Provision of Alternative Services by Transit Agencies: The Intersection of Regulation and Program (2023) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 87-107
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From page 87... ...
. Regarding public transit agencies' ability to pursue an alternative service for ADA paratransit riders, Section 13(c)
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From page 88... ...
Laws and Regulations for Commercial Motor Vehicles Federal Laws Federal laws and regulations related to commercial motor vehicles may be relevant for transit agencies' use of alternative services. These laws and regulations are complex, and a review of them is beyond the scope of this research; they are simply identified here as they may be relevant.
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. This model act, developed in 2015, provides rules for insurance coverage requirements, financial responsibility, licensing, disclosures, and other issues.
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A link to the survey was sent to the 24 transit agencies known to have an alternative service for their ADA paratransit riders. One transit agency requested a hard copy of the survey in Microsoft Word, which was provided.
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Survey results show considerable variation in the design and operation of the alternative services; there is no one common design. – Most of the programs began as pilots, particularly those using TNCs.
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Correspondingly, all the responding transit agencies report tracking data on alternative service costs and all but one track total passenger trips on the alternative service. The focus of the programs' evaluation aligns with the reported primary goals for the programs, according to survey results.
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To effectively estimate cost reductions for ADA paratransit, the method should determine if the savings from riders using the alternative service instead of ADA paratransit exceed the additional subsidies needed to pay for the new alternative service trips. Scrutinizing the new trips is important given demand is likely to increase with an on-demand mobility option.
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TNC Pilot Denver, CO Regional Transportation District (RTD) Access-a-Cab Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Mountain Line Taxi Flagstaff, AZ Authority (Mountain Line)
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1,000 service hours per week per TNC provider Service Span Service days/hours follow ADA paratransit days/hours. Service provided beyond ADA paratransit service area of ¾-mile corridors Service Area of fixed routes Trip Booking Phone, web, app; some trips booked by calling the paratransit Call Center Trip Scheduling On demand Policies • Customers' fares as low as $2.00; trips subsidized up to $40/trip Fare Policy • Trip limits established for each customer based on the customer's use of ADA paratransit 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 reservation capability, to customers without smartphones • Ensuring passenger safety • Concerns about data collection for NTD reporting or transit agency performance monitoring Data Reporting All the alternative services providers are providing access to some of the data required.
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All taxi companies in Broward County must Accessibility meet 3% WAV requirement. Service Span 24/7 Service Area All of Broward County Trip Booking Phone, web, app; customers can also hail a taxi or go to a taxi stand Trip Scheduling • On-demand Policies • Advance reservations available via the app or web-based booking • Trips subsidized up to $18.00 with no initial payment from customer; if Fare Policy trip costs more than $18, customer pays overage • Trip limits: 2 trips/day Identify Barriers, Concerns, or Issues when Planning and Implementing the Alternative Service • Providing equivalent service, including service response times for customers requiring WAVs • Concerns related to Title VI requirements • Limited number of local taxi companies in the area with wheelchair-accessible taxicabs • 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 • Additional challenge: "all ‘stand in the shoes' requirements for a directly contracted service"
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From page 98... ...
Eligibility ADA paratransit-eligible customers Providers Chicago taxi companies Wheelchair Accessibility Chicago has WAV requirements for its licensed taxis Service Span 24/7 Service Area Trips must begin in City of Chicago Trip Booking On demand Trip Scheduling Policies Phone; hail • Customers pay $3.00 per taxi trip worth up to $30 and are responsible for overage beyond $30 Fare Policy • Customers can purchase up to 60 rides/week with funds loaded onto a swipe card Identify Barriers, Concerns, or Issues when Planning and Implementing the Alternative Service • Uncertainty as to requirements for drivers or other alternative service employees to participate in drug and alcohol testing • Other concerns related to requirements for drug and alcohol testing Data Reporting All the alternative services providers are providing access to all the data the transit agency requested.
