Overview of Regional Paratransit System Recommendations RTA Board Meeting July 23, 2009
Introduction / Purpose of Study Initiated at the direction of RTA Board Improve delivery of paratransit service throughout region Tasks of Study: Review current service; identify gaps/overlaps Peer analysis Outline goals of possible regionalization Perform detailed analysis Recommend action/implementation plan
Introduction / Purpose of Study cont. TranSystems-produced plan System inventory, peer analysis Recommendations No benefits quantified RTA Analysis More detailed analysis Quantified benefits and costs
Mobility Manager Analysis Improve the coordination of paratransit services Centralize customer service and information, reservations, scheduling, dispatching, and driver training One telephone number and website for all services One set of operating policies and procedures Estimated Annual Cost: $100,000
Zone Fare Analysis Addresses higher costs of non-ada paratransit trips provided outside of the mandated ADA paratransit service area Service area outside the mandated ADA paratransit service area was divided into eight zones O/D data for one-week collected and geocoded Routes determined Trips passing through one or more zones assigned additional cost
Zone Fare, cont. Analysis Fees based on current Pima Transit fare structure Estimated Annual Fare Recovered: $112,000
Analysis Dispatch Center Centralization Single radio-dispatch entity Reduce redundancies in the system, increase efficiency Significant investment to equip Handicar fleet with the necessary hardware and software Estimate based on current Handicar-identified costs and anticipated efficiencies gained Estimated Annual Benefit: First Year: -$154,000 Thereafter: $286,000
Analysis Sun Van Service Provision Single entity for the provision of paratransit service throughout region One-week s worth of Handicar service request data entered into Sun Van s scheduling software Two major outputs from the analysis considered: Pima Transit hours vs. estimated Sun Van hours needed Cost per trip
*Not inclusive of capital costs Analysis Sun Van Service Provision cont. Pima Transit billed hours vs. estimated Sun Van hours needed: Pima Transit hours: 1600 hours Handicar cost @ $37.38/hr: $60,000 Sun Van hours to provide same service: 700 hours Sun Van cost @ $40.33*/hr: $28,000 Difference of $32,000/week = $1,665,000 a year
Analysis Sun Van Service Provision cont. Cost per trip: Pima Transit: $32.13 Sun Van: $22.30 Difference of $9.83/trip * 8,472 May Handicar trips = $83,300 Represents annual savings of $970,000 Estimated Annual Benefit Range, Cost per Trip and Service Hour: $970,000 to $1,665,000
Analysis Expanded Service Area Elimination of gaps in service within the urban area Analysis based on estimated unmet demand in additional service area (primarily in the northern areas of Oro Valley/Marana, east of I-10, south of Pinal County line and west of Catalina Mountains) Population assumptions based on 2008 population estimates and PAG population modeling for 2014 Cost estimates based on Handicar costs in the 2008 RTA expanded area
Analysis Expanded Service Area, cont. 2008 RTA Proposed Expansion Area Pop 32,825 Estimated # of Trips per Pop 0.184 (based on Existing 2008 RTA Expansion pop & FY08 Ridership) Estimated Annual Trips, Proposed RTA Area 6,040 Cost Per Trip $32 Estimated Annual Cost, Proposed RTA Area $193,274 2014 RTA Proposed Expansion Area Pop 58,222 Estimated # of Trips per Pop 0.184 (based on Existing 2008 RTA Expansion pop & FY08 Ridership) Estimated Annual Trips, Proposed RTA Area 10,713 Cost Per Trip $32 Estimated Annual Cost, Proposed RTA Area $342,811 Estimated Annual Cost, 2008: $193,000 Estimated Annual Cost, 2014: $343,000
Options 3 options developed to compare scenarios with different benefits and associated costs Option A - Centralized Dispatch Only; Expanded Service Area Option B - Sun Van Service Provision and No Expanded Service Area Option C - Sun Van Service Provision and Expanded Service Area
Options Option A - Centralized Dispatch Only; Expanded Service Area Reservations, scheduling and dispatching centralized under one entity Expanded service area Significant investment to equip Handicar fleet with the necessary hardware and software Total Cost $343,000/year (2010) Total Benefit -$42,000 first year, $398,000/year thereafter Cumulative Annual Combined First Year - -$385,000 Thereafter - $55,000 (decreasing annually)
$ (000s) $2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 Centralized Dispatch Only, Expanded Service Area Cumulative Cost $ (000s) Cumulative Benefit $ (000s) Overall Costs $ (000s) $500 $0 -$500 -$1,000 -$385 -$355 -$350 -$370 -$415 -$485 -$1,500 -$2,000 -$2,500 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year
Options Option B - Sun Van Service Provision and No Expanded Service Area Call center dispatching, operations, AND provision of service handled by Sun Van No expanded service area Total Cost $100,000 Total Benefit $1,082,000 - $1,777,000/year Cumulative Annual Combined $982,000 - $1,677,000
$ (000s) Sun Van Service Provision and NO Expanded Service Area $10,000 $8,000 $6,000 High Overall Savings $ (000s) Low Overall Savings $ (000s) $6,708 $8,385 $10,062 $5,892 $5,031 $4,910 $4,000 $3,354 $3,928 $2,000 $1,677 $1,964 $2,946 $982 $0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year
Options Option C - Sun Van Service Provision and Expanded Service Area Call center dispatching, operations, AND provision of service handled by Sun Van Expanded service area Total Cost $343,000 (2010) Total Benefit $1,082,000 - $1,777,000/year Cumulative Annual Combined $739,000 - $1,434,000
$ (000s) $9,000 $8,000 $7,000 $6,000 $5,000 $4,000 $3,000 $2,000 $1,000 $0 Sun Van Service Provision and Expanded Service Area $1,434 $739 High Overall Savings $ (000s) Low Overall Savings $ (000s) $2,843 $1,453 $4,227 $2,142 $5,586 $2,806 $6,920 $3,445 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year $8,229 $4,059
Conclusion Non-monetary benefits associated with a centralized paratransit system Better customer service and less confusion for paratransit users Single point of contact Same level of service, scheduling guidelines and fare structure
Conclusion Extended service area allows for new population to increase their mobility and travel to destinations throughout the region Option A improved coordination of service, but marginal improvement in overall system efficiency/savings; also, potential labor issues Options B and C offer substantially greater system-wide cost savings Option C extends service area while still offering substantial system-wide cost savings
Recommendations Consolidate all paratransit dispatching, operations, and provision of service, including paratransit trips provided by Handicar and Coyote Run, with Sun Van Following consolidation, expand existing service area to include larger portions of the urban area