Skip to main content

Currently Skimming:


Pages 65-136

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 65...
... 65   Case Example Selection Of the 20 survey respondents, four were eliminated because the survey response included an indication that they did not wish to be considered as a case example. Summaries and rationales for the remaining 16 were developed; ultimately, 12 were suggested as case examples, with the remaining four serving as backups.
From page 66...
... 66 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies Figure 4-1. Geographic locations of the case example participants.
From page 67...
... Case Examples 67   Paratransit Service Models Reflected in the Case Examples Table 4-3 shows a matrix of the 40 DRT services provided by each of the case examples, by service model. Altogether, there are 10 different service types reflected in the 11 case examples.
From page 68...
... 68 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies • Multiple turnkey contractors. The transit agency contracts with more than one (parallel)
From page 69...
... Case Examples 69   • User-side subsidy program. The transit agency loads riders' fare card accounts with a subsidy.
From page 70...
... Res Sch Disp ETAs O1 O2 O3 O4 DV NDV O-D S-D N-D A-R Sub Veh Fac Tel SW VC GP ADA Srs PwD NEM HSA Other Paratransit Coord Para TA TA TA All TA Taxi HSA X X X 14 X All All TA TA All X X X On-Call Microtransit TA X X X X X Evening Service Dial-A-Ride TA X X 14 X X X A-Ride Coord Para TA/PC TA PC PC TA X WC X X X X X FlexRide Microtransit Cont X NightRide & HolidayRide Microtransit Cont X X X X X Bend Dial-A-Ride ADA Para Cont X X 14 X X Rural Dial-A-Ride Dial-A-Ride TA X X X X Route Deviation Flex Transit TA X X X NEMT NEM X X X X Cont TA TA TA Cont X ADA Paratransit ADA Para TA X X 14 X X Safe Rides Microtransit TA X X X Univ Half-Fare Cab Program Altern - SSS Taxi X X X X X West Connect Microtransit TA X X X X C-CARTS Flex / DAR TA X X X X X DSC HSA Program1 HSA1 X X X X X DRES HSA Program2 HSA2 X 1 X X X X DART ADA Para Cont Taxi X X X 7 X X Comet @ Night Microtransit Cont Uber Lyft X X X X X 7 X X Comet To The Market Microtransit Cont Uber Lyft X X X X X 7 X X Reflex Flex Transit Cont X 2 X 7 X X Reflex on Demand Flex Transit Cont X 2 X 7 X X TransIT-plus Coord Para TA X SA X 10 X X X Taxi Access Program Altern - USS Taxi1 Taxi2 Taxi3 X X Var X Var X X X Island Transit ADA Paratransit ADA Para (USS) Taxi1 X X X X X ADA Paratransit ADA Para TA Taxi1 X X X X X X NEM Program NEM (USS)
From page 71...
... Case Examples 71   The base fare is $1.50, with various discount fares and day or monthly pass options available. The fixed-route ridership in 2019 was about 310,000 trips, down from a peak ridership of 570,000 in 2008.
From page 72...
... 72 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies by Ecolane) is used to support the service.
From page 73...
... Case Examples 73   In 2019, ridership on the Evening Service totaled about 9,800 trips, operated with a productivity of 1.8 and at a fully allocated cost of $25.26 per trip. Interestingly, ridership dipped to only the 9,000 level during the pandemic because many workers still needed to get to local food-processing plants.
From page 74...
... 74 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies Disability in Action, Inc., Contract The DIA contract is similar to the Lynkup contract in relation to the contract term, general requirements, and payment schedule. Since DIA only provides one accessible vehicle, the payment schedule defaults to the "under-50 trips" payment rate.
From page 75...
... Case Examples 75   The only limiting exception is that DIA provides the only outlet for overflow trips that require WAVs, and DIA's one accessible vehicle is only available when it is otherwise not providing transportation to DIA's own clients. An ongoing challenge confronting CityLink is the lack of attention from its current software vendor, with unanswered trouble tickets dating back 2 years.
From page 76...
... 76 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies of its contractor. The contractor was responsible for same-day reservations; operation of the fleet of WAVs and sedans, all of which were operated in a dedicated fashion; all dispatching functions; handling of service-day calls from all riders; and road supervision.
