Butte County Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Transportation

Butte County Coordinated Public Transit. Human Services Transportation Plan With May 2008

Today’s Workshop l Why are we doing this? l Survey Findings l Outreach Findings l Direction of Recommendations l Dialog on possible projects l Finalizing the plan and next steps l Section 5310 process l Local Call for Projects Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan

Project Overview

Why are we doing this? l Coordination history long • • Improving rural/ improving social service transportation (1970 s) GAO Report on Coordination (2003) Federal Executive Order (2004) Locally (2001) – Regionalizing transit creating B-Line; human services coordination working group—Easter Seals project l Coordination Requirement of new Federal legislation • Section 5310 – Capital program / seniors & persons with disabilities • Section 5316 – Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC)/ low income & work-related trips • Section 5317 – New Freedom program / persons with disabilities Circulars require a unified, comprehensive plan that is locally developed with public transit and human services participation. Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 4

4 Federal Requirements l An assessment of available services that identifies current providers (public, private and non-profit). l An assessment of transportation needs for individuals with disabilities, older adults and people of low income -- this assessment can be based on experiences and perceptions of the planning partners or on the data collection efforts and identified gaps in service. l Strategies and/or activities and/or projects to address the identified gaps between current services and needs as well s opportunities to improve efficiencies in service delivery. l Priorities for implementation based on resources (from multiple program sources), time and feasibility for implementing. Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 5

Coordination Plan Development Goals 1. Through outreach, identify & promote partnerships. • Interested, Willing and Able Agencies. Looking for leadership. 2. Identify unmet needs & service gaps for target populations. • Persons of low income • Persons with disabilities • Seniors 3. Promote survey and validate survey findings. 4. Inform & educate stakeholders about capacity building strategies. 5. Integrate SAFETEA-LU coordination planning into BCAG’s ongoing efforts to build cooperative relationships. 6. Leverage existing dollars to expand transportation options/ choices. Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 6

Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan for Butte County, 2008 A Locally Developed Comprehensive, Unified Plan Tied to 3 Federal Programs § 5316 – Job Access & Reverse Commute Program Demographics Analysis: 2000 -2030 SSTAC/Wkg Grp. Jan 7 th Stakeholder Inventory Survey § 5317 – New Freedom Program Outreach Opportunities: Need and Resource Assessment Activities 3 Subarea Workshops; Selected Stakeholder Interviews Background Information: Consumer Focus Groups Assessments: Transit Operators – B-Line, Other Operators Report of Findings/ Needs Assessment § 5310 – Seniors & Persons W/ Disabilities Capital Program Unmet Needs, Performance Audit Disabilities, Low. Income, Seniors May Project Development Workshop Coordinated Plan SSTAC/Wkg. Grp. Draft Plan Public Hearing Process Adopted Plan Call For Projects 2007/08

Target Populations

Target Populations 7% increase percent of total population Orange County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 9

Target Population Subgroups l Seniors • • • Low income seniors 2, 286 persons 1. 1% of 2000 County population Seniors w/ self-reported disabilities 5, 546 persons 2. 7% of 2000 County population Oldest seniors, 85+ 4, 384 persons 2. 2% of 2000 County population l Other Subgroups • • • Welfare-to-work families & children Homeless individuals returning to employment Persons on dialysis Adults with developmental disabilities Chronically mentally ill homeless Discharged prisoners l Youth • • • Chronically or acutely ill children & youth Court-placed youth; CASA youth Aging out of foster care In behavioral health system On probation With developmental disabilities and special needs Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 10

Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 11

Current Transportation Resources

Resources l Regional Public Transit Network B-Line Service in Chico, Oroville, Paradise areas -- intra and inter-community lines B-Line Paratransit Gridley Golden Feather Flyer Adjacent Counties – Glenn Ride and Plumas Transit l Other Public Sector Transportation (partial) Butte College Chico State University School districts – Chico, Oroville, Durham and Feather Falls Unified School Districts l Human Service Agency & Organization Transportation (partial) Work Training Center Feather River Hospital – Rural Health Clinic Peg Taylor Center Passages Bus ticket distribution – DPSS, CAP Catholic Workers, Salvation Army Longfellow Catholic Ladies Faith-based organizations l Private sector services (partial) Merit Medi-Trans Better Babies/ Cabs for Kids Greyhound Bus Lines Telephone check-in/ transportation provider for seniors Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 13

