Innovative Approaches for Increasing Transportation Options for People with Disabilities in Florida

Transcription

1 Iovative Approaches for Icreasig Trasportatio Optios for People with Disabilities i Florida Florida Developmetal Disabilities Coucil, Ic. Trasportatio Feasibility Study Sposored by the Uited States Departmet of Health ad Huma Services, Admiistratio o Developmetal Disabilities, the Florida Developmetal Disabilities Coucil, Ic. ad The Able Trust

2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Florida Developmetal Disabilities Coucil, Ic. recogizes the eed for icreased trasportatio optios for people with disabilities. The Coucil has formed a partership with The Able Trust to perform research related to the feasibility of establishig alterative trasportatio optios, icludig the use of trasportatio vouchers, for people with disabilities i Florida. This report, Iovative Approaches for Icreasig Trasportatio Optios for People with Disabilities i Florida, summarizes the research that was coducted for the Coucil ad The Able Trust ad the correspodig recommedatios o the strategies that could be udertake to icrease ad improve the quality ad quatity of trasportatio services available to people with disabilities. The Florida Developmetal Disabilities Coucil, Ic. ad The Able Trust would like to thak those who provided expertise, techical assistace, ad review of work products i the developmet of this report. Appreciatio is especially exteded to each member of the project Advisory Committee for their advice, directio, ad support. Cathy Brow, St. Johs Couty Coucil o Agig/Commuity Trasportatio Coordiator Gueevere Crum, The Able Trust Tom De Lilla, Florida Departmet of Health, Brai ad Spial Cord Ijury Program Bobby Jeriga, Florida Commissio for the Trasportatio Disadvataged Pam Hiterlog, Florida Divisio of Vocatioal Rehabilitatio Steve Howells, Florida Alliace for Assistive Services ad Techology Jo A Hutchiso, Ambassador, Natioal Resource Ceter for Huma Service Trasportatio Coordiatio ad Commuity Trasportatio Associatio of America Bria Vaugha, Florida Goveror s Commissio o Disabilities Michael Wright, Florida Departmet of Trasportatio A special thak you to Latarsha Williams, Commuity Livig ad Service Coordiatio Program Maager ad FDDC project maager, for her advice, directio ad support. This project could ot have bee effectively coducted without the assistace of trasportatio agecies across the Uited States who participated i iterviews ad site visits. The project team would like to recogize the followig agecies that participated i the site visits ad provided detailed program iformatio icluded withi the best practices: City of Scottsdale, Arizoa Door-Tra, Sturgeo Bay, Wiscosi Headwaters, Ic., Rhielader, Wiscosi Marylad Trasportatio Authority, Baltimore, Marylad Meckleburg Trasportatio System, Charlotte, North Carolia Meomiee Regioal Public Trasit, Keshea, Wiscosi Metro Trasit, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Norther Arizoa Itergovermetal Public Trasportatio Authority, Flagstaff, Arizoa Torrace Trasit, Torrace, Califoria Valley Metro, Phoeix, Arizoa Wiscosi Departmet of Trasportatio CUTR PROJECT TEAM Jay Goodwill, Pricipal Ivestigator Lisa Staes, Pricipal Ivestigator Wedy Teague, Graphic Desiger Stephaie Zavacki, Chart Desiger Patricia Ball, Editor April 2010

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iii CHAPTER 1: Trasportatio Accessibility Issues ad Opportuities 1 Aalysis of the Impacts of the Lack of Trasportatio Optios 2 Alterative Cosumer Choice Mobility Optios 4 Alterative Trasportatio Delivery Programs 6 The Beefits of Implemetig Cosumer Choice Trasportatio Optios 13 CHAPTER 2: Ivetory of Practices 17 Survey of Mobility Providers 18 Iterviews with Mobility Providers Usig Trasportatio Vouchers 30 Trasportatio Voucher Program Site Visits 36 Reported Program Cost Savigs 39 Mobility Optios i Florida 39 Trasportatio Costs for Traditioal Public Trasportatio ad Taxi Services i Florida 41 CHAPTER 3: Best Practices 43 Norther Arizoa Itergovermetal Public Trasportatio Authority, Flagstaff, Arizoa 44 Valley Metro Coupos for Cabs ad Mesa Mileage Reimbursemet Program 45 Phoeix/Mesa, Arizoa Cab Coectio, Scottsdale, Arizoa 46 Marylad Trasportatio Authority Taxi Access II, Baltimore, Marylad 48 Door-Tra, Sturgeo Bay, Wiscosi 49 Summary of Best Practices: Key Success Factors ad Program Elemets 50 CHAPTER 4: Voucher Pilot Program Implemetatio 53 Feasibility of Establishig Voucher Programs i Florida 54 Pilot Project Implemetatio Strategy 54 Estimated Voucher Pilot Budget 57 Geeralized Implemetatio Timetable 59 Florida Pilot Project Implemetatio Timetable 60 Recommeded Techical Elemets for Request for Proposals or Qualificatios 62 Fudig Opportuities 63 Barriers ad Challeges 67 Summary 70 CHAPTER 5: Recommedatios 71 ACRONYMS 75 GLOSSARY of TERMS 77 APPENDIX A: FDOT District Map ad District Modal Developmet Persoel 81 1