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Service provided beyond ADA paratransit service area of ¾-mile Service Area corridors of fixed routes Trip Booking UZURV's call center during specified hours • 1 hour in advance for same-day service Trip Scheduling Policies • Up to 30 days for advance reservation service Fare Policy $1/mile with a $5 minimum fare 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 of information and reservations capability to customers without smartphones • Providing equivalent service, including availability of information and reservations capability to customers without Internet access • Providing equivalent service, including fare collection for unbanked customers (e.g., provid ing a cash payment option) • Ensuring vehicles are safe • Ensuring passenger safety • Other concerns related to requirements for drug and alcohol testing beyond drug and alcohol testing for drivers and other of the provider's employees Data Reporting All the alternative services providers are providing access to all the data the transit agency requested.
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Total Wheelchair Trips 3,667 (NEMT provider) ; 24.1% of total trips Total Trips 15,169 On-Time Performance 94.05% within 15 minutes of scheduled time Total Subsidy (transit agency payment to alternative service $467,589 provider(s)
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Alternative Service Data 2019 Total Ambulatory Trips 40,336 Total Wheelchair Trips 3,600 (approx.) Total Trips 43,936 Total Subsidy (transit agency payment to alternative service $491,532 provider(s)
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• Concerns about the impact or perceived impact to employees represented by unions • Concerns about data collection for NTD reporting or transit agency performance monitoring • Concerns related to the effect alternative service providers would have on the reputation and goodwill of the transit agency • Additional challenge: inability to charge fare (currently) and access to accessible vehicles with TNCs Data Reporting All the alternative services providers are providing access to some of the data required.
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• On-demand Trip Scheduling Policies • Reservations no more than 23 hours, 59 minutes in advance • Passenger is responsible for the first $2, RTD subsidizes the next Fare Policy $12; passenger pays any amount over $14 • No more than four trips per day per customer Flagstaff, AZ: Mountain Line The Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (NAIPTA) , doing business as Mountain Line, is the public transit agency in ADA paratransit customers northern Arizona, operating fixed-route bus service (Mountain Line)
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Taxi and TNC providers do not provide any data. We do not have contracts/ agreements with them." Alternative Service Data 2019 Total Trips 8,070 Total Subsidy (transit agency payment to alternative service $102,888 provider(s)
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Origins Program began in 1985 Eligibility All paratransit-eligible riders Providers One taxi company Wheelchair Accessibility Taxi company has 73 WAVs Service Span Service days/hours follow ADA paratransit Service provided beyond ADA paratransit service area of ¾-mile Service Area corridors of fixed routes • Trip booking by phone during established reservation hours Trip Booking • Web: macsweb.ridemetro.org • On demand Trip Scheduling Policies • Reservations up to one day in advance • Customer pays $1.00 fare; transit agency subsidizes a flat $10 Fare Policy per trip; customer is responsible for any overage beyond $11 • No trip limits Identify Barriers, Concerns, or Issues When Planning and Implementing the Alternative Service "Note: These issues were concerns decades ago when the program was in its infancy and are no longer concerns. The MSP service is a viable, reliable transportation option for paratransit riders." • Providing equivalent service, including service response times for customers requiring WAVs • Ensuring vehicles are safe • Ensuring passenger safety • Uncertainty as to requirements for drivers or other alternative service employees to participate in drug and alcohol testing • Other concerns related to requirements for drug and alcohol testing • 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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Wheelchair Accessibility One TNC has WAVs Service Span Service provided only during ADA paratransit service days and hours • Service provided within ADA paratransit service area of ¾-mile corridors Service Area of fixed routes • Veterans provided trips to specific VA clinics Trip Booking Web, app, phone via RTC paratransit call center during operating hours • On demand, advance reservation, subscription Trip Scheduling Policies • If booking via call center and want WAV service, 15-minute advance notice necessary • Customers pay initial $3.00 per trip, transit agency subsidizes next $15 up to 10 miles; trips exceeding the subsidy or beyond 10 miles are Fare Policy customer's responsibility • Trip limits: established for each customer based on use of ADA paratransit service 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 • Uncertainty as to requirements for drivers or other alternative service employees to partici pate in drug and alcohol testing • Concerns related to Title VI requirements
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From page 107... ...
active: 2,789 ADA paratransit-eligible individuals, seniors, and military veterans. Alternative Service Name Taxi Voucher Program Began October 2011; transitioned to a regular program in Origins March 2015 Eligibility ADA paratransit-eligible customers, people aged 65+, veterans Providers 5 taxi companies Wheelchair One taxi company has 4 WAVs Accessibility Service Span Daily 6 a.m.–11 p.m.
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