Strategy Guide to Enable and Promote the Use of Fixed-Route Transit by People with Disabilities (2014)

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69 C h a p t e r 6 Previous chapters of this strategy guide have addressed important prerequisites to achiev- ing the goal of increasing the use of fixed-route transit services by people with disabilities: understanding current use of transit by persons with disabilities; setting system-wide policy and goals; making the fixed-route transit service reliably accessible and usable; and address- ing access at bus stops and in the pedestrian infrastructure. This chapter focuses on providing riders with the information they need to use the service. This information ranges from broad awareness to the particular needs of each individual. It includes: • Providing readily available information about the fixed-route transit system: fares, acces- sibility features, and individual routes. • Reaching out to people with disabilities and persuading them of the advantages of using the fixed-route transit services. • Providing trip-specific information for planning a trip. • When needed, providing individual instruction on how to use the service. 6.1 Marketing and Public Information Information needed to enable and encourage use of fixed-route transit can be divided into two types. Public information is the information any rider needs to use the system, as well as information that any person with a disability would need. Marketing goes beyond this: it appeals to each potential rider to persuade them to use the fixed-route transit service. Targeted Marketing. This type of public information is often called “tar- geted marketing.” It may take two forms: first, information on how to ride, focusing on how to board accessible vehicles, pay the fare, etc., and second, targeted outreach to individuals who may never have been fixed-route transit riders, some of whom may be current riders of ADA paratransit. Marketing to First-Time Riders. Of particular interest is the individual who has never ridden a bus or rail transit. This target group includes people with disabilities and an aging population whose vision, hearing, and/or mobility are declining. From a marketing perspec- tive, it makes good sense to encourage fixed-route transit use by seniors who do not meet the definition of individuals with disabilities so that the habit of using fixed-route transit is estab- lished before they have a basis for seeking eligibility for ADA paratransit. Thus, most of the efforts documented here involve transit agencies reaching out to seniors as well as people of any age who have disabilities. Marketing, Public Information, Trip Planning, and Travel Training Broadly distributed public informa- tion can be thought of as “whole- sale” and the information targeted to individuals or small groups as “retail.”

70 Strategy Guide to enable and promote the Use of Fixed-route transit by people with Disabilities Promoting Accessible Fixed-Route Transit. A starting point for public information and marketing is to make the target population aware that accessible fixed-route transit services exist and may be an option for trips that the individual wants to make. In some cases, indi- viduals may believe that the fixed-route transit services are simply not accessible because that may have been true at some point in the past. Therefore, the starting point is to make the target population aware of the accessibility features on the fixed-route transit services and the assis- tance that drivers provide. Current Practice The survey described earlier in this report provided an overview of public information and targeted marketing efforts of the 133 transit systems that responded to the questions about public information. Of these systems, 86 (65%) have developed general marketing material to educate the public, including riders with disabilities, about the accessibility of their fixed-route transit services. Material targeted directly to people with disabilities was developed by 46 of the systems (35%), and all but six of these systems also have general marketing material. In 58 of the systems (44%) the material provides detailed information on how to use the accessibility features, and in 51 systems (38%) the information com- municates the benefits of using fixed-route transit services to persons with disabilities. Only 17 of the responding systems (13%) had not developed marketing or public information that addresses fixed-route transit system accessibility. Information from Research Efforts Broadly Distributed Public Information: Transit Websites, Public Media Outlets Easily available “How to Ride” information is the basis of all efforts to promote fixed-route transit to the target group. Even when a transit system uses outreach to potential fixed-route transit riders, this information is needed to reinforce presentations and travel training. The Internet has over a relatively short span of time to become the main interface with the public. However, many people, particularly older individuals do not use the Internet; therefore, printed material and customer service call-takers need to provide the same information. In many, but not all, cases examined, the transit system’s website has a page labeled “Accessibil- ity” that showcases the accessibility features of fixed-route transit services, as well as provid- ing information on ADA paratransit. The same is true of printed materials available through transit systems’ customer service departments. Public information usually includes simple pages on the transit system’s website, giving the basics of how to ride, sometimes with the addition of streaming video. Almost without excep- tion, this information begins with a simple statement of the benefits of fixed-route transit use: (1) low cost (particularly where reduced fares are available for seniors and individuals with disabilities) and (2) greater independence. At the more elaborate end of the spectrum, systems like San Francisco Muni have prepared and updated a detailed Rider Guide with good graphics and an overall “look and feel” that helps to “sell” the idea of riding accessible fixed-route transit. Figure 6-1 shows the information online at the Muni website. In general, the how-to-ride accessible fixed-route transit and travel training information on a system’s website is part of an overall website design that has its own budget, and covers topics 65% of the transit agencies that responded to the study survey have general marketing material about their accessible fixed route services; 38% communicate the benefits of using fixed-route tran- sit to people with disabilities.

Marketing, Public Information, Trip Planning, and Travel Training 71 from fares and schedules to complementary paratransit service. A simple web page describing the benefits and how-to-ride information is sufficient to provide this function, but in itself is unlikely to “close the sale” with the target audience. That is, it is necessary but not sufficient to reach individuals who would not choose fixed-route transit on their own. Lane Transit in Eugene, Oregon, created a brand called EZ Access that is advertised on its website and uses the customer service staff associated with their paratransit program to arrange travel training for interested individuals who call or make contact through the website. EZ Access is a coordinated approach that includes both fixed-route transit and ADA paratransit solutions suited to the capabilities of each individual. Intercity Transit in Olympia, Washington, places articles describing the benefits and offering travel training in publications seen by the target audience: for example, the newsletters distrib- uted by the city’s Senior Action Network (see Figure 6-2). The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) in Salt Lake City, Utah has developed a brochure that communicates the benefits of using its 100% accessible fixed-route bus fleet and its accessible Figure 6-1. San Francisco Muni Access Guide page on travel training and benefits of using fixed-route transit service (courtesy of San Francisco Muni).

72 Strategy Guide to Enable and Promote the Use of Fixed-Route Transit by People with Disabilities Figure 6-2. Article targeted at seniors in the Intercity Transit service area (reprinted courtesy of The Thurston-Mason Senior News).