4 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY

5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY We kow that equality of idividual ability does ot exist ad ever will but we still must strive for equality of opportuity Frakli Delao Roosevelt Accessible, affordable, ad reliable trasportatio is a critical compoet to commuity iclusio. Havig access to the commuity is the key to may aspects of idepedece ad self-sufficiecy. Florida s trasportatio delivery system is very complex. Multiple fudig streams from various federal, state, ad local agecies; differeces i provider service hours, coverage, ad the type of trasportatio services available; issues related to provider jurisdictio; ad limited trasportatio optios are just a few of the thigs that make it difficult for people with disabilities to access ad utilize available trasportatio services withi their commuities. Alterative methods of providig trasportatio to people with disabilities are eeded. Iitial research coducted o the trasportatio voucher model idicates that there are examples of successful implemetatio of this model withi the Uited States. A voucher based trasportatio model may be a viable optio to providig more cosumer choice ad cotrol over idividual trasportatio eeds. This could be particularly true i rural areas of the state where trasportatio optios are extremely limited. The primary purpose of this trasportatio feasibility study is to aalyze eeded systemic reform that may stimulate provider competitio, customer service, better accessibility, ad safety while allowig improved cosumer directed choice i regards to public trasportatio systems ad services. Iovative Approaches for Icreasig Trasportatio Optios for People with Disabilities i Florida provides verifiable iformatio o existig alterative trasportatio programs with a particular focus o trasportatio vouchers ad voluteer programs that have bee implemeted i other states. I additio, it provides recommedatios o the establishmet of trasportatio voucher programs ad other mobility strategies that will eable cosumer directed choice i the selectio of a trasportatio service. These recommedatios iclude the desig elemets ad operatig parameters for a trasportatio voucher pilot project to be implemeted i Florida. The report has bee orgaized ito five chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the accessibility issues for people with disabilities ad the opportuities that become available whe alterative mobility optios are implemeted withi a commuity. Chapter 2 provides a cosolidated ivetory of successful trasportatio voucher ad voluteer programs. Chapter 3 highlights the best practices of a umber of those agecies ivetoried, focusig o the implemetatio strategies employed to them ad the operatio ad maagemet of those programs. Chapter 4 focuses o the implemetatio of trasportatio voucher pilot projects i Florida. This also icludes a examiatio of the existig public trasportatio systems i the state, the relative costs associated with services provided withi these systems ad with private trasportatio providers, ad idetifies a estimated budget for the implemetatio of trasportatio voucher pilot projects i Florida. Chapter 5 provides specific recommedatios that will lead to the implemetatio, maagemet, evaluatio, ad potetial expasio of trasportatio voucher pilot projects i Florida. iii

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7 TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHAPTER 1

8 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACTS OF THE LACK OF TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS People with disabilities fid it difficult to access timely, depedable, ad affordable trasportatio services. Yet, these idividuals have a right to expect ad receive accessible services that will eable them to live idepedetly. As provided i Federal law ad supported by the Florida Goveror s Commissio o Disabilities, Disability is a atural part of the huma experiece ad i o way dimiishes the right of idividuals to live idepedetly; ejoy self-determiatio ad make choices; beefit from a educatio; pursue meaigful careers; ad ejoy full iclusio ad itegratio i the ecoomic, political, social, cultural, ad educatioal maistream of society i the Uited States. (Public Law ) Access to trasportatio provides a vital lifelie for people with disabilities to access employmet, educatio, healthcare, ad commuity life. Yet too ofte, people with disabilities lack accessible, affordable, reliable trasportatio optios. 1 I 2002, the Bureau of Trasportatio Statistics reported that more tha six millio people with disabilities have difficulty obtaiig trasportatio. 2 A Harris Poll coducted by the Natioal Orgaizatio o Disability i 2000 established that early oe-third of people with disabilities have iadequate access to trasportatio. 3 If people with disabilities do ot have access to adequate, reliable trasportatio optios, their ability to live idepedetly is compromised. The availability of a extesive system of accessible public trasportatio or other mobility optios is oe of the most prevalet idicators of idepedet livig for people with disabilities. The lack of these services severely restricts their ability to maitai a idepedet ad iclusive life, excludig them from their rights ad dimiishig their well-beig. 4 For people with developmetal disabilities, there is a direct relatioship betwee mobility ad their quality of life. A loss of mobility implies more of a hardship tha does simply travelig less. 5 People with disabilities must have trasportatio access, ad this access must ot be limited to the available public trasportatio services that exist withi the commuities withi which they reside. I areas where there are public trasportatio services available, the services ofte are offered durig cofied operatig hours ad withi idetified service corridors ad areas. Private services, such as those provided by taxis or other carriers, ofte are too expesive to be used o a regular basis or do ot provide services with accessible vehicles. Trasportatio optios for people with disabilities must be available, accessible, ad fuded o the grouds of social justice, but also o the grouds that the provisio of trasport is likely to reduce their exclusio ad improve their well-beig, thus assistig i the prevetio of coditios likely to icur social costs i the future, such as fiacial welfare beefits, icludig uemploymet ad health services. 6 I Measurig the Trasportatio Needs of People with Developmetal Disabilities, 7 Wasfi, Leviso, ad El-Geeidy examied the trasportatio eeds of adults with developmetal disabilities i Heepi Couty, Miesota. The study icluded the use of a survey istrumet distributed to adults with disabilities. I additio, a umber of idividuals were asked to maitai travel diaries. As reported i the study, more tha half of the surveyed populatio worked every day, recreatioal trips occurred at least oce per week for about two-thirds of the populatio, ad more tha 50 percet of those surveyed took at least oe social trip per week. About 30 percet reported beig uable to make trips they wat to make, ad 46 percet were uable to make the trips they eed to make. The respodets oted that the use of public trasit was difficult, both for physical ad cogitive reasos. I 2002, the New Mexico Developmetal Disabilities Plaig Coucil released At the Crossroads: Disability ad Trasportatio. This report reviewed the followig questios: Does the lack of trasportatio limit activities ad opportuities for adults with disabilities? What kids of trasportatio assistace would help most? Would additioal trasportatio optios improve their quality of life? What iovative solutios should [New Mexico] explore to address the trasportatio eeds of adults with disabilities? 8 2

