PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
JANUARY 17, 2002
SUBJECT: ACCESS SERVICES STATUS REPORT
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
RECOMMENDATION
Receive and file this quarterly status report on Access Services, Inc. (ASI) and direct staff to return to the Board with an Action Plan in April, 2002.
ISSUES
The Metro provides funding for ASI based on the Boards approval of the five-year Business Plan in May 2000. Due to the availability of funds carried forward from previous years, ASI appears to have subsidies to operate for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 02; however, there may be a funding shortfall in FY 03 as demand for the service continues to grow. ASI carried 183,000 passengers in October which is the highest monthly ridership figure ever recorded.
Similar to prior quarterly updates, three months of service performance statistics for September, October, and November 2001 are attached and described below. Average weekday ridership year-to-date is up 23.1% from last year, and Access Paratransit experienced 30% year-over-year growth for the peak month of October. If patronage continues annual growth rates of 20 to 30%, ASI, if it continues to operate in its current form, will not be able to meet the five-year Business Plan budget targets without making significant changes. ASI predicts a $10 to $14 million-shortfall beginning in FY 03.
In response to the potential funding shortfall, ASI staff proposed options for limiting cost growth, including separation of same-day service from ADA complementary paratransit service, fare increases, transfers for long trips between regions, and elimination of the toll-free reservations number. The ASI Board of Directors discussed these issues at a Board workshop held December 10. At that meeting, ASI staff clearly indicated a projected budget shortfall and presented the options for discussion. The ASI Board indicated a willingness to work with the Metro to develop an Action Plan to close the shortfall. We have provided notification to ASIs Executive Director and Chair of the Board that we intend to develop an Action Plan for the Metro Board to consider in April, and that the ASI Board needs to provide direction prior to the development of the Action Plan.
BACKGROUND
Historically, the role of the Metro has been to provide comments and suggestions to ASI regarding service delivery issues and, as a basic element of the five-year Business Plan, establish and maintain an annual budget threshold. However, it appears if ASI were now considering major service delivery modifications, it would be logical for the Metro to assume a more proactive countywide planning role regarding the coordination of ASI with other fixed-route and paratransit services. For example, if the transit sector model is approved for fixed-route service, perhaps the delivery of ASI service should be approached in a similar manner. Further, if ASI were to differentiate services required by the ADA from those that exceed the ADA, then perhaps the Metro Board would consider limiting the amount of funding for the latter services to maintain funding levels consistent with the Business Plan. Staff proposes to develop a more specific Action Plan and return to the Board in April.
Several of the options under discussion represent major changes in service delivery. The separation of same-day service from next-day reservations is an example. ASI is the only large paratransit sytem in the country to provide immediate response, same-day service. The availability of same-day rides is a higher level of service compared to the next-day reservations required by the ADA. Same-day service could be retained in a limited form through a taxi voucher program or some other user-side subsidy, thereby reducing the impact to the customer.
The ADA requires fixed-route public transportation operators to provide complementary paratransit to persons with disabilities who cannot use fixed-route. USDOT regulations guiding implementation of ADA complementary paratransit require that there be no trip caps or waiting lists for the service. Also the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently indicated that transit agencies should have a goal of serving all of the trips that are requested by eligible riders (i.e. zero denials). The regulations allow trips to be scheduled within one hour of the requested pick-up time so that providers can group trips between common origins and destinations.
The Metro Board created ASI in 1994 to provide the mandated ADA paratransit service and to serve as the Consolidated Transportation Services Agency (CTSA) for Los Angeles County. The ADA paratransit service known as Access Paratransit serves all origins and destinations within three-quarter mile of all fixed-route bus routes and rail lines.
The specific purposes of ASI are: (1) to improve the quality and effectiveness of transportation services to elderly and persons with disabilities through coordination of public transportation with social service agencies and other charitable organizations, and; (2) to provide transportation services to persons with disabilities in accordance with the ADA.
DISCUSSION
Access Paratransit is the name of the on-street service provided by ASI. Access Paratransit provides ADA paratransit services for all fixed-route public transportation operators in Los Angeles County. The glossary in Attachment A defines the terms used in this report.
