Integration of Paratransit and Fixed-Route Transit Services (2008)

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18 Eight transit systems with integrated services have been chosen for case studies. In addition to these case studies, Appendix C provides summaries of 14 other systems that responded to the survey. One additional case study for Oahu, Hawaii, where feeder service was explored but has not yet implemented, is presented in Appendix D. Included in this chapter are more detailed service descriptions, operating methods, some back- ground, and operating results. These case studies listed here were chosen because of their innovative character, perfor- mance, and availability of information. Ridership numbers and financial information are for fiscal years 2006 and/or 2007, unless otherwise stated: • TransLink (Vancouver, BC); • Pierce Transit (Tacoma, WA); • Utah Transit Authority (Salt Lake City, UT); • Agency For Community Transit (Madison County, IL); • ACCESS (Allegheny County, PA); • Community Bus Services (Broward County, FL); • Ride Connection (Portland, OR); and • Lane Transit District (Eugene, OR). TRANSLINK (CUSTOM TRANSIT), VANCOUVER, BC Feeder Service Custom Transit, formerly known as handyDART, is the name of the paratransit service operating in the greater Vancouver region. The region has a population more than 2 million. Cus- tom Transit provides approximately 1.1 million annual trips, and has an overall productivity of 2.1 trips per revenue hour. Custom Transit has been providing feeder service on an informal basis for more than a decade. Since this is not a formal program with specially designated codes for feeder trips, numbers of trips can only be estimated based on the volume of paratransit trips to SkyTrain, the elevated light rail system, and SeaBus, the local commuter ferry system. In 2007, more than 6,000 Custom Transit passengers were taken to these locations. An unknown number also were taken to bus stops. This system was the subject of a very detailed analysis in TCRP Web Document 2 (Multisystems and Crain & Asso- ciates 1997). Following is a discussion of some key findings from that report. Custom Transit service is provided by seven operators under contract to TransLink. Each operator provides its own call-taking, scheduling, and dispatching within a primary ser- vice area. Transfers between operators are common. Feeder service evolved as a way to provide long trips be- tween the suburbs and central Vancouver that would otherwise be too expensive or time consuming owing to traffic conges- tion. Travel between the suburbs and downtown is limited because of water barriers crossed by very few bridges, and because there are no freeways that provide connections to the downtown area. There are no formal criteria for determining which riders or trips are offered as feeder trips. According to the schedulers interviewed, three-quarters of the feeder trips provided are mandatory. That is, the rider is politely offered a feeder trip or no trip at all (trip denials are not illegal in British Columbia). Typically, a feeder trip is offered if the eligibility infor- mation indicates that a rider can board SkyTrain and/or SeaBus; and the trip destination is close to a SkyTrain stop or can be easily coordinated with another operator whose pri- mary service area is close to that stop, and: • The requested destination would require a lengthy para- transit trip; or • The requested trip occurs during peak hours; or • The rider asks for a feeder trip. Many riders have learned to ask for a feeder trip because they have learned that a direct paratransit trip to their desti- nations during specific service hours will not be available. When a passenger transfers from Custom Transit to Sky- Train or SeaBus, the paratransit vehicle drops the passenger off without waiting for the train or ferry to arrive. The short headways on these two modes already have been mentioned elsewhere in this report, precluding the need for coordination with Custom Transit. Operators indicated that, more often than not, passengers already are waiting when the van arrives for the pick-up from the train or ferry. Because of the reliability of the fixed-route modes, most feeder trips are for social/recreational and employment purposes. Focus group participants who use feeder service preferred feeder to direct paratransit service on a number of measures (travel time, schedule convenience, service availability, sense of independence). Direct paratransit scored better on personal effort and comfort level. Of the CHAPTER FIVE CASE STUDIES