9 CHAPTER 1 TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES The study used a umber of methods to address these questios, icludig a cliet trasportatio survey ad i-perso ad telephoe iterviews with cliets, trasportatio service providers, state program maagers, ad disability advocates. The researchers received a sigificat respose to the cliet trasportatio survey. Of the 667 surveys distributed, 644 were usable returs, a retur rate of 97 percet. Some of the most oteworthy iformatio provided i the summary that described the problems associated with the lack of trasportatio icluded: 37 percet stated that they missed a job oppor- tuity due to a lack of available trasportatio. 23 percet idicated that the lack of traspor- tatio led to job loss. 92 percet of respodets stated that they required trasportatio services to get to work. 46 percet could ot drive ad had to rely o family ad frieds to trasportatio to ad from medical services. 34 percet oted that they missed as least oe medical or rehabilitatio appoitmet over last 12 moths. 46 percet idicated that they used public trasportatio at least oce a week. 55 percet stated that better trasportatio optios would improve their quality of life. 9 I April 2008, the Natioal Coucil o Disability (NCD) released Keepig Track: Natioal Disability Status ad Program Performace Idicators. This documet provides a set of statistical social idicators that ca measure the progress of people with disabilities i importat areas of life over time. The report idetifies ad discusses areas of importace i determiig quality of life to people with disabilities, icludig employmet, educatio, health status ad health care, fiacial status ad security, leisure ad recreatio, persoal relatioships, ad crime ad safety. Natioal Disability Policy: A Progress Report, also produced by the NCD, built upo the Keepig Track documet. The NCD distributed a Emergig Treds Public Cosultatio, specifically solicitig iput from people with disabilities. They were asked to commet o the persoal challeges of livig with a disability, the impact of attitudial barriers o opportuities, how well govermet programs address the emergig eeds of people with disabilities, ad how fudig resources could be better spet to address those eeds. I respose, NCD received more tha 400 submissios, icludig commets from parets, studets, workers, advocates, service providers, idividuals, ad orgaizatios. 10 Accordig to the NCD, the most frequetly cited areas that affect the quality of life for people with disabilities are attitudes, health care ad isurace, housig, employmet, educatio, ad trasportatio. I the area of trasportatio, idividuals report that the lack of trasportatio restricts their ability to fully participate i all aspects of commuity life. 11 The lack of trasportatio for people with disabilities, particularly i rural areas, has a great huma cost sometimes eve resultig i uecessary istitutioalizatio. 12 For may others, the difficulties faced by people with disabilities i accessig trasportatio leads to decisios by those idividuals that result i a loss of idepedece, isolatio, ad social exclusio. This issue of social exclusio is uiversal. Empirical ad aecdotal evidece throughout the Uited States supports the coclusio that social exclusio ad isolatio leads to metal ad physical health issues, the iability for people with disabilities to fid ad maitai employmet or participate i educatio ad traiig opportuities, egage socially, ad coduct themselves i a idepedet maer. Secodary implicatios iclude icreased health care ad istitutioal costs that may occur whe people with disabilities are uable to maitai health-related visits ad other quality of life activities ad icreased reliace o federal ad state ecoomic support programs. Local commuities, local ad state govermets, federal agecies ad atioal orgaizatios have recogized the physiological, psychological, ad societal issues related to trasportatio access. They further recogize the eed for expadig the trasportatio optios available to people with disabilities to address these issues. The use of alterative cosumer choice mobility optios that provide icreased access to trasportatio services is gaiig mometum. Two of these mobility optios, the use of trasportatio vouchers ad voluteer programs, are discussed i the followig sectio. 3

