Regional Transportation Authority Transit Working Group Monday, March 23, 2009 2:00 PM
Paratransit Service Plan Overview Sun Van (Van Tran) represents 81% of all public paratransit service provided Pima Transit Handicar representing 16% Coyote Run representing 3% 2
Overall Recommendations RTA should act as the Mobility Management Entity and contract separately for the call center/scheduling/dispatching services with Sun Van. All vehicles in the system should be equipped with Mobile Data Computers (MDC s). The ADA service area would continue to include an area ¾ of a mile around existing fixed route service and the non-ada service area would include the current expanded service area as well as Rita Ranch and defined urban areas. 3
Mobility Management Entity Responsible for coordinating the provision of publicly funded paratransit services in Pima County. Intent is to manage transportation services for persons with disabilities, older adults, and individuals with low incomes. Vision of mobility management is one call one point of contact to access transportation services 4
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Overall Recommendations (Cont.) Development of a zone-based fare structure for non-ada service. Standardization of the economy fare across the service area and make it 50 percent of the applicable fare for the ride. All fares should be paid and accounted for through the use of prepaid electronic faring. Investigate the possibility of implementing pre-paid electronic faring through Trapeze Novus. 6
Recommendations: Paratransit Service Design Options Option 1 Maintain Current Design with Regional Service Policies Option 2 Centralization of Sun Van and Pima County Services Option 3 Centralization of Sun Van, Pima Transit and Coyote Run Service Option 4 Centralization of Core Functions and Service Provision 7
Recommendations: Paratransit Service Design Options (Cont.) Option 1 Maintain Current Design with Regional Service Policies Sun Van, Pima Transit and Coyote Run would continue to provide public paratransit service with this option Standardize Service Policies across region The service areas would remain unchanged All operating functions, reservations, scheduling and dispatching would remain decentralized 8
Recommendations: Paratransit Service Design Options (Cont.) Option 2 Centralization of Sun Van and Pima County Services Consultant team recommended option. Option 2 would centralize the core functions of Sun Van and Pima Transit. Reservations, scheduling and dispatching would be centralized under one entity. 9
Recommendations: Paratransit Service Design Options (Cont.) Option 2 continued Centralization of Sun Van and Pima County Services Handicar would continue to hire and supervise drivers and other necessary support staff. Service policies of the two systems would be standardized. The arbitrary boundaries created by having separate systems would be eliminated and greater efficiency in the use of the existing fleet realized. 10
Recommendations: Paratransit Service Design Options (Cont.) Option 3 Centralization of Sun Van, Pima Transit and Coyote Run Service The core functions of Sun Van, Pima Transit and Coyote Run would be centralized in this option. Reservations, scheduling and dispatching would be centralized under one entity. Sun Van, given their investment in, and utilization of PASS scheduling software, should be the entity responsible for the core functions of reservations, scheduling and dispatching. 11
Recommendations: Paratransit Service Design Options (Cont.) Option 4a Centralization of Core Functions and Service Provision Variation of Option 3 (centralization of core functions of reservations, scheduling, and dispatch by one regional carrier). The Mobility Management Entity would contract full range of services. (including reservations to provision of service). Under this option, the fare for service is based upon zone of origin and zone of destination. Option 4b Centralization of Core Functions and Service Provision excluding senior services in Oro Valley Coyote Run to maintain senior services 12
Recommendations: Preferred Paratransit Service Design Option 2 Service would be provided by Sun Van and Handicar Sun Van responsibilities, relative to call center operations, would include: reservations, scheduling, and dispatching Handicar responsibilities hiring and supervising drivers, vehicle maintenance, receiving and daily operations from call center and window dispatching of drivers Recommendation - RTA should contract Sun Van and Handicar for provision of service. Call center activities would fall under Sun Van. 13
Recommendations: Customer Service The RTA is the logical Mobility Management Entity. The Mobility Management Entity should also be the focal point for dissemination of information (marketing, communication with the public regarding the service, liaison to elected officials and governmental entities). 14
Recommendations: Eligibility Current ADA paratransit eligibility determination process appears to be working well. ADA paratransit eligibility should continue to be administered by the Tucson Regional ADA Paratransit Eligibility Office. In the future, it may be desirable to distinguish between true ADA and non-ada paratransit eligibility by program used. 15
Recommendations: Reservations and Dispatch Recommended maximum seven days for advance trip reservation. Trip requests to be taken as late as the day before service. Negotiable pick-up times. For ADA trips the negotiation should comply with the ADA allowed window of 60 minutes before to 60 minutes after the requested time. Centralize radio dispatching. 16
Recommendations: Other Service Policies No Strand and a Return Trip Cancel Policy should be developed for the coordinated system and Coyote Run. Standardize minimum driver requirements Minimum 21 years of age Valid Arizona drivers license No moving violations within the last 39 months Fluent in English No felony convictions in the past 10 years 17
18 Comments/Questions