19 49 respondents to a survey in the TCRP report, 63% indi- cated that they used wheelchairs, in contrast to 23% for the service as a whole. The following excerpt from the Custom Transit Policy and Procedure Manual presents the fare policy for those who transfer between Custom Transit and conventional modes: Custom Transit passengers are entitled to use SkyTrain, SeaBus, West Coast Express (commuter rail) and buses, and may trans- fer between these conventional transit services and Custom Transit. When transfers between Custom Transit and these ser- vices occur, fares will be paid and collected as follows: • A passenger who begins a trip on conventional transit may use a transfer or validated FareSaver ticket as proof of payment in lieu of a Custom Transit fare. Transfers are date and time- stamped to allow 90 minutes of transit travel. When the pas- senger transfers to Custom Transit, the transfer should be accepted as long as it shows the correct date. • A passenger who begins a trip on Custom Transit will pay the correct fare to the transfer point. The Custom Transit driver will give the passenger a three-zone FareSaver ticket, as proof of fare payment, for continuation of the journey on conven- tional transit. Contractors are required to stock three-zone FareSaver tickets to use as transfers. Occasionally a driver may not have a FareSaver ticket to give the user, and in such cases the passenger shall be required to pay the applicable fare on conventional transit. • If the passenger transfers back to Custom Transit for a third leg of the trip, then the passenger can use the transfer or vali- dated FareSaver that was issued on conventional transit. • If the client transfers between Custom Transit and the con- ventional transit modes on a high monthly frequency or sub- scription basis, the client should consider the purchase of a full fare monthly 3 Zone Fare card. A detailed analysis of the demand and cost implications of feeder service in the Custom Transit program revealed the following: • Paratransit trips that included a feeder portion averaged 12 miles, of which 4.9 miles was on the paratransit feeder leg(s); • Average trip time was 41 minutes, plus an unknown (but neg- ligible) amount of wait time—the time was evenly split be- tween paratransit and fixed-route; • Feeder trips cost less than half as much as a similar full trip would cost on paratransit, taking into account planning, book- ing, and operating costs; and • Overall cost savings from reduced paratransit mileage was estimated at $139,000, or roughly 1.3% of the annual para- transit budget at the time. PIERCE TRANSIT, TACOMA, WASHINGTON Feeder Service Since 1995, Pierce Transit has provided mandatory feeder service to paratransit registrants designated 3B. This eligibil- ity category signifies to the call taker that trip requests should be flagged to determine if the trip can be taken partially on fixed-route service. More detail is provided elsewhere in this report on the trip screening process, criteria for transfer loca- tions, and cost saving estimates. Of the 380,000 paratransit trips provided in 2007, more than 8,500 were provided as feeder trips. This number has re- mained relatively stable over the past decade. The paratransit fare is $0.75, half the fixed-route fare owing to Washington State regulations. Registrants who use feeder service pay the $1.50 fixed-route fare, unless they are being dropped off at one of the transit centers, in which case they only pay the feeder fare. TCRP Web Document 2, which included a detailed analy- sis of feeder operations at Pierce Transit, included the fol- lowing key findings: • About 9% of ADA paratransit eligible riders can use feeder service for all of their trips, and another 10% can use it for some of their trips. • Feeder trips are much longer than comparable direct paratransit trips, mainly because of the long wait times. In addition, the average feeder trip length of 11.1 miles can be done in 8.8 miles on direct paratransit. Owing to the effects of the longer distances and wait times, comparable trip times for these trips are 80 minutes on feeder versus 38 minutes on direct paratransit service. • Requiring riders to use feeder service has reduced ADA paratransit usage by those riders by 54%. Of those feeder riders who have stopped using paratransit, 45% said they do not go out as often as before. • The cost per trip savings on feeder trips was calculated at $16.38 in 1996. • Taking into account pre-trip planning, it was deter- mined that feeder will save the agency money as long as the average feeder trip is 0.5 mile shorter than the direct paratransit mileage for the same trip; in practice the av- erage mileage difference is 5.7 miles. • Only one-third of the 3B riders’ trip requests resulted in feeder service. Demand Responsive/Point Deviation Connector Service: Bus Plus Mid-County Bus Plus Mid-County is a general public demand response service that has been in operation since 2003 and serves an area not well served by fixed-route transit. Designated stops are located throughout the service area (see Figure 2). To use the service, a passenger calls Bus Plus Mid-County and re- quests a ride from the bus stop located closest to the passen- ger’s trip origin. Since the service area is limited, passengers who need to leave the Bus Plus Mid-County service area must transfer to the fixed-route bus service. Passengers wish- ing to use the service must call Bus Plus at least two hours in advance. Bus Plus Mid-County is primarily used by people with disabilities, commuters, and youth. Ridership in 2007 totaled 19,600. Fares are $1.50 (adult), $0.75 (senior/disabled). Trans- ferring to a fixed-route service is free. The productivity on this service is 2.97 passengers per revenue hour.

