Report No:

Meeting Date:

Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District

STAFF REPORT TO: Operations Committee

AC Transit Board of Directors

FROM: David J. Armijo, General Manager

13-008 January 9, 2013

SUBJECT: District Operating Procedures Regarding Strollers, Carts, and Other Devices

BRIEFING ITEM

RECOMMENDED ACTION{S):

Receive report on District operating procedures regarding strollers, carts, and other large items.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Transit agencies in the Bay Area have a variety of policies and operating procedures regarding strollers, carts, and other large items. Like many of its peers, AC Transit relies on operating procedures, rather than official board policies, to give operators direction regarding boarding, alighting, and travel of strollers, carts, and other objects or devices. The transition to an operating procedure from a board policy was authorized by the Board in January 2010.

AC Transit's current operating procedures are consistent with most transit agencies in the Bay Area. The current trend seems to be toward more permissive operating procedures including permission to board, alight, and travel while children remain in unfolded strollers; options to use the lift or ramp to board and alight; and use of special designated areas when space is available. At this time, Staff is not recommending any action by the Board.

BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no budgetary or fiscal impact associated with this report.

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:

On May 23, 2012, the Board of Directors requested that staff review District policies and operating procedures regarding strollers, carts, and other large items not protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In response, Staff reviewed AC Transit's current and past policies and procedures, and conducted a peer review of transit agencies in the Bay Area and beyond.

Mobility Devices The 2008/09 On Board Passenger Survey reported that approximately 1.3% of customers were boarding with strollers, 1% of customers reported using wheelchairs, and 1.9% reported traveling with bicycles. The survey did not measure the prevalence of carts or other large

87

Report No. 13-008 Page 2 of 5

items; however, 14% of respondents identified their trip purpose as "shopping/errands" (GM Memo 10-236). Staff did not find any data regarding trends in stroller size.

Former District Policies Board Policy 408 provided direction on strollers, carts, and other devices from February 1990 to January 2010. The policy was amended four times (Jan 1992, Jun 1993, Oct 1995, and Jul 1996) before being repealed in January 2010.

Under Policy 408, customers were permitted to: • Bring strollers, carts, and other large items (including bikes) on-board; • Board with children in the stroller; • Request use of the lift to board and alight; • Travel with unfolded strollers inside the wheelchair securement area, provided that no

individuals in a wheelchair intended to board; and • Travel with unfolded strollers outside the wheelchair securement area, provided that

space permitted and aisles and doorways remained clear.

In 2010, the District was reexamining policies in "areas that [were] mainly operational in nature and require[d] flexibility to adjust to changes in bus fleets, technology, and/or customer practices." Policy 408 was repealed so that "future procedures on these subjects remain the subject of Operations Bulletins and the Operator User Guide (OUG), as well as customer information items" (GM Memo 10-010). The use of procedures and operational directives aligned AC Transit with practices currently used by the San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority (SFMTA) and most other transit agencies.

Operator User Guide (OUG) Per GM Memo 10-010, the Operator User Guide replaced Policy 408 as the District's operating procedure regarding strollers, carts, and other large items.

Policy 408 vs OUG Spring 2009 OUG Spring 2009 only differs from Policy 408 in one significant way. Policy 408 stated that with space permitting, the passenger was allowed to roll a stroller to the rear of the bus and be seated while the child remained in the stroller. OUG Spring 2009 states that children may only remain in strollers if space in the wheelchair securement area is available. If wheelchair securement areas are occupied by wheelchair users, OUG Spring 2009 states that strollers must be folded and stowed out of the aisle, doorways, steps, and emergency exits.

Peer Review A peer review of other transit agencies in the Bay Area was conducted to gauge AC Transit's position on strollers, carts, and large items. Table 1 illustrates the findings of this analysis. Each question is worded such that an affirmative response indicates greater accommodation to strollers; negative responses indicate less accommodation. By using black and white circles to represent affirmative and negative responses, respectively, general levels of accommodation can be quickly gleaned for each agency.

88

Report No. 13-008 Page 3 of 5

Table 1. Peer Review of Operating Procedures for Boarding, Alighting, and Traveling with Strollers.

strollers? • • 0 0 0 • • • • May children remain in unfolded

• strollers du • 0 0 0 • • • • May customer request use of lift/ramp • • 0 • • • to with strollers?

May children remain in strollers during • travel? • 0 0 0 • • • •

May unfolded strollers occupy • wheelchair securement area? • 0 0 0 • • • May unfolded strollers occupy any space outside the wheelchair • 0 0 0 0 • • • securement area? Does Agency provide special

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 • • for strollers?