Marketing, Public Information, Trip Planning, and Travel Training 73 TRAX light rail system (see Figure 6-3). The brochure was developed as part of UTA’s Freedom Access program, which provides fare free fixed-route service to persons who are ADA para- transit eligible. Targeted Outreach: Presentations, Guides, Brochures Targeted outreach is more of a “retail” concept in which the transit system meets with pro- spective riders one on one or in small groups at locations such as senior centers, centers for independent living, schools, and medical centers. In this kind of face-to-face setting, the transit system representative establishes a relationship with potential riders and can more effectively communicate the benefits of fixed-route transit ridership. Often, a transit system’s goal for this kind of one-to-one or small group presentation is signing up potential riders for travel training. In many transit systems, the outreach presentation includes distributing passes for reduced fare or even free trips, which is an immediate demonstration of a benefit. It is also common to bring a bus to a group presentation and use it for introductory travel training (which can be followed up with more intensive travel training on a one-to-one basis.) Transit system outreach is essentially sales. The representatives get to know the institutions and individuals in their territory. In a large system such as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), with several representatives doing outreach, they each have a specific tar- get audience, e.g., people with vision impairments, people with auditory disabilities, people with cognitive disabilities, individuals in the geriatric population, or disabled veterans at VA hospitals. WMATA’s outreach representatives are also the travel trainers for their target audience, main- taining the personal contact, reinforcing the presentation of benefits, and providing a “lifeline” whenever a customer needs additional encouragement or refresher training. In this model, travel training includes trip planning for the initial trip, and one-on-one trip planning can be provided as the customer becomes familiar with riding fixed-route transit and wishes to add new itineraries. Figure 6-3. UTA brochure on benefits of using fixed-route transit service (courtesy of Utah Transit Authority).

74 Strategy Guide to Enable and Promote the Use of Fixed-Route Transit by People with Disabilities A similar type of retail approach used by Laketran in Painesville, OH, is to use the public schools to target young people with cognitive disabilities (generally high school-age students with Individualized Education Programs). Laketran also provides information on how to use the fixed-route bus system to the general school population in grades 4 through 12 (see Figure 6-4). Outreach can be active, with representatives making repeated contacts with organizations and institutions in the community as well as seeking out new opportunities for outreach. Figure 6-4. Laketran website page on benefits of travel training (courtesy of Laketran).

Marketing, public Information, trip planning, and travel training 75 Alternatively, the transit system can rely on existing relationships with these organizations and get them to recruit new individuals to receive information and training. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has used this model as a way to make the most of limited training staff; its Center for Accessible Travel is a training facility with mock-ups of a transit bus and rail platforms; its extensive use of wall graphics helps create a realistic training environment and also makes the training experience a popular activity that encourages com- munity organizations to arrange field trips to the facility. Communicating the Benefits of Fixed-Route Transit Use An important way to promote use of the fixed-route transit system is to communicate its ben- efits to riders. The most extensive material on this subject is from Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA). Some transit agencies have brief sections of their Rider’s Guide or webpage with material on the subject; a few have other innovative ways to reach potential riders. ESPA’s “Stories of Changed Lives: The Personal Impact of Transportation Access” is an exam- ple of communicating the benefits of the fixed-route transit system. (22) As its byline states, “10 Americans with disabilities share their stories of success.” For example, Kathy Browne’s story involves a wheelchair user with a service animal, moving beyond ADA paratransit to use the Orange County, California, bus system to increase her education and become less dependent on her husband and government social programs, allowing her husband to work full time, and significantly changing her life. Kathy states, “Using public transportation can be one of the first steps to opening up this great adventure called life.” The Project ACTION publication entitled “You Can Really Go Places” includes: Q: How can travel training help me? A: People with disabilities who take advantage of travel training gain the freedom to choose what kind of transportation they wish to take and when, and fixed-route service often costs less than paratransit and taxis. Training also makes travel more spontaneous and flexible, because trips no longer need to be scheduled in advance, as is the case with ADA Paratransit, medivans, family, or friends. (23) Two other approaches to communicating the benefits of riding the fixed-route transit system have been tried in Olympia, Washington. One appeared in the Thurston-Mason Senior News (see Figure 6-2). The article was written by Emily Bergkamp, Dial-A-Lift Manager of Intercity Transit. It comprehensively promotes the benefits of using the fixed-route transit system. After beginning with the description of all the places one can go, it continues: Say goodbye to pre-scheduling transportation. In many areas buses run every 15 to 30 minutes along major corridors—you can be as spontaneous as you like. All buses lower to the ground or “kneel” for easy boarding and have ramps if you use a walker, wheelchair or scooter. When you step inside, you’ll enter a clean bus, be greeted by a courteous driver, and have access to priority seating at the front. A reader board inside the bus clearly displays upcoming stops. Buses also have audio stop announcements so you don’t miss your destination. Rest assured your safety is our first priority, with expert drivers at the helm and the added security of on-board cameras. The article then promotes travel training and includes information about reduced fare programs. The other is a brochure from Intercity Transit entitled “Bus Riding Made Easy.” (24) Under the heading Did you know? the brochure lauds the benefits of the fixed-route transit system, stating: • All Inner-city Transit buses: – have automated audio and video announcements for every stop; – have security cameras and audio recorders; – “kneel” to help stepping on and off; – are wheelchair accessible; and – have bicycle racks.

