Dear survey participant

In summer 2014, staff from Valley Regional Transit and the transportation firm that manages the bus and ACCESS services in Boise began an analysis of ACCESS paratransit services in the Boise urbanized area to review the current conditions of the services, evaluate areas for improvements in terms of federal compliance and service standards, and to complete an update to the ADA Paratransit Plan for the region.

The project has included a detailed review of service standards and practices, outreach with regional and operations staff supporting ACCESS functions, and a focus group with customers and advocates of customers. Staff is in the process of completing a draft of the service standards and performance metrics that will be tracked against those service standards.

The next step in the process is public outreach with stakeholders, customers, and advocates of ACCESS services. The results from this survey will be analyzed to determine whether changes are needed to the VRT ADA Paratransit Operations Plan. The draft plan is scheduled to go before the VRT Board of Directors at its January 2015 meeting. If approved, the plan will go into effect on February 1, 2015.

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* 1. ELIGIBILITY PROCESS

The eligibility process determines who qualifies for paratransit service. A good process determines who is eligible based only on an applicant’s inability to use fixed‐route services (bus and rail). The process ensures a transit agency is using resources to provide a quality and sustainable service.
Eligibility for ADA paratransit is for:
1. People whose disability prevents them from using the fixed‐route service.
2. People with disabilities who canuse the fixed‐route but thefixed‐route vehicle or the bus stop is inaccessible.
3. People whose disability prevents them from traveling to or from the bus stop or train station due
to obstacles .


ADA gives transit agencies flexibility to design their own eligibility procedures - transit agencies typically use variations of a paper application, in-person interview and/or a functional assessment (observation of applicant’s ability to navigate the fixed‐route).

ACCESS POLICY AND PROCEDURES

All ACCESS buses are lift or ramp equipped to provide access for all riders.
• VRT evaluates eligibility on the ability to use fixed‐route (bus and rail).
• VRT uses a paper application and a telephone interview process to determine eligibility. The telephone interview provides an opportunity to get more detailed information about travel abilities than might be
possible using only a paper application form.
• VRT does not use a functional assessment.

PEER TRANSIT AGENCIES

Many agencies use functional assessments to better understand an applicant’s abilities to use fixed‐route services (bus and rail).
• Dallas DART staff includes an Eligibility and Training Specialist to assess an applicant’s physical, cognitive or visual ability to access the fixed‐route.
• Easter Seals Project Action recommends using appropriate professionals such as occupational therapists, physical therapists, or orientation and mobility specialists to conduct the functional assessment.


QUESTION: What changes, if any, would you make to the ACCESS eligibility process?

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* 2. CURB-TO-CURB SERVICE

The time for a driver to connect with a customer impacts on time performance and the number of customers each driver can serve. Curb‐to‐curb service may reduce the time to load customers; however, if customers are not at the curb waiting, the driver needs more time to connect with the customer. Door‐to‐door service may help a driver to connect with the customer more quickly; however, the driver is required to leave the vehicle.

ADA gives transit agencies flexibility to establish whether to provide curb‐ to‐curb service or door‐to‐door service.Federal guidelines require agencies with curb‐to‐curb service to still provide assistance to riders who need door‐to‐door service due to a disability.

ACCESS POLICY AND PROCEDURE

ACCESS provides a curb‐to‐curb service but does not provide door‐to‐door service. Drivers cannot assist a passenger over more than one step and are not allowed to carry packages. Drivers are not allowed to enter a passenger’s residence.

PEER TRANSIT AGENCIES

National research by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) found more than 50% of all transit agencies provide door‐to‐door service.
According to the research, the practice may improve customer service and improve reliability because the driver can locate the customer sooner, assist the rider to enter the vehicle more quickly, and avoid missing the rider.

QUESTION: If Valley Regional Transit began providing door-to-door service, how would the change affect you?

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* 3. No-Show Policy

When an ACCESS customer fails to show up for a scheduled trip (or cancels after it is too late to schedule another customer in his/her place), resources are wasted, other customers are inconvenienced, and on‐time performance is negatively impacted. The ACCESS no-show rate was 2.6 percent in FY 2014.

ADA allows a transit agency to suspend riders who establish a pattern or practice of missing scheduled trips or cancelling trips late for a reasonable period of time.