• True o False --No known

As Table 1 shows, AC Transit's current stroller procedures are typical of transit agencies in the Bay Area and beyond, although there are some exceptions. Agencies like Tri Delta and LAVTA go to new lengths to accommodate strollers by creating designated stroller areas on each vehicle. At the other extreme, agencies like Muni establish operating procedures that restrict stroller use, including requirements that strollers be folded before boarding and restricting use of the lifts; however, Muni is reconsidering these procedures, as discussed later in this report.

Service area characteristics and demand appear to correlate with differences in operating procedures. Tri Delta and LAVTA operate in lower-density areas with less frequent stops, lower demand, excess capacity on the majority of buses, and minimal opportunity for disruption to schedules. Meanwhile, Muni operates in high-density areas with frequent stops and high demand, often pushing vehicles to capacity and scheduling limits. AC Transit operates in both settings.

Trends The current trend seems to be toward more perm1ss1ve operating procedures including permission to board, alight, and travel while children remain in unfolded strollers; options to use the lift or ramp to board and alight; and use of special designated areas when space is available. This trend is not unique to suburban transit systems, since agencies operating in high-density areas with frequent stops are also moving toward procedures that would be more

89

Report No. 13-008 Page 4 of 5

accommodating to strollers. Two noteworthy examples are the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA, Muni) and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).

On April 10, 2012, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution "urging the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to permit strollers on Muni vehicles and to adopt stroller policies that give parents and caregivers better access to public transportation" (Resolution No. 129-12). SFMTA now appears to be moving toward a more permissive operating procedure regarding strollers. Per the May 17, 2012 SFMTA Multi-Modal Accessibility Advisory Committee (MAAC) meeting:

"[SFMTA does] not have a formal policy, just a guideline to have customers fold their stroller ... If the SFMTA makes any changes, they will be communicated through an operator bulletin. Currently, [SFMTA is] leaning toward allowing customers with strollers to request and use lift, board with the stroller unfolded and be allowed to keep the child in the stroller. The only requirement on customers would be to not to block the isle [sic] and to put the brake on the stroller. There would be no designated area for a stroller; it would be up to parent to make sure the child is safe. This policy is still evolving, but this is current thinking on this issue [sic]."

The Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority appears to be moving in the same direction with issuance of an operating bulletin in May 2012 outlining more permissive operating procedures.

Customer Education Campaign AC Transit Marketing Staff is developing a campaign to educate customers about proper boarding, alighting, and traveling with strollers and carts. The campaign will include on-board and at-stop signage where possible, multi-language "take-one" material on buses, information on the District's website, and electronic messaging via eNews and social media. Marketing and Transportation staff will also work together to inform and engage bus operators in the effort. The campaign will be executed by the end of the first quarter, 2013.

ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:

This report does not recommend a course of action with notable advantages or disadvantages.

ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS:

This report is a review of previous actions by the Board. This report does not recommend any new action at this time. There are no alternative actions associated with this report.

PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTIONS/POLICIES:

Board Policy 408 Adopted Feb 1, 1990; Amended Jan 1992, June 1993, October 1995, July 1996; Repealed January 20, 2012

90

Report No. 13-008 Page 5 of 5

GM Memo No. 10-010 Update to District's Procedures Regarding Wheelchairs and Other Mobility Devices, Strollers, Carriages, and Shopping Carts; and Recommendation to Repeal Board Policy 408 {Baby Strollers/Folding and Full Size Bicycles On Coaches)

GM Memo No. 10-236 Results ofthe 2008/09 On Board Rider Survey

ATTACHMENTS:

1: Policy 408, as last amended July 1996

2: Excerpt from Operator User Guide (Spring 2009), "Bus Operator's responsibility to the ADA"

3: Excerpt from Operator User Guide {Spring 2009), "Strollers, Baby Carriages, and Carts"

4: San Francisco Board of Supervisors Resolution 129-12

Department Head Approval: James D. Pachan, Chief Operating Officer

Reviewed by: Ken Scheidig, Interim General Counsel

Prepared by: Stephen Newhouse, Transportation Planner

91

This page intentionally blank 

92

SR 13-008 Attachment 1

GM Memo 10-010 Attach. I

. 1600 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612- Ph. 510/891-7213- Fax. 510/891-4874

AC Transit Policy No. 408

BOARD POLICY

Subject Category: OPERATIONS

BABYSTROLLERS/FOLDING AND FULL SIZE BICYCLES ON COACHES

POLICY: BABYSTROLLERS AND CARRYING FOLDING BICYCLES AND FULL SIZE BICYCLES .SHALL BE PERMITIED ON BUSES UNDER THEFOLLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES:·

1. When boarding and de-boarding a stroller, the passenger has the option of leaving the child in the stroller. If a passenger requests it, the driver will operate the lift to allow the passenger with a stroller to board more easily.