Existing Public Transit Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 14

Resource Utilization (2007) l Trips taken in Butte County by various services: • B-Line fixed-route – 1. 1 million trips • B-Line paratransit – 112, 420 trips • Responding human services providers – 281, 364 trips (excludes school districts and commercial providers; n=15) l Trips Per Capita l l Fixed-route – 5. 5 Paratransit – 0. 6 Survey agency trips provided – 1. 3 All trips counted – 6. 9 Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 15

Resource Utilization (2007) l Trips taken in Butte County by various services: • B-Line Fixed-route – 1. 1 million trips • B-Line Paratransit – 112, 420 trips • Responding human services providers – 281, 364 trips (excludes school districts and commercial providers) l Trips Per Capita l l Fixed-route – 5. 5 Paratransit – 0. 6 Survey agency trips provided – 1. 3 All trips counted – 6. 9 Coordinated Plan Trip Per Capita Demand Estimates: Ø All transit – 10. 7 Ø Specialized – 2. 7 Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 16

Transportation Funding Resources in Butte County l SAFETEA-LU Funding Section 5310 – Statewide competition of $12 million Section 5316 – JARC $ 51, 000 Section 5417 – New Freedom $ 30, 000 Section 5307 – Small urban areas Section 5311 – Rural areas $1. 5 million $500, 000 l California Transit Funding Transportation Development Act, LTF California State Transit Assistance $6. 8 million $1. 1 million Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 17

Transportation Funding Resources in Butte County l Human Services Funding Butte County Dept. of Education Far Northern Regional Center $8 million $1. 7 million l Other Funding Sources (partial) California Dept. of Rehabilitation Dept of Health Services (Medi. Cal) Calworks/ GAIN Proposition 63 – Mental Health Services Act Tobacco Settlement Revenue First Five Ryan White CARE Act (HIV/AIDS) Chaffee Act (Foster Care Independence) Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 18

Survey Results

Survey Respondents l 24% response rate from 302 agencies. l Approximate case load of responding agencies is 163, 000 persons l Daily attendees – 13, 187 (8%) l Needing transport help -7, 393 (5%) Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 20

Survey Respondents Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 21

Survey - Needs Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 22

Survey – Coordination Interests • • • Centralized information highest ranked by all agency types. Coordinated trip scheduling & dispatch highest ranked by both human service transport providers and nonprovider agency types. Agencies with no current transportation function least interested in coordination opportunities. Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 23

Survey-Barriers to Transportation l Funding availability l directly operated or contracted transport. l Challenges with public transit l reliability, availability, frequency, bus pass purchase rules l Demand response service l trip scheduling, service reliability, difficulties with dispatch l Butte County’s geography and long-trips l Information assistance needed at all levels l agencies, consumers booking trips, riders boarding/ on vehicles l Consumers’ individualized needs Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 24

Survey- Resources l Vehicles reported by 36 human service agencies (exclusive of B-Line): • 174 vans and buses • 146 (84%) used daily • 80 (46%) in need of replacement within next two years • Only 17% lift-equipped l Funding for transportation by human service agencies responding to survey: • Reported over $5 million (may include some duplication with FNRC $s) • Funding for vehicle operations, bus passes, mileage reimbursement, taxi vouchers, some administration Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 25

Outreach Findings Needs and Issues

Outreach Meetings: Representative Contacts Community Workshops Attended by over 50 persons representing 35 organizations l Paradise – Family Resource Center l Chico – Community Employment Center l Oroville – Community Employment Center Meetings/Roundtables l BCAG’s Social Services Transportation Advisory Council/ Coordination Working Grp. l Secondary & University Transportation Providers l Butte Community College l Chico State University of California l Chico Unified School District l Dept. of Public Social Services Housing & Community Development Program Managers Meetings/ Interviews l Paradise Adult Treatment Center l Peg Taylor Adult Day Care l Merit Medi-Trans l Work Training Center l Feather River Rural Health Clinic l North Valley Catholic Social Services l Dept. of Behavioral Health, Prop. 63 Consumer Focus Groups l Persons with chronic mental illness – Paradise Treatment Center l Seniors – Residents at Jarvis Gardens, Chico l Individuals of low income – Jesus Center food bank Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 27