From page 77...
... Case Examples 77   • MyRide, a transportation brokerage for persons in the region who cannot access AAATA's service; • VanRide, a vanpool program; • The University of Michigan–sponsored ExpressRide commuter buses from the communities of Canton and Chelsea; and • Various event-related shuttles, notably for University of Michigan football games. AAATA began providing paratransit service, called ARide, in the early 1970s as a dial-aride program for the general public.
From page 78...
... 78 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies based on lingering unresolved rider complaints, it was suspected that contractual obligations related to service-quality performance were not being met. ARide and GoldRide: The Transition Model (2014–2015)
From page 79...
... Case Examples 79   • RideCorp was responsible for same-day reservations; operation of the fleet of WAVs and sedans, all of which were operated in a dedicated fashion; all dispatching functions; handling of service-day calls from all riders; and road supervision. All other policies for both ARide and GoldRide from previous years were continued.
From page 80...
... 80 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies support the service. The area included two transit connections.
From page 81...
... Case Examples 81   those who can ride the fixed-route system for free. Another difference is that service is operated with one WAV and one minivan and is supported by other nondedicated vehicles as needed.
From page 82...
... 82 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies trips can be scheduled for a slightly higher fare, and rides are based on provider space and availability. • Trip fare assistance.
From page 83...
... Case Examples 83   Service standards include the following: • A definition for on-time (±10 minutes) and a missed trip.
From page 84...
... 84 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies has enabled more ridesharing opportunities, increased productivity, and ultimately contributed to cost efficiencies. In addition, the opportunity to reliably request same-day trips for well over a decade, especially for ADA paratransit customers, has been a boon for the disability community.
From page 85...
... Case Examples 85   and paratransit scheduling, "This enabled us to better influence the balance between service quality and cost efficiency." Williams also added, "From the early turnkey model, we realized that assigning the complaint management function to our contractor was not the best idea. In short, we were not convinced that all complaints were documented and responded to, nor were we getting an accurate picture of service quality.
From page 86...
... 86 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies transfer point in downtown Bend. The pre-pandemic base fare for the Bend fixed-route system was $1.50, noting that discount fares and several pass options were also available.
From page 87...
... Case Examples 87   Route-Deviation Service CET operates a flex-route service for the general public within and between Warm Springs (a tribal reservation) and Madras.
From page 88...
... 88 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies to 5:30 p.m., and on Sundays from 8:30 a.m.
From page 89...
... Case Examples 89   Medicaid Sponsorship Agreement and Service-Provider Contracts As part of this brokerage, CET contracts with the Oregon Department Health Plan (Medicaid)
From page 90...
... 90 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies Similar to Bend Dial-a-Ride, CET leverages the attractive match rates of FTA Section 5310– purchased services funding for its Rural Dial-a-Ride. However, the grantee for these funds is the municipalities within central Oregon, allowing for CET to be the purchased service provider.
From page 91...
... Case Examples 91   is appreciative of this. With the success of this service, CET is planning to implement a second route-deviation service in Redmond.
From page 92...
... 92 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies population of 140,000, including 45,000 students at the University of Illinois when it is in session. Under contract, MTD also provides demand-responsive transportation service in outer Champaign County (about 964 square miles beyond the urbanized area)
From page 93...
... Case Examples 93   serve as backup drivers if there is an unusually large number of drivers on vacation or who have called out sick. Advance reservations up to 14 days in advance and requests for subscription service are accepted.
From page 94...
... 94 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies was $24.67. Similar to the route-deviation service, requests may be made with a minimum of 48 hours' advance notice.
From page 95...
... Case Examples 95   maintaining DRES's vehicles and provides administrative assistance for which it charges DRES the specific person's fully allocated billing rate. MTD claims these trips in its NTD reporting.
From page 96...
... 96 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies software has its shortcomings. For example, SafeRides was to be designed so that university riders at locations within a bus stop catchment are not eligible; instead, these riders are directed to a bus stop for one of the MTD fixed routes serving the university campus.
From page 97...
... Case Examples 97   For Champaign County, having MTD operating C-CARTS has also been beneficial during occasional state shutdowns. Had C-CARTS been operated by the county, C-CARTS would have likely been hobbled if MTD had not been there to cover the stopgap funding.