10 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY ALTERNATIVE CONSUMER CHOICE MOBILITY OPTIONS I the Natioal Disability Policy: Progress Report, published ad preseted to Presidet Obama i March 2009, the Natioal Coucil o Disability made the followig recommedatio: The Departmet of Trasportatio should: evaluate the effectiveess of ew pilot trasportatio iitiatives for people with disabilities; develop permaet fudig mechaisms to expad effective approaches across the coutry; ad propose to Cogress ogoig fudig mechaisms to icrease trasportatio optios for the growig populatio of people who do ot drive because of disabilities. 13 Two of the mechaisms curretly gaiig mometum i the Uited States are the use of trasportatio vouchers ad trasportatio provided by voluteers. With fudig reveues decliig ad demad for trasportatio growig, commuities are challeged to coordiate ad implemet services that ca better meet this demad. Alterative mobility optios that use trasportatio vouchers ad voluteers are effective i meetig this challege. May of these programs maximize both formal ad iformal trasportatio etworks such as public trasportatio, voluteer drivers, ad family, frieds, ad eighbors. The use of vouchers as a commuity choice optio, as well as other alterative trasportatio arragemets icludig voluteers, is discussed below. Vouchers Trasportatio vouchers are tickets or coupos provided to eligible riders with mobility eeds that ca be exchaged for rides. The provider of the ride ca the exchage the vouchers with the sposorig agecies for paymet for the trasportatio service. Trasportatio vouchers are typically used to subsidize the cost of the ride o trasit, paratrasit, taxis, ad other modes. They may also be used for trasportatio provided by voluteers (which may iclude frieds ad family members) i exchage for mileage reimbursemets. The use of trasportatio vouchers as a commuity choice alterative is a viable mobility access optio for may commuities. I commuities across the Uited States, voucher programs have bee established ad are operatig uder a umber of scearios. I may areas, they are used to provide coectios to existig public trasportatio etworks. I other areas, they are used as a supplemetal service to public trasportatio. I some areas, the use of vouchers allows participats o-demad private carrier/taxi service. May of the voucher programs offer either reduced fares o various trasportatio modes or the vouchers cover a portio of the total cost of the ride, with the participats or a social service agecy coverig the portio that is ot covered by the voucher. Typically, trasportatio voucher programs provide eligible passegers with a booklet of preprited coupos or tickets. These booklets may be for a set umber of trips or for ulimited trips with a total value limit to be used with participatig trasportatio providers, or they may iclude a mileage allowace (typically used whe vouchers are used to pay mileage reimbursemets to voluteer drivers who use their ow vehicle). The amout of trip subsidy or idetificatio of eligible trip purposes are determied by the sposorig agecy. Eligible passegers are usually resposible for a share of the trasportatio services they receive. The passeger trades the voucher for a ride with the trasit agecy driver, taxi driver, or voluteer. The agecy that coordiates a trasportatio voucher program geerally is resposible for securig trasportatio providers, issuig vouchers, reimbursig drivers or providers, ad providig overall coordiatio ad admiistrative support ad plaig. Voucher programs have the followig beefits: They work equally well i larger rural commu- ities where some limited trasportatio may be available. 14 They give cosumers choice ad cotrol i selectig their meas of trasportatio ad i selectig a destiatio ad time for their trip. They allow the provisio of trasportatio for idividuals livig outside cities or beyod established public trasportatio routes. They promote the use of commuity resources, which is cosistet with the history of rural or frotier commuities that rely o eighbor-toeighbor support. 4

