State DOTs Connecting Specialized Transportation Users and Rides Volume 2: Toolkit for State DOTs and Others (2016)

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A-1 Linkage Case Studies Level 1: Central Repository Will County Will County, Illinois Community Transportation Services Directory As part of a coordinated paratransit study in 2009, Nelson\Nygaard and Will County, part of the Chicago metropolitan area, created the Community Transportation Services Directory (included in Volume 1: Research Report as Appendix C). The hard-copy directory was based around an easy-to-follow matrix system, essentially mimicking the functionality of a web-based directory. The Will County directory included information about both publicly funded and client-only human services agency transportation services. All publicly funded services were organized in a matrix based on trip origin and rider type (general public, older adults, and persons with disabilities). Human service agency transportation services were organized in a similar matrix, based on provider and eligible clients (older adults, persons with developmen- tal disabilities, persons with low income, veterans). The matrices allow prospective specialized transportation customers to quickly identify a service that fits their needs, rather than having to analyze dozens of individual providers. Both matrices include page numbers for each service, directing the user to a provider page with program details and contact information. Level 2: Matching Assistance 211 LA County Los Angeles County, California 211 LA County 211 LA County is the primary provider of social service information and referrals in Los Angeles County, California. The organization maintains a database of over 5,000 social service provid- ers and programs, including several hundred transportation resources. Customers can access this database by either contacting a community resource advisor by phone or searching the database online. When customers contact 211 LA County by phone, community resource advi- sors ask a series of triage questions designed to narrow down a selection of potential keywords. These keywords are then entered into a taxonomy database, which generates a list of potential services and programs that match the search parameters. Advisors then validate the matches and provide applicable service and contact information to the customer. 211 LA County advi- sors follow up with a selection of customers in order to ensure that they were able to access a recommended service or program (David Serby, Mobility Manager, 211 LA County, telephone interview, August 3, 2015). A P P E N D I X

A-2 State DOTs Connecting Users and Rides for Specialized Transportation: Toolkit Customers can also directly search the taxonomy database using the 211 LA County website. The database has two search functions: guided search and keyword search. The guided search function asks customers to provide their zip code and then presents a list of transportation sub- categories, such as “Senior Transportation” or “Non-Emergency Medical Transportation.” After the customer selects a sub-category, they are presented with a list of service providers that oper- ate within their identified location. Customers can also search the database using keywords and taxonomy codes in a way similar to how a community resource advisor would use the system. 211 LA County, through a partnership with the Antelope Valley Transit Authority, also oper- ates a JARC-funded mobility management program for low-income individuals seeking employ- ment. The program offers in-person mobility management services, including travel training and trip planning assistance. As of July 2014, 211 LA County is assisting the Antelope Valley Transit Authority in screening clients and scheduling around 400 DAR trips monthly (David Serby, Mobility Manager, 211 LA County, telephone interview, August 3, 2015). Denver Regional Mobility & Access Council Denver, Colorado Getting There Guide In the mid-2000s, several community organizations and transportation providers in the Denver area, led by the Colorado Health Foundation and Rose Community Foundation, formed a collaborative designed to provide information and access to transportation services for older adults. The collaborative, known as Getting There, created a specialized transportation services directory for the Denver metropolitan area with assistance from Nelson\Nygaard. In addition to a more traditional hard-copy directory, the collaborative uniquely developed laminated placemats with information about available transportation services (see Appendix A in Volume 1: Research Report). The placemats were distributed to locations where seniors congregate for meals, includ- ing senior centers and independent living facilities. In more recent years, the services provided by the Getting There collaborative have been assumed by a newly formed organization known as the Denver Regional Mobility & Access Council, which itself is a project of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center. The council has continued to update and distribute the hard-copy directory on an annual basis, with irregu- lar mid-year updates based on major service changes. The council has also worked to develop an online matching assistance portal known as Transit Options. The portal asks a series of tri- age questions that help determine user and trip eligibility for various services. After completing the questions, the portal generates a list of recommended providers, as well as contact and fare information for each service.1 Level 3: Trip Planning Assistance Inland Empire United Way San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, California 211 VetLink In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the Inland Empire United Way (IEUW) received a VTCLI grant to implement 211 VetLink, a one-click portal based on 1-Click|CS software. The IEUW linkage allows veterans to receive information about local public transit 1 “Transportation Coordination Systems Advisor–Technical Memo #4: Models for the Denver Region.” Report. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, September 9, 2012.