From page 98...
... 98 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies When procuring microtransit technology for an in-house service, Alvarez also advised the MTD be as specific as possible about required software specifications, especially where those specifications need to be developed or customized, and to include penalties for missing contractual due dates for the completion of the development, testing, installation, and training of those new features and capabilities. Contact Information Evan Alvarez, special services manager, is available at ealvarez@mtd.org.
From page 99...
... Case Examples 99   With the exception of the overflow taxi provider and the TNC-based microtransit services, TCS operates all of the deviated fixed-route and DRT services, with The COMET providing all of the vehicles, facilities, and other supporting assets. Prior to contracting with RATP Dev, The COMET had contracted with Transdev since 2002.
From page 100...
... 100 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies The DART fare is $4.00. In 2019, DART, ReFlex, and ReFlex OnDemand provided 76,400 trips at a unit cost of $53.28 per trip.
From page 101...
... Case Examples 101   per month, while the rate per RVH was $45.70. The contract includes performance standards and various requirements for service delivery and reporting.
From page 102...
... 102 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies Andoh also added an industry truism: "Project managers make or break a contract. So, make sure you get a good one, and put in all kinds of incentives and disincentives in the contract to ensure that the good ones stay and the bad ones get replaced." Pam Bynoe-Reed, The COMET's director of marketing and community affairs, stated, "It is important to stay nimble, but it is especially true in transportation.
From page 103...
... Case Examples 103   purposes, TransIT is split into (1) an urban transit system funded through FTA Section 5307 and (2)
From page 104...
... 104 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies may use TransIT-plus for Health Department–approved medical trips only. In addition, TransITplus's service platform is used to provide ADA paratransit for eligible trips within the ¾-mile corridors of all TransIT's fixed and deviated-fixed Connector and Shuttle Route bus routes.
From page 105...
... Case Examples 105   rates of rides taken by an individual cannot exceed $720 for urban riders and $1,440 for other riders. One of the benefits of the fare card is that it provides all the data Fredrick County needs for reporting.
From page 106...
... 106 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies Lessons Learned Roman Steichen, director of Frederick County Transit, believes that the blended approach to serving trips being made by ADA paratransit riders and other riders on TransIT-plus provides for great flexibility and results in cost efficiencies. "But the challenge with blending the services is data reporting," he said.
From page 107...
... Case Examples 107   DRT Service and Service Models Route-Deviation College Route ACCESS has been operating a deviated fixed route, called the College Route, since prior to 2005. The route, with requested deviation, takes an hour to run.
From page 108...
... 108 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies provides trips sponsored by North Carolina's Elderly and Disabled Transportation Assistance Program (EDTAP) , state employment and veterans' transportation programs, local senior transportation programs, and Medicaid NEMT.
From page 109...
... Case Examples 109   Local Sponsorship Agreements and Service-Provider Contract Details Local Sponsorship Agreements Generally, for all the local sponsorship agreements, the county charges the local sponsoring agencies $1.55 per passenger-mile. If there is a shortfall, the county chips in.
From page 110...
... 110 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies FY 2020 (pre-pandemic)
From page 111...
... Case Examples 111   In nearby Galveston (in Galveston County) , the City of Galveston, providing Island Transit, formerly met its ADA paratransit obligation by managing and operating an all-in-house service.
From page 112...
... 112 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies DRT Services and Service Models HCT's ADA Paratransit Service ADA paratransit service in HCT's fixed-route service area is available 6 days a week, matching the fixed-route service area and hours. The fare is $2.00.
From page 113...
... Case Examples 113   Yellow Cab has 12 dedicated drivers who provide NEMT trips for Harris County Transit. Yellow Cab invoices HCT based on the meter fare.
From page 114...
... 114 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies Township. These agreements span three counties in the region (Brazoria, Galveston, and Montgomery Counties)
From page 115...
... Case Examples 115   among the 126 different areas covered, there are specific standards for vehicle mileage, vehicle maintenance and cleanliness, background checks, appearance of drivers, and accessibility training. HCT is planning to add performance standards in the next procurement, scheduled for later in 2021.
From page 116...