11 CHAPTER 1 TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES Voluteers The use of voluteers i the provisio of trasportatio services cotiues to gai popularity. Voluteer services are ofte used to meet the trasportatio eeds for seior adults, though may programs also offer trasportatio for people with disabilities. May of these programs have had great success i fillig the gap betwee the public trasportatio services that are available withi a commuity ad the umet eed for trasportatio. Replicatig or usig compoets of these systems to address the trasportatio eeds of people with disabilities is a viable optio for may commuities. There are hudreds of voluteer programs i the Uited States formed uder a umber of service models. The Beverly Foudatio maitais a olie database of voluteer driver programs or Supplemetal Trasportatio Programs (STPs). 15 Voluteer programs sposored by the America Cacer Society ad the Veteras Admiistratio are widespread. Commuity-based voluteer programs are also prevalet, icludig those that are coordiated by itnamerica. I the review of voluteer programs or supplemetal trasportatio programs that iclude the use of voluteers, the followig structures were idetified: Voluteer programs that exist through social service or commuity-based orgaizatio, such as the America Cacer Society, itnamerica, the Veteras Admiistratio, or Agecy o Agig sposored activities. Voluteer programs that have bee developed ad curretly are operated by public trasportatio agecies as a supplemet to the stadard services provided. Voluteer programs that are coordiated uder a local govermet structure. Voluteer programs that have bee developed ad curretly are operated uder a coordiated, mobility maagemet approach. Trasportatio voucher programs that have bee developed to allow the use of voluteers withi the system, some that iclude family ad frieds of the rider. I some examples, voluteers use their ow vehicles to provide the trip. For those voluteers who provide their ow vehicles, they are ofte reimbursed for mileage o a per-mile or per-trip basis. I other examples, a vehicle is available for their use. I some arragemets, such as those that use trasportatio vouchers, a portio of the trip is subsidized ad the rider or represetative social service agecy participates i the cost of the trip (for voluteers usig their ow vehicles, the trip cost refers to the amout of mileage reimbursemet required for each trip). A study coducted by the Natioal Ceter for Trasportatio Research at the Ceter for Urba Trasportatio Research at the Uiversity of South Florida, cocluded that the biggest problem faced by voluteer drivig programs is recruitig ad retaiig voluteers. 16 Voluteer drivig programs may ot have the capacity to provide rides to all who request them because there are ot eough voluteers to meet those eeds. Eve withi existig voluteer programs that are highly fuctioig ad well kow, such as the America Cacer Society s Road to Recovery Program, there are capacity issues. I the Road to Recovery Program i Tampa, Florida, a supplemetal program called Lifelie uses for-hire taxi providers ad local public trasportatio resources to assist i meetig the trasportatio demads. The issue of capacity is a growig problem. Historically, may voluteer programs have beefitted from the use of seior adults to provide may support services. Spatially, the movemet of these seior adults from their commuities upo retiremet creates problems for the programs that had used them, reducig the overall voluteer driver pool. While this creates issues for some commuities, i other commuities that are receivers of seior adults ad voluteers, this movemet presets a opportuity. A curretly oted challege for recruitig ad retaiig voluteers is the cost of fuel. For may voluteers, they ot oly doate their time, but also use their persoal vehicles to provide the services. Federal icome tax law oly allows voluteers to claim a deductio for miles drive for a charity at 14 cets per mile. Ay mileage reimbursemet received by a voluteer that is above their costs for providig these services is treated as taxable icome. There are efforts uderway withi the Uited States Cogress to amed the Iteral Reveue Code to icrease the stadard deductio rate. The most metioed ad documeted challege or barrier to voluteer trasportatio programs is liability. This icludes the burde of persoal 5

12 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY liability i the evet of a collisio ad the potetial icreased cost of persoal auto isurace based o a idividual s voluteer status. I a legal aalysis of risks associated with voluteer drivig preseted by Peter O. Oki, a member of the Bar of the Uited States Supreme Court ad recipiet of a doctorate i health law from Rutgers Uiversity, it was oted that the Florida ad Federal Voluteer Protectio Acts do ot give Florida s voluteer drivers much protectio agaist lawsuits resultig from accidets. 17 While Florida s Voluteer Protectio Act (Sectio , Florida Statutes) seems to protect voluteer drivers, it does provide that voluteers ca oly be protected from civil liability if: they are actig i good faith withi the scope of ay official duties performed uder such voluteer service ; they do ot cause ijury or damage by a wato or willful miscoduct ; ad they are actig as a ordiary reasoable prudet perso would have acted uder the same or similar circumstaces. Mr. Oki reports that the third criterio may be the most problematic. Eve a simple act of vehicular egligece could ope the door for civil liability actios. He further otes that this gives the voluteer o special protectio, but rather a illusio of protectio. 18 The Federal Voluteer Protectio Act provides o protectio for voluteer drivers. The Act excludes from protectio voluteers who cause harm by acts or omissios whe: the harm was caused by the voluteer operatig a motor vehicle [emphasis added by Mr. Oki] for which the State requires the operator or ower of the vehicle to: (A) (B) possess a operator s licese; or maitai isurace. (42 Uited States Code, Sectio 14503(4)) I the area of isurace coverage, the research coducted by the Natioal Ceter for Trasit Research did ot fid coclusive evidece that idividuals ad voluteer programs have difficulty fidig isurace due to a idividual s voluteer service or the ature of the services provided uder programs. However, durig the literature review that was coducted as part of the study, there were voluteer drivig programs that idicated that some isurace providers deied coverage to charitable orgaizatios ad other o-profit agecies ad their voluteers. I 2007, Chapter 627, Florida Statutes was ameded to address the issue of isurace carriers ad their willigess to cover idividuals who participate as voluteer drivers or agecies that utilize voluteer services to provide trasportatio. Sectio (2)(a), Florida Statutes, provides that: A isurer may ot dey a applicatio for automobile liability isurace or impose a surcharge or otherwise icrease the premium rate for a automobile liability policy solely o the basis that the applicat (or aother regular user of a vehicle) is a voluteer driver. While there are obstacles i developig voluteer driver programs, there are well-established, successful voluteer programs that have bee able to overcome these obstacles. Specific examples of the way i which voluteer programs have overcome some of these barriers, allowig them to operate effectively are discussed i Chapter 4. I additio, recommedatios for reducig the likelihood that these barriers or obstacles, such as liability cosideratios, will impede the successful developmet of a voluteer program are also provided ad cotaied withi Chapter 5. While there are barriers that must be overcome to implemet trasportatio optios, such as those that iclude trasportatio vouchers or the use of voluteers, there are success stories across the coutry. A few of those success stories are provided i the followig sectio. ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION DELIVERY PROGRAMS Commuities across the coutry have implemeted alterative trasportatio delivery programs to support mobility for people with disabilities ad seiors. These programs have bee successful i providig services to those with the greatest mobility eeds. The delivery programs described below iclude those coordiated through atioal demostratio programs, regioal projects, ad may locally-developed voucher ad voluteer programs. 6