76 Strategy Guide to enable and promote the Use of Fixed-route transit by people with Disabilities • Most of our buses are low-floor (no steps) and easy to board. • Some of our buses have air conditioning, reading lights, and luggage racks. • Buses operate on a convenient and reliable schedule to all major area destinations. Buses run every 15 to 30 minutes along major corridors. • We have helpful and friendly employees. A recent rider survey showed a 91% “satisfied” or “very satisfied” customer satisfaction rating. • Our drivers are trained to assist seniors and persons with disabilities. • Intercity Transit connects to Mason, Grays Harbor, Pierce, and King Counties. The brochure also includes a brief testimonial from a former car driver who had to give up her car three years ago, but reaches three volunteer jobs a week, goes out to lunch, and goes to the airport on the transit system. Other transit agencies promote use of the fixed-route transit system on their websites. One example is the San Francisco Muni in its Access Guide. (25) Muni includes a list of the benefits of riding the fixed-route transit system under the heading “Advantages,” stating: Using the buses, trolleys and light rail of the Muni fixed-route system provides many advantages: • Independence; • Flexibility to travel when you want; • Opportunity to travel with friends; • A way to set a schedule for travel without hours or days of pre-planning; • An inexpensive way to travel throughout the city and to make connections with other Bay Area transportation systems; • A system whose drivers have had sensitivity and special safety training to help them meet the needs of seniors and persons with disabilities. Many transit agencies also promote travel training, which includes implicit or explicit pro- motion of using the fixed-route transit system (see Figure 6-4). More information on travel training is provided in Section 6.3. Working Through the Paratransit Eligibility Process A target audience that has great promise for potential fixed-route transit ridership is the population that is seeking to use ADA paratransit or that is already paratransit eligible but capable of using fixed-route transit service for some trips (i.e., conditionally ADA paratransit eligible). WMATA identifies individuals renewing their eligibility who have this potential and has been able to train many individuals to use fixed-route transit; this involves providing both trip planning and travel training for candidates. In Fort Worth, Texas, applicants for Mobility-Impaired Transportation Service (MITS) para- transit are given information and a half-price fare card during evaluation if they are capable of riding fixed-route transit service; this path to fixed-route transit use is provided both for individuals who are found not to be eligible or conditionally eligible and is followed up by con- tact from a travel trainer. Eligibility denial letters also are accompanied by information on the benefits of fixed-route transit use. Travel training cannot be required and participation in travel training cannot be a factor in determining ADA paratransit eligibility. However, these approaches have been successful in getting individuals to participate in travel training. Conclusions Wholesale public information aimed at potential fixed-route transit riders is a necessary but not sufficient method of communicating benefits and “how-to-ride” information. To be effective,

Marketing, public Information, trip planning, and travel training 77 this basic information needs to be accompanied by one-to-one or small group contact by a representative who can “sell” the benefits of fixed-route transit and provide a seamless entry into travel training. Although it is not essential for the outreach representative to also provide the travel training, this is the most common approach among the agencies contacted. Relationship build- ing with community organizations and institutions strengthens the targeted outreach and makes it more efficient by leveraging the transit agency’s efforts with those of the community organization. Finally, the ADA paratransit eligi- bility process is an opportunity to provide information on benefits and travel training to applicants who receive conditional eligibility or who are found to be not qualified for paratransit at the time of the eligibility evaluation. 6.2 Trip Planning Services Trip planners are online utilities that did not exist until the early 2000s. A big benefit of trip planners is that they greatly expand the ability of all transit riders to use fixed-route transit services for more than a few habitual trips, such as home to work. This is an important step in increasing the independence of people with disabilities who may only ride fixed-route transit for some trips. However, the issues faced by many individuals in the target population include: the need to consider barriers to mobility in trip planning; and the ability of many individuals to use these fairly complex tools. One significant aspect of trip planning is that the rider can call a customer service repre- sentative to use the trip planner for them, which is something that is worth highlighting in the transit system’s public information and marketing. In addition, transit system (or planning agency) representatives in many places can use GIS databases that are not generally available to the public and can help riders with specific information about the accessibility of sidewalks and bus stops that form part of the door-to-door trip. As described earlier in this strategy guide, research indicates that people often lack informa- tion about places that they do not travel to frequently. Providing access to this information is an important factor in increasing use of fixed-route transit services. In addition, for less frequent destinations, the potential existence of physical barriers discourages the use of fixed-route transit service. Therefore, it is very helpful to provide trip planning service that includes information about potential barriers. Online trip planners are available for most large transit systems and some medium sized ones (and for some smaller systems that are adjacent to large systems). The first trip planners were text based; in recent years (i.e., since 2011), map-based trip planners have become more available. Developing and maintaining trip planners is a relatively expensive undertaking because of the need for regular updating, but their availability clearly encourages more transit use by people of all abilities. Some trip planners give the rider an option to limit searches to “accessible trips.” In practice, this means that trips with a rail component are limited to stations with accessible boarding; specific path-of-travel considerations are included in only a small number of trip planners. Google Transit is available for all large and many medium sized systems, now in many coun- tries; however, Google has so far declined to take on the complex problem of determining if a trip is truly accessible, so it is primarily up to each transit system to address the path-of-travel challenge for people with disabilities. Relationship building with commu- nity organizations strengthens tar- geted outreach by leveraging the transit agency’s efforts with those of the community organizations. As noted in Section 2.2, a lack of information about potential bar- riers getting to and from transit stops and stations was one of the most important factors noted by people with disabilities in deciding whether or not to use fixed-route transit services.

78 Strategy Guide to enable and promote the Use of Fixed-route transit by people with Disabilities Survey Results The survey described earlier in this report provided an overview of the availability of trip planners at the 136 transit systems that responded to questions related to this type of service. Of these systems, 80 (59%) offer an online trip planner. Google Transit was used in 44 of these 80 transit systems (55%), either by itself or in combination with other software. Seven systems (9%) had proprietary trip planners. Eight transit systems (10%) used Trapeze or HASTUS, specialized transit software packages. The other 21 systems indicated that they used another trip planner or were not sure what they used. A total of 125 transit systems responded to questions about the provision of accessibility information through their trip planning services. Eighty-two systems (66%) indicated that one or more type of accessibility information is provided. Forty-three (34%) responded that accessibility information is not provided. Table 6-1 shows the specific types of accessibility information provided and whether this information is provided by phone, online, or both. Sixty-eight transit systems indicated that they provide information on walking distances to and from stops/stations—25 by phone, 18 online, and 25 both by phone and online. Twenty-seven transit systems provide informa- tion on the accessibility of pathways to and from stops/stations—17 by phone, three online, and seven by both. Fifty-two systems provide information on the accessibility of bus stops— 38 by phone, five online, and nine by both. Sixteen systems provide information on the acces- sibility of rails stations—seven by phone, one online, and eight by both. And 14 systems pro- vide information about elevator and/or escalator outages—seven by phone, two online, and five by both. Information from Mini Case Studies Four mini case studies were conducted to gather more information about trip planning services. Information is presented below for the Chicago’s Regional Transportation Author- ity, Long Beach (CA) Transit, TriMet (Portland, OR), and the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA). Chicago RTA’s Goroo Trip Planner The Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois (RTA) introduced a new online trip planner in 2009, initially known as “goroo.” It was re-branded “RTA Trip Planner” in 2012 and currently covers the CTA, Pace, and Metra fixed-route transit services provided throughout the six-county RTA service area, which includes the city of Chicago. The trip plan- ner development was done with a grant from FTA. One goal of the grant was to develop a multi- modal trip planner that included pedestrian and bicycle modes as well as transit. Types of Accessibility Information Provided By Phone Online Both Total Walking distance to/from bus stops/rail stations 25 18 25 68 Accessibility of pathways to/from bus stops/rail stations 17 3 7 27 Accessibility of bus stops 38 5 9 52 Accessibility of rail stations 7 1 8 16 Elevator/escalator outage information 7 2 5 14 Table 6-1. Types of accessibility information provided through trip planning services.

