Benchmarking and Capital Planning
Feb 2004 Workshop in Tampa, Fl

Managing Paratransit Demand With Mobility Planning

Lauren Skiver
Paratransit Coordinator
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART)

Listen to the presentation
27 minutes (one half the presentation) [requires Windows Media Player]

Good Afternoon! When I began my career in the adrenaline packed arena of paratransit. I was perplexed the transit communities view of paratransit service. It seemed that paratransit was viewed as the elephant in the living room that everyone saw, but know one wanted to talk about. With the help of a PROJECTACTION, supportive senior management, an innovative staff, and dedicated customers, our paratransit division began work to change the agencies of anxiety over and fear of paratransit.

A Bit of History

• HART Contracted Paratransit Operations From Service Inception until October 2000
• 12-16 Vehicles, 35 Operators Delivering 40,000 Trips Annually
• Service Area ¾ Mile Around Local, Fixed Routes

HARTline contracted out paratransit service until October 2000 when it was determined that the service quality and litigation risk had exceeded the cost benefit to contracting. HART operates 12-16 vehicles and employees approximately 35 van operators to deliver approximately 40,000 trips annually. HART performs ADA Paratransit service only and does not deliver Medicaid or sponsored transportation. Our service area consists of ¾ of mile around local, fixed routes. Many systems of similar size generate four times that number of trips annually. I believe that Florida’s initiative to coordinate transportation along with HART’s ability to manage demand by staying one step ahead of it as much as possible has maintained our service demand at fairly lower levels.

Eligibility

• Paper Application With A Professional Verification
• 100% In Person Interview
• Functional Assessments as required
• Functional Assessments Tend To Screen Individuals Out Rather Than In

HART’s eligibility process consists of a paper application with a professional verification, A 100% in-person interview to include re-certifications and functional assessments as required. It is our belief that functional assessments tend to screen applicants out rather than in, so we only refer customers for functional assessment that HART staff cannot complete an eligibility decision on. Eligibility is a key component to the success of mobility planning and the protection of transit resources. Roughly 20 to 25% of the customers that request applications complete the entire process. HART offers assistance to customers who have difficulty filling out the application or need assistance in completing the verification portion of the application. Free transportation is provided to HART’s facility for the in-person interview.

Mobility Planning

• Eligibility / Subscription Monitoring
• Getting There Program
• - Seniors
• - Disabled/Non-Disabled Students
• Travel Training
• Utilization of Fixed Route, Flex Route, and Link Services in Individual Mobility Plans

HART has incorporated several sections to it’s mobility planning program. The first is an extensive eligibility and subscription monitoring process. The second is a school system and senior based program called “Getting There”. The third is an intensive travel training program with a full time position dedicated to travel training. And the fourth is an overall goal to utilize fixed route, flex, link and paratransit service.

Getting There - Students

• Getting There
• Who, What and HOW?
• Module Based Learning Tool That Incorporates Classroom Instruction and Public Transit Usage Experiences
• Utilizes Public Transportation in Independence Building and Leisure Activities

HARTline uses the slogan “Going Places” in all of it’s advertisement and printed material. Staff determined that for people with disabilities, the transit dependent and seniors “Getting There” was the real challenge. HART consulted it’s paratransit advisory group and conducted a survey to determine which group of paratransit riders would be most likely to participate and use a program that teaches independent travel skills utilizing all of HART’s services. Through these methods it was determined that seniors, young adults and teens would be groups most likely to participate. Riders between the ages of 30 and 55 are generally less likely to transition to another type of service. Young people and seniors are seeking or trying to maintain a level of independence that works in our favor to introduce this program. We also tracked the number of adults who applied for service after their support system had aged to the point where they could no longer drive them to employment, school or leisure activities. We determined that if we began travel training and bus familiarization at an early age, we would be more successful at travel training later in life, even if the applicant had not used the training in some time. (Many times a person with a cognitive disability applies for paratransit service at age 40 after his parents are elderly and can no longer drive him. At this point, travel training becomes very time consuming and the success rate is extremely low.

TOOLS FOR LEARNING

  

One of the training methods utilizes a bingo inspired game to train students to recognize transit amenities Most of the modules incorporate visual techniques for training. These modules can also be modified for the comprehension level of the audience. Educators have provided valuable information on the best techniques to reach their individual classes. They also assist us with keeping the information up to date and relevant to the students current activities.

Getting There - Seniors

• Locating Senior Communities
• Building Relationships
• Reintroducing Independence

To introduce the “Getting There” program to seniors, HART staff first located senior communities and assisted living facilities. After meetings with facility staff, HART scheduled visits with residents during schedule activities and club meetings to introduce the program. Staff concentrated on helping residents build relationships with each other to provide travel groups for local destinations. Seniors are more willing to travel when paired with a peer or others in a group. We located “bus buddies” at each facility who were comfortable with transit travel and assigned them to work with new residents or those that were uncomfortable traveling alone. The buddies are given free bus passes as incentive to participate. Many seniors are desperate to maintain or re-gain independence and travel to destinations is an important key to independent living.

