Provision of Alternative Services by Transit Agencies: The Intersection of Regulation and Program (2023) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 108-151
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From page 108... ...
Alternative Service Name On-Demand E-Hail Pilot Origins Began as a pilot in 2017; continues as a pilot Eligibility Limited to 1,200 ADA paratransit-eligible customers CURB Mobility, LLC ARRO Inc., and LIMOSYS, LLC (apps that do trip Providers booking with taxi companies, TNCs, and car services) NYC's Taxi and Limousine Commission requires 20% of for-hire Wheelchair Accessibility vehicles to be WAVs by 2022; 25% by 2023 Service Span 24/7 Service Area ADA paratransit service area of ¾-mile corridors of fixed routes Trip Booking Phone, web, app Trip Scheduling Policies On demand • Customers pay $2.75 • Transit agency subsidizes trips on a per-trip basis according to a Fare Policy negotiated zone and fee structure • No trip limits • Agency is exploring trip caps and subsidy program
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From page 109... ...
Alternative Service Data 2019 Total Ambulatory Trips 1,000,004 Total Wheelchair Trips 62,846 (5.9%) Total Trips 1,062,850 Total Subsidy (transit agency payment to alternative service $ 39,449,370.72 provider(s)
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From page 110... ...
• Ensuring vehicles are safe • Ensuring passenger safety • Uncertainty as to need for more than one alternative service provider (to give user choice per the FTA's taxicab exemption) • Limited number of taxi companies in the area • Limited number of local taxi companies willing to participate in the program, e.g., reluctance due to high insurance coverage requirements or other transit agency requirements or issues • Concerns about data collection for NTD reporting or transit agency perfor mance monitoring ADA paratransit customers Pinellas County, FL: PSTA pre-COVID The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)
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From page 111... ...
Service Area Service provided beyond strict ADA paratransit service area All trips must be booked via paratransit call center during establish Trip Booking reservation hours Trip Scheduling On demand Policies • Was $4.50 per trip (same as ADA paratransit) and PSTA paid full cost • No trip limits Fare Policy • Service was free from Sept 1, 2020, but changed to $3.50/trip on July 5, 2021 • ADA paratransit service $4.50/trip from July 5, 2021 Identify Barriers, Concerns, or Issues when Planning and Implementing the Alternative Service • Providing equivalent service, including service response times for customers requiring WAVs • Providing equivalent service, including fare collection for unbanked customers (e.g., a cash payment option)
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From page 112... ...
Service provided beyond ADA paratransit service area of ¾-mile corridors Service Area of fixed routes • Customers contact TNCs directly via phone, web, or app Trip Booking • Trip booking by phone during established reservation hours • Schedule trips at least 2 hours in advance for same-day trips Trip Scheduling Policies • Up to 30 days for advance reservation trips • Customer pays minimum co-pay of $6.00; GRTC pays up to $15.00; if trip exceeds $21.00 ($6.00 + $15.00) , customer pays overage Fare Policy • Trip cost determined by mileage and may be subject to peak demand • No trip limits Identify Barriers, Concerns, or Issues when Planning and Implementing the Alternative Service • Providing equivalent service, including service response times for customers requiring WAVs • Providing equivalent service, including availability or information and reservations capability to customers without smartphones • Providing equivalent service, including availability or information and reservations capability to customers without Internet access • Ensuring vehicles are safe • Ensuring passenger safety • Concerns related to Title VI requirements • Limited number of TNCs willing to participate in the program, e.g., reluctance due to high insurance agency requirements, reporting challenges versus data privacy issues, or other transit agency requirements or issues • Concerns about data collection for NTD reporting or transit agency performance monitoring • Burdens of compliance with state or local agencies that regulate taxis, TNCs, and the services they provide Data Reporting All the alternative services providers are providing access to all the data the transit agency requested.
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From page 113... ...
