TRAVEL OPTIONS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED

September 12, 2007

Jon E. Burkhardt

prepared for presentation to

The Transportation at the Speed of Life SummitLong Beach, California

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Transportation Options Outline

Travel needs and preferences

Transportation service improvementsImproved public transit servicesGreater cost-effectiveness through coordinationDoor-through-door services

Innovative services now operating

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Travel Needs and Travel Options

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Mobility Preferences of Older Persons (as expressed in focus groups)

ReliableOn time!Can’t wait long outside

Door-to-door serviceFlexible -- Can change destinations and timesComfortable vehicles and waiting areasResponsive -- Don’t have to wait 24 hoursMore hours of the day, days of the week

BASICALLY: control / autonomy / choice

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A Comprehensive, Consumer Friendly Transportation “Program”

Auto driver safety effortsImproved public transit servicesIntegrated taxi / paratransit servicesEnhanced pedestrian facilitiesVolunteer servicesEscort (“hand-to-hand”) servicesEmergency transportation services

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Transportation Service Improvements

Improved public transit services

Greater cost-effectiveness through coordination

Door-through-door transportation

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Detailed Mobility Improvement Strategies

Adopt a customer orientation: focus on specific trip needs of individual consumersRe-configure agency responsibilities: separate planning and operations; more contractingOffer consumer choice: multiple service types at various pricesApply new fare strategies: full cost recovery, electronic payments, emphasize co-paymentsAdopt advanced technologies: real-time travel information, low-floor vehicles, talking signs

Focus on UNIVERSAL DESIGN and COORDINATION

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Public Transit: Potential Short-Term Improvements

Improve schedule reliabilityAdvance notification of vehicle arrivalProvide “guaranteed ride home” servicesImplement “welcoming techniques” for new ridersProvide boarding assistance as neededImprove information servicesMove to at-grade vehicle boardingEmphasize driver courtesy and assistance

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Potential Long-Term Transportation Improvements

Provide multiple types of services at various prices

Tailor trip characteristics to specific trip needs

Focus on smart technologies to enhance the service and cost effectiveness available for demand-responsive services

Provide multiple payment options

Increase service frequency, comfort, and reliability

Increase service hours and range of destinations served

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ACCESS Transportation Systems, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Re-configured agency responsibilities:

ACCESS (a contractor to the public transit authority) contracts for services with 8 trip providers through competitive contracts for ADA and other paratransit

FY 2001 costs = $29.5 million; 2.059 million trips (7,500 per day, much higher than pre-ACCESS operations)

Estimated cost savings of nearly 50%; = $26.1 million in FY 2001

Reduced number of transportation providers from 121 to 16; increased on-time performance; decreased complaints

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Independent Transportation Network (ITN), Portland, Maine

Enhanced customer choice:

ITN offers multiple service types at various prices; more immediate, more exclusive services cost more than next-day, future-day, shared rides

Trips are prepaid; payments can be by the rider or any-one else; members can trade their cars for rides on ITN

Volunteers drive, do other tasks too; program objective is to be independent of government support through donations

Services allow seniors and others to continue living independently at home; benefits to riders alone estimated at over $150,000

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Transportation Service Improvements

Improved public transit services

Greater cost-effectiveness through coordination

Door-through-door transportation

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Coordination: What is It?

For our purposes . . .

Coordination means

the sharing of transportation resources, responsibilities, and activities of various agencies with each other for the overall benefit of their community.

“Coordination: the best way to stretch scarce resources and improve mobility for everyone.”[Ohio DOT]

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Key Goals for Coordinated Transportation Services

Do more with existing resources, meaningReduce the costs of providing tripsIncrease transportation system productivity

Enhance mobility within and between communities, meaning increasing access to multiple destinations and opportunities

Employment, health care, shopping, social/cultural/religious

Generate new revenues for transportation services

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How Coordination Works: Part 1

Reducing costs, duplication, and fragmentationReduce expenses for operating and admin salariesReduce capital expenses for vehicles and equipmentReduce insurance, maintenance, and other costs

Increasing services and productivityFocus on vehicle utilization, coordinated dispatchingIncrease days and hours of service and service areasIncrease kinds of persons and trips servedIncrease accessibility and affordabilityIncrease kinds and amounts of public info on servicesIncrease kinds and amounts of funding to pay for trips

.

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Coordination Helps Maximize Resources

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How Coordination Works: Part 2

The structure of transportation systems changestransportation service levels increasetransportation service integration increases

Transportation performance measures improveresource efficiency improves [cost / mile, cost / hour]service effectiveness increases [trips / pass mile]cost effectiveness increases [cost / trip]

Coordination creates positive outcomescustomer satisfaction increases [acceptable, accessible,

affordable, adaptable, available]community mobility increases [trips per person]quality of life increases: more independent living, less

isolation

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An Example of A Coordinated Service Expansion: SMART, SE Michigan

SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation) helps fund transportation organized and operated by 50 local communities through the Community Partnership Program

Communities help with regional tax referenda

SMART provides vehicles and technical assistance to the localities

Estimated annual savings = $ 2.7 million

Also provides substantial local mobility increases

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Local Rural Human Service Agency Coordination: COAST, Colfax, Washington

This $700,000 annual program serves 18 different human service agencies in very rural portions of 4 Washington and 5 Idaho counties (23,000 sq. miles) plus school districts

COAST provides some trips and brokers others and operates a regional information and dispatch center

COAST provides vehicle loans and leases to partners from its extensive vehicle pool

Estimated annual savings = $700,000

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Key Components of Effective Local Coordination

Community-wide [or multi-community] focus & support

Partnership approach: power, funds, responsibility, benefits

Resource management; quality control

Maximizing productivity: ride sharing

Business-like approach; full cost recovery, cash flow

Coordination with non-transportation providers, and

Consumer orientation, volunteers, broad service spectrum, documented benefits, targeted marketing, travel training

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Transportation Service Improvements

Improved public transit services

Greater cost-effectiveness through coordination

Door-through-door transportation

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Door-through-Door Transportation Services . . .