Obviously the success of this program for students or seniors has to include good route coverage in the targeted area. It also requires strong support from educators, parents and family, and organization administrators. Those individuals are your first order of business in building support and participation. Reaching and training the students and seniors themselves is the easiest part of the program!

Mobility Planning Components

• Travel Training
• Full Time Position
• Subscription Monitoring
• Service Evaluation
• Accessibility Improvements

HART employs a full time travel trainer that coordinates Mobility planning activities for the Getting There program and for customers that call in to HART’s customer call center for assistance. The travel trainer also maintains a travel training program for Burdines (A department store chain) and the Hyatt Hotels who both provide an employment training program for people with disabilities. Other members of the paratransit division assist with travel training activities.

On a quarterly basis and sometimes more often (if new service or mark-ups have altered service delivery), subscriptions orders are reviewed. This allows staffs to re-evaluate the level of service to the area and the continued need of the customer to utilize paratransit service to the location.

Eligibility / Subscription Monitoring

• A Site Assessment Process is Utilized for Eligibility and Subscription Monitoring
• Written Report
• Digital Photographs
• Transit Resource Matching

Staff utilizes our scheduling software to keep data logs on locations that have been reviewed to reduce duplication of our efforts. If a location has changed or bus service to the area is improved. Staff complete a site evaluation to assess the accessibility of the location using fixed route. Digital photos and descriptions are part of the report. These photos can be loaded into the client file screen of HART’s scheduling software. This allows the paratransit team to review individual circumstances and travel barriers on an in detail.

Taken: 02/25/02

1. Front of home, accessible, no steps, level ground, good sidewalks with curb cuts.
   
2. Front of home sidewalk clear, level, looking toward corner (Curves left) leading out to sub Division entrance/exit.
   
3. From corner. Sidewalk leads out towards Sub-division entrance/exit (2 short blocks away)
   
4. Continued from #3, shows curb cuts clear sidewalk.
   

Eligibility is a team effort at HART and there are four separate positions that all have relation to the eligibility process. Each Team member is crossed trained to enhance HART’s ability to KEEP UP with the process. This is an example of a report that is submitted to demonstrate the access to the fixed route bus. This information is helpful when defending a denial of paratransit service or to document a non-accessible area. If needed, measurements, grade and other terrain features are described in the report. These reports are kept electronically to minimize paper in a customers file and are referenced in the notes section.

5. From sidewalk on Cedarwood Village Dr. to Linebaugh Ave
   
6. 36 & 39 Bus Stop, Westbound near side on Gunn Highway, corner of Linebaugh Ave. Bus Stop in front of gas station. Bench at Bus Stop. Well lit area with traffic signals for crossing.
   
7. 36 & 39 Bus Stop, Eastbound Far side on Gunn Highway off Linebaugh Ave, Half block from from corner. Bus stops in front of Carrolwood Crossings, commercial offices. Bench at Bus Stop.
   
   
   

This is the same applicant, this page follows the path of travel to the bus. By having areas already documented, new customers that apply may not need the level of assessment because the area has been previously been documented.

Mobility - Fixed Route Component

• Utilization of Fixed Route, Flex , Link and Paratransit Services

The overall goal of most transit authorities is to direct all passengers that can use the bus to fixed route. HART utilizes fixed route, flex routes and link services to accomplish that mission. HARTlink connects customers with the fixed route service when a barrier prevents the trip being completed entirely on the bus. It is difficult to track the success of link type services. It has been our experience that the monthly numbers remain low, but in surveys we have found that when a customers uses link service, they generally self –select using the fixed route service for the entire trip since it usually expends less time. And that is the goal of mobility planning. Gently helping customers explore transit options.

Conclusion

• Paratransit Applicants are Mobility Planning Candidates
• Materials Available

Each paratransit customer who applies brings with them a window of opportunity. This window must be opened as soon as the first step of eligibility is initiated. Before a customers is sent an ID card, frequent destinations are assessed for accessibility. If they identify service for employment or education those sites are assessed. This facilitates the ability to choose the correct mode of transportation at the time of eligibility. Notification letters sent to HARTplus customers detail which trips are eligible for paratransit and which may require the use of a different mode, i.e.: link, flex, fixed route. This eliminates the painful process of denying service to those destinations at a later date. This process allows for the protection of transit resources and helps the delivery of timely, reliable service for those who cannot use fixed route. It is not a perfect solution by any means, but it seems to be a step in the right direction and has helped HART to survive and meet demand.

If you would like more information, I have brought some of it with me and will be available after the session.