Resource Guide for Commingling ADA and Non-ADA Paratransit Riders (2011) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Pages 12-29
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 12... ...
During the planning of commingled paratransit services, transit agencies are encouraged to take an inclusive approach, involving all of its stakeholders including human service agencies, consumers, and others as appropriate. The issue of whether to commingle ADA and non-ADA riders may be seen as a facet of transportation coordination, which has been a topic in the transportation industry since the 1970s as an approach for providing more effective and efficient specialized transportation service.
|
From page 13... ...
Do not have additional funds Consider service parameters for commingled service: same or different such as: - service area - days/hours - fare structure Consider compatibility of ADA paratransit service and nonADA paratransit service No feasible plan CAPACITY & FUNDING PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES COMPATIBILITY SERVICE PARAMETERS Coordination between transit agency and nonADA programs Yes, add nonADA riders but use separate vehicles Environmental considerations (e.g., reduced VMT and carbon emissions) Figure 1-1.
|
From page 14... ...
This effort will help the transit agency in developing an approach to providing the service that meets the needs of the target ridership and will also be important for subsequent evaluation of the commingled service. Because this Resource Guide is intended specifically to aid transit agencies that are considering commingling their ADA paratransit riders with non-ADA paratransit riders using the same vehicle fleet, it is important for transit agencies to ensure that the quality of their ADA paratransit service continues to meet the requirements of the ADA, even if that affects non-ADA riders.
|
From page 15... ...
Another key interest for the study was identification of the non-ADA rider types that are being served by other paratransit services, particularly where ADA and non-ADA service is commingled on the same vehicles. A related issue was whether the other passenger groups that are served differ based on the practice of serving the varying passenger types on the same or different vehicles.
|
From page 16... ...
• A local political decision made by the transit agency governing board: this decision was typically made at a city or county level, and was often articulated as "it just makes sense" to serve the additional non-ADA riders along with ADA paratransit riders. • A financial decision made by the transit agency governing board: in one case, the governing board determined that it would be more cost-effective to provide the specialized transportation service along with the ADA paratransit service, and in another case, the decision to add non-ADA riders was made after dedicated transit funding provided to the transit agency was reduced and the agency wanted to capture the transportation funds of the community's human service agencies.
|
From page 17... ...
For example, in one case, the decision to commingle non-ADA riders with the transit agency's ADA paratransit service was made by the state legislature, which mandated that anyone receiving dialysis treatment would be automatically eligible for ADA paratransit service. Although this did not measurably impact the ADA program in the first few years, in more recent years the transit agency found that this group of riders had added significantly to the growing demand and costs for ADA paratransit service, a service that now consumes more than one-third of the transit agency's total operating budget.
|
From page 18... ...
Figure 1-3 depicts this assessment, using the same fictitious transit agency, with capacity shown in terms of revenue vehicles deployed by hour of the day. The analysis shows the productivity (passenger 18 Resource Guide for Commingling ADA and Non-ADA Paratransit Riders Sample Day: Hours of Service Beginning at: Vehicles in Service 6am 7am 8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm Total Vehicle 1 oooo oooo oooo oooo oo oooo oooo oooo oo 8 Vehicle 2 oo oooo oooo oooo oooo oo oooo oooo oooo 8 Vehicle 3 oooo oooo oooo oo oooo oooo oooo oooo oo 8 Vehicle 4 oooo oooo oooo oooo oo oooo oooo oooo oo 8 Vehicle 5 oo oooo oooo oooo oooo oo oooo oooo oooo 8 Vehicle 6 oo oooo oooo oooo oo oooo oooo oooo oooo 8 Vehicle 7 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo 10 Vehicle 8 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo 10 Vehicle 9 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo 10 Vehicle 10 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo 10 Vehicle 11 oo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oo 10 Vehicle 12 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo 10 Revenue Hours 1.5 2 5 10 10 11 11 11.5 11.5 10 9 6 6 2 1.5 108 Note: oooo oo 1 hour revenue service ½ hour revenue service Figure 1-2.
|
From page 19... ...
This is clearly a simplistic example for a very small transit agency. But the point is an agency that is considering adding non-ADA riders to its ADA paratransit service should formally assess its capacity and its ability to serve additional passenger trips and plan to make adjustments accordingly.
|
From page 20... ...
Developing such an estimate of the new demand for service that will be experienced with new, non-ADA riders added is less science than art, but it is a useful exercise to try to anticipate the ridership impacts of adding the non-ADA riders to the ADA paratransit service. Funding and Sustainability Once capacity is considered, the transit agency must assess its existing resources to determine whether there is adequate funding to support the addition of non-ADA riders for the foreseeable future.
|
From page 21... ...
In such cases, the transit agency can accommodate the non-ADA riders to the extent that there is space to serve the additional passenger trips without negatively impacting the ADA paratransit service. Nonetheless, an assessment of funding available to support the non-ADA service is recommended.
|
From page 22... ...
ADA Paratransit Level of Service Requirements. As described in the introduction, when providing ADA paratransit service, a transit agency must meet the U.S.
|
From page 23... ...
In some Florida communities with an extensive history of coordinated and commingled transportation, the transit agency has determined that it can no longer commingle ADA and Medicaid riders because payment levels from the Medicaid sponsor did not cover operating costs. Furthermore, this project found that, at one transit agency, some of the Medicaid riders who are also ADA eligible have continued to ride the transit agency's ADA paratransit service rather than move to the new Medicaid transportation provider, presumably preferring the higher level of service provided by ADA paratransit, even though Medicaid transportation is free, whereas ADA paratransit requires a fare.
|
From page 24... ...
This is a straightforward option. Should the determination of capacity find that there is existing capacity on the existing ADA paratransit service, the transit agency may decide to add other non-ADA service to the extent that new trips can be accommodated, keeping in mind the need to provide unconstrained ADA paratransit service.
|
From page 25... ...
. The specific parameters of the partnerships vary: some have the transit agencies providing vehicles and additional support such as driver training and vehicle maintenance to the human service agencies; others involve provision of operating funds to support the agencies' own transportation service and the agencies become contractors to the public transportation system, serving riders who otherwise might be passengers of the public transit system's paratransit service.
|
From page 26... ...
Another consideration under compatibility is vehicle operators' ability to serve different rider types. Toward this end, operator training is critical to ensure that the staff understands 26 Resource Guide for Commingling ADA and Non-ADA Paratransit Riders
|
From page 27... ...
These parameters are governed initially by ADA regulations, which means that a transit agency contemplating -- or implementing -- commingled ADA and non-ADA paratransit services must consider the extent to which the ADA paratransit service parameters Planning Decision Process 27
|
From page 28... ...
If external factors require that a transit agency commingle its ADA service with non-ADA service, rather than making that decision as part of a formal planning process, there may be little choice as to the new parameters that must be incorporated. For example, if the transit agency's governing board determines that Medicaid NEMT service will also be provided beyond the ADA paratransit service area, then the service policies and procedures governing that service will need to be incorporated and implemented, regardless of whether the service mix is a "good fit." The transit agency will then need to operationalize those new parameters and, to the extent they are different from the ADA service parameters, the transit agency will need to ensure that riders understand the differences in practice.
|
From page 29... ...
The survey data and the case study research findings show that transit agencies that commingle do not necessarily use the same parameters for their paratransit service. If there are differences, they tend to be with the service area and fare structure.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.