Service provided beyond ADA paratransit service area of ¾-mile Service Area corridors of fixed routes Trip Booking Phone Trip Scheduling Policies On demand • Customer pays $2.00; VIA pays up to $9.00 of metered fare; if fare exceeds $11.00, customer pays overage Fare Policy • Trip limits: 20 trips per month per customer • Daily Limit: 250 trips/weekday; 150 trips/Saturday; 100 trips/Sunday Identify Barriers, Concerns, or Issues when Planning and Implementing the Alternative Service • Providing equivalent service, including service response times for customers requiring WAVs • Limited number of taxi companies in the area • Limited number of local taxi companies with WAVs • Limited number of local taxi companies willing to participate in the program, e.g., reluctance due to high insurance coverage requirements or other transit agency requirements or issues • Concerns about data collection for NTD reporting or transit agency performance monitoring Data Reporting All the alternative services providers are providing access to all the data the transit agency requested.
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From page 114... ...
and one local taxi company Wheelchair Taxi company has WAVs Accessibility Service Span Service days/hours follow ADA paratransit service days/hours ADA paratransit service area and limited number of agency Service Area designated destinations beyond ADA paratransit service area Trip Booking Phone, web, and app Eligible riders purchase a "code" for TNC use or use a debit Fare Policy card for taxi use, which provide $80 worth of transportation each month with a $40 agency subsidy Comments and Lessons Learned • It's important to spell out the data desired to evaluate the service and hold providers to their commitment to provide that data. • A formal agreement with providers is important to establish responsibilities and to protect the transit agency.
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From page 115... ...
Data Reporting All the alternative services providers are providing access to all the data the transit agency requested. Method for Estimating Cost Reductions from Mode Shift?
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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... ...
The research team identified one transit agency that has established an indirect payment relationship with the alternative service providers. Here, the transit agency does not contract or have an agreement with the taxi providers.
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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... ...
Policy Variations Table 10-1 shows variations on policies a transit agency can establish for its alternative service. Eligibility Policy Alternatives ADA Paratransit Riders Only • Focuses the service on riders who lack access to same-day transportation given the transit agency's next-day ADA paratransit service.
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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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From page 129... ...
Important to recognize at the start is that alternative services for ADA paratransit riders are not commonplace for the transit industry. Every public transit agency in the country that operates fixed-route service is required to provide ADA paratransit but it's a minority of those agencies that provide an additional alternative service for their ADA paratransit riders.
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From page 130... ...
• Alternative services typically begin as pilots, particularly if using TNCs. • Service policies vary considerably, with a few common approaches: – Decentralized reservations – Service area beyond the ADA's required ¾-mile corridors – Eligibility for ADA paratransit riders only – Riders pay an initial fare that covers a trip up to a defined limit, with riders responsible for any overage costs – Trip limits for provider-side subsidy models • Subsidy amounts are typically capped.
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From page 131... ...
• The interviewed providers reported they do provide all requested data. • Some of the transit agencies reported including data on their alternative services with their annual NTD reports, even though such data is to be reported only if the service meets the federal definition of public transportation and in particular if the service is shared-ride.
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From page 132... ...
• Riders who use the alternative service: – Are a mix of riders who have switched all trips to the alternative service and those who still use ADA paratransit for some trips – Like the direct, no-shared-ride trip and the reliability of the service – Like the ability to schedule a trip same-day – Report that the opportunity for advance scheduling is good because on-demand trips cannot always be fulfilled due to driver shortages (this appears to be a result of the pandemic) – Like the comfort of the sedans/vehicles used by the alternative service providers – Often choose the alternative for their return trips, especially for medical appointments, instead of booking the return trip on ADA paratransit because the wait time is shorter than booking a conservative return pickup time or a will-call return trip on ADA paratransit • Riders who do not use the alternative service: – Do not know about the alternative service – Do not want to pay the higher fare for the alternative service Core Questions for the Research Project The research findings help address the three core research questions, recognizing that the team reviewed a small sample of alternative services from a relatively small universe of transit agencies that provide such a service.
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From page 133... ...
With same-day on-demand trips, the alternative services meet more spontaneous travel needs of ADA paratransit riders than next-day ADA paratransit. For at least three of the case study transit agencies, the alternative service responds to specific requests by the dis ability community for a same-day service.
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From page 134... ...
