Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page R1
TRANSIT
TCRP REPORT 142
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
Sponsored by
the Federal
Transit Administration
Vehicle Operator Recruitment,
Retention, and Performance
in ADA Complementary
Paratransit Operations
OCR for page R2
TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2010 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
SELECTION COMMITTEE*
CHAIR OFFICERS
Ann August
Santee Wateree Regional Transportation Authority CHAIR: Michael R. Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of
Governments, Arlington
MEMBERS VICE CHAIR: Neil J. Pedersen, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore
John Bartosiewicz
McDonald Transit Associates EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
Michael Blaylock
Jacksonville Transportation Authority MEMBERS
Linda J. Bohlinger
HNTB Corp. J. Barry Barker, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
Raul Bravo Allen D. Biehler, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg
Raul V. Bravo & Associates Larry L. Brown, Sr., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson
Gregory Cook
Veolia Transportation Deborah H. Butler, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern Corporation,
Terry Garcia Crews Norfolk, VA
StarTran William A.V. Clark, Professor, Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles
Angela Iannuzziello Eugene A. Conti, Jr., Secretary of Transportation, North Carolina DOT, Raleigh
ENTRA Consultants
John Inglish Nicholas J. Garber, Henry L. Kinnier Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, and Director,
Utah Transit Authority Center for Transportation Studies, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Sherry Little Jeffrey W. Hamiel, Executive Director, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, MN
Spartan Solutions, LLC
Jonathan H. McDonald
Paula J. Hammond, Secretary, Washington State DOT, Olympia
HNTB Corporation Edward A. (Ned) Helme, President, Center for Clean Air Policy, Washington, DC
Gary W. McNeil Adib K. Kanafani, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
GO Transit Susan Martinovich, Director, Nevada DOT, Carson City
Michael P. Melaniphy
Motor Coach Industries Debra L. Miller, Secretary, Kansas DOT, Topeka
Bradford Miller Sandra Rosenbloom, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority Tracy L. Rosser, Vice President, Corporate Traffic, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Mandeville, LA
Frank Otero Steven T. Scalzo, Chief Operating Officer, Marine Resources Group, Seattle, WA
PACO Technologies
Keith Parker Henry G. (Gerry) Schwartz, Jr., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc., St. Louis, MO
VIA Metropolitan Transit Beverly A. Scott, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Peter Rogoff Authority, Atlanta, GA
FTA David Seltzer, Principal, Mercator Advisors LLC, Philadelphia, PA
Jeffrey Rosenberg
Amalgamated Transit Union Daniel Sperling, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science and Policy; Director, Institute of
Richard Sarles Transportation Studies; and Interim Director, Energy Efficiency Center, University of California, Davis
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Kirk T. Steudle, Director, Michigan DOT, Lansing
Michael Scanlon Douglas W. Stotlar, President and CEO, Con-Way, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI
San Mateo County Transit District
Marilyn Shazor C. Michael Walton, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority
James Stem EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
United Transportation Union
Gary Thomas Peter H. Appel, Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S.DOT
Dallas Area Rapid Transit J. Randolph Babbitt, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT
Frank Tobey Rebecca M. Brewster, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA
First Transit
Matthew O. Tucker George Bugliarello, President Emeritus and University Professor, Polytechnic Institute of New York
North County Transit District University, Brooklyn; Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC
Pam Ward Anne S. Ferro, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
Ottumwa Transit Authority LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the
Alice Wiggins-Tolbert
Parsons Brinckerhoff Interior, Washington, DC
Edward R. Hamberger, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS John C. Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation
William W. Millar
APTA Officials, Washington, DC
Robert E. Skinner, Jr. David T. Matsuda, Deputy Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S.DOT
TRB Victor M. Mendez, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT
John C. Horsley William W. Millar, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
AASHTO
Victor Mendez Robert J. Papp (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of
FHWA Homeland Security, Washington, DC
Cynthia L. Quarterman, Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,
TDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Louis Sanders U.S.DOT
APTA Peter M. Rogoff, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT
David L. Strickland, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
SECRETARY
Christopher W. Jenks Joseph C. Szabo, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.DOT
TRB Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S.DOT
Robert L. Van Antwerp (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
*Membership as of June 2010. *Membership as of July 2010.
OCR for page R3
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
TCRP REPORT 142
Vehicle Operator Recruitment,
Retention, and Performance
in ADA Complementary
Paratransit Operations
Russell Thatcher
Thomas Procopio
Caroline Ferris
TRANSYSTEMS CORP.
Boston, MA
Mary Davis
Clementine Morris
MCGLOTHIN DAVIS, INC.