Service Statistics
The following sections address specific areas of Access Paratransit service performance for the months of September, October, and November 2001.
· On-Time Performance Access Paratransit met the standard of more than 90% of all pick-ups to be completed within the 20-minute window. System-wide, on-time performance was 93.1% in September, 92.7% in October, and 92.6% in November. Attachment B shows on-time performance for the various providers.
· Missed Trips/Hour Late Trips - missed trips are those that do not get picked up within 45 minutes after the end of the pick-up window. The Access Paratransit standard is to have no more than 0.75% (1 of every 125) of all scheduled trips be either over an hour late or not executed at all. Access Paratransit met the standard in all three months as shown in Attachment C.
· Average Call Length - passengers must call to book a ride with Access Paratransit, and the length of the phone call can indicate how easy or difficult it is to make a reservation. Access Paratransit did not meet the 4.0-minute standard for average call length as shown in Attachment D. With the surge in demand for service and the associated increase in reservation calls, the system wide average call length registered between four and five minutes.
· Complaints Attachment E shows complaints per 1,000 riders for each provider. The ratio of complaints dropped significantly to 5.75 in October and 5.73 in November after reaching 7.31 in September. The improvement is noteworthy given that ridership set an all-time record in October. In the three-month period, the Access Paratransit system averaged 6.23 complaints per 1,000 riders. Attachments F, G, and H show service complaints by type, and total complaints for September, October, and November respectively. The service complaints are shaded and include specific complaint types such as ADA violation, service animals, booking a trip, and three levels of late trip complaints corresponding to the extent of lateness as defined in the glossary.
· Implementation Status of Triennial Performance Audit Recommendations Attachment I shows the implementation status of four recommendations from the FY 98-00 Triennial Performance audit completed earlier this year.
Results of Multisystems Performance Assessment
Additional information regarding Access Paratransit became available in November with the release of the performance evaluation conducted by Multisystems. As an independent consulting firm, Multisystems is under contract to conduct an ongoing evaluation for ASI over a five-year period. This is the same firm that Metro hired in 1997 to assess ASI performance and conduct a peer review. Copies of the performance evaluation are available. In general, the findings indicated that Overall, Access Services operates a very large paratransit system with a high level of satisfaction among customers, compared to other systems throughout the country.
However, there were a number of specific observations that appear to warrant specific follow-up. ASI staff has developed a table of these findings and listing of actions taken.
For example, one of the key tasks for the consultants is to confirm the accuracy of ASI operating statistics. The consultants found evidence that on-time performance may be overstated and estimate that ASIs on-time performance might be 87-93% rather than 90-95%. This level of performance still compares favorably to other large paratransit systems, especially when considering ASIs 20-minute pick-up window is shorter than other systems. The peer review shows on-time performance in other large systems to be 87% in Philadelphia, 90% in Atlanta, 93% in Seattle, and 95% in Las Vegas, but all of these cities have a 30-minute window (ten minutes longer than the pick-up window used in Los Angeles).
NEXT STEPS
Staff will reinforce our commitment to work collaboratively with ASI, but also reconfirm the need to maintain the budget thresholds contained in the Business Plan. We have indicated to ASI that we will be returning to the Metro Board in April for a discussion of options and an action plan and will request that the ASI Board provide us with its input regarding policy and budget issues for FY 03.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Glossary
E. Complaints per 1,000 Riders
F. Rider Complaints September
H. Rider Complaints November
I. Implementation Status of Triennial Performance Audit Recommendations
Prepared by: Jim McLaughlin Scott Greene
Director, Transit Planning Transportation Planning Manager
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James L. de la Loza Executive Officer Countywide Planning and Development
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Roger Snoble Chief Executive Officer |
ATTACHMENT A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN THIS REPORT
Access Paratransit the ADA complementary paratransit service provided by ASI and divided into two types of service, Ready and Steady.
Access Services, Inc. a private, non-profit organization established in 1994 to manage ADA paratransit and to serve as the CTSA in Los Angeles County. ASI is an administrative broker responsible for establishing the ADA paratransit service delivery structure. Most services are competitively bid, including customer service, eligibility determination, reservations, scheduling, dispatching, and operations.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Paratransit public transportation provided to people with disabilities that are prevented from using fixed-route either due to their disability or due to an inaccessible fixed-route system; ADA paratransit is not a comprehensive service but instead serves as a safety net for those who cannot use fixed-route.
