Overview of Plan Outline and Strategies and Actions

1
Overview of Plan Outline and Strategies and
Actions

• Human Service Transportation
• Coordinated Plan
• Task Force Meeting
• January 11, 2007

2
Plan Outline

• I. Introduction
• II. Assessment of needs and identification of
  service gaps
• Inventory of available services
• Need for a Customer Focus
• Need for Better Information
• Lack of Reliability
• Need for Additional Funding and Transportation
  Choices
• III. Strategies and Actions
• IV. Prioritization
• V. Implementation
• VI. Closing

3
Revised Timeline (2007)

• March Task Force Presents Draft Coordinated
  Plan to the TPB
• Plan is released for 30-day public comment
  period
• April TPB Approves Coordinated Plan and Reviews
  Framework for Competitive Selection Process
• May TPB Approves Framework for Competitive
  Selection Process
• May/June Solicitation for Projects and
  Competitive Selection Process
• July/September TPB Approves Selection for
  Inclusion in the Transportation Improvement
  Program (TIP)

4
Plan Geographies

• TPB Members (Plan)
• Washington DC-MD-VA Urbanized Area ()

5
Strategy 1Tailor transportation services to
better respond to needs

• Action A Accessible Taxi Service Subsidy Pilot
• Pilot Program to provide the minimum financial
  subsidies and incentives necessary to encourage
  taxi companies to provide and maintain a
  sufficient supply of accessible service
• Local governments could lease lift-equipped vans
  to taxi companies to operate in regular taxi
  service, at full fare and with immediate
  dispatching
• Type of Project 5310, New Freedom
  Capital
• Approximate Cost 200,000 to 500,000
• Total Source of Match Local jurisdictions

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Strategy 1Tailor transportation services to
better respond to needs

• Action B Sensitivity Training for Transportation
  Providers
• Regional sensitivity trainings could be offered
  to bus drivers, Metro station managers,
  paratransit drivers, taxicab drivers, and other
  front-line transportation employees on general
  guidelines for serving customers with
  disabilities and older adults
• Type of Project New Freedom, Operating
• Approximate Cost 10,000 to 100,000 Total
  (5,000 to 50,000 Federal / 5,000 to
  50,000 local)
• Source of Match WMATA, local transit agencies,
  social service and non-profit groups, and
  taxicab regulators

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Strategy 1Tailor transportation services to
better respond to needs

• Action C Door-through-Door Service
• Door-through-door service could be provided via
  specially trained taxicab providers, or personal
  care attendants on MetroAccess
• Limit the program through eligibility or a cap on
  the number of trips
• Type of Project New Freedom, Operating
• Approximate Cost 200,000 to 500,000 total
  (100,000 to 250,000 Federal / 100,000 to
  250,000 local)
• Source of Match Human service agencies, Adult
  Day Care centers, other specialized non-profit
  programs and organizations, Federal
  non- DOT money?

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Strategy 2 Provide improved, user-friendly
information to customers

• Action A Compile and distribute a tailored
  user-friendly publication about transportation
  services and options available for low-income
  commuters
• The publication would be tailored to a specific
  geographic area with a high concentration of
  low-income commuters (i.e. Langley Park, Route 1
  in VA, Anacostia)
• Good example Montgomery Countys publication
• Type of Project JARC, Operating
• Approximate Cost 100,000 to 300,000 total
• Source of Match Local transit agencies,
  local employment-related agencies or
  Federal programs aimed at providing job
  training

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Strategy 3 Develop services that augment
existing paratransit and fixed-route service

• Action A Expand the Guaranteed Ride Home program
  for low-income workers
• The program would be extended to offer rides up
  to eight times per year for low-income workers
  facing an urgent medical or non-medical
  circumstance, or for up to five days of job
  training.
• Participants would show proof of receiving TANF
  funds, and employer statement of job training.
• Type of Project JARC Operating
• Approximate Cost 250,000 - 500,000 total
• Source(s) of Match Federal TANF, County social
  service programs
• Department of Labor, Department of Education

10
Strategy 3 Develop services that augment
existing paratransit and fixed-route service

• Action B Establish a Same-Day, Contingency
  Service Pilot
• The program would provide MetroAccess users with
  a reliable ride, up to four times per year, in
  the event of an urgent medical trip or a late
  ride.
• Participants could use the Contingency Service
  for a same-day emergency if there is no same-day
  service available, or to take the place of a late
  ride (which would have to be verified).
• Participants would not pay if substituting for a
  late ride. For a same-day ride, participants
  would pay a fare between 5-7.
• Type of Project New Freedom Operating
• Approximate Cost 500,000 - 1,000,000 total
• Source(s) of Match County transportation
• programs
• Medicaid, WMATA

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Strategy 4 Develop and implement new programs to
provide additional transportation choices

• Action A Establish a low-interest loan fund for
  low-income workers to purchase cars
• Program would be limited to those workers who
  meet an income requirement, whose jobs or homes
  are inaccessible by transit.
• The program would focus on suburban and exurban
  commuters.
• Loans would be repaid to the fund, replenishing
  it for additional use and keeping it
  self-sustaining.
• Type of Project JARC Operating
• Approximate Cost 250,000 - 500,000 total
• Source(s) of Match TANF funds, private funds

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Strategy 4 Develop and implement new programs to
provide additional transportation choices

• Action B Enhance weekend and evening bus service
  to employment sites
• Employer-based funding pools could be developed
  to provide evening and weekend bus service to
  better serve shift workers and reverse commuters.
• The program would focus on large suburban
  employment centers, such as around the Dulles
  corridor, and could support shuttles or extend
  evening and weekend bus service from existing
  providers.
• Type of Project 5310, JARC Operating
• Approximate Cost 100,000 - 500,000 total
• Source(s) of Match Private funds

13
Strategy 4 Develop and implement new programs to
provide additional transportation choices

• Action C Accessible Taxi Service Subsidy Pilot
• (See write-up under strategy 1)

14
Strategy 4 Develop and implement new programs to
provide additional transportation choices

• Action D Provide a range of travel training to
  older adults and persons with disabilities
• A travel training curriculum for bus and rail
  could be developed for all types of disabilities
  and offered region-wide.
• The curriculum would be coordinated with WMATA,
  local transit agencies and human service agencies
  to expand training services to ensure they are
  widely available.
• Type of Project New Freedom Operating
• Approximate Cost 20,000 to 200,000 total
• Source(s) of Match WMATA, local transit agencies
• human service agencies

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Discussion Questions

• Does the strategy capture the unmet needs
  identified by the task force?
• Which of the actions do you think will have the
  biggest impact on meeting the unmet needs? How
  about the biggest obstacles?
• Do you know of current examples of these
  actions/projects being done in the region?
• Are there additional ideas that would
  significantly reduce service gaps that should be
  included?