ACCESS POLICY AND PROCEDURE

ACCESS defines a no-show as someone who has not called to cancel a trip at least one hour prior to the required pick-up time; is not ready to board the bus within five (5) minutes of his or her scheduled time; or is not at the correct address or correct location for pickup.
A pattern or practice of no-shows exists if a passenger fails to cancel three (3) trips or 10 percent of their trips, whichever is greater, in a rolling three-month period. First violation is a suspension of service for one week; the second violation is for two weeks; a third violation is for one month; a fourth violation is for three months. Continued no-shows after the fourth violation will result in a forfeiture of the ability to reserve trips.
LATE CANCELLATIONS – A pattern of five (5) percent or more of the total trips scheduled being late cancellations, the pattern will be treated the same as reaching the no-show threshold.

PEER TRANSIT AGENCIES

Transit services like ACCESS sometimes have stricter no‐show and late cancellation policies.
• Washington D.C. Metro adopted a new policy for no‐shows or late cancellations. Customers who repeatedly no‐show or board a vehicle more than 5 minutes late may lose access to the service for a period of time. The new policy resulted in fewer no‐shows and late cancellations and saved enough time to schedule more trips each month for the same cost.
• King County Metro in Seattle classifies a trip that the customer misses, or cancels after 5:00 p.m. the day before, as a no‐show. More than six (6) no‐shows in 30 days will generate a notice and may lead to loss of service for a period of time.

QUESTION: How have you been impacted by the ACCESS no-show policy?

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* 4. SERVICE AREA

ADA regulations require transit agencies that operate fixed‐route transit to also provide ADA complementary paratransit service within the same service area as the fixed‐routes, which generally includes a 3/4‐mile corridor on either side of local bus routes and around transit centers and rail stations. Riders who are determined eligible for ADA paratransit can travel between any places within that defined area.

Agencies that operate fixed‐route service must provide ADA paratransit service comparable to that available on the local fixed‐route system. Comparable means paratransit service must be provided within a 3/4‐mile corridor on either side of local bus routes and around transit centers and rail stations.

Requirements for ADA complementary paratransit do not apply to commuter bus routes, such as ValleyRide inter county services.

Transit agencies may choose (but have no obligation) to provide ADA paratransit service beyond the
3/4‐mile when fixed‐route is not operating in those areas.Transit agencies may charge a premium fare for service beyond the minimum required 3/4‐mile boundary.

ACCESS POLICY AND PROCEDURE

ACCESS provides ADA service at the 3/4‐mile requirement.Providing service beyond this ¾-mile requirement would require a substantial increase in funding.
The transit agencies in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. limit service to the 3/4‐mile boundary around the local fixed‐route.

PEER TRANSIT AGENCIES

Since 2010, the Seattle and Austin transit agencies both realigned the paratransit service area to the 3/4‐mile boundary around local fixed‐routes.

The transit agencies in Boston, Corpus Christi, and San Jose (California) charge a premium fare for paratransit service outside the 3/4‐mile boundary. For example, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston charges an additional $1.00 per passenger trip beyond the ADA required service area.

QUESTION: How often do you have trips that are outside the 3/4-mile area? Would you be willing to pay a premium (higher) fare for trips outside the ADA required service area?

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* 5. Same Day Changes

A same day change is when a customer requests a time or place change to a scheduled paratransit trip. The transit agency scheduling system creates the most effective schedules the night before the day of service. Since paratransit is a shared ride service, same day changes can lead to late trips for other customers and reduce the efficiency of the schedules.

ADA states paratransit service must be scheduled at least one (1) day in advance. Real‐time/ same day scheduling is permitted but not required.Same day trip changes result in the trip being considered a “same day trip.” ADA allows a premium (higher) fare to be charged for same day trips.

ACCESS POLICY AND PROCEDURE

ACCESS policy does not allow for same day changes.

PEER TRANSIT AGENCIES

Chicago’s Pace Suburban Bus Service changed the same day trip change policy that had guaranteed same day changes if the customer made the change two‐ hours in advance of the trip. The policy now allows same day trip changes on a space available basis only without guarantee. The policy change led to increased scheduling efficiency.