ASI Business Plan the plan adopted by the Metro Board in May 2000, also known as the Year 2000 Strategic and Short-Term Business Plan
Complementary describes ADA paratransit service operating to origins and destinations within three-fourths (3/4) mile of all fixed route public transportation at the same hours and days as the fixed-route (note that this term does not mean the service is free as in complimentary, but that it complements fixed-route service).
CTSA Consolidated Transportation Services Agency (CTSA), as described in State law the local agency charged with coordinating social service transportation for a variety of disadvantaged groups including people with disabilities. Each county must have a designated CTSA and in LA County it is ASI.
Curb-to-Curb Service a level of service in which driver assistance (if needed) is limited to assisting the passenger into or out of the vehicle, and does not extend beyond the curb (this is the minimum required by ADA) as opposed to door-to-door or door-through-door service. Access Paratransit provides curb-to-curb service.
Denial a denied trip usually occurs at the reservations level, when a customer calls to book a trip but the provider cannot accommodate the trip request within one hour of the requested time. A denial is also to be recorded when the trip is a missed trip or is not performed at all.
Door-to-Door a level of service provided in which the driver escorts the passenger between the vehicle and the entrance to the building at both the origin and destination; sometimes this assistance is limited to a specific number of steps and/or carrying a specific number of packages. Access Paratransit provides curb-to-curb service.
ATTACHMENT A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN THIS REPORT (continued)
Door-through-Door a level of service in which the driver escorts the passenger between the vehicle and the entrance to the building at both the origin and destination and provides assistance beyond the threshold of the building (e.g. into the hall or lobby) if requested. Limits are often established regarding how far into a building a driver may go. Access Paratransit provides curb-to-curb service.
Fixed-Route public transit bus or rail service that runs on regular, predetermined routes, usually on a fixed schedule with designated, scheduled stops.
Late for Access Paratransit a late trip is one where the pick-up is made within 30 minutes of the end of the window.
Late 3 for Access Paratransit a Late 3 trip is one where the pick-up is made between 30 and 45 minutes after the window.
Late 4 for Access Paratransit a Late 4 trip is one where the pick-up is made more than 45 minutes after the window or not performed at all (see missed trip).
Missed Trip when the service provider does not perform a scheduled trip at all or when the pick-up is made more than 45 minutes after the end of the window; a missed trip results in a $100 penalty against the service provider.
Next Day Service Paratransit provided to serve customer requests (reservations) made the previous day (this is the minimum ADA requirement, with same-day service allowed but not required).
Paratransit non-fixed-route transit service that generally operates on demand. Paratransit includes many modes such as vanpools, dial-a-rides, flexible-destination shuttles, and taxicabs. Paratransit typically requires advance reservations, and is usually operated with smaller vehicles in either a curb-to-curb, door-to-door, or door-through-door service.
Ready Service refers to the Access Paratransit service that accepts reservations between 45 minutes and 24 hours in advance of the trip; customers must call the service provider to book a ride, and the ADA allows the provider to negotiate a pick-up time within one hour of the requested time.
Same Day Service Paratransit service provided to meet customer requests made the same day; Access Paratransit allows customers to reserve a ride between 45 minutes and 24 hours before the desired pick-up time, while USDOT regulations only require next-day reservations.
Steady Service refers to the Access Paratransit subscription service available to customers who make repetitive trips from the same origin to the same destination at the same time at least one day a week; customers only need to call once to set-up a Steady ride.
ATTACHMENT A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN THIS REPORT (continued)
Transportation and Human Services Executive Council a group that was created as a component of the Welfare to Work Transportation Plan adopted by the County Board of Supervisors. The Executive Council is chaired by the Director of the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) and includes the General Managers of the transit systems and members of the County New Directions Task Force, typically Directors of County agencies affected by health and human services transportation.
Window usually a 20 to 30 minute period of time used in paratransit scheduling to allow for unexpected delays caused by traffic congestion, mechanical breakdowns, or other unforeseen events; a paratransit pick-up is considered on time if made within the window.