... 116 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies With this service model design, Yellow Cab does provide dedicated accessible cabs to the two ADA paratransit services that it serves (in Harris County and Galveston) , supplemented by nondedicated taxicabs as needed.
From page 117...
... Case Examples 117   Metro also contracts with Capitol City Transportation (CCT) , a local private transportation company, to provide the ADA paratransit trips that do not fit on the in-house fleet.
From page 118...
... 118 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies must call in their requests to Metro's Customer Service Center at least 3 hours and up to a week in advance and can leave a voice message for after-hours reservations. The service is operated using available paratransit vehicles and has steadily been serving about 42 trips per month.
From page 119...
... Case Examples 119   service mix, the three Metro WAVs, and group trips being transported to work and training sites, Metro has been able to achieve a productivity for the dedicated fleet of 2.5–3.0 trips per hour and a unit operating cost of approximately $27 per trip. In comparison, the rate paid to CCT is $12 per trip.
From page 120...
... 120 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies What is somewhat unusual for a smaller system is the split: 56 percent of the trips are served by CCT, and 44 percent of the trips are served by the Metro-operated fleet. That said, the overflow option and the flexibility dispatchers have to pull back a trip if it can be accommodated by the in-house fleet, coupled with the three WAVs, contribute to the high productivity of the in-house fleet and the reasonable overall cost per trip.
From page 121...
... Case Examples 121   Ventura County, California: The Premium Gold Standard Summary The Gold Coast Transit (GCT) District provides GO ACCESS, a paratransit serving ADA and senior paratransit riders in the western portion of Ventura County.
From page 122...
... 122 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies Figure 4-18. GCT service area.
From page 123...
... Case Examples 123   The base fare is $1.50; a day pass is $4.00. GCT sells monthly passes as well.
From page 124...
... 124 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies In 1999, the paratransit service area was enlarged to include the entire area encompassed by the four member cities and the unincorporated county areas between the member cities. Prior to this expansion, the service area was limited to the strict ¾-mile ADA paratransit service area.
From page 125...
... Case Examples 125   Premium Direct GCT launched a second paratransit service, called Premium Direct, in January 2020. Before this new service, trips between GCT and Camarillo Area Transit (CAT)
From page 126...
... 126 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies Figure 4-21. JJC HOP guide-a-ride panel.
From page 127...
... Case Examples 127   If riders need service to the JJC from public transit, they can use several modes (GCT or VISTA bus services) to first get to the Esplanade shopping center, where several GCT (and VISTA)
From page 128...
... 128 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies disadvantaged area where unproductive fixed-route service was recently removed. The 2-squaremile service area is within a low-income area that suffers from air pollution.
From page 129...
... Case Examples 129   at the 2.4-trips-per-hour level, GCT believes its liquidated damages represent effective preventive control over service and, therefore, cost efficiency. The contract also includes a cancellation-for-convenience clause.
From page 130...
... 130 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies employee benefits. Moreover, it would have involved the merging of two unions, which was perceived to be problematic.
From page 131...
... Case Examples 131   Figure 4-23. Link Transit regional routes.
From page 132...
... 132 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies Link Transit operates six fixed routes and three shuttles in the urban area, three commuter routes, and five rural deviation routes. Only a few deviations are requested over the course of year.
From page 133...
... Case Examples 133   Link Transit replaced Routematch with Ecolane in 2011 and has been using it ever since. One of the attractive features of Ecolane is its automated dynamic optimization capability, which automates proactive dispatching throughout the service day.
From page 134...
... 134 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies Therefore, in October 2019, Link Transit replaced the fixed route with an on-demand microtransit service. The service is operated with a combination of dedicated vehicles operated by Link Transit and nondedicated vehicles operated by LCH.
From page 135...
... Case Examples 135   services on an on-call basis. The vehicle used by LCH is a Section 5310–funded vehicle.
From page 136...
... 136 ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies to our providing dedicated service. As we emerge from the pandemic, I am looking forward to encouraging the restoration of the taxi industry here in Wenatchee and will be talking to some TNCs as well." In regard to using operations and management contractors, DeRock prefers to operate service in-house because he is not convinced that contractors present a less-expensive alternative, considering the high average productivity and the high quality of service that the dedicated employees have delivered.

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.