Needs Identified 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Human service agency needs Consumer needs B-Line fixed-route and unserved pockets of County B-Line ADA and paratransit needs Community infrastructure needs Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 28

Human Service Agency Needs l Gatekeeper Information and Communications, relating to fixed route services • • New staff not aware of available services Caseworkers don’t track changes in transit Destination-oriented fixed-route transit info Helping clients translate ride guide info into a trip plan l Travel training l l l Training staff to train consumers Select locations (CAP Training) good sites for consumer training; Assisting consumers in how to use available services Youth need training No Cost Low Cost/ Help Central a resource Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 29

Human Service Agency Needs l More escorted transportation needed l l So consumers don’t wander off (Alzheimer's’, developmental disabilities) Assistance between door and vehicle (frail elderly, frail and blind, dialysis patients, unsteady on feet) l Need transit to follow l l Entry-level jobs at airport, casinos, fast food locations New low-income housing developments (seniors, families) l Special purpose shuttles • Shopping shuttles (from Paradise to Costco/ Chico mall) • Recreational activities on Saturdays and evenings (Do -It dances, movies) • Families with children Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 30

Human Service Agency Needs l Non-emergency medical transportation • High level of no-shows for Medi. Cal appointments due to transportation difficulties l Agency staff transport costs increasing; l Mileage reimbursement to staff significant budget item l Agencies need vehicles on limited basis: • Special events or outings (recreational) • Group shopping trip on limited days • Special out-of-county field trips Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 31

Consumer Needs l Rider compliments – drivers, dispatch, service l Reduced fares for low income riders • Many can’t afford even fixed route fares • Transit tickets offered for individual trip; more cost effective if monthly pass available; 10 tickets not enough for job search, apartment search • Smaller ticket denominations ($5) l Increasing fuel costs severely impacting low income consumers and families • Desire to turn to public transit • Where transit isn’t available, “fuel cards” are needed l Transit dependent with pets to vets Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 32

Consumer Needs l Transportation accommodating needs of low income women with children • Work transportation to accommodate taking children to day care. • Difficulty of traveling on bus with infants or several children to get to medical, social service, mental health counseling appointments. l Importance of on-time performance l Whether fixed-route or paratransit, missing buses and late arrivals impacts doctors’ appointments, job interviews, work l Same day non-emergency medical trips l l Health needs can’t be anticipated Changes in Medi. Cal; difficulty in obtaining transportation authorization Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 33

Consumer Needs l Travel training • Riders confused – county vs. city; inbound vs. outbound l Butte County areas with limited public transit or no service at all. • • Paradise to Magalia Paradise to Pines Gridley Kelly Ridge to Oroville to Palermo Berry Creek and Concow Out-of-county medical trips to: Yuba/Sutter and North Sacramento-UC Davis Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 34

B-Line Paratransit Related Issues l ADA certification computerized l l Hard for consumers to navigate Difficult for caseworkers to help frail consumers l ADA services at capacity (a. m. and p. m. peaks) l Longer waits, more missed trips; missed connections l Service quality issues l On-time performance, missed appointments due to lateness l Dispatch communication issues • Consumers report difficulties around trip scheduling, follow-up on late vehicles and missed trips • Need for more dispatcher training, improved rider communications • Call ahead -- reminding frail seniors who are often forgetful Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 35

B-Line Paratransit Related Issues l Confusion regarding ADA trip types • Regularly scheduled versus subscription • Vacation trips and not; driver manifest is not always correct l Rigidity in booking trips difficult l Sometimes consumers need a different pick-up or drop-off location l Vehicles l Old, break-downs not infrequent, in need of replacement l Some trip needs beyond what ADA can provide l l Escort assistance; more frail riders Trip chaining – waiting for pharmacy, grocery store return trip Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 36

B-Line Fixed Route Issues l Frequency of service, particularly inter-community l l Magalia to Paradise Magalia to Chico (medical, social service appointments) Paradise to Chico to Oroville -Oroville to Chico return; need additional afternoon run -Routing reviewed; more direct routing needed l Improved connections for inter-community trips l B-Line buses around University: l Changes in timing – buses leave 10 minutes to the hour; students can’t get to the bus; long waits for next l Calling out stops infrequent • Difficult for new or uncertain riders Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 37

B-Line Fixed Route Issues l Particular locations needing transit services l Weekend and Evening Hours • Half-day on Sundays; later Saturday nites for work trips • Evening services needed for airport, certain fast food locations • Casinos (Gold Country) need 3 rd shift transportation l Overcrowding • Particularly Chico to Oroville and return l Bus pass purchase capabilities l l l Need easier administrative processes for agency purchases. Discounts for low income riders Need universal bus pass that human service agencies could be billed for trips taken Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 38

B-Line Fixed Route Issues l Pockets of unserved need and key destinations without adequate public transportation. • Gridley • Pockets up in the foothills – Berry Creek, Concow, Thermalito, Feather Falls l Gold Country Casino in Kelly Ridge l Oroville to Palermo (bus does stop at Four Corners) l Between Oroville and Yuba/ Sutter l Oroville Senior Nutrition Center l Oroville – The Oaks; Cottonwood Estate l Oroville -- New Family Resource Center Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 39

Infrastructure Related Issues l Need capability for trip brokering, sharing of vehicles for trips are coming in from rural areas. • Interest in collaboration • Common trip corridors • Limited ways for agencies to “find” one another around trip needs Discounts for low income populations. • Role for private providers l Need mechanisms for agencies to collaborate more easily around meeting trip needs. l Role of mobility manager - Within agencies and service systems - Between agencies and service systems Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 40

Infrastructure Related Issues l Physical environment l l Curb cuts and street improvements for pedestrians Bus stop and bus shelter needs Stop signage incomplete, often missing, more information needed Better info at central transfer locations (Chico mall) l Role for volunteers l l l Interest in & capacity for volunteer-role in Butte County given strong community orientation – CASA program Insurance issues must be addressed Fuel costs must be addressed Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 41

Emerging Recommendations 42

Direction of Recommendations 1. Facilitating infrastructure 2. Building services 3. Enhancing information portals Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 43

Infrastructure l Facilitating mechanisms for coordination l There are Interested, Willing…. And ABLE Partners Ø Merit Medi-Trans Ø Work Training Center Ø Many other human service agencies collaborating in this process Ø Roles for B-Line Paratransit and B-Line Fixed Route Can address: - Vehicle maintenance - Travel training - Ability to fill seats on specific runs - Potential for vehicle sharing in a coordinated system Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 44

Infrastructure l Defining the role of a CTSA – Consolidated Transportation Services Agency - Institutional issues – where, who, governance - Funding partners - Defining responsibilities - Defining services Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 45

Infrastructure l Defining the role of a CTSA – Consolidated Transportation Services Agency - Institutional issues – where, who, governance - Funding partners - Defining responsibilities - Defining services Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 46

Building Services Building the Service Network l Address key B-Line fixed route and paratransit issues identified thru upcoming transit planning processes l Encourage human services transportation options - promote bus pass/ voucher programs - promote volunteers l Integrate public transit and human services transportation capabilities Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 47

Enhancing Information portals l Printed and website information, availability promoted l Travel training of users/ bus buddies l Travel training case managers l Development of supplemental tools Destination oriented - Consumer-group specific - Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 48

Project Development

From Needs to Projects Ø Ø Ø Information and trip planning resources Internal agency transportation coordinators – Mobility Managers Non-emergency medical transportation Same-day transportation option Coordinated transportation options – brokered trips Individualized shuttle services to address specialized needs (i. e. shopping runs, recreational-Saturday dances, mothers with children, frail elderly, youth, training events) Ø Voucher programs/ reduced fares/ improved bus pass distribution for low income consumers Ø Ø Improvements to B-Line ADA dispatching and communications Improvements to existing B-Line fixed route service Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 50

From Needs to Projects l Define the need. What need or service gap will your project address? l Design the service. What are its operating elements: days, hours, eligibility; outreach/ marketing to consumers; service area; limitations. l Align the players. Who will be the partners in this effort? How can you share resources and responsibilities? l Assign the assets. How will you match the Federal funds – cash or in kind services? • • 50% match for operating 20% match for capital or mobility manager Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 51

Next Steps • Draft Plan for Comments Ø On BCAG website in June 2008 • Adopted Plan Ø July 2008 • Section 5310 Vehicle Grant Applications Ø Draft application June 2 nd to BCAG Ø Final application August 29 th to Cal. Trans • Section 5316 and 5317 Call for Projects Ø Announced Fall 2008 Ø Submitted to BCAG Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan 52