20 Point/Route Deviation Service Name: Bus Plus Bus Plus routes have a fixed route and schedule, but will de- viate off the route upon request to designated Bus Plus off- route stops. Similar to the Mid-County mode, the principle users are people with disabilities, students, commuters, and youth. Ridership in 2006 was 120,000 for all Bus Plus routes. Productivity is three passengers per hour, and cost per trip $18.71. This compares with $4.50 per trip on fixed route and $34.00 on paratransit. UTAH TRANSIT AUTHORITY, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH Feeder Service Consistent with the heavy emphasis on inclusionary trans- portation services, UTA has taken a number of steps to support its mandatory feeder service. Feeder trips are based on the conditions determined in the in-person eligibility screening process. To determine conditional eligibility, a supervisor is sent to the rider’s home to determine the environmental or physical barriers preventing the rider from accessing the fixed-route service. Factors that may lead to conditional eligi- bility can be environmental or architectural barriers, en- durance, etc. UTA is currently in the process of identifying specific transfer points for the feeder service. Locations are chosen based on accessibility, amenities, and fixed-route service. All conditionally eligible riders receive a DVD explain- ing how to use the fixed-route service. The scheduling staff also provides a buddy ride-along for first time fixed-route riders, and all ADA paratransit eligible riders can ride fixed- route services for free. As a result of a variety of measures, including the introduction of feeder service, paratransit ridership has declined from 538,000 in 2001 to 484,000 in 2007. Fare: Paratransit—$2.25, Fixed-Route—$1.75 (adult), $0.85 (senior/disabled). Transfers to fixed-route service from the feeder service are free. Productivity (2006): 2.17 passengers per revenue hour. Point/Route Deviation Service: UTA Route F94, Brigham Lift UTA offers two deviated fixed-route services: Route F94 and Brigham Lift (Figure 3). These services have a fixed route and schedule, but allow up to three deviations of up to a one- half mile from the route per one-way trip. The services were designed to provide a more flexible service for seniors, per- sons with disabilities, and the general public. Fare: $1.75 (adult), $0.85 (senior/disabled); deviated ser- vice costs $1.00 extra. AGENCY FOR COMMUNITY TRANSIT, GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS Agency for Community Transit (ACT) is a nonprofit corpo- ration that serves as the contractor for Madison County Tran- sit (MCT). ACT operates the Runabout service as well as the entire MCT fixed-route bus service. Feeder Service Mandatory feeder service is provided to those who have con- ditional eligibility or elderly eligible passengers. Transfer sites are determined by passenger amenities including pres- ence of a shelter. Transit stations are preferred locations and there are currently four in the service area. Once passengers are dropped off by the feeder service, the driver provides no additional assistance. Passengers do not generally like using the feeder service, but the agency has deemed this necessary to conserve funds to accommodate all required trips. Before implementing a FIGURE 2 Route map from Pierce County’s Bus Plus service.

21 feeder service, staff recommends contacting senior and dis- ability advocacy groups and users of the paratransit service. Opposition can be expected, but with more information and involvement the groups are more likely to support the service. Approximately 25% of the 120,000 paratransit trips are provided on a feeder basis. A significant proportion of these trips are provided to students with cognitive disabilities attending the community college. Many of the feeder trips in- volve more than two legs. Fares range from $1.50 to $4.50, depending on the num- ber of zones. Transfers to fixed-route services are free. Para- transit productivity is 1.95 passengers per revenue hour. ACCESS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS—PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Feeder Service Conditionally, ADA eligible individuals who cannot get to and from transit stops as a result of a barrier are offered feeder ser- vice to or from fixed-route bus stops. Feeder stops are chosen for their amenities including accessibility, seating, and pres- ence of a shelter. Designated transfer locations are located at park and ride facilities, malls, shopping centers, neighborhood business districts, police and fire stations, and busway and light rail stops (see Figure 4). The choice of feeder service is based on either a request from the customer or an evaluation of the customer’s condition of eligibility, the path of travel, FIGURE 3 Route map for UTA’s Route F94 service. FIGURE 4 Holly feeder service in Allegheny County.

and the travel time of the trip. Use of the service is manda- tory unless passengers choose to pay double for a conven- tional paratransit trip. Tighter on-time paratransit windows are established for the feeder service. The customer is guar- anteed a ride if their transit connection is missed owing to late paratransit feeder service. During a transfer between the feeder service and the fixed route, drivers may wait with a passenger if necessary or, for trips to the airport, the driver will place the luggage on the other vehicle. The service is usually unpopular with passengers initially. Passengers do not like to transfer and can be apprehensive about using the fixed-route service. With experience, how- ever, confidence in the service improves. One interesting in- novation is the use of feeder service as part of the agency’s travel instruction program. The agency trains 16–21-year-old high school students with disabilities who are preparing to enter the workforce. If they live in areas not served by transit or there are barriers to their accessing transit services, they learn to take the trip using feeder service to the bus stop. This travel instruction serves to lower potential paratransit depen- dence for frequent travelers. Ridership: The 2,500 paratransit feeder trips constitute a very small percentage of the overall annual ridership, which is 1.7 million. Fare: Passengers pay the fixed-route fare for trip. 1 Zone— $1.00, 2 Zones—$1.30, 3 Zones—$1.60. Demand Responsive Connector: Airport Corridor Transportation Association Employer Shuttles, ACTA “Just in Time” Rides These are two types of free-fare shuttles located in Pittsburgh’s western suburbs that are primarily geared toward commuters and students, but include a proportion of people with disabili- ties and were designed with the disability community in mind. ACTA Employer Shuttles. ACTA works with developers and businesses to shuttle employees and customers from bus stops to their locations off the fixed-route service. ACTA “Just in Time” Rides. An ACTA shuttle meets passengers at designated bus stops on the fixed-route system every 20 minutes and will take them to their requested stop within a three mile radius of the bus stop. Passengers can arrange for a pick-up time to return to the bus stop once on the vehicle. While paratransit savings have not been realized by the service, fixed-route ridership has increased. These services are partially funded by employers. With- out employer support and funding, finding operating money can be a challenge and can lead to service cuts. 22 Community Bus Services: Work Link, Ship of Zion Community bus routes circulate through neighborhoods on a fixed route and schedule in small vehicles where regular fixed-route is not available. The services link passengers to major trip generators and to the regular fixed routes for ac- cess to services, jobs, and schools. The principal users of the services are low-income per- sons, students, commuters, and seniors. There is no charge for the service, although riders must first fill out an applica- tion before riding to obtain a free pass. Route Deviation Service: Elder Express Elder Express is a neighborhood-based service with fixed route and schedule, but deviates upon request with an advanced reservation. The shuttle serves major shopping centers, community centers, senior housing developments, and transit centers. Riders must be 65 or older or be ADA paratransit eligible to use the service. The service is spon- sored with local community groups such as the United Jewish Federation Foundation and Ladies Hospital Aid Society. The fare is $2.00. Ticket books are available for purchase. Transfers to fixed-route services are free. Productivity on this service is 3.8 passengers per revenue hour. BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT, PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Community Bus Service Twenty-two municipalities in Broward County have part- nered with BCT for the provision of community bus/ connector service. This service is designed to increase the number of destinations within city limits that residents can access through public transit. All community buses connect to BCT fixed-routes—this is one of the requirements of the program (Figure 5). Other requirements include that the community bus service must not duplicate BCT fixed routes, and that productivities of at least 5 trips per hour must be maintained. Owing to a recent tax-cutting measure, the county is being pressured to raise this level to 10 trips per hour. Productivity ranges from 2.7 to 25.1 passengers per hour, but the majority fall in the 8 to 12 trips per hour range. This is in contrast to the county’s paratransit productivity of 1.74. Ridership in 2007 was approximately 2.2 million, com- pared with 39.2 million for the fixed-route service in the county. The type of service provided (e.g., fixed-route demand- response, and deviated fixed-route), schedules, routes, fares, etc., are determined by each city government and differ by municipality. Some of the cities provide the service in-house, while others contract out their service. The routes are designed

23 FIGURE 5 Sample brochure of community bus service in Broward Country.

24 to provide maximum access to grocery stores, medical facil- ities, and social services. BCT provides the vehicles and an annual operating stipend of $20 per vehicle service hour for each service. All vehicles are equipped with bicycle racks and wheelchair lifts. All but four of the cities charge no fare for the service. INTEGRATED SERVICES IN PORTLAND AND EUGENE, OREGON The metropolitan areas of Portland and Eugene are particularly rich in provision of integrated services, partially a result of the presence of nonprofit transportation providers in each area that predate the passage of the ADA by many years. The variety of services provided in these areas is showcased in the fol- lowing discussion. Portland and Surrounding Communities: Ride Connection Ride Connection was established in the mid-1980s to coor- dinate existing volunteer driver programs serving people with disabilities and older adults. Ride Connection now has a net- work of 30 service providers and is a major partner to TriMet in the provision of service to this population in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. TriMet provides partial funding for a range of Ride Connection programs that help reduce ADA paratransit demand, and even provides outreach for these programs to encourage individuals to use those ser- vices rather than TriMet’s paratransit service. It has been esti- mated that approximately 80% of Ride Connection customers would be ADA paratransit eligible, and thus the organization plays a critical role in containing the costs of ADA paratransit services in the region. Ride Connection provides the following services: • Information and Referral: Ride Connection’s Service Center provides personalized trip planning that matches riders to the mode most suited to their abilities. • Travel Training: this collaboration with TriMet ranges from trip planning assistance to one-on-one travel training. • Community Transportation Services: more than 350,000 annual trips are provided over a service area of 3,700 square miles. These services include door-to-door service, shared-vehicle and retired–vehicle programs, and community shuttles. Community Shuttles To improve local mobility options for elders and people with disabilities and to create more cost-effective group options for rides to common destinations, Ride Connection developed a number of community shuttles, and two more are planned for 2008. These neighborhood circulators operate in designated communities, offering scheduled service to local shopping, grocery and activity centers. Some of these shuttles also provide connections to fixed-route transit stops, thus serving as Connectors or feeder service. To date, Ride Connection and TriMet have jointly created six community shuttles, of which four are consistent with the definition of integrated services: • King City Shuttle (Figure 6); • Northwest Portland Ministries Shuttle; • North/Northeast RideAbout; and • Catch-A-Ride. These are described here in more detail. Service began in 2001. This free, deviated route, general public shuttle service operated by the American Red Cross runs weekdays in the residential and commercial areas of King City/ Summerfield in the Portland metro area. Customers can wave down the minibus from the sidewalk along the route or call the Ride Connection Service Center one day in advance to be picked up at their door. Connections to/from TriMet fixed-route service on Highway 99W average 28 per month; 7,149 rides were provided in FY 2007 at a cost of $5.56 each. Northwest Portland Ministries Senior Shuttle Service began in December 2005 when TriMet canceled the line 83 service. This free deviated route shuttle offers service to older adults and people with disabilities residing in high-rise buildings in downtown Portland. This service allows cus- tomers to connect with fixed-route service on every loop, as well as local shopping, medical, and personal trip destina- tions. Customers meet the shuttle at their door at posted one hour intervals, seven days a week. In FY 2007 3,853 rides were provided at a cost of $16.40 each. North/Northeast RideAbout Service began in 2004. Three minibuses operate on weekdays, serving older adults and people with disabilities in inner North/ Northeast Portland. African–American Chamber of Com- merce, American Red Cross, Metropolitan Family Service– Project Linkage, and the Urban League of Portland provide the service (Figure 7). Free local trips are offered for fixed- route connections, senior center, nutrition, medical, shopping, volunteer work, or any personal trip. Most service is demand response; however, a shopping shuttle service is offered weekly when customers can board a minibus at posted times at their building door. In FY 2007, 22,298 rides were provided at a cost of $7.13 each. Catch-A-Ride Dial-a-ride service to medical appointments and necessary errands is provided by Transportation Reaching People Pro- gram for seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income in- dividuals. The Catch-A-Ride was established to assist people

25 with disabilities and low-income individuals to employment- related destinations including college and workshops. This is also a driver training program for individuals to gain employ- ment skills as drivers, dispatchers, and office support staff. One-third of the trip destinations are to fixed-route connections. Cost per ride is $16.76. More than 3,000 annual trips are pro- vided through this program. Demand-Response Feeder: Sandy Dial-A-Ride Sandy is a rapidly growing community of 7,700, located ap- proximately 23 miles east of Portland. In 2000, Sandy opted out of the TriMet system and decided to establish its own free fare, low-floor transit service. The current program provides demand-response service for people with disabilities in the town and takes them to a downtown fixed-route bus stop. Approximately 6,355 (or 32%) of the general public demand- response service in town is for disabled riders. An additional 3,684 (or 23%) is for older adults. About 3,000 of these trips for elderly and disabled riders involve a transfer to the fixed- route service downtown, from which riders are transported 10 miles to the nearest MAX (light rail) stop in Gresham. There are also nine TriMet bus lines that operate from this station, so riders have a range of options when they arrive. Most riders transported to Gresham continue their trips on the TriMet system. LANE TRANSIT DISTRICT, EUGENE, OREGON LTD contracts for a variety of transportation services targeted toward people with disabilities that serve to integrate fixed- route and paratransit services. These include paratransit feeder King City Shuttle FIGURE 6 Shuttle route operated in King City, Portland metro area. FIGURE 7 Ride Connection passenger transfers from TriMet bus to shuttle service, Portland, Oregon.

26 service, a weekly shopper service that diverts a significant number of rides from the ADA paratransit service, a rural fixed-route service that feeds into a demand-response distrib- utor service in downtown Eugene, and a program that facili- tates transfers for people with disabilities at the downtown transit center. RideSource, the paratransit program for people with dis- abilities in Eugene and Springfield, is provided by Special Mobility Services (SMS), a nonprofit transportation operator under contract to the Lane Transit District. Feeder Service RideSource provides limited mandatory feeder service to fixed-route bus stops and transit stations. Transfer points are determined on a case-by-case basis and are based on passen- ger needs, route connectivity, and bus stop amenities. Condi- tional eligibility is based on barriers to using fixed-route services such as distance from a fixed route, stamina, etc. The feeder service is described as more of a policy and prac- tice than a regular service. Feeder riders pay only the fixed- route fare for the trip. The feeder program has led to a reduction in the number of revenue miles, even though the number of feeder trips in 2007 was only 404 out of approximately 69,000 ADA para- transit ridership. The program appears to discourage para- transit usage, as some of those who have been offered feeder service have refused and found other alternatives. Agency staff indicate that the low feeder usage compared with an area such as Tacoma is partially explained by the dif- ferent land use development patterns. Whereas Tacoma has de- veloped low-density residential areas that sprawl over a broad swath of Pierce County, the Eugene–Springfield metro area has tight urban growth boundaries. As a result, development is fairly concentrated and surrounded by farmland. Transit service within the growth boundary is relatively extensive and frequent for a small urbanized area. When LTD implemented strict para- transit eligibility screening in 2001, very few feeder candidates were identified, as most people who could use fixed-route ser- vice were located in areas accessible to fixed route. To illustrate the degree of cost savings that may be accrued from providing feeder rather than direct service, RideSource conducted a cost analysis of two feeder riders. Both individ- uals transfer to the new free-fare rapid transit service, the EmX, which operates on 10 minute headways during peak hours (Figure 8). The annual reduction in paratransit travel for just these two individuals amounts to about 51 vehicle hours, or a cost savings of approximately $2,500. Shopper Service SMS operates a shopper service open to people with disabil- ities and individuals over 60. While the program does not require an application process and is based on self-declaration, it has been estimated that approximately 90% of the riders are ADA-eligible, since most hear about it through the ADA paratransit program. The program serves different neigh- borhoods each day of the week. The cost per trip is $9.45 compared with paratransit trip costs of $22.94. Productivity on the shopper service has averaged approximately 3.8 trips per hour during the past three years, compared with slightly over two for paratransit service. Since approximately 6,500 annual trips are provided on the shopper service, and approximately 5,300 are to predominantly ADA paratransit eligible riders, the transit agency accrues significant cost savings from the program. The shopper fare is $2, compared with $2.50 on the paratransit program. Fixed-Route to Paratransit Feeder: Diamond Express The Diamond Express provides commuter service three times daily in each direction from the rural community of Oakridge (population 3,800), located about 40 miles from Eugene, to the Eugene Downtown Station. During the off- peak trips, the service converts to a demand-response mode from the Eugene Downtown Station. This accounts for approximately two hours out of the 11 hour service day. Pri- ority is given to people with disabilities or the elderly, who otherwise would likely be eligible for the ADA paratransit service, which costs almost twice the unit cost per trip. An LTD day pass is provided to riders who are able to use fixed- route bus service while in Eugene. FIGURE 8 Wheelchair user boarding EmX Bus Rapid Transit.

27 An estimated 10% of the 10,404 trips provided in 2007 were demand-response trips, presumably largely for people with disabilities. Facilitated Transfers at Downtown Transit Center: Transit Host Program LTD identified the difficulty for people with disabilities to transfer between buses as one of the greatest barriers to using fixed-route service. The Transit Host program was designed to address this need by stationing a staff member at the Eugene Transit Station to assist people with disabilities making their transfers. Without the Transit Host program, LTD estimates that 75% of those with travel training alone would not be able to use the fixed-route system. The Transit Host program is staffed by two employees of Alternative Work Concepts (AWC), a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities find employment who share a 40-hour work week. At the beginning of each day, the hosts receive a list of AWC riders expected to pass through the transit center that day. The program assists with about 1,000 transfers each month, including people with disabilities who may not be associated with the agency. LTD has estimated that the pro- gram provides annual savings of $93,000 by shifting riders from RideSource to fixed route, and the combined savings for the Travel Host and Travel Training program is estimated at $195,000 per year. The LTD contract for both programs with AWC was $79,000 in 2005. Point/Route Deviation: Rhody Express The Rhody Express is a small community circulator operat- ing in Florence, a coastal town in Lane County. The service has a fixed route and schedule, but deviates off the route up to two blocks to pick-up and drop-off passengers by request. Passengers, who are predominantly people with disabilities, may board and get off the vehicle at any point along the route and do not have to wait for marked bus stops.