Linkage Case Studies A-3 and demand-response services by contacting a mobility specialist through 211 or using the online portal. The portal also enables both veterans and mobility specialists to generate directions and instructions for a specific trip. Since implementing the linkage service, IEUW has played an active role in enhancing mobil- ity options for veterans. Five out of eight local public transit agencies have agreed to provide fare-free bus service for all veterans regardless of disability status. The organization is also working with the VA to establish a Veterans Transportation Service to improve mobility in rural Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The planned program would include rural feeder services to departure points for long-haul services to VA medical centers. IEUW will integrate schedule information, and eventually trip booking, for these services directly into the 211 VetLink system (Osvaldo Maysonet, 211 Access & Mobility Coordinator, IEUW, telephone interview, August 5, 2015). Level 4: Trip Booking Assistance Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority Washtenaw County, Michigan MyRide Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority’s MyRide mobility management service provides information and assistance to transit-dependent individuals in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County and select areas in Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, Oakland, and Wayne counties. Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority has amassed a centralized repository of trans- portation resources, which includes information on public transportation services, non-profit human service agency transportation providers, and private carriers. To date, nine private taxi and limousine licensed transportation providers are included in the MyRide system. Customers may call MyRide to find out information about how to access these services. MyRide’s informa- tion specialists/call takers provide information and referral service, trip planning assistance, and scheduling assistance for advance requests and same-day trips on one of the nine providers. In FY 2014, MyRide’s staff scheduled close to 19,000 trips. With JARC and NF funding, the MyRide program also provides trip fare assistance and travel training services for individuals who are unable to access or use existing public transportation services (Chris White, Manager of Service Development, and Bill DeGroot, Financial Analyst and Planner, AAATA, interview, June 17, 2015). Area Agency on Aging 1-B Southeast Michigan MyRide2 Launched in May 2012, MyRide2 was developed and is managed by the Area Agency on Aging in AAA Region 1-B in the suburban Detroit area. MyRide2 provides a linkage service for seniors and persons with disabilities in the six-county area of Southeast Michigan (Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Washtenaw). The service was recently expanded to AAA Region 1-C (The Senior Alliance) serving the 34 communities of south- ern and western Wayne County. MyRide2’s services include information and referral, trip planning and booking services utilizing a centralized database of community, public, and private transportation services that may be accessed by seniors or adults with disabilities. AAA 1-B staff work closely with SMART, the regional suburban transit agency outside

A-4 State DOTs Connecting Users and Rides for Specialized Transportation: Toolkit Detroit, and with all the community-based transportation services (funded by SMART’s Com- munity Partnership Program). The listings are researched and vetted by MyRide2 staff and the database is updated on an ongoing basis. MyRide2 can be accessed by telephone or over the internet. MyRide2 mobility specialists are available to assist users over the phone and help book a trip on their behalf, or customers can find services via the website and call that service to get a ride. In FY 2014, almost 1,200 information and referral calls were handled, of which six involved an AAA 1-B mobility specialist scheduling the trip on the caller’s behalf. Indeed, of all the calls that came to MyRide2, 85% involve a caller seeking a ride (Tina Abbate Marzolf, Executive Director, and Roberta Habowski, Project Manager, AAA 1-B, interview, June 16, 2015). Partnering with SMART, AAA 1-B was also awarded a VTCLI grant in 2012, which will be used to purchase paratransit scheduling software in order to schedule rides for more callers, starting with one or two community transportation providers, and eventually growing to include public and private transportation providers in the area. Level 5: Direct Trip Booking Jacksonville Transportation Authority Jacksonville, Florida TransPortal The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) has developed a one-click application known as TransPortal. The application allows users to identify transportation options, create step-by-step itineraries, and determine pricing based on a set of triage questions. As of July 2015, 28 transit agencies and service providers are included within TransPortal. The software is connected with GTFS-based transit scheduling information, an open source taxi fare database, and Amtrak’s dynamic faring system. These connections automatically update schedule and fare information, reducing the staff time needed to update service data. JTA uniquely marketed the service as a tool to understand how mobility options would change after major changes to their local bus system in December 2014. The associated advertising campaign for this effort dramatically increased usage among traditional users of public transit services. As of July 2015, over 26,000 trip itineraries had been generated using TransPortal, with around 83% of itineraries including only public transit services. JTA is integrating paratransit trip booking directly into the TransPortal software package. To facilitate trip booking, TransPortal accesses trip information through Trapeze, a software pro- gram used by paratransit operators in the Jacksonville region. Paratransit customers are able to input trip information, identify a paratransit service, and book a trip without having to speak directly with the operator. To ensure that TransPortal users qualify for paratransit services, JTA will send usernames and passwords to each rider that has successfully completed the eligibility application process. After implementation, paratransit customers will be required to initiate trip booking through TransPortal. JTA is also integrating scheduling for its flex-route transit services. Paratransit-eligible cus- tomers are not charged a fare on flex-routes in the Jacksonville area. With full integration of both paratransit and flex-route trip scheduling, eligible riders will be able to better understand when flex-route or fixed-route service may provide a comparable alternative to paratransit. In some cases, riders may opt to use a free flex or fixed-route service, rather than a paratransit service that is more heavily subsidized by JTA (Liz Peak, Regional and Flexible Services Coordinator, JTA, telephone interview, August 5, 2015).