13 CHAPTER 1 TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES Trasportatio Voucher Project Associatio of Programs for Rural Idepedet Livig (APRIL) I 2001, APRIL received a five-year grat from the U.S. Departmet of Educatio for $1,494,218 to demostrate the effectiveess of a voucher model used to provide trasportatio for people with disabilities livig i rural areas. The Traveler s Cheque (TC) program was developed to demostrate the effectiveess of the voucher model to provide employmet trips for people with disabilities. The objectives of the program icluded (as provided o the project website): The selectio of te sites represetig diversity i the geographic locatio, the degree to which people with disabilities are beig served (ad the disabilities represeted), availability of trasportatio resources, ad overall populatio desity. The implemetatio of the voucher model ad the evaluatio of the effectiveess of the model. The developmet of operatioal strategies ad resource materials ad ogoig techical assistace to the sites. Coveig a atioal summit o accessible rural trasportatio ad the developmet of a replicatio kit for commuities to use to operate a TC program. 19 The demostratio sites selected were located i 10 states, icludig Massachusetts, Utah, Kasas, New Mexico, Alaska, Motaa, Pesylvaia, Illiois, Georgia, ad Miesota. At each locatio, a Commuity Trasportatio Coordiator was give the resposibility of establishig the etwork of service providers ad orgaizatios, cosumers, ad commuity leaders. I additio, the Coordiator determied the umber of riders to be icluded i the program ad the mileage allocatios for each ad was resposible for traiig riders o the use of the vouchers. Providers, icludig voluteers, were paid 34.5 cets per mile. Public ad private trasportatio providers that were willig to accept the vouchers at a egotiated rate also were icluded i the service delivery system. The Coordiator worked with riders to develop a idividual trasportatio pla to assist i maagig the use of their vouchers, icludig the idetificatio of specific providers available to them withi the commuity. A desigated bookkeeper maitaied a spreadsheet that tracked the Traveler s Cheque umbers, dates of service, providers, mileage, umber of oe way trips, ad total mileage, ad the issued reimbursemets to the trasportatio providers o a set schedule. Riders were give the opportuity to select their ow providers. Accordig to APRIL, 42.2 percet of cosumers used oly voluteers, 31.5 percet used oly the public trasit services available i the area, 11.9 percet used oly taxis, 9.5 percet used voluteers ad public trasit oly, ad 4.6 percet used voluteers ad taxis. A total of 84 percet of the trips were for trasportatio to ad from work. Accordig to iformatio extracted from the APRIL website, 588 adults with disabilities participated i the voucher program. Males costituted 51 percet of the riders; the average age of erollees was 41 years of age; 64 percet of the riders were Caucasia; 69 percet reported icomes of below $10,000; ad 49 percet did ot ow a vehicle. The percetages of people with specific disabilities were as follows: metal/emotioal, 18 percet; mobility/physical, 13 percet; visual, 9 percet; cogitive, 7 percet; hearig, 1 percet; ad those with multiple disabilities, 34 percet. 20 The largest APRIL voucher project is i Hayes, Kasas, with 104 riders participatig. Niety percet of the trips provided are for employmet. Over 30,000 trips were provided over the four-year demostratio period, with tremedous efficiecies i both the average cost per passeger trip ad the average cost per mile, with both these performace measures well below the mea for the group of program sites. The cost to provide services is highly variable withi the 10 APRIL sites. The average cost per trip raged from $1.15 to $16.80, while the average cost per mile raged from $0.29 to $1.18. This variatio was due to several factors. Geography played a major role i the cost of services. The loger trips required i Utah ad Massachusetts resulted i greater costs per trip. The use of more expesive taxi services were a factor i both Pesylvaia ad Massachusetts. Variatio of per trip costs also could be attributed to the level of subsidy established withi the programs. Some commuities elected to serve a smaller umber of idividuals, but subsidized 100 percet of the trip costs. I other areas, the program oly partially subsidized the trip cost, with idividuals or agecies coverig the balace of the trip costs. 7

