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Pages 15-25

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From page 15...
... Broader rider eligibility does not disqualify the alternative service as such, as long as ADA paratransit customers are eligible. Why Do Transit Agencies Implement Alternative Services?
From page 16...
... This is because the subsidy the transit agency pays per trip for the alternative service is generally much lower than the operat ing cost per trip on the transit agency's ADA paratransit service. In fact, many transit agencies guarantee that there is cost reduction by capping the subsidy per trip at a ceiling that is (often significantly)
From page 17...
... Increasingly, ADA paratransit riders have the option of requesting ADA paratransit services and alternative services, not to mention accessing on-demand microtransit services and multimodal trip planning services, via an app. Smartphone apps also allow riders to track the real-time location of the vehicle they have been assigned to, both as the vehicle approaches and once they are on board.
From page 18...
... (2019) note most alternative services tend to provide exclusive rides, which is certainly an attractive feature for most ADA paratransit riders, as they do not have the longer trip times that come with a shared-ride service.
From page 19...
... Requesting Service through a Call/Control Center Some transit agencies direct their riders to call in requests to a call center staffed by employees of the transit agency, a call/control center manager under contract to the transit agency, or a broker. This is often the same centralized call/control center used for the transit agency's paratransit service, with the same staff who book paratransit trips.
From page 20...
... For customers who do not or who prefer to call, a call-in concierge option is provided by the transit agency or the service provider where requests can be put into the system through a portal. Many transit agencies provide this function through their ADA paratransit call center, whether staffed by transit agency or contractor employees.
From page 21...
... And unlike some ADA paratransit services that use multiple carriers to serve different zones, multiple alternative service providers generally serve throughout the area in competition with each other. Many alternative service programs use more than one provider to give riders a choice.
From page 22...
... For some transit agencies, the calculation process is more straightforward for at least some of the riders' trips. This is because the transit agency has designed its alternative service so the trip requests for both ADA paratransit and the alternative service are called into the same call center and processed by the same call takers.
From page 23...
... No doubt providing an on-demand/same-day mobility option for paratransit riders will improve the level of service for these riders compared to ADA paratransit's next-day service. The anecdotal feedback from riders by way of the rider focus groups and other testimonies collected in the case studies evidence how alternative services have made a significant difference in the lives of ADA paratransit customers.
From page 24...
... Figure 3-2 depicts the evaluation schema used by Broward County Transit for its alternative service. Figure 3-2.   Broward County Transit's evaluation schema.
From page 25...
... • "Get involved with your rider advocacy groups early and often as you begin to think about these sorts of alternative services -- it's not a useful service if it's not something customers want." • "Have a firm idea of what you are trying to get out of the alternative service program and who you are trying to support by implementing a program of this type." • "An on-demand program will not work for all riders -- some need a higher level of care than these [alternative service] contractors can provide." Advice from surveyed transit agencies Ensure Policy Board Support Implementing an alternative service, especially if considering using TNCs, may be a very new undertaking for a transit agency.


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