• Using a fare payment card rather than paper vouchers benefits riders who have vision disabilities. • Start the service slowly so the provider(s)
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From page 135... ...
2017. TCRP Synthesis 135: ADA Paratransit Service Models.
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From page 136... ...
1991. ADA Paratransit Handbook: Implementing the Complementary Para transit Service Requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
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From page 137... ...
PA RT I I I Appendices
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From page 139... ...
The process resulted with the following alternative service programs selected as case studies, listed by location: • Boston, MA: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's On-Demand/The RIDE Flex • Broward County, FL: Broward County Transit's Rider's Choice • Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (dba Mountain Line) 's Paratransit Taxi Program • Richmond, VA: Greater Richmond Transit Company's CARE On-Demand • San Antonio, TX: VIA Metropolitan Transit's taxi subsidy program The case studies were conducted from November 2021 through January 2022.
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From page 140... ...
The MBTA also provides ADA paratransit service -- The RIDE -- one of the largest in the United States. In 2016, the MBTA introduced a TNC-based alternative service, called the on-demand program for The RIDE customers.
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From page 141... ...
Background, Planning, and Implementation Planning for the alternative service began in 2016 and stemmed from both a study on costreducing strategies conducted for the MBTA and the Governor's office, which was advocating for ways that the MBTA could use TNCs as a way to upgrade mobility options for The RIDE customers (Figure A-2)
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From page 142... ...
• Trips can be made only during The RIDE service hours. • The MBTA needed to have at least two providers, enabling user choice, to take advantage of the FTA's taxicab exception (not requiring driver drug and alcohol testing)
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From page 143... ...
Evolution of the On-Demand Program In May 2017, the MBTA's board of directors approved expanding eligibility for the on-demand pilot program to all customers of The RIDE. This led to an influx of hundreds of new customers registering for the program.
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From page 144... ...
With this pro gram, called the provider options pilot (or POP) , a rider, via a separate rider opt-in agreement, would allow the TRAC staff to either schedule the rider's ADA paratransit trip in the usual fashion (on a RIDE vehicle)
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From page 145... ...
If a rider opts out, the trip is scheduled onto a RIDE vehicle (and remains an ADA paratransit trip)
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From page 146... ...
• Actual pickup time (specified as the time of vehicle arrival at pickup location, to, at a mini mum, hours and minutes local time) • Actual drop-off time (specified as the time of vehicle arrival at drop-off location, to, at a mini mum, hours and minutes local time)
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From page 147... ...
Achievement of Goals and Objectives As discussed previously, the MBTA's stated goals for its alternative service were to reduce demand for The RIDE, to reduce the overall cost of transporting paratransit customers, and to provide more mobility for paratransit customers. To assess whether the transit agency's goals have been achieved, the MBTA provided Figure A-5, which was presented to the MBTA board in November 2020, comparing the baseline prepilot annual ridership and cost figures with similar statistics from the on-demand pilot years.
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From page 148... ...
To do this, the MBTA staff first projects out what program registrants' future usage of The RIDE would have been if The RIDE Flex and its on-demand program did not exist. The projections reflect what the MBTA calls a "fade rate" which reflects the average decrease in an individual's use of the ADA paratransit service.
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From page 149... ...
Neither of the two riders use The RIDE at all, so their usage of the on-demand program is quite limited, and they thus have not experienced the POP element of The RIDE Flex at all. The first rider primarily doesn't use The RIDE because he prefers to use fixed-route transit, but since the frequency of the routes serving his area are 1 hour, he will supplement that service with the on-demand program, mostly using it for shopping or to visit friends, either from his home or from a bus stop or T station (to lessen the Uber fare)
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From page 150... ...
The MBTA also developed what is probably the most accurate cost reduc tion estimation methodology for alternative services through ADA paratransit trip forecasting. Contact Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
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From page 151... ...
service that provides both ADA paratransit trips and paratransit trips funded by Florida's Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) program • Rider's Choice alternative service, which is offered to eligible ADA paratransit customers In addition, BCT funds 18 community shuttles that provide neighborhood-based route-type service and connect to local fixed routes.
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