14 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Trasportatio service providers at the APRIL sites iclude existig public demad-respose systems, taxis ad other higher cost optios, ad voluteers. I Kasas, Miesota, ad New Mexico, existig public small rural trasit systems provide the majority of trasportatio services. Taxis are used to a limited degree i Georgia, Illiois, Pesylvaia, ad Massachusetts. I Georgia ad Pesylvaia, taxis are used oly to provide shortdistace trips whe voluteers are ot available. I Illiois, taxis are used whe o other optios are available. Utah oly uses voluteer drivers to provide trasportatio services. The success of the APRIL programs is reflected i the employmet outcomes. At iitial erollmet, 31 riders were employed, 20 i full-time ad 11 i part-time positios. Thirtee percet (23 idividuals) were iters, i school, or i a traiig program. Durig the first four years of the program, 171 people obtaied employmet (93 i full-time ad 78 i part-time positios). A umber of those who were employed whe they erolled i the program reported a icreased ability i maitaiig their positios or improved their status, either with ew, better positios or icreased work hours. 21 North Coutry Idepedet Livig (NCIL) Wiscosi The North Couty Idepedet Livig Ceter developed a trasportatio voucher program based upo the demostratio projects established by APRIL. I the NCIL model, riders receive a checkbook with a allocatio of miles from a sposorig agecy. The sposorig agecy, workig with a locally-established Commuity Trasportatio Coordiator, assists riders i fidig voluteer drivers ad egotiates with public or private trasportatio providers to accept the voucher checks as paymet for rides. The Commuity Trasportatio Coordiator maages the voucher system allocatig vouchers to riders ad reimbursig providers. 22 New Freedom Trasportatio Program, Ceter for Idepedet Livig for Wester Wiscosi (CILWW) The New Freedom Trasportatio Program is admiistered by the Ceter for Idepedet Livig for Wester Wiscosi. This program uses both trasportatio vouchers ad voluteer services to provide trasportatio optios to people with disabilities. Fudig for the program is provided The success of the APRIL programs is reflected i the employmet outcomes. At iitial erollmet, 31 riders were employed. Durig the first four years of the program, 71 people obtaied employmet. A umber of those who were employed whe they erolled i the program reported a icreased ability i maitaiig their positios or improved their status. by the Wiscosi Departmet of Trasportatio through the Federal Trasit Admiistratio, New Freedom Program (49 Uited States Code 5317), ad the Ceter for Idepedet Livig. Vouchers are used to offset the cost of trasportatio services. Idividuals may choose their ow driver or may arrage trasportatio with a pre-approved trasportatio provider. Voluteer drivers also are used i the voucher program. Voluteers provide oe-o-oe trasportatio service usig their ow vehicles. Voluteers are reimbursed o a per-mile basis ad must have a valid driver s licese ad isurace. The CILWW provides orietatio ad traiig to voluteer drivers. Door-Tra, Sturgeo Bay, Wiscosi Door-Tra provides expaded mobility optios through the use of a free carpool matchig service ad trasportatio vouchers that ca be purchased at half price by idividuals or full price by busiesses ad orgaizatios. Idividuals may purchase a $5 value voucher for $2.50 ad a $10 value voucher for $5. Busiesses ad orgaizatios also may purchase vouchers for their customers. Vouchers cover oly a portio of the total trip costs. Idividuals must make up the differece betwee the value of the voucher ad the total cost of the trip. Vouchers ca be used to obtai trasportatio services provided by the America Red Cross, the Door Couty-Gree Bay Shuttle, the Door Couty Seior Resource Ceter, the Service Taxi Cab, the Sushie House, Ic., or the Washigto Islad Commuity Va. Participats ca purchase up to $200 i trasportatio services per moth. Fudig for this program is provided by the Fred J. Peterso Foudatio, the Door Couty Commuity Foudatio, the Rotary Club of Sturgeo Bay, a aoymous door, ad the Wiscosi Departmet of Trasportatio. 23 8