Linkage Case Studies A-5 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation South Central Pennsylvania FindMyRidePA The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) developed a one-click appli- cation known as FindMyRidePA. The software enables veterans and other transportation dis- advantaged populations to obtain accurate and timely information about a wide range of available transportation services. PennDOT initially placed kiosks that could be used to access FindMyRidePA in locations with high transit usage, such as VA centers. More recently, based on data collected in the initial stages of the program, the agency has focused on enhancing access from mobile devices. FindMyRidePA is also integrated with Ecolane paratransit scheduling software to enable direct trip booking on several paratransit operators in south central Pennsylvania. Paratransit customers are given a unique user ID that allows them to access trip booking services on the FindMyRidePA website and mobile application. Phase 1 of the project has covered a six-county region in south central Pennsylvania in conjunction with the York Area Transit Authority. Phase 2 will expand the program to a larger geographic area and eventually statewide (John Taylor, PennDOT, telephone interview, August 5, 2015). Utah Transit Authority Salt Lake City, Utah 1-Click|UTA The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) developed a one-click portal in support of the Wasatch regional mobility one-click website initiative. Once implemented, the system will provide a unified multimodal trip planning tool designed to meet the transportation needs of human service trans- portation clients such as veterans, military families, elderly individuals, and disabled individuals. A primary goal of the UTA one-click program is increasing awareness of transportation ser- vices operated by local human service providers. UTA is working to integrate RidePilot, an open source scheduling software package, with the agency’s one-click software. As part of this integra- tion process, UTA will be supplying RidePilot software for a low cost to human service providers that currently use paper or Excel-based scheduling. By increasing the number of providers using RidePilot, UTA hopes to enhance the range of direct booking options available on its portal and streamline the process of utilizing specialized transportation services (Ryan Taylor, UTA, tele- phone interview, August 5, 2015).

Abbreviations and acronyms used without definitions in TRB publications: A4A Airlines for America AAAE American Association of Airport Executives AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ACI–NA Airports Council International–North America ACRP Airport Cooperative Research Program ADA Americans with Disabilities Act APTA American Public Transportation Association ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials ATA American Trucking Associations CTAA Community Transportation Association of America CTBSSP Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program DHS Department of Homeland Security DOE Department of Energy EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration FAST Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (2015) FHWA Federal Highway Administration FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FRA Federal Railroad Administration FTA Federal Transit Administration HMCRP Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ITE Institute of Transportation Engineers MAP-21 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (2012) NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASAO National Association of State Aviation Officials NCFRP National Cooperative Freight Research Program NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NTSB National Transportation Safety Board PHMSA Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration RITA Research and Innovative Technology Administration SAE Society of Automotive Engineers SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (2005) TCRP Transit Cooperative Research Program TDC Transit Development Corporation TEA-21 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998) TRB Transportation Research Board TSA Transportation Security Administration U.S.DOT United States Department of Transportation

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