2. Foldin!;) bicycles.shall'be folded. The driver will request the passenger to fold the folding bicycle so as not to block the aisle, and remove the hazard of the folding .bicycle from rolling down the aisle and hurting another passenger.

3. Passengers shall have priority for seating areas over bicycles and strollers at all times. If the space designated for wheelchairs Is not already occupied, he/she may raise the drop seat and place the stroller with the child in it and/or folding bicycle in the space which would otherwise be available for wheelchair use. If a wheelchair passenger boards the coach, the wheelchair passenger has priority over the stroller and/or folding bicycle, and the space shall be made available for the wheelchair. The passenger should be reminded to use the safety devices to strap the stroller and/or folding bicycle. Nevertheless, the brakes shall be set so that the baby-stroller will be secured and prevented from rolling and becoming a safety hazard.

Adopted: 2/1/90 Page 1 of 2 Amendment(s): 1/92-6/93-10/95- 7/1/96

93

This page intentionally blank 

94

95

This page intentionally blank 

96

97

98

.l , ..

FILE NO. 120326

I I

AMENDED IN BOARD 4/10/12

.-. ; I .•••

sR 13~oba Attachffient 4

RESOLUTION NO. (~Cf-(~

1 [Urging the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to Pellllit Strollers on Muni Vehicles] ·

2

3 Resolution urging the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to permit

4 strollers on Muni vehicles and to adopt stroller policies that give parents and

5 caregivers batter access to public .transportation.

6

7 WHEREAS, The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) currently

8 has a policy that only permits strollers on Muni vehicles at the discretion of its operators and

9 does not permit strollers to be unfolded while on board; and

10 WHEREAS, Based on feedback from parents and caregivers, it is clear that current

11 stroller policy effectively denies parents and caregivers with infants and young children seated ·

12 on strollers the ability to board buses and trains and limits their access to public

13 transportation; and

14 WHEREAS, Working families in San Francisco often depend on public transportation to

15 meet their daily travel needs and must travel with their infants and young children; and

16 WHEREAS, One of the most significant challenges facing San Francisco today is

17 family flight, as indicated by the 2010 Census findings that 13.4 percent of San Francisco '

18 residents are younger than 18, the smallest percentage of any major U.S. city, and that San

·19 Francisco lost 5,278 residents younger than 18 since the 2000 Census, despite a 3. 7 percent

20 population growth; and

21 WHEREAS, ~everal options should be considered to make Muni more family-friendly,

22 including (a) permitting strollers to remain unfolded as long as they are not blocking the aisle,

23 the wheels are locked and children are safely secured with stroller straps, (b) allowing parents

24 and caregivers to request access to lift and ramp deployment to board buses and trains and

25.

Supervisors Chiu, Elsbernd, Avalos, Chu , Mar BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Page 1

413/2012

99

I I .... I

City and County of Sau ·Francisco

Tails

Resolution

City Hall I Dr. Cl'lrlton B. Goodlett Ple.oo San Francisco. CA 94 102-4689

File Number: 120326 Date Passed: Apri110, 2012

Resolution urging the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to permit strollers on Muni vehicles and to adopt stroller policies that give parents and caregivers better access to public transportation.

Aprll10, 2012 Board of Supervisors- AMENDED

Ayes: 10- Avalos, Campos, Chlu, Chu, Elsbernd, Farrell, Kim, Mar, Olague and Wiener Absent: 1 - Cohen

Aprll10, 2012 Board of Supervisors- AMENDED

Ayes: 10- Avalos, Campos, Chlu, Chu, Elsbernd, Farrell, Kim, Mar, Olague and Wiener Absent: 1 - Cohen

April10, 2012 Board of Supervisors- ADOPTED AS AMENDED.

Ayes: 11 -Avalos, Campos, Chlu, Chu, Cohen, Elsbernd, Farrell, Kim, Mar, Olague and Wiener

File No. 120326

UNS·IGNED

Mayor

I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was ADOPTED AS AMENDED on 4/10/2012 by the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco. ·

-A t!1 c:'A4 ·~ f Angela Calvillo . Clerk of tho Board

APRIL 20, 2012

Date Approved Date: Aprll20, 2012

1 hereby certify that the foregoing resolution, not being signed by the Mayor within the time limit as set forth In Section 3.103 of the Charter, became effective without his approval in accordance with the provision of said Section 3.103 .of the Charter.

FileNo.·

. I t ., ..

!

~-'

100