15 CHAPTER 1 TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES Su-Prairie Trasportatio Taxi Voucher Program, Wiscosi Su-Prairie Trasportatio implemeted a sharedtaxi program that provides discouted travel vouchers for seiors ad others who qualify. The program recetly trasitioed from voucher puch cards to a picture idetificatio card that must be provided to taxi drivers to receive discouted fares. Fudig for the program comes from a grat from Dae Couty, Wiscosi, ad doatios from commuity orgaizatios ad idividuals. 24 America Cacer Society (ACS) Road to Recovery Program, Tampa, Florida The America Cacer Society s Road to Recovery Program is a atioal voluteer drivig program desiged to trasport cacer patiets ad their family members to cacer treatmet ceters. The Road to Recovery Program i Tampa, Florida was established i This program primarily utilizes voluteers to provide trasportatio services. However, the program supplemets the services provided by elistig the assistace of a variety of commuity-based trasportatio service providers to meet patiet ad family trasportatio eeds that caot be satisfied with program voluteers. There is o trip charge for passegers. Oe hudred percet of the trip requests i the area are met through the program. 25 Voluteers receive traiig o the history of the ACS ad the Road to Recovery Program, cliet/ passeger sesitivity, vehicle safety ad maiteace, ad supplemetal trasportatio services that are available to assist patiets. Issues related to liability ad risk for ACS ad its voluteers are miimal. The ACS provides $1 millio umbrella liability coverage for voluteers. Voluteers are required to maitai miimum required persoal automobile liability isurace coverage. As with ay voluteer program, the ACS Road to Recovery Program has faced ad cotiues to face challeges i the recruitmet ad retetio of voluteer drivers. To meet this challege, the ACS has 16 patiet service represetatives throughout Florida, as well as local represetatives, each of whom is resposible for promotig the program ad recruitig voluteers. These represetatives work with local prit ad broadcast media to promote the program, speak with local service orgaizatios, ad coduct oe-o-oe coversatios to help recruit more voluteers. itnamerica Digified Trasportatio for Seiors itn America is a atioal o-profit trasportatio system that provides services to seiors through a etwork of voluteers. itn fuctios across the Uited States through affiliate commuities. itn affliliate commuities provide rides with doorto-door, arm-through-arm service to thousads of seiors atiowide. 26 Two iterestig beefits withi the program iclude the opportuity for participats to doate their cars ad ear credits that may be used for rides withi the system, ad voluteers workig withi the system ca store trasportatio credits for their ow use at a later time. They have a established Road Scholarship Program that allows voluteer credits to be doated ito a fud to assist low-icome seiors with trasportatio. There is also a gift certificate program. Credits ad gift certificates ca be used at itn sites across the coutry. itn curretly has affiliate commuities i Charlesto, South Carolia; Chicago, Illiois; Portlad, Maie; Orlado ad Sarasota, Florida; Los Ageles ad Sa Diego, Califoria; Lexigto, Ketucky; Efield ad Middlesex, Coecticut; ad the Quad Cities i Iowa ad Illiois. All itn voluteers ad drivers are screeed, backgroud checks are coducted, ad they are traied by it. itn services are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. The vehicles used i the systems are primarily automobiles. itn does ot restrict a idividual s trip based o trip purpose or destiatio ad does ot limit the frequecy with which a idividual may travel. Participats have icreased idepedece ad a sese of owership through their membership. The itn example, though specifically crafted for seiors, provides a example of a system that could be replicated to serve some of the trasportatio eeds for people with disabilities. The beefits iclude customer choice, icreased idepedece, trasportatio services provided by idividuals kow to the riders, ad the availability ad timeliess of the services provided. Miles with Meaig, Michiga Miles with Meaig is a trasportatio voucher program that operates i Atrim ad Kalkaska couties i Michiga. Vouchers may be used to obtai trasportatio services from a pool of voluteer drivers who assist people with disabilities, as well as low-icome seiors. Participats use these services to access medical care, recre- 9

16 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY atio, support services, shoppig (icludig trips to the pharmacy), church, family iteractio, food patries ad other social service ad commuity activities. Voluteer drivers, which may iclude frieds ad family members, are reimbursed $0.40 per mile ad are paid o a mothly basis. Services are supported by fuds from the local public trasportatio authority, local commissios o agig, the Departmet of Veteras Affairs, ad by private foudatio grats ad programs. America Coucil of the Blid (ACBN) Taxi Cab Coupo, Nebraska The America Coucil of the Blid i Nebraska sposors specialized trasportatio for the blid ad visually impaired through the ACBN chapters i Omaha ad Licol. The Taxi Cab Coupo program works directly with local taxi compaies to provide trasportatio services, icludig Share-A-Fare, Ic. i Omaha ad Give a Lift i Licol. The program is fuded by the ACBN, the Abbott Foudatio, ad commuity service orgaizatios such as the Lios, Optimists, ad Sertoma clubs. Accordig to the ACBN, this program has affectively addressed the lack of available ad affordable public trasportatio, especially i the eveigs for people with visual impairmets. The ACBN is workig to expad optios to those livig i the rural areas of Nebraska. The pla icludes a multi-level approach to service delivery such as expadig taxi services, icreasig access to existig trasit services, ad usig a combiatio of voluteer, paid drivers ad taxis that are reimbursed for mileage through the use ad acceptace of a commo voucher. 27 Fayette Couty Alterative Trasportatio Iitiative, Atlata, Georgia ExceptioalOPS, a advocacy group for people with developmetal disabilities, ad Fayette Seior Services (FSS), a o-profit orgaizatio that provides services to Fayette Couty s seior populatio, joied together i 2007 to implemet the Fayette Couty Alterative Trasportatio Iitiative. Through a grat from the Uited Way of Metropolita Atlata, the existig FSS seior voucher program was expaded to iclude residets betwee the ages of 18 ad 59 with developmetal disabilities or adults who do ot have the ability to drive. Participats i the program ca purchase vouchers for a omial fee through the FSS. Oce the vouchers are purchased, idividuals make arragemets for their ow trasportatio ad egotiate the paymet for the services with oe of the program s registered drivers. Icreased demad for services for seior citizes has limited the availability of vouchers for people with developmetal disabilities. The FSS is optimistic that additioal fudig will become available; eablig the cotiuatio of the program at a level that allows icreased access for people with developmetal disabilities. 28 Wester Placer Cosolidated Trasportatio Services Agecy (WPCTSA), Placer Couty, Califoria The Wester Placer Cosolidated Trasportatio Services Agecy is the desigated provider of trasit services for seiors ad people with disabilities i wester Placer Couty, Califoria. I Jauary 2009, three pilot programs were iitiated: No-Emergecy Medical Trasportatio, Voluteer Door-to-Door Trasportatio, ad Trasportatio Vouchers. These programs were developed to provide alterative services for those who are ot able to use covetioal public trasit services. The trasportatio voucher program is described as a last resort optio for o-emergecy trasportatio for seiors ad people with disabilities who would otