand-responsive door-to-door service. Wheels provides Medicaid, Ryan White Title I, and general volunteer medical transportation services. • Through its Community Transportation Program, American Red Cross of Greater Columbus provides rides for seniors, people with disabilities, and other individuals to medical facilities and other destinations to in Franklin County, Ohio. Volunteer drivers operate Red Cross vehicles. A variety of human services agencies, as well as Red Cross and United Way, subsidize the cost of transportation for eligible individuals. Figure 3. Providers of transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged.

vidualized transportation options such as paratransit service or user-side subsidy programs. Service options and other ways of increasing mobility are described in Figure 4. SERVICE DELIVERY METHODS Managing and operating services can also be accomplished in a number of ways. A provider (a public transit system, a unit of local or regional government, a public or not-for-profit human services agency, or a community organization) may own and operate its own vehicles, employ the drivers and mechanics, and manage the system. Alternatively, a provider may contract for service management, service operation, or both. Contractors can include a local public transit system, a public human services agency, a nonprofit organization that 33 operates transportation service, or a private transportation company. MODELS FOR COORDINATED SERVICES As discussed in Chapter 3, coordination can cover a wide range of cooperative efforts among transportation providers. The most comprehensive coordination strategies involve the consolidation of operations and service delivery into a coordinated transportation system. As described in a techni- cal assistance brief written for the Community Transpor- tation Assistance Project (CTAP), there are several basic categories that can be used to describe coordinated systems: the lead agency, brokerage, and administrative agency mod- els (3). However, many variations are possible, based on Many options are available for increasing the mobility of the transportation disadvantaged, such as the following: • Travel training programs are offered by many transit agencies, sometimes in conjunction with local independent living centers or senior centers, to help seniors or people with disabilities learn to use fixed-route transit service safely and independently. Transit authorities may also give individuals the opportunity to become familiar with a bus in a nonthreatening environment like an agency parking lot or to take a specially arranged test ride in a bus that is not in passenger service. • Vouchers, transit passes, and even cash subsidies are used by some human services agencies. These are given to agency clients so that they are able to use transit service free of charge or for a discounted amount. This is a common method used by agencies responsible for the Medicaid nonemergency transportation and TANF programs. • Service routes tailor service for particular groups of riders like seniors or people with disabilities by operating between key residential areas and popular destinations, such as stores and medical facilities. • Deviated fixed-route services connect residential areas with popular destinations and offer a higher level of assistance for individuals who need it by making door-to-door stops upon request. Deviated fixed-route services are sometimes referred to as flex routes. • Demand-responsive, or paratransit, service operates on flexible schedules and routes and offers a high level of assistance to riders. It usually refers to wheelchair- accessible, dial-a-ride type service using small buses or vans. Riders typically call to request a ride in advance. Service providers usually attempt to group trips for riders with similar trip times, origins, or destinations on a single vehicle in order to make the service more cost-effective. • Volunteers driving private automobiles offer another means of providing service for transportation-disadvantaged individuals. The Independent Transportation Network (ITN) in Portland, Maine, combines the services of 75 volunteer drivers using their own cars with a small fleet of vehicles operated by paid drivers. In another variation on the volunteer driver approach, individuals providing rides can earn credits toward future rides for themselves. • Subsidized taxi programs enable seniors and other paratransit users to make trips with participating taxi providers at a reduced fare, with sponsoring agencies making up the difference between fares and the cost of the trips. Agencies may also set their own eligibility requirements and restrictions on the number or type of trips that will be subsidized. • Automobile ownership programs make private automobile transportation more affordable for individuals with mobility needs. In a number of states, TANF funds are used to support auto financing or vehicle donation programs in order to help transitioning welfare recipients to purchase or lease a vehicle. Figure 4. Options for increasing mobility for transportation- disadvantaged individuals.

local needs and resources, and many actual coordinated sys- tems are hybrids. Lead Agency Model In this type of coordinated system, one agency handles most of the functions associated with the provision of trans- portation services, such as administration, grants manage- ment, scheduling and dispatching, vehicle operations, and vehicle maintenance. Typically, the lead agency is either a human services agency that is responsible for a variety of pro- grams and services including transportation or a nonprofit or other organization that is responsible for transportation ser- vices only. In the latter case, the lead agency is often referred to as a pure transportation lead agency. Vesting responsibility for transportation services with an existing human services agency can be advantageous when the demand or commitment of resources is not high enough to justify the creation of a new transportation lead agency. Use of a lead agency can also lend stability to the coordinated system. The existing lead agency model often works well in rural areas and can be the first step in the creation of a coor- dinated system that evolves into other models over time. Brokerage Model A fairly common approach used in the area of transporta- tion service for the transportation disadvantaged is the use of a transportation broker, an intermediary organization that contracts with a sponsor agency to provide transportation, and in turn subcontracts with a variety of public, nonprofit, or private carriers to actually operate the service. Trans- portation brokers are sometimes referred to as Mobility Man- agers. The broker may be a public agency, a private nonprofit organization, or a professional brokerage management firm. The agencies that choose to participate in a brokerage deter- mine the level and quality of service they would like to obtain and establish their own desired service policies regarding such issues as fares, allowable trip purposes, or degree of driver assistance. While brokerage by definition involves the centralization of some or all transportation functions, the role of the broker and the specific functions that it will perform can be selected to fit the circumstances of each particular situation. Core broker functions typically include the following: • Carrier procurement • Contract management • Customer registration • Record keeping and accounting • Quality assurance and customer relations Additionally, the broker may perform the following: 34 • Eligibility determination • Scrip/voucher sales • Trip reservations • Assignment of trips to providers or vehicle scheduling • Dispatching • Provision or procurement of vehicles, maintenance, fuel, insurance or training services • Drug and alcohol testing • Information and referral services • Operation of vehicles Most brokerages fit one of several models: the centralized, decentralized, hybrid, or partial brokerage. These brokerage types are distinguishable from each other primarily by the roles that the broker plays in trip reservations, scheduling, and vehicle operation. In the centralized brokerage model, all trip reservations and vehicle scheduling are performed by the broker. Cus- tomers of all participating agencies (or agency personnel on behalf of their customers) call the broker to book their trips. The broker then develops schedules for each of the contract providers, choosing the most appropriate and cost-effective provider to serve each trip. In a decentralized brokerage, the broker performs the basic administrative/management functions such as provider pro- curement, contract management, customer registration, record keeping, accounting, quality assurance, and customer rela- tions. Each provider is responsible for performing its trip reservations and scheduling. A hybrid brokerage combines centralized reservations (per- formed by the broker) and decentralized scheduling (per- formed by the providers). The broker is responsible for receiv- ing requests for service from customers and assigning trips to providers, who then develop their own vehicle schedules for those trips. A partial brokerage is characterized by the provision of some direct vehicle operation as well as centralized reserva- tions and scheduling by the broker. In this model, the broker is often a private nonprofit organization or human services agency that is already responsible for providing transporta- tion and related administrative and management services for other agencies as well as for its own customers; as a broker, the organization also purchases some trips from contracted providers to augment the service it operates directly. For example, the broker may purchase trips from taxi operators during peak travel times when its own vehicles are operating at capacity, or during periods of low demand, such as evenings and weekends, when such trips are more cost-effective than those provided on its own vehicles. Administrative Agency Model In a coordinated system developed on the administrative agency model, one entity, usually a public agency and most often a transit authority, is responsible for the provision of

coordinated transportation services. This model can be the final stage in the development of a coordinated system that began as a means of providing mobility for human services agency clients and evolved over time into a community trans- portation system available to the general public. Variations of this model that incorporate the lead agency and brokerage models are possible. Although the adminis- trative agency has overall responsibility for the provision of service, it can contract with a lead agency or a broker to per- form certain functions, or it can act as a broker itself. In all cases, the administrative agency is likely to handle planning, grants management, billing and reporting to participating human services agencies, and possibly the acquisition of vehicles and other equipment. Coordinating transportation services through an adminis- trative agency can provide more access to public funding from the FTA, state, or local general funds, or dedicated tax revenues. It may provide the highest level of stability of all the possible coordination models and establish transportation as a local public service. HOW TO LOCATE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED IN YOUR AREA The first step in the process of initiating or expanding coordination efforts is usually to develop or update an inven- tory of local transportation service providers and organiza- tions that purchase transportation services. This can help to identify gaps and overlaps in existing services as well as poten- tial coordination partners and strategies. An excellent source of information about transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged is the CTAA. The organization’s website (www.ctaa.org) is a particularly rich source for most matters relating to the provision and coordination of such services including providers, funding, technical assistance, technology, best practices and much more. CTAA can also be reached at (202) 628-1480. If trans- portation is a new interest for your organization, consider using the resources offered by CTAA to increase your famil- iarity with the terminology and issues associated with trans- portation service for the transportation disadvantaged. Thus prepared, you can then begin to identify transportation pro- viders in your area. Information Sources at the State Level It should be a relatively easy task to locate transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged in any given area, whether it is a city, county, or state. A good place to start is at the state level. Most of the federal funds that are used to support coordinated transportation services are admin- istered by a state agency. Contact the division that is respon- sible for public transportation in your state’s DOT. They will 35 be able to tell you the systems in the state that receive fund- ing from the FTA, including systems that serve older adults and people with disabilities, rural systems, or systems that are receiving JARC funding. This is best done by phone, e-mail, or personal visit—not all state websites provide this level of detail. The state DOT may also be able to provide access to two important planning documents that would contain informa- tion about various transportation services in the state: • The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which states are required to submit as a condi- tion of receiving funding from the FTA and other fed- eral transportation funding agencies. • Many states require community or regional transporta- tion plans for nonurbanized areas. For example, North Carolina requires nonurbanized areas—usually counties or groups of counties—to prepare a Community Trans- portation Services Plan, which, among other things, addresses the need for, and availability of, human ser- vices transportation. In urbanized metropolitan areas, a similar source of information would be found in the Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs) that are prepared by the MPOs in each area. Next, contact the departments in your state that are respon- sible for programs aimed at individuals who are likely to be transportation disadvantaged—older adults, people with dis- abilities, Medicaid recipients, members of the developmen- tally disabled or mental health populations, or low-income individuals, for example. State websites typically list all state agencies. Look for departments or divisions that administer the TANF, Welfare-to-Work, Workforce Investment Act, Med- icaid, or Older Americans Act programs. These departments may provide or fund transportation services. In some states, a single department may be responsible for all or most of these programs. In other states, two or more departments are involved. The following are some typical names for health or human services agencies found in states: • Department of Health and Human Services • Department of Human Services • Department of Human Resources • Department of Social Services • Department of Labor • Department of Education • Department of Aging • Department of Health and Welfare • Department of Vocational Rehabilitation • Department of Children and Family Services • Department of Workforce Development • Council on Developmental Disabilities Most states have websites that will quickly lead you to these departments. In addition, the website of the Ameri- can Public Human Services Association has links to the key

human service departments in each state: http://www.aphsa. org/home/StateContacts.asp. Another good source of information is the public trans- portation association in your state. Most states have such an association that includes traditional public transportation systems and specialized or community transportation sys- tems. Some examples are the California Transit Association, Connecticut Association for Community Transportation, Illi- nois Public Transportation Association, New York Special- ized Transportation Association, and Utah Rural and Spe- cialized Transportation Association. Information Sources at the Local Level If the area you are concerned about is a county or smaller geographic unit, contact your county and use the same approach described above for states. You should be able to quickly locate transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged, especially if you focus on the departments that fund Medicaid, senior or aging, and employment-related programs. Within a county, contact the same kinds of depart- ments in the major cities. Finally there may be a number of nonprofit agencies that provide such services. Examples are Easter Seals, Goodwill Industries, American Red Cross chapters, local YMCAs, and churches and charities. These might be located most easily by looking in the appropriate yellow pages (either an electronic or paper version) under such subjects as disabled, handicapped, human services, transportation, mental health, senior services, wheelchair and special needs transportation, and so forth. Inventorying Providers Once the agencies providing service have been identified, the next step is to make contact in order to determine the nature of what they provide and their potential interest in ser- vice coordination. There are three primary ways to obtain this information: • Mail surveys • Telephone interviews • On-site interviews Obtaining detailed data from transportation providers, especially those who operate small transportation programs or whose main business is human services, presents a challenge in any initial coordination effort. However, conducting on- site or telephone interviews guided by a detailed survey ques- tionnaire is a very effective method. Sending a copy of the questionnaire to the providers in advance allows them time to prepare, so that the visit or phone call is productive. Dis- cussing transportation services and issues face to face is usu- ally less time-consuming for the provider than completing a lengthy survey, so a greater response can be obtained. Also, this approach typically produces more detailed information 36 and a fuller understanding of services. A sample question- naire that could be used as a model when interviewing trans- portation providers is attached as Appendix B on the accom- panying CD-ROM (an abbreviated version is also included). Whichever method is determined to be most suitable, the information sought should include the following: • Service area • Types of individuals served – Seniors – People with disabilities – Human services agency clients – Individuals with low income – Transitioning welfare recipients – Residents of rural areas – General public • Trip purposes – Employment-related – Medical-related – Social services-related – General purpose • Operational data – Name of direct or contract operator – Number and type of vehicles – Types of service offered – Days and hours of service – Reservations and scheduling practices – Ridership • Funding data – Transportation expenses and revenues of the organi- zation – Fare or fee charged – Funding sources and amounts – Funding restrictions • Unmet transportation needs – Clients or people who need transportation assistance but do not receive it – Days, hours, or geographic areas in which service is needed – Additional trip purposes to be served • Interest in exploring opportunities for coordination Providers may also be able to identify other organizations that operate or contract for transportation services. EXAMPLES OF BEST PRACTICES FROM CASE STUDIES The case studies illustrate a number of interesting strategies that coordination partners have adopted to deliver service in a coordinated manner or to coordinate operational functions such as trip reservations and scheduling, customer informa- tion, fleet management, and technical assistance. Some strate- gies exemplify new approaches, while others demonstrate that long-standing coordination techniques are still effective.

These best practices are summarized below. More detailed descriptions can be found in the complete case studies in Appendix A on the accompanying CD-ROM. Other case study subjects are successfully using technol- ogy to coordinate operations. More information about those sites is provided in Chapter 7. Greater Twin Cities United Way Through its various grants and technical assistance activities, Greater Twin Cities United Way has been testing a number of strategies and models in order to determine the most effective ways to better coordinate service and to improve assistance to the agencies and their transportation-disadvantaged clients. United Way’s goal is a network of four to five experi- enced, nonprofit transportation providers that are able to pro- vide needed services throughout the region and are supported by services such as centralized driver training and vehicle maintenance. Dakota Area Resources and Transportation for Seniors (DARTS) and ARC are the first of those experienced pro- viders to participate in United Way’s program. DARTS DARTS is a United Way affiliated agency that provides transportation service to seniors and people with disabilities in Dakota County, one of the seven counties in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. It operates a fleet of 35 buses and has been in operation for about 30 years. It also provides a number of services for other United Way agencies in the region including • Vehicle maintenance service (more than 350 vehicles are maintained for 40 to 50 other organizations in a modern, state-of-the-art maintenance facility) • Maintenance training • Professional driver training classes (provided to several hundred drivers employed by 25 to 30 organizations) • Consulting services (in the areas of transit planning, oper- ations, and helping transit collaboratives work together) • Scheduling software One of the things that DARTS has accomplished is to develop simplified reservation and scheduling software that is more appropriate for small systems (i.e., those that operate up to 10 vehicles). The software that DARTS uses for its own system is more sophisticated and expensive than is appropri- ate for many small systems. DARTS therefore developed a much more affordable system that provides capabilities such as a customer and driver database for scheduling and billing purposes but does not include a map-based automated sched- uling capability. A license for this software is available for $2,500, a much lower price than that of a full-scale reserva- tions and scheduling package. 37 ARC In addition to operating service for agencies that no longer provide transportation for their clients directly, ARC provides technical and operating assistance to other organizations. For example, ARC offers the following: • Technical assistance related to the acquisition of federal Section 5310 vehicles in the county • Scheduling and dispatching service (for one contractor) • Backup vehicles and drivers for agencies that are too small to have their own backup capability • Third-party billing services for its subcontractors, thus saving the small agencies administrative costs and burden Additionally, ARC is designated by the Minnesota DOT as the operating authority for all agencies in the state that receive state or federal funds for special transportation ser- vices. In this capacity, ARC provides training and certifica- tion related to driving vehicles, vehicle inspections, vehicle maintenance, and so forth. King County Metro King County Metro’s CPP is based in the transit agency’s Accessible Services Department. CPP expands transportation options for people with disabilities and seniors by developing partnerships between the transit agency and community orga- nizations. Under the CPP, Metro assists organizations in set- ting up their own transportation programs by providing vehi- cles and some operating subsidies. Organizations benefit because they can customize their transportation programs to meet their customers’ needs. The community benefits because these programs are more cost-effective than Metro's ACCESS Transportation program. The CPP currently has three different products for agen- cies in the community, which include AddVANtage and AddVANtage Plus. Under the AddVANtage and AddVANtage Plus programs, Metro will lease retired ACCESS vans to eligible organiza- tions at no cost and reimburse a percentage of some costs, pursuant to county requirements. The county will also pro- vide a backup vehicle while a van is being maintained or repaired. Organizations are expected to provide their own operators and perform scheduling, assignment of customers, and other operational functions. Organizations must also carry the appropriate insurance and agree to indemnify the county as specified. Organizations are required to maintain trip logs and other records as specified by the county. They also are responsible for providing information to the county to assist with evaluations of the program. To be eligible to receive vehicle and maintenance support, organizations must submit an application and show that they are regularly providing at least 50 trips per month to people who are ADA paratransit eligible (AddVANtage). To be eli- gible for vehicle, maintenance, and limited operating support,

organizations must submit an application and show that they are regularly providing at least 100 trips per month to people who are ADA paratransit eligible (AddVANtage Plus). DuPage County DuPage County, Illinois, initiated a subsidized taxi service as a pilot program in 1998. The program resulted from a paratransit coordination study conducted for DuPage County and the Chicago area RTA. The study concluded that human services agencies and municipalities could provide improved mobility for their clients and residents by developing a joint taxi program that would augment public transit service pro- vided by Pace, the suburban transit agency. The DuPage County Department of Human Services administers the pro- gram on behalf of all participating entities. The program is primarily aimed at older adults and people with disabilities, although sponsoring agencies have been able to offer subsidies to many other DuPage residents as well. Participation is available through sponsoring cities, villages, townships and human services agencies. The program includes the following features: • Registration through a sponsor is required. • Discounted coupons can be obtained through the spon- sor. These coupons are worth $5 toward the cab fare. The typical discount is 50%, although some coupons are provided free of charge to participants in the county’s Transportation to Work Program. • Program participants may ride together and share their coupons for payment. • Travel is possible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, any- where in the county. • Trip reservations are made through one of nine cab com- panies and can be made up to 1 week in advance. • Lift-equipped vehicles are available. Sponsors include programs such as the DuPage County Transportation to Work Program (for people with develop- mental disabilities), the DuPage County Health Department Teen Parent Services program, and the DuPage County Access to Jobs Program (short-term assistance for county residents with incomes at or below 150% of federal poverty guide- lines who are actively seeking employment or are preparing to do so). The service initially began by using one taxi company but currently uses nine. The program provides about 35,000 trips per year and involves expenditures of approximately $310,000 for transportation service. Administration of the program requires the equivalent of one county employee. ACCESS Transportation Systems, Inc. In 1978, PAT, which is the Pittsburgh area’s public transit provider, received funding from the FTA for a transportation 38 brokerage demonstration program. The brokerage, which was established in 1979, is managed by ACCESS Trans- portation Systems, Inc. ACCESS has sponsorship agree- ments with 120 local agencies, including PennDOT, which provides state lottery revenues for senior transportation, and the County Office of the Bureau of Federal Programs, which is responsible for Medicaid transportation. PAT provides funding for ADA paratransit trips and the local match for the senior transportation program. For these 120 agencies, ACCESS is responsible for the coordinated provision of approximately two million trips annually through the network of ten for-profit and not-for- profit transportation providers it has under contract. General public customers may also use ACCESS services, but must pay a fare that covers the full cost of their trip. ACCESS is an example of a decentralized/administrative paratransit brokerage, reservation intake and scheduling being performed by the ten service providers. The ACCESS staff of 35 employees performs several centralized functions, including the following: • Design and maintenance of the service delivery structure • Provider procurement and negotiations • Contract/service monitoring • Provider training (e.g., management training, pas- senger assistance training, and training for drug abuse monitoring) • Reporting • Accounting (e.g., vendor payments and sponsor invoicing) • Information and referral • Eligibility determination • Customer registration • Sale of scrip for customers of the brokerage’s user-side subsidy program • Customer information services Providers are paid on a per hour basis and are assigned to specific zones. Including the administrative cost of the bro- kerage, the average cost per hour is $36.00, while the aver- age cost per trip is approximately $15. Average productivity for the service is 2.38 trips per hour. SCAT SCAT is the public transit operator in Brevard County, Florida. Today, SCAT offers a variety of services to the general public, including fixed-route bus service, ADA paratransit service, paratransit service for transportation- disadvantaged individuals, subscription service for human services agency clients, a bus pass program, a Medicaid brokerage, individual trips for seniors provided by volunteer drivers, and a Commuter Assistance Program. SCAT represents the consolidation of two separate sys- tems—the Consolidated Agencies Transportation Systems (CATS) and the Brevard Transportation Authority (BTA)— which, prior to consolidation, had provided transportation

service to transportation-disadvantaged individuals and the general public, respectively. In 1970, the Transportation Subcommittee of the Brevard County Community Services Council, made up of a number of human services agencies, conducted a study of available transportation services for transportation-disadvantaged peo- ple and developed a transportation plan based on the study’s findings. The plan proposed coordination of transportation services, which initially entailed the consolidation and reor- ganization of existing resources. Many of the coordination recommendations were implemented, which led to the devel- opment of CATS in 1974. Also in 1974, the BTA began providing general public transit service. Over time, BTA ridership declined, while CATS ridership increased significantly. Public support for the transportation services for the transportation disadvan- taged provided by CATS grew, while support for general public transportation provided by BTA diminished. After a performance review by the FTA in the early 1980s, the Brevard MPO worked with the two providers to address and resolve duplication of service and study the feasibility of consolidation. In 1983, a transportation development plan (TDP) was prepared, which included a detailed analysis of both providers, a short-term service integration plan, and a 5-year improvement plan. The MPO adopted the short-term plan in late spring 1983. The service integration strategy was to be tested for 2 years with the goal of total consolidation by 1988. In 1985, the systems were consolidated, with the Brevard Board of County Commissioners receiving the assets of BTA. A countywide contest was held to name the new system—the winning entry being SCAT. Reflecting its unique origin, SCAT continues to place a high priority on providing mobility to the transportation- disadvantaged groups that CATS was established to serve. TOP The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) has long recognized the importance of transportation to the self- sufficiency of their clients. In the past, the agency has con- ducted a number of studies that identified two major barriers that keep people with disabilities from being able to work. One of those barriers is transportation—specifically, finding information about the transportation options that are avail- able and knowing how to navigate the system. Despite the importance of transportation to their consumers, MRC also believed that a gap exists between transportation and human services providers. Transportation providers are accustomed to focusing on transportation operations and do not always understand the complex issues that affect people with disabilities. In the late 1990s, MRC staff became inter- ested in the idea of Transportation Options Managers (TOM), or mobility managers, and their potential to bridge the com- munication between human services and transportation pro- 39 viders. (Note that in this instance, mobility manager refers to a person who identifies travel options for a transportation- disadvantaged customer, much as a travel agent would do for a customer planning a vacation, rather than a transportation broker, which is an alternate definition of the term.) They recognized that the TOMs could be a centralized source of information for people with disabilities about the transportation services and resources available in their com- munities. At the same time, TOMs would be able to give MRC staff and the local transportation providers a better sense of the existing unmet need for transportation in local communi- ties. Identifying this need could ultimately help the local pro- viders better design their transportation services and increase coordination activities to meet those needs. After a year and a half of planning, MRC was able to secure a 5-year, $1.25 million demonstration grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Adminis- tration, to fund their mobility management initiative, called the TOP. The TOP program is currently in its fourth year, and three local RTAs are involved: the Franklin RTA (FRTA), the Montachusett Area RTA (MART), and Greater Attleboro Taunton RTA (GATRA). These RTAs were selected through a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by MRC. TOMs are housed at the local RTAs and are experts in both transporta- tion and human services. In order to help find affordable means of transportation for people with disabilities, the TOMs research the availability of transportation services in their regions, including accessible vanpool and carpool programs, low-cost subscription van programs, Councils on Aging (COAs), car donation and vehi- cle modification programs, ADA paratransit services, and other public transportation services. The TOMs use a person- centered transportation planning approach to match a per- son's needs to transportation options available in the com- munity. The focus of this process is to assist people to live and work successfully and independently in their respective communities. TOMs are also active in outreach activities, such as with local human services providers and in public forums. Cross County Transit Cross County Transit is a web-based system that tracks requests and schedules for out-of-county nonemergency med- ical transportation in North Carolina. Centralizing informa- tion about scheduled trips not only makes finding transporta- tion easier for individuals, it gives transportation providers more opportunities for grouping trips and improving service efficiency. Developed as a demonstration project with fund- ing from the North Carolina DOT, Public Transit Division, the system is among ongoing efforts by the division to facili- tate nonemergency medical transportation for state residents. The system can help people to find transportation to a medical facility in another county. It consists of a website on

which members of the general public and staff at human ser- vices agencies, healthcare facilities, or transit systems can enter trip request information into a database. Regional trans- portation coordinators check the database periodically and communicate with community transportation systems, which may then choose to coordinate one or more trips with other appropriate transportation providers. Cross County Transit is envisioned to serve the entire state of North Carolina eventually; however, activities are now focused primarily in two areas—the Piedmont Triad (Winston- Salem, Greensboro, High Point), and Asheville/western North Carolina. OTHER SERVICE DESIGN RESOURCES The following documents provide additional information about coordinated service delivery alternatives: • Best Practices in Specialized and Human Services Trans- portation Coordination, prepared by the Center for Sys- 40 tems and Program Development, Inc., for the U.S. DHHS and the U.S. Department of Transportation, July 1989. • Coordinating Transportation: Models of Cooperative Arrangements, prepared by EG&G Dynatrend and Community Transportation Association of America for the Community Transportation Assistance Project, Jan- uary 1992. • Coordinating Transportation Resources: States and American Indian Tribes on the Cutting Edge, prepared by the National Transportation Association of States under contract to Community Transportation Association of America for the Community Transportation Assis- tance Project, November 1994. • Jessica McCann, Medical Transportation Toolkit and Best Practices, prepared for Community Transportation Association of America’s Healthy Partnership Initia- tive, 2001. Appendix F, on the accompanying CD-ROM, contains an index of case studies and other guidance on the topic of ser- vices and operations.

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TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 105: Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged examines strategies for initiating or improving coordination of local and regional publicly funded transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged.

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