Denver, CO
Will Rodman
David Koffman
Richard Weiner
Lisa Jacobson
NELSON\NYGAARD CONSULTING ASSOCIATES, INC.
San Francisco, CA
Marilyn Golden
DISABILITY RIGHTS EDUCATION & DEFENSE FUND (DREDF)
Berkeley, CA
Subscriber Categories
Public Transportation
Research sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2010
www.TRB.org
OCR for page R4
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM TCRP REPORT 142
The nation's growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, Project F-13
and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current ISSN 1073-4872
systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand ISBN 978-0-309-15493-2
service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve Library of Congress Control Number 2010932894
these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, to © 2010 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to intro-
duce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative
Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by
which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
to meet demands placed on it. Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining
written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously
The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report
published or copyrighted material used herein.
213--Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this
and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation
publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the
Administration--now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA,
report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product,
Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem- method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for
educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of
solving research. TCRP, modeled after the longstanding and success- any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission
ful National Cooperative Highway Research Program, undertakes from CRP.
research and other technical activities in response to the needs of tran-
sit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes a variety of transit
research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment,
NOTICE
facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and
The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Cooperative Research
administrative practices.
Program, conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the
TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Pro- Governing Board of the National Research Council.
posed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was autho-
The members of the technical panel selected to monitor this project and to review this
rized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance.
of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement out- The report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to
lining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooper- procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved
by the Governing Board of the National Research Council.
ating organizations: FTA, the National Academies, acting through the
Transportation Research Board (TRB); and the Transit Development The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the
researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation
Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit educational and research orga- Research Board, the National Research Council, or the program sponsors.
nization established by APTA. TDC is responsible for forming the
The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research
independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Council, and the sponsors of the Transit Cooperative Research Program do not endorse
Project Selection (TOPS) Committee. products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein solely because
Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but they are considered essential to the object of the report.
may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility
of the TOPS Committee to formulate the research program by identi-
fying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS
Committee defines funding levels and expected products.
Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, appointed
by the Transportation Research Board. The panels prepare project state-
ments (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide techni-
cal guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process
for developing research problem statements and selecting research
agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research pro-
grams since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve
voluntarily without compensation.
Because research cannot have the desired impact if products fail to
reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on dissemi-
Published reports of the
nating TCRP results to the intended end users of the research: tran-
sit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other support- are available from:
ing material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for Transportation Research Board
workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure Business Office
that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry 500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
practitioners.
The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively and can be ordered through the Internet at
address common operational problems. The TCRP results support and http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
complement other ongoing transit research and training programs. Printed in the United States of America
OCR for page R5
OCR for page R6
COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR TCRP REPORT 142
Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Gwen Chisholm Smith, Senior Program Officer
Tom KGC Van Boven, Senior Program Assistant
Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications
Maria Sabin Crawford, Assistant Editor
TCRP PROJECT F-13 PANEL
Field of Human Resources
Carol Perkins, Central Ohio Transit Authority, Columbus, OH (Chair)
Doran J. Barnes, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA
Raymond Blethen, Paratransit Management of Lowell, Inc., Lowell, MA
Susan Gallagher, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Oakland, CA
Thomas M. Greufe, Forsythe Transportation, Phoenix, AZ
Nancy Pineles, Maryland Disability Law Center, Baltimore, MD
Jeffrey M. Rosenberg, Amalgamated Transit Union, Washington, DC
W. Peter Wallace, Charlotte Area Transit Systems, Charlotte, NC
Carol Wright, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
Jonathan Klein, FTA Liaison
Robert Carlson, Community Transportation Association of America Liaison
Lynne Morsen, APTA Liaison
Martine A. Micozzi, TRB Liaison
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research reported herein was performed under TCRP Project F-13 by a team comprised of employ-
ees from TranSystems Corp., Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc., McGlothin Davis, Inc., and the
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF). TranSystems Corp. was the prime contractor for
this study with the other firms participating as subcontractors.
Russell Thatcher of TranSystems Corp. was the Principal Investigator. Others assisting from TranSystems
included Thomas Procopio and Caroline Ferris. Will Rodman was the Project Manager for Nelson\Nygaard
Consulting Associates, Inc., assisted by David Koffman, Richard Weiner, and Lisa Jacobson. Mary Davis
was the Project Manager for McGlothin Davis, Inc., assisted by Clementine Morris. Marilyn Golden was
the Project Manager for DREDF.
The research team would also like to acknowledge the many transit agency and paratransit contractor
staff who provided information and agreed to serve as case studies.
