Provision of Alternative Services by Transit Agencies: The Intersection of Regulation and Program (2023) / Chapter Skim
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Chapter 10 - Designing and Implementing Alternative Transportation Services
Chapter 10 - Designing and Implementing Alternative Transportation Services
Pages 117-128
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From page 117... ...
be defined? Common Service Models for Alternative Services At a basic level, alternative services are subsidy programs, with the transit agency fully or partially subsidizing the cost of trips for ADA paratransit riders using participating transportation providers.
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From page 118... ...
• With centralized reservations, assuming there are multiple providers, there is only one entity through which alternative service trips can be requested. The more common service models with centralized reservations involve requests being called into the ADA paratransit service's call center, whether staffed by the transit agency, its paratransit call center contractor, or its turnkey contractor.
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From page 119... ...
From the research team's perspective, this still falls under the provider-side subsidy model because it is the providers who are being paid the subsidy, albeit indirectly. User-Side Subsidy Service Models Only two of the 18 alternative services surveyed employ a user-side subsidy model.
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From page 120... ...
or over service equivalency • Data reported to transit agency is much more limited; this may impact the ability to monitor performance and service equivalency Call-Taking and Trip Reservations Centralized Call-Taking Advantages • Gives transit agency better control over use and monitoring of alternative service; particularly useful when there are trip limit policies • Allows transit agency to more directly feature its alternative service on its phone tree when riders call to book an ADA paratransit trip • Gives transit agency better (customer-specific) data to estimate cost reduction Disadvantages • New effort and cost for transit agency unless the function can be added to a centralized ADA paratransit call center • Added step and time for trip reservation process because the centralized entity must forward the reservation to a provider/driver willing to accept the trip Decentralized Call-Taking Advantages • Riders have direct communication with provider, reducing issues stemming from miscom munication; with taxis, requests can be made directly to drivers • Allows riders to hail taxis or use taxi stands • Eliminates the extra step required by centralized reservations • Ensures riders choose their provider (assuming more than one option)
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From page 121... ...
Key requirements when there is only one transportation provider are to ensure the provider can provide accessible service and that the drivers participate in drug and alcohol testing because there is no user choice, and the taxicab exception does not apply. Advantages • Less administrative and monitoring effort with only one provider • Drivers subject to a higher standard of safety oversight by virtue of compliance with FTA drug and alcohol testing requirements Disadvantages • Riders have no choice of the provider • Response times may be longer than a program with multiple providers Multiple Transportation Providers Transit agencies may design their alternative services with more than one provider through direct contracting relationships or through a broker.
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From page 122... ...
ADA Paratransit Riders and Others • Policy choice to expand eligibility to others such as seniors, those with low incomes, and veterans results in greater alternative service use and cost. Service Area Policy Alternatives Required ADA Paratransit Service Area • Providing service in the mandated ADA paratransit area of ¾-mile corridors of fixed routes aligns the service to what the ADA requires and to riders' experience if the ADA paratransit area also corresponds to ADA requirements.
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From page 123... ...
• Less than ADA paratransit service • Same-day service • Immediate request Trip Request Policies • 1 to 2 hours in advance • Advance reservations, e.g., up to 30 days in advance • Subscription trips • No limits for individual riders • Uniform daily limit for all riders • Uniform monthly limit for all riders Trip Limits • Individual limits based on rider's history of ADA paratransit trips • Limits on all riders, either daily or monthly, and a limit on total alternative service trips per weekday, weekend day, and/or per month • No initial fare with subsidy paid to provider up to predetermined dollar amount of total trip cost; rider responsible for overage • Initial fare only with subsidy paid to provider for full remaining cost • Initial fare with subsidy paid to provider up to predetermined dollar amount of total trip cost; rider responsible for overage • Initial fare that covers a trip up to X miles, with a set rate per mile for Fare/Subsidy Policies every mile thereafter owed by the rider at the completion of the trip by Trip (provider-side • Initial fare with subsidy up to predetermined dollar amount for a set subsidy models) mileage limit; rider responsible for any amount over either the dollar subsidy limit or the mileage limit • Initial fare paid by rider; subsidy paid to provider is based on a negotiated zone and fee structure Note: Each provider serving trips can be paid by the transit agency, by its broker, or through a centralized technology company that tracks trips by individual riders (e.g., CabConnect)
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From page 124... ...
• Mirroring the ADA paratransit service span increases the likelihood that an alternative service trip would otherwise have been taken on ADA paratransit. Greater than ADA Paratransit Service • Providing alternative service beyond the ADA paratransit service span gives riders more flex ibility in scheduling trips, but it will increase cost exposure to the transit agency unless other limits are imposed.
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From page 125... ...
• Shifting subscription trips, which form the foundation of ADA vehicle schedules, to the alternative service removes trips from the ADA paratransit service. Trip Limits Advantages • Setting trip limits gives the transit agency some control over service use and resulting cost.
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From page 126... ...
• A fare equal to or less than the ADA paratransit fare may encourage riders to use the alternative service instead of ADA paratransit. Depending on the subsidy structure and trip limits, this may shift more trips to the alternative service and help the transit agency reduce costs on ADA paratransit.
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From page 127... ...
Common Designs While the transit agencies in this study used varying approaches to design and implement their alternative services, certain commonalities emerged. Model and Subsidy Method The most common model is a provider-side subsidy program using multiple providers with: • Decentralized trip reservations: riders reserve trips directly with providers • Initial fare that covers a trip up to a defined subsidy limit: typically a dollar amount but in some cases a mileage limit with a price per mile, with riders responsible for overage Policies Among the policies that structure the alternative services, several common approaches were: • Trip limits established for riders • Eligibility only for ADA paratransit riders • Service area beyond required ADA paratransit service area
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From page 128... ...
10-12 Provision of Alternative Services by Transit Agencies: The Intersection of Regulation and Program Other policies varied, with no common approach: • Service span – Same as ADA paratransit – Less than ADA paratransit – More than ADA paratransit, including 24/7 service (typically with taxi companies) • Scheduling policy – Same-day ◾ On demand ◾ One- to two-hour advance scheduling – Advance scheduling allowed, with varying definitions of "advance" ◾ One day in advance ◾ Five days in advance ◾ 30 days in advance ◾ Advance scheduling depends on the specific provider in multiprovider program – Subscription trips provided
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