Marketing, public Information, trip planning, and travel training 79 The RTA Trip Planner gets approximately 8,500 web hits per day. The trip planner can also be used to find bicycle, walking, and driving paths to transit routes. A capability added in late 2012 offers real-time transit tracker status information for CTA and Metra rail services relative to particular stops. Currently, about 51% of the hits are for use of the trip planner; hits for real- time transit tracking are rapidly increasing (approximately 15% growth from 2011 to 2012). Many visits are primarily for or include downloading detailed schedules for CTA, Pace, and Metra fixed-route transit services. Path-of-Travel Issues. The RTA Trip Planner does have an “accessible trip” checkbox, which limits rail trips to accessible stations; all buses in the region are lift/ramp equipped. CTA has approximately 12,000 bus stops in the city of Chicago; Pace, which serves the surrounding sub- urbs with bus service, has approximately 12,000 posted stops as well as a large number of flag stops. The City of Chicago has installed more than 45,000 accessible curb ramps since 2007 in response to a lawsuit, and its sidewalks and bus stops are generally “accessible” in the broadest sense (i.e., curb ramps are generally available). On the other hand, some of the suburban and outlying areas served by Pace often lack sidewalks and, therefore, path-of-travel accessibility is very limited in those areas. Metra stations in the suburbs are similarly not always well-served by paths of travel that people using wheelchairs can negotiate. In part because of the difficulty of incorporating path-of-travel accessibility data into the RTA Trip Planner, RTA staff is experimentally utilizing the Regional Transportation Author- ity Mapping and Statistics (RTAMS) GIS system to enable travel trainers to identify accessible paths of travel for customers who have applied for travel training. This is basically a way of displaying bus stops in relation to a customer’s home address and destination addresses along with information such as aerial and street-level views that allow the travel trainers to identify routes to and from fixed-route transit services. Costs and Benefits. The goroo/RTA Trip Planner requires at least one full-time staff per- son to maintain its currency, primarily by adding schedule updates, of which there were 73 in 2012. There is also ongoing work in developing features such as improvements in user interface and functionality. It is difficult to estimate the effect of the goroo/RTA Trip Planner system on encouraging fixed-route transit use by people with disabilities. A Volpe Center evaluation report included the following finding, based on a user survey: “goroo may be effective at encouraging transit use (at least for the trip in question) among users who are unsure what mode to take—and even among users who had reported knowing they would not take transit.” (26) This suggests that users from the disability community, including people with ADA para- transit eligibility who have some experience with using accessible fixed-route transit for spe- cific trips, may be encouraged to use the trip planner to investigate fixed-route trip itineraries that they have not used before. Over time, this would expand their use of fixed-route transit service. CTA, Pace, and Metra do not have data on wheelchair boardings or data specifically on fixed-route transit ridership by people with disabilities. Rollout of the new Ventra fare payment system during 2013 and 2014 may improve data capture by fare category and be beneficial for future reporting. In general, the effectiveness of any trip planner that lacks stop-specific path-of-travel infor- mation depends on the urban environment being generally accessible for people using mobility devices; as noted above, this is true to a greater extent in the city of Chicago, and not true in many of the suburban areas served by Pace.

80 Strategy Guide to enable and promote the Use of Fixed-route transit by people with Disabilities If a trip planner can be thought of as providing “wholesale” information simultaneously to a large number of users, then one alternative approach to providing specific current path-of- travel information at this wholesale level is to instead take a “retail” approach in which travel trainers work with individual customers to plan frequently made trips with the path-of-travel information available in a GIS database like RTAMS. Non-accessible Bus Stop Information: Long Beach Transit, Long Beach, CA Long Beach Transit (LBT) is operated by the City of Long Beach, CA. It offers both the Google Transit and the trip planner of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transporta- tion Authority (LACMTA). The approach used by LBT to address path-of-travel issues in trip planning is, first, to work with the city’s public works department to make nearly all bus stops accessible to people using mobility devices, and second, to provide frequently updated information on the few exceptions, which are due in nearly all cases to temporary disruptions due to construction. LBT has a “stops group” that meets regularly on accessibility of stops and paths. The group coordinates with the city’s public works department and monitors complaints for bus stop issues. LBT’s website lists specific stops that are not accessible and updates this information often (there were only seven non-accessible stops in the bus system as of September 2012). Customer service is staffed by eight line operators and staff at the transit hub; all are trained to help customers with trip planning. These personnel are equipped with the latest information about stop accessibility. Costs and Benefits. The costs of the effort by the stops group are considered by LBT to be part of the more general and important goal of actually making the city accessible; the information made available for trip planning purposes has no extra cost, and making the information on the small number of inaccessible locations available to the public and LBT’s customer service representatives has a high ratio of benefits to costs. The real expense, which serves a higher goal, is to achieve and maintain accessibility in the built environment. Open Source Bus Stop and Path-of-Travel Information: TriMet, Portland, OR The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) has a trip planner that includes path-of-travel and bus stop accessibility data. The trip planner is also note worthy in that it was developed by TriMet with OpenPlans (a New York-based nonprofit software developer) in an open source software format that is adaptable for use by other transit systems. In 2012, the University of South Florida was also using it on a demonstration basis. The TriMet trip planner is especially noteworthy in that it permits the user to “drill down” to a list of attributes for each bus stop (e.g., curb ramp, pads for lift deployment, slope of approaching routes) and to see both aerial and street-level photos of each bus stop. It also provides a vertical profile of the trip overlaid on the map view of the trip (see Figure 6-5 for sample page). Using all of the available information requires some sophistication on the part of the user, but for people who use mobility devices, this information and the vertical profile provided of the trip to the bus stop are very important. Costs and Benefits. The Open Trip Planner (OTP) project was initially funded through the Metro 2009–2011 Regional Travel Options (RTO) grant of $70,000. Because it uses Open Street Map and open source software, replicating the trip planner can be done much more economi- cally in systems that wish to adopt it; by July 2011, OTP was running in Portland, New York City, and Tampa, and in eight other transit systems around the world. TriMet’s trip planner provides information about the accessibility of bus stops as well as aerial and street-level photographs of stops.