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in San Jose, CA, charges a base ADA paratransit fare is $4.00. VTA charges a premium fare of $16.00 for open return trips. The return trip is scheduled when the customer calls.

Recently, Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) began charging an extra $1.00 ($4.00 base and $5.00 premium fare) when a trip is rescheduled after the 5 p.m. reservation deadline the day before.

QUESTION: How does the inability to make same-day ACCESS reservation affect you?

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* 6. On-Time Performance

On‐time performance (OTP) is the ability to pickup and drop‐off customers within a set time window. OTP is a factor of scheduling and dispatch, customer no‐ shows/ late cancellations, driver experience, vehicle reliability, and traffic/ weather conditions.

The ADA says transit agencies must not have an operational pattern or practice that significantly limits the availability of paratransit service to ADA eligible customers.Transit agencies should not have practices that cause trips to be late, such as scheduling trips too tightly or not having enough back‐up service.

ACCESS POLICY AND PROCEDURE

According the ACCESS policy, a trip is considered on‐time if the vehicle arrives both:
• Within 30 minutes of the scheduled pickup time (0 to 30 minutes)
• No later than the appointment time.
ACCESS’ OTP performance standard is 92%.
Actual OTP for ACCESS service was 93 percent in 2011, 98 percent in 2012
and 90 percent in 2013.

PEER TRANSIT AGENCIES

Industry standard pickup window is 30 minutes. Surveys show that transit agencies with 30 minute pickup windows have an OTP standard ranging from
90% to 96% with an average OTP standard of 93%.

The transit agencies in these cities have an on time window of 30 minutes and the following on‐time performance standard:

• Philadelphia OTP standard is 90%
• Austin OTP standard is 91%
• Denver OTP standard is 93%

QUESTION: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?: ACCESS' on-time performance standard is reasonable (92% of all trips within 30 minutes of the scheduled puck up time and no later than the appointment time).

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* 7. Travel Training/Feeder Service

Travel training helps a customer learn how to use fixed‐route transit services. An ADA paratransit feeder service can provide the customer an option to connect to a fixed‐route bus stop, transit center, or rail station. Both travel training and paratransit feeder service may give people with disabilities more transit choices

Transit travel training is not required by the ADA but may be provided by a transit agency.

A transit agency must provide ADA complementary paratransit from origin to destination for people whose disability prevents them from using fixed‐route transit.

A transit agency may also provide complementary paratransit as a feeder service to an accessible fixed‐ route that will take the individual to his or her destination. The customer would not pay an additional fare for the transfer to fixed‐route.

ACCESS POLICY AND PROCEDURE

ACCESS has one full‐time Travel Trainer who provides travel training free of charge to anyone wishing to learn how to travel on fixed‐route bus or rail.

The curriculum includes assessing current skills and capabilities, designing a program to meet individual needs and then providing the training for the individual.

ACCESS also presents fixed‐route information on services at various outreaches around the city including libraries, government and social service agencies and institutions of higher learning.

ACCESS will provide a paratransit trip to a fixed‐route stop if a customer requests the option.

PEER TRANSIT AGENCIES

A 2012 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) survey of 112 transit agencies shows that 55% of agencies provide travel training.

An Easter Seals Project Action study showed for every $1.00 invested in travel training a transit agency can save $1.45 to $3.98 in paratransit operating costs because individuals with training choose to use fixed‐route for some trips.

Vancouver’s TransLink found customers choose feeder service to light rail based on travel time, schedule convenience, service availability, and travel independence.

Pittsburgh’s ACCESS designates transfer locations, and the driver may wait for the fixed‐route connecting vehicle.

QUESTION: How likely are you to use a travel trainer and/or a feeder program program?

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* 8. Are there any additional comments you would like to make?

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* 9. We appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey. We would like a minute or two more of your time to answer a few more questions.
Do you ride (Check all that apply)

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* 10. Please tell us what year you were born.

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* 11. Are you...? (check all that apply)

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* 12. What do you estimate was the combined total annual income in 2013 for everyone who lives in your household?

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* 13. What is your gender?

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* 14. What is the primary language spoken in your household?

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* 15. How well do you speak or understand English?

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* 16. What is your ZIP code?

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