. . . offer a high level of service for travelers with significant mobility limitations.

. . . are often overlooked in community transportation planning efforts.

. . . allow frail and disabled persons to continue to live in their own homes and stay connected to their communities.

. . . provide great service for the riders and their caregivers.

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Kinds of Door-through-Door Services

Gentle support: opening doors

Physical support: hands-on assistance for balance, etc

Activity support: helping the rider at the destination

Personal support: dressing, groceries, personal friendships

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Examples of Door-through-Door Services

California TRIP Hawaii Kaunoa Senior ServicesNew York Gadabout Transportation ServicesOregon Ride ConnectionTexas West Austin CaregiversVirginia Bedford Ride

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TRIP: Door-through-Door Service in Riverside, California

Started in 1993; serves persons with serious health problems; rural and suburban communities served

600 volunteer drivers; 35,000 annual trips; $350,000 annual budget

Service is possible “any time you want it:” 24 / 7 / 365

“Friends serving friends:” 80% of riders select their own drivers

Provides trips to about 500 persons who would not otherwise be able to travel; cost savings of about $1.5 million per year to partner agencies

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Ride Connection, Inc.: Door-through-Door Service in Portland, Oregon

Started 1988; serves 3 urban, suburban, rural counties

650 drivers, 2/3 volunteers; 300,000 annual trips; $5.2 million total annual budget

Very close relationship with local transit system; substantial focus on escort service

Brokers / coordinates with many local agencies

Provides trips to more than 6,000 persons who would not otherwise be able to travel

Cost savings of about $2 million/year just to public transit; more to other agencies

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Door-through-Door Services: Conclusions

A key component of public policy

Great benefits for riders / caregivers / communities

Need to be closely tailored to local conditions

Large variations in scale possible

Need strong support of volunteers

Best as components of overall mobility strategies

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A Comprehensive, Consumer Friendly Transportation “Program”

Auto driver safety effortsImproved public transit servicesIntegrated taxi / paratransit servicesEnhanced pedestrian facilitiesVolunteer servicesEscort (“hand-to-hand”) servicesEmergency transportation services

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What’s Working Now -- A Brief List

Graduated licenses Many states

Driver testing and rehabilitation Maryland

Door-thru-door senior services Fulton Co, NY

Privately financed senior trips Portland, Maine

Volunteers assisting public transit Portland, Oregon

Coordinated transportation plans North Carolina

Local aging transportation plans San Francisco, CA

Consumer-oriented transportation St. Augustine, FL

Multi-state, large rural region Washington/Idaho

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More Great Ideas

Community / transit partnerships Suburban Detroit

Service exchange program Severna Park, MD

Medicaid transit passes Dade Co, FL

Brokered paratransit services Pittsburgh, PA

Free transit for paratransit riders Charlottesville VA

Outsourcing ADA paratransit Minneapolis, MN

Travel training Sacramento, CA

Real-time arrival notice San Francisco, CA

Regional coordination thru ITS Virginia, MN

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And a Few More Great Ideas

County-sponsored senior trips Maui, HI

Volunteer “ride board” San Diego, CA

School / social service trips Ottumwa, IA

Faith-based senior trips Austin, TX

ADA services using taxis Denver, CO

“Friends serving friends” Riverside Co, CA

Re-establishing interurban routes Eastern Indiana

Multi-modal brokered services Monroe Co, NY

Senior assistance / advocacy Arlington, VA

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From Awareness to Action

What to Work For

More accurate / informed public perceptions

Comprehensive public policy

More funding for transportation services

Support for new mobility options

Mobility planning at the local level

Intelligent approaches to driving safety

Support for innovations

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Seniors Benefit from Transportation Coordination Partnerships -- A Toolbox

3 Major Products from Administration on Aging / Westat:

How to Establish and Maintain Door-through-Door Transportation Services for Seniors

Seniors Benefit from Transportation Partnerships

Community Transportation Template

CR-ROM with all products

www.aoa.gov/prof/transportation/transportation.asp

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Toolkit for Rural Community CoordinatedTransportation Services; TCRP Report 101

Economic Benefits of Coordinating Human Service Transportation and Transportation Services; TCRP Report 91Improving Public Transit Options for Older Persons; TCRP Report 82

All reports are available online @ www.trb.org/publications/tcrpSingle printed copies available from www.tcrponline.org

Some Other Key Sources

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Contact Information

Jon Burkhardt

WESTAT1650 Research BlvdRockville, Maryland 20854Phone: 301/294-2806JonBurkhardt@Westat.com