Figure 6-5. TriMet trip planner result showing walking profile and bus stop characteristics (aerial and street-level photos of the bus stop are also available by clicking on the map) (screenprint courtesy of TriMet).

82 Strategy Guide to enable and promote the Use of Fixed-route transit by people with Disabilities To keep the trip planner up to date, TriMet updates schedule and route changes as they occur and coordinates with the municipal jurisdictions to identify barriers to accessible paths of travel. TriMet recently expanded the trip planner to three adjacent counties in the service area, which took approximately three months and cost $12,000 for all three counties. Analysis during the development of the trip planner shows that the algorithm outperformed TriMet’s older text trip planner and Google Transit in finding bike-to-transit trips of shorter duration; the same advantage would apply to walk-to-transit trips. Statistics provided by TriMet show a reduced use trend for the earlier text trip planner, while the OTP map and mobile device trip planners were together increasing in use, e.g., from 145,000 planned trips in October 2011 to 163,000 in October 2012. There is no way to isolate the benefit of the trip planner in encouraging fixed-route transit trips by people who use mobility devices, particularly because Portland has been actively work- ing for years to improve the physical paths of travel through the city. But based on TriMet’s data on bus boardings on all fixed-route bus lines, there has clearly been an upward trend in the percentage of boardings by people using wheelchairs, both over the longer term and since 2011 when the mapped trip planner was rolled out. GIS Database: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Washington, D.C. In addition to targeted marketing and travel training to encourage customers to use fixed- route transit services throughout the WMATA service area, WMATA’s bus planning group has focused on making accessibility improvements to bus stops and the paths of travel to them. As of early 2013, the planning group was testing a GIS database. It includes accessibility informa- tion for all existing bus stops (about 12,500), including: • Photos of each stop from three angles; • Presence of pad, shelter; and • Accessible route at the bus stop intersection. This information is available to both the customer service and the MetroAccess (ADA para- transit) eligibility departments to reply to specific customer inquiries. Information about defi- ciencies is also collected through these channels and passed back to bus planning and WMATA’s jurisdictions for accessibility improvements. The aim of this effort is in part to incorporate the data in the mapping layer of the Trapeze paratransit software used by MetroAccess to be able to identify fixed-route transit trips that can serve eligible paratransit customers. Making the GIS data available to the general public through the WMATA trip planner is a longer-term goal. Another initiative being undertaken by WMATA is providing in-kind services to a project spon- sored by Columbia Lighthouse, a local agency serving people with vision disabilities, in which a smartphone app gives customers with low vision detailed audio directions from the rail platform or bus stop to destinations on the street (e.g., “walk 45 feet and turn right to reach the elevator”). Costs and Benefits. WMATA indicated that incorporating path-of-travel information into a GIS system is very labor intensive. Staff from WMATA’s GIS, design, and other groups have been working on the system, with an estimated combined level of effort of approximately four full-time equivalents (FTEs). It is not clear whether this information can be connected to a customer-friendly interface, but even before the information becomes public, WMATA’s travel trainers have used the database for use in assisting individuals in planning fixed-route transit trips. It is also being used by planners in WMATA and in the service area jurisdictions to identify and prioritize improvements to path of travel and location of bus shelters.

Marketing, public Information, trip planning, and travel training 83 Conclusions Trip planners are expensive to develop and to maintain as conditions change. This is particu- larly so if the objective is to include path-of-travel information that is important to people with disabilities. Transit systems that are large enough to have a Google Maps trip planner may not find it sufficiently beneficial to introduce their own trip planner and to incorporate path-of- travel information, which Google has not done. Transit systems that wish to undertake develop- ment of a trip planner may wish to consider starting with TriMet’s Open Street Map software, which is in the public domain. However, a smaller transit system may want to consider the approach used by LBT, a relatively small system with good sidewalk and curb ramp infrastruc- ture, to identify any physical barriers within its service area and publish this information on its website. The other approach is to provide path-of-travel information through the customer service or travel training staff based on detailed GIS information that identifies barriers and is part of an area-wide planning and capital improvement program. 6.3 Travel Training Services Travel training has been recognized in the transit industry and the disability community as an effective way to encourage fixed-route transit ridership as well as a cost-effective way to reduce ADA paratransit costs. Literature Review Review of the literature identified numerous studies and project descriptions of the use of travel training for persons with disabilities who use ADA paratransit; the objective of travel training is to enable these paratransit riders to utilize accessible fixed-route transit services at least part of the time A study by ESPA used a roundtable to identify issues (27); travel training beginning in ele- mentary school and involving parents was supported by 90% of the roundtable members, as were initiatives to increase public awareness of travel options and to provide wayfinding infor- mation. ESPA also published Helping Schools Meet the Transportation Needs of Students with Disabilities (28); the need for travel training was second in a list of six key challenges. The National Dialogue, Transportation and Research Forum on Accessible Community Trans- portation was sponsored jointly by Project ACTION and FTA (29); travel training was one of seven key areas of discussion. An article in the American Planning Association journal Trans- portation Planning is an overview of issues and approaches for seniors (30); it describes travel training at locations in Florida and Illinois. A TRB monograph identified the relative lack of travel training for adults with autism. (31) Two sources describe a cost–benefit model comparing the costs of travel training with the resulting savings when patrons switch from complementary paratransit to fixed-route transit services. One paper describes a simple quantitative model. (32) A paper presented at the Trans- portation Research Board’s 89th Annual Meeting applies this model to data from three cities in the Pacific Northwest and concludes that there are substantial net benefits, ranging from roughly 1.5 to 4 times the cost of the program, as shown in the summary below. (33) Travel training programs in Portland, OR, and Phoenix, AZ, are highlighted in a Metro Magazine article. (34) A 2008 article discusses the range of approaches and funding trends in the field of travel training. (35) A presentation from an American Public Transportation Asso- ciation conference discusses a series of 10 workshops developed by a nonprofit rehabilitation