OCR for page R7
FOREWORD
By Gwen Chisholm Smith
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
TCRP Report 142: Vehicle Operator Recruitment, Retention, and Performance in ADA Com-
plementary Paratransit Operations provides guidance on the relationships that influence and
enhance operator recruitment, retention, and performance in ADA complementary para-
transit services. This report includes examples of programs, efforts, and industry best prac-
tices and provides suggestions and methods for improving operator recruitment, retention,
and performance. The information in the report is formulated to help public transit agencies
improve productivity, manage costs, and offer passengers improved ADA paratransit service
quality. The report covers ADA complementary paratransit services that are contracted out,
provided in-house, or operated through a brokerage.
This report will be helpful to public transit agencies and paratransit service providers.
Vehicle operator performance is a critical factor in service quality and efficiency in all
types of public transportation services. This is particularly true in ADA complementary
paratransit operations where operators provide considerable assistance to riders with a
variety of disabilities and must have a good working knowledge of the entire service area
in which they are operating. ADA paratransit service quality is dependent on operators
understanding individual rider needs and providing appropriate assistance. Operators
must be able to interpret and carry out complex shared-ride runs, navigate between
pick-up and drop-off locations, competently use appropriate technology, locate correct
boarding locations at complex pick-up points, and board/disembark riders safely and
efficiently.
Maintaining a qualified and well-trained operator workforce is critical to providing a
safe and effective ADA paratransit operation. Paratransit performance can be adversely
affected when service providers must constantly recruit and train new operators because
of high turnover. Research was needed to identify key factors that affect operator recruit-
ment, retention, and performance in all types of ADA paratransit service delivery. This
research would help public transit agencies and paratransit service providers enhance
the quality of service for riders and provide more efficient and cost-effective paratransit
services.
To assist in the development of TCRP Report 142, the research team conducted a survey
to identify the factors and issues considered most important to operator recruitment,
retention, and performance. The survey participants were from small, medium, and large
public transit agencies that administer or operate paratransit services and contractors who
operate various paratransit delivery models, such as directly operated services and bro-
kered services. Based on the information gathered from the survey results, the researchers
OCR for page R8
identified the key factors that impact operator recruitment, retention, and performance.
The researchers further explored the interrelationships between the key factors and
operator recruitment, retention, and performance.
The report presents several approaches being used to improve recruitment and
retention, and the report addresses wage parity between paratransit and fixed route
operators.
OCR for page R9
CONTENTS
1 Summary
5 Chapter 1 Background
5 Study Issues, Goals, and Methodology
6 Organization of the Report
8 Chapter 2 Understanding Vehicle Operator Recruitment
and Retention Issues
8 Literature Review
8 An Overview of Paratransit Vehicle Operator Issues
9 FTA ADA Paratransit Compliance Reviews
10 Demographic Factors Affecting Availability of Qualified Workers
11 Impact of Management Characteristics and Practices
12 Shortage of Vehicle Operators in Other Sectors: Fixed-Route Transit,
School Bus, and Trucking
13 Successful Approaches to Recruiting and Retaining Transit
Vehicle Operators
14 Workforce Planning: A Tool for Facilitating Vehicle Operator Availability
15 Successful Approaches Cited in Other Transportation Sectors
18 Focus Group Findings
18 Attractiveness of the Operator Position
19 Why Some Do Not Apply
19 How Providers Attract Applicants
20 Why Operators Leave
20 Factors Adversely Affecting Operator Satisfaction and Performance
21 Improvement of Job Satisfaction and Performance
21 Quality of Processes for Resolving Operator Issues
21 Implications of Findings
23 Chapter 3 National Survey Results
23 Development of the Survey
23 Distribution of the Survey
23 Responses
24 Perceived Impacts of Operator Recruitment and Retention (Public Entities)
24 Workforce Status
25 Pre-Qualification Requirements
26 Hours of Training
26 Training Completion Rates
27 Reasons for High Training Drop-Out Rates
27 Annual Post-Training Turnover Rates
28 Work Assignments
28 Use of Split Shifts
30 Pay Rates
OCR for page R10
31 Use of Pay Differentials
31 Impact of Wages on Turnover
32 Union Representation and Impacts on Wages
33 Types of Fringe Benefits Provided
34 Level of Fringe Benefits Provided
35 Relationship Between Paratransit and Fixed-Route Workforces
37 Equalizing Pay Between Modes
37 Factors That Impact Vehicle Operator Recruitment
39 Efforts Made to Improve Recruitment
41 Factors That Impact Vehicle Operator Retention
42 Efforts Made to Improve Retention
45 Innovative Procurement Strategies
49 Chapter 4 Model of Factors That Affect Vehicle Operator
Recruitment, Retention, and Performance
49 The "Performance Pyramid"
49 Attracting and Selecting "The Right" Employees
49 Developing an Employee Profile and Pre-Qualifications
50 Competitive Wages
51 Benefits
51 Work Shifts
51 Recruitment Efforts
52 Agency/Company Image
52 Providing Effective Training and Tools
53 Training
54 Tools
54 Providing Support and a Positive Work Environment
54 Workable Schedules
55 Dispatch Support
55 Management Support
56 An Effective Grievance Process
56 Recognition
56 Work Environment
56 Underlying Causal Factors That Impact Vehicle Operator Recruitment
and Retention
57 Important Inter-Relationships
57 Compensation, Turnover, Productivity and Total Cost
58 Compensation and Recruitment and Training Costs
59 Chapter 5 The Relationship Between Compensation
and Turnover
59 Purpose of the Analysis and Data Sources
60 Exploratory Analysis
60 Regression Analysis
61 Graphical Analysis and Discussion
61 Starting Wage, Provider Type, and Turnover
62 Health Care Coverage, Provider Type, and Turnover
63 Summary of Findings
65 Chapter 6 Tenure and Performance
65 Impacts of Tenure on Productivity
65 Methodology
OCR for page R11
66 Productivity Results--DART, Dallas, TX
68 Productivity Results--LYNX, Orlando, FL
69 Impacts of Tenure on On-Time Performance
69 Methodology
70 On-Time Performance Results--DART, Dallas, TX
70 On-Time Performance Results--LYNX, Orlando, FL
71 Impacts of Tenure on Complaints
71 Methodology
71 Complaint Rate Results--DART, Dallas, TX
72 Complaint Rate Results--LYNX, Orlando, FL
72 Summary of Findings
74 Chapter 7 The Cost of Turnover
74 Methodology
75 Case Study Summaries
75 Charlotte Area Transit System Special Transportation Service
77 MV Transportation, Denver, CO
78 Veolia Transportation, Baltimore, MD
79 Summary of Findings
79 Observations
80 The Other Costs of Turnover
81 Chapter 8 Examples of Reported Practices and Tools
81 Attracting and Selecting "The Right" Employees
81 Characteristics of Successful ADA Paratransit Operators
83 Developing a Job Description
83 Effective Recruiting Approaches
87 Comprehensive Pre-Employment Screening
88 Realistic Job Previews
90 Compensation
92 Tools and Training for Paratransit Operators
92 New Employee Orientation
92 Job-Specific Training for New Operators
92 Training in Advanced Technologies
93 Reinforcing Safety as a Value
93 Recertification
93 Providing a Supportive Work Environment
96 Employee Communication
96 Best Practice: Early and Ongoing Input and Involvement
97 Best Practice: Mentoring
99 Chapter 9 Benefits and Issues Related to Workforce
Integration and Wage Parity
100 Methodology
100 Reasons for Workforce Integration and Wage Parity
100 Costs and Benefits of Workforce Integration and Wage Parity
103 Union Issues
103 Varieties of Integration
104 Training
104 Case Studies
104 Instituting Full Workforce Integration and Wage Parity:
Chelan-Douglas Public Transit Benefit Area (Link Transit),
Wenatchee, WA
OCR for page R12
105 Integration of an Alternative to Paratransit: The City of Annapolis
Department of Transportation (Annapolis Transit), Annapolis, MD
106 Partially Integrating the Workforce and Equalizing Wages:
San Joaquin Regional Transit (San Joaquin RTD), Stockton, CA
106 The Dynamics of Recently Instituting Wage Parity:
Utah Transit Authority (UTA), Salt Lake City, UT
108 Chapter 10 Case Studies of Procurement
and Contracting Best Practices
108 Approach and Methodology
109 Lessons Learned
111 Case Studies
111 Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Dallas, TX
111 Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD), Denver, CO
112 Community Transit, Everett, WA
113 Access Services, Inc. (ASI), Los Angeles, CA
115 Madison Metro Transit, Madison, WI
116 Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), Orange County, CA
117 Palm Tran CONNECTION, Lake Worth, FL
118 City of Phoenix Public Transit Department, Phoenix, AZ
119 San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, San Diego, CA
120 San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans), San Mateo, CA
122 King County Metro Transit (Metro), Seattle/King County, WA
124 Chapter 11 Future Research Needs
126 References
128 Bibliography
129 Appendixes
