Trends in Rural Transit

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Trends in Rural Transit

• Presentation to the Annual Meeting of the
• North Carolina Public Transportation Association
• Wilmington, NC
• June 6, 2007

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Purpose

• Provide briefing of some trends in rural/small
  urban transportation.
• From on recent publication
• Transportation Services for People with
  Disabilities in Rural and Small Urban Communities
  (August 2006), Easter Seals Project Action
• Primary Authors TranSystems with RLS
  Associates and Nelson\Nygaard Consulting
  Associates
• Used in current work with Arizona DOT

3
Three Trend Areas

• Vouchers
• Planned Demand
• Flexible Services

4
Vouchers

• What are they? Allow eligible participants to
  purchase transportation service. The provider
  redeems the voucher with an administering agency
  for payment.
• Vouchers can be provided to user for free or at a
  discount.

5
Vouchers

• According to Transportation Services
• Wide spread implementation
• Allows users to shop for service, tailoring as
  much as possible to their needs.
• Relatively low start-up and administration costs.
• Flexible.

6
Case Study Marshall, Minnesota

• Western Community Action Travel Cheque Voucher
  Program
• About 66,000 residents, 3,161 square miles (about
  21 people/sm).
• WCA is 501(c) (3)
• Set-up with Southwestern Center for Independent
  Living (SWCIL)
• Started voucher program in 2002
• No cost to rider
• Sets maximum number of miles
• WCA accepts from riders and obtains reimbursement
  from SWCIL.
• Covers cost of trip.

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WCA/ continued

• Issues for implementing elsewhere
• Established procedures for use by participants.
• Need to dedicate staff time to explain how
  program works.
• Need procedures between the funding source and
  transportation providers.
• Need to track performance (number vouchers
  issued, used, miles traveled, etc.)
• Carried 11,775 peoplemostly employment related
  trips.
• Up-date since report written.
• Discontinued due to loss of funding.

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Planned Demand

• Provides regular service in a specific geographic
  area.
• People able to plan around the service schedule
  (e.g., medical appointments).
• Example, every Tuesday, county X is served
  between point A and B.

9
Case Study ACCESS Transportation (Northwest
Kansas)

• Two planned demand services (operated as
  deviated, intercity fixed routes)
• CAREVan
• Health Express Bus

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Case Study Access Transportation (Northwest
Kansas)
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Case Study Access Transportation (Northwest
Kansas)
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Flexible Services

• Flexible services are hybrids of fixed route and
  demand response services.
• Allows greater area to be served
• Can be more cost-effective than demand response
• Provide mobility to a wider range of of riders.

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Flexible Services
14
Case Study Churchill Area Regional
Transportation (CART)

• CART (Nevada)
• CART is a 501 (c) (3)non-profit.
• Low density24,000 people over 4,929 square
  miles.
• Fallon, NV major population center (7,500
  people).
• Reno Shuttle among services provided flexible
  service
• Started in 2000
• Tuesdays and Thursdays, to Reno, 7am to 3pm
• 2 hr travel time
• 10 fare for general public and 5 for seniors
  and persons w/ disabilities.
• Door to door, deviated fixed route (intercity)
• Advanced reservation (by 1pm the day before the
  trip).

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Summary

• Vouchers
• Planned demand
• Flexible services

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In Conclusion
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Vouchers