84 Strategy Guide to enable and promote the Use of Fixed-route transit by people with Disabilities agency in southwest Connecticut that was described as a successful effort to enable paratransit riders to use fixed-route transit service at six regional transit systems. (36) A Project ACTION study surveys programs in Boulder, CO, Charlotte, NC, Ann Arbor, MI, and Palm Beach, FL; providing individual instruction specific to the rider’s needs is emphasized. (37) An APTA pre- sentation documents a training program in Fairfax County, VA, that includes use of a specially equipped bus that provides both real-world practice and a mobile classroom. (38) Another APTA presentation summarizes best practices in programs in Indiana. (39) Research using before and after surveys of participants in Walnut Creek, CA, is documented in a TRB Annual Meeting paper (40); the paper concludes that significant changes in atti- tudes and travel behavior resulted from the program. A similar study of changes in attitudes and travel behavior after training in Alameda County, CA, is documented in a Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board paper. (41) Two reports surveyed transit systems to identify travel training success stories. A report sponsored by U.S.DOT highlighted low-cost practices and technologies used by transit systems to aid persons with disabilities to use fixed-route transit services in the areas of trip planning, finding the correct vehicle, and entering and alighting vehicles. (42) A TCRP synthesis docu- mented two instances of transit systems (Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) in Reno, NV, and Intercity Transit in Olympia, WA) that had quantified their savings through travel training programs that shifted paratransit trips to fixed-route bus service. (43) In addition to the above reports, additional research is being conducted. TCRP Project B-41 is examining travel training programs for older adults. The project is titled “How to Create, Implement, Sustain and Evaluate Travel Training for Older Adults: A Handbook,” and the handbook is scheduled to be published in 2014. Two case studies were also conducted by ESPA in 2000 to document the benefits of travel training services. The case studies were conducted as part of a project looking at innovative practices in paratransit services. (44) Information from these case studies is provided below. Example of Cost-Benefit Analysis of Travel Training (33) Three cities receiving travel training services from Paratransit, Inc. were studied. The specific calculations included: • Cost of vehicles and equipment to provide travel training services (a) • Cost of travel training personnel (b) • Cost of supplies, equipment and occupancy (c) • Projected savings to the public transportation provider (funder) (x) • Projected trainee taxes paid to support local transit agency (y) • Cost avoidance (difference in cost of ADA paratransit trip minus fixed-route trip) (z) Results: City Benefit /Cost Ratio Net Benefits 1 $389,561 / $187,739 = 2.07 $201,822 2 $1,101,817 / $760,517 = 1.45 $341,300 3 $589,000 / $148,082 = 3.98 $440,918

Marketing, public Information, trip planning, and travel training 85 King County Metro, Seattle, WA, Case Study To facilitate use of the fixed-route transit system by persons with disabilities, King County (WA) Metro implemented several different travel training programs to address the needs of persons with various disabilities. This included one-on-one “destination training” for persons with cognitive disabilities, and individual and group system “orientation training” for seniors and persons with physical disabilities who had never used the system. Metro contracted for individual destination and system orientation training and paid the contractor for successfully completed individual trainings. This encouraged the contractor to carefully assess people for the potential to learn to use the fixed-route transit system. Indi- vidual, one-on-one “destination training” was successfully provided to about 160 persons a year. The contract called for a reimbursement of $915 per successful training (in 2000 dollars). This price included the cost of assessing participants’ travel potential, the training itself, and a six-month assessment report of participants’ fixed-route travel. Group “orientation training” involved two or three partial days of instruction, often in coop- eration with local senior centers and schools. On the first day, participants were given several hours of classroom training that covered all issues associated with using the bus service. This included reading route maps and schedules, figuring out fares, planning a trip, and understand- ing important bus service policies. At the end of the first day, participants planned an actual trip to be taken on the second day. The group then met and traveled to a bus stop, boarded and rode the bus to a selected location, spent time on this outing, and then returned on the bus. If necessary, a second trip was taken. This group training was provided primarily to Special Edu- cation classes at schools and to various senior centers and programs. The contractor provided about 25 group trainings a year. Typically, each group had about 8–10 participants. In 2000, 240 people participated in this type of training. Metro paid $544 for each group orientation training completed by the contractor. Instruction in using accessible buses was also provided. A bus was taken to the local VA hos- pital once a month, and individuals who were interested in learning how lifts and securement systems work would meet the bus at that site. Metro also provided paratransit service to those who needed lift training. Metro paid the contractor $333 for each lift training conducted. Finally, the contractor made presentations on fixed-route transit and other Metro services to community groups and agencies. About 15 of these “out- reaches,” attended by about 400 people, were conducted each year. Metro paid the contractor $338 for each completed “outreach” presentation. For riders with vision disabilities or who are deaf-blind, the contractor subcontracted with the local Lighthouse for the Blind and Community Ser- vices for the Deaf and Blind. These agencies provide specialized training. Metro provided free bus identification kits for people who are blind or deaf- blind to help them use the fixed-route transit system. An analysis of the cost effectiveness of the various travel training efforts was completed by Metro. The analysis showed that Metro spent $161,580 on training in 2000 and estimated that this saved $417,000 in annual paratransit costs for a one-year net savings of $255,420. When riders continue to use the fixed-route transit system in following years, the savings are even greater. Lane Transit District, Eugene, OR, Case Study Lane Transit District of Eugene, OR, contracted in 2000 with Alternative Work Concepts, Inc. (AWC), a local nonprofit agency that provided job training and placement for persons with disabilities, for travel training and “transit host” services. LTD provided a total of $8,500 for A detailed analysis of travel train- ing efforts by King County Metro in 2000 showed that travel training programs cost $161,580 and savings from use of fixed-route transit rather than ADA paratransit totaled $417,000, for a net savings of $255,420.

86 Strategy Guide to enable and promote the Use of Fixed-route transit by people with Disabilities each of three years for travel training. AWC had provided travel training instruction for many years as part of its job placement service, but this funding enabled LTD to make additional referrals for training. The LTD paratransit contractor identified riders who made frequent trips and who they thought might be interested in learning to ride the fixed-route transit system. These persons were contacted and referred to AWC if they expressed an interest in training. LTD and AWC developed a variety of travel training services: • One-on-one “destination training” for individuals who need to learn a particular trip. • “Destination retraining” for individuals who move or need to get to a new destination. • General “orientation training” for persons who had never used fixed-route buses and who needed general instruction in trip planning and using lifts, ramps, securement systems and other access features. • Referral of individuals with vision disabilities to local agencies that had Orientation and Mobility Specialists on staff. About 25 to 30 riders were trained or retrained each year. LTD also provided free bus passes to local agency staff or other individuals/volunteers who accompany persons with disabilities riding on the fixed-route transit system. Transit Host Program. Making transfers between bus routes was a significant issue in LTD’s fixed-route “pulse” system to and from a large downtown transit center. To address this issue, LTD implemented a “transit host” service in which two employees of AWC were located at the Eugene Transit Center. These “transit hosts” had a daily list of all riders who were traveling through the transit center and who needed assistance. The transit hosts met these riders as they arrived and help them get to the next bus to complete their trips. Together, the two transit hosts provided assistance to about 25 riders each day. When not meeting and assisting specific riders, the transit hosts provided information and assistance to other riders at the transit center. LTD reimbursed AWC $30,000 a year for this service, which was viewed not just as a service for riders with disabilities, but also as a general customer relations and assistance activity. LTD and AWC noted that having the transit hosts allowed them to successfully travel train many more people. They estimated that about 75% of all people being referred for travel train- ing could not use the system independently without the assistance provided by the transit hosts. Lift Training. For persons who were not familiar with using the accessibility features of its buses, LTD provided individual instruction in boarding and exiting buses. LTD had 12 bus operators/ trainers who were available to provide this training before or after their regular work shifts or between shifts if they worked a split shift. Training was coordinated by the LTD Marketing staff. In FY 2001, LTD provided 24 individual lift-training sessions. Results. Although aggregate benefits of LTD’s travel training were not quantified in this case study, it was apparent that the training enabled trainees to make repeated trips on the fixed- route transit system instead of complementary paratransit, providing a substantial margin of savings for each ride taken and more than offsetting the cost of the training. Survey Results The survey described earlier in this report provided an overview of the travel training pro- grams offered by the transit systems that responded (see Table 6-2). Approximately 60% of the survey respondents said that they provide both one-on-one travel training and group instruction; over 50% work with their local school systems in training

Marketing, public Information, trip planning, and travel training 87 student on the use of public transportation. About 20% of the respondents did not provide or support travel training. The percent of systems providing one-on-one training was 74% for systems with a service area population over one million and 66% for service area populations between 100,000 and one million. All of the largest systems that responded also use group instruction, while a slightly lower percentage (60%) of the mid-sized systems used group instruction as well as one-on-one training. Approximately 53% of smaller systems with service area populations under 100,000 provide one-on-one training and 50% of these systems provide group instruction. Approximately 53% of the largest systems work with local schools to provide training on the use of public transit. Of the mid-size systems, 57% work with local schools; for the smaller transit systems, 45%. Information from Case Studies Additional information about travel training services in Olympia, WA, and Washington D.C., was collected to supplement the information gathered from the literature and the survey. This information is provided below. Intercity Transit, Olympia, WA Intercity Transit coordinates its travel training efforts with its determinations of ADA para- transit eligibility. A travel trainer conducts most of the functional assessments that may be needed to determine eligibility. In this way, the applicant is introduced to travel training as part of the eligibility determination process, including use of the individual’s mobility device on fixed-route transit, site evaluations/barrier assessments, and path-of-travel navigation. Travel training is not required (as noted above, it cannot be a factor in making ADA paratransit eligi- bility determinations), but this coordination of programs encourages people to use the service if desired and appropriate. Referral for a functional assessment isn’t the only introduction to travel training. Some Dial- A-Lift (ADA paratransit) riders self-refer out of desire for greater independence and spontane- ity, and many individuals participate in travel training without any affiliation with Dial-A-Lift. Social service agencies and school transition programs also make referrals for riders and students. Intercity Transit’s travel training services vary with the needs of the individual and include training to ride transit with a mobility device, specific origin-to-destination trip planning and training, and orientation to all aspects of bus travel. When individual riders’ needs change, continued assistance is available. Approximately 100 customers participate in travel training each year, with an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 individuals trained total since the program began in 2000. Service Area Population Number Provide/ Support One-One Training Provide/ Support Group Instruction Support School System Training Have Undertaken Other Efforts Do Not Provide/ Support Training All Respondents 127 63.0% 59.1% 52.8% 26.0% 19.7% 1 million+ 19 73.7% 73.7% 52.6% 47.4% 21.1% 100,000 to 1 million 70 65.7% 60.0% 57.1% 24.3% 17.1% under 100,000 38 52.6% 50.0% 44.7% 18.4% 23.7% Table 6-2. Summary of survey responses for travel training programs.

88 Strategy Guide to enable and promote the Use of Fixed-route transit by people with Disabilities In 2012, Intercity Transit’s Travel Training Program trained approximately 96 riders (includ- ing 68 Dial-A-Lift riders) and conducted 242 travel training trips, 65 barrier assessments, and multiple group field trips. Intercity Transit employs one full-time, experienced travel trainer. At the time of this case study, the full-time travel trainer was out on medical leave. To provide travel training services during his/ her absence, two part-time travel training interns were selected from the operator ranks. Travel Training Internships. The internship positions are filled from among Intercity Transit’s operator staff, through Intercity Transit’s innovative internship program. Under this program, operators can apply for several types of internships in the agency. A travel training internship is for two years, and is very popular among operators. Intercity Transit has found its fixed-route drivers make excellent travel trainers, with their inherent customer service orientation and expert understanding of the fixed-route system. The internship program gives operators an opportunity to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities. This approach to cross-training is developing a pool of individuals in the agency who can provide travel training on a part-time basis, which has proved invaluable when the full-time travel trainer became temporarily unable to do training due to health reasons. The one draw- back to using operator interns is that the scheduling needs of the fixed-route system have prior- ity over those of the travel training program. At times the driver interns have not been available to meet all of the travel training needs. At the time of this writing, Intercity Transit’s board approved a pilot program to start February 18, 2013. The pilot will gauge the effectiveness of 2 FTE travel training coordinators in increasing community awareness of travel training, proactively travel train Dial-A-Lift riders to reduce paratransit trips and grow the number of travel training participants served overall. The travel training pilot provides a FTE dedicated intern in an additional travel training position. Travel Training Marketing. Many individuals choose to participate in travel training on their own accord. Intercity Transit markets the program well, including a stand-alone brochure called “Bus Riding Made Easy,” full pages in the agency’s Dial-A-Lift and Accessible Services brochures and website, as well as articles in the Dial-A-Lift customer newsletter and local news- papers (see Figure 6-2). Costs and Benefits. Intercity Transit’s Dial-A-Lift Manager provided examples of the esti- mated financial impact/paratransit cost reduction for four riders who were successfully travel trained in 2012. The estimates take into account the number of hours of travel training (at $36.66 per hour), the estimated number of trips that are now being taken using fixed-route transit, and the reduction in paratransit costs for these trips. Intercity Transit’s average net cost per trip on Dial-A-Ride was $42.20, and average net cost per trip on fixed-route transit is $2.90, so the average cost per trip savings by using fixed-route transit instead of Dial-A-Lift is $39.30. The estimated annual savings for these particular riders ranged from $5,514 (for an individual making four trips per week on fixed-route transit) to $26,484 (for an individual making 14 trips per week on fixed-route transit). Beginning in 2013, Intercity Transit began to track the number of individ- ual trips evaluated for eligibility. The agency has been tracking the number of Dial-A-Lift riders referred for travel training and estimated the number of trips that these customers are now taking on fixed-route transit to be approximately 17,000 a year. This resulted in an estimated annual cost sav- ings of $668,100. Subtracting out $83,324 in travel training costs, the net cost savings to Intercity Transit in 2012 was $584,776. Viewed another way, only Intercity Transit’s travel training efforts in 2012 cost $83,324 and saved an estimated $668,100 from trips taken on fixed-route transit rather than ADA paratransit. Net savings in 2012 was estimated to be $584,776.

Marketing, public Information, trip planning, and travel training 89 2,120 trips transitioned to fixed-route transit per year are needed to recover the $83,324 in travel training costs; this is equivalent to about four daily riders. It is important to note that the estimate of cost savings reflects only those individuals who voluntarily choose to participate in travel training when applying for the Dial-A-Lift program. Many Dial-A-Lift riders and other individuals have referred themselves to travel training sepa- rate from the eligibility determination process; to date; Intercity Transit has not tracked rider- ship by these individuals. WMATA, Washington, D.C. WMATA has been successful in encouraging MetroAccess (ADA paratransit) customers to try fixed-route transit service. This is done both individually and with agencies that pay the paratransit fare for their clients and employees. The result of going from the MetroAccess fare (twice the base fare) to the reduced fare for people with disabilities and seniors (half the base fare) is a 75% reduction in fare for the rider. WMATA’s targeted outreach and travel training has four tiers: • WMATA employs four full-time travel trainers who also do their own outreach. – Orientation and mobility (O&M) professional who works with individuals with visual disabilities. – Travel trainer specializing in geriatric populations. – Travel trainer specializing in individuals with cognitive disabilities. – Travel trainer who specializes in people with hearing disabilities. • WMATA uses the above personnel in identifying current MetroAccess customers who can use fixed-route transit service for some of their trips. • WMATA partners with Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. to provide travel training to their communities, with two professionals doing outreach and training in each community funded by a FTA New Freedom grant, and continuing beyond the grant to self-funding. • WMATA works with disability organizations and schools, which already provide life train- ing to their clients, to add travel training by providing a grant and trainer training. – One example is Columbia Lighthouse where WMATA trained a number of new O&M professionals to include travel training in their repertoire. WMATA also provides outreach to schools with Free Appropriate Public Education programs. – A new certification program trains special education teachers at participating schools in travel training and provides individual certification backed by a WMATA-administered examination. The same personnel do a combination of outreach and travel training, which varies widely based on the target population: roughly 50/50 for geriatric populations; 10% outreach/90% training for customers who are blind or have vision impairments (who are largely referred by organizations like Columbia Lighthouse); 30% outreach for people with cognitive disabilities; 60% outreach for people with hearing disabilities. Taking the weighted average for the four outreach/training staff members, plus about 15% of the Director of Eligibility Certification to whom they report, the overall level of staff effort is 1.65 FTE for outreach and 2.5 FTE for actual travel training. Costs and Benefits. In 2012, WMATA travel trained 350 people. WMATA began to track the costs and benefits of travel training; a preliminary estimate for the first quarter of 2013 was that 20 individuals were trained and that the net savings in providing fixed-route transit service

90 Strategy Guide to enable and promote the Use of Fixed-route transit by people with Disabilities rather than ADA paratransit for the trips taken by these riders in the first three months of 2013 was about $11,000. Tracking ADA paratransit ridership and costs also provides an indication of the success of efforts to enable and promote the use of fixed-route transit services. In 2012 paratransit cost was reduced by 11% and a similar savings is anticipated in 2013. These reductions in costs were achieved by the combination of all programs and efforts at WMATA, including travel training, bus stop and pedestrian infrastructure improvements, fare incentives, more thorough ADA paratransit eligibility determinations, and other efforts. Conclusions Travel training may be provided to potential riders in small groups or one-on-one. In either type of training, there is an opportunity to tailor instruction to specific issues and needs, which increases the odds that individuals will use fixed-route transit services, both initially and over the longer run. One-on-one training also affords an opportunity for the trainer to work with the rider to help plan commonly made trips. In many systems, the training is reinforced by “bus buddies,” who are often volunteers to give the new rider a sense of security. In addi- tion, programs in the schools for students both with and without disabilities help to create positive attitudes about the use of fixed-route transit that affect lifetime travel habits. Like any program aimed at changing individual habits, a transit system will ideally follow up the initial training of riders to assess their ongoing use of fixed-route transit services—both for data collection and as a means to reinforce the new travel habits. Travel training is almost always very cost effective because it encourages potential ADA paratransit riders to use fixed-route transit services that are much less expensive to provide. This is well documented in numerous case studies and is shown in the quantitative model cited in the literature. Well designed and implemented travel training programs are almost always cost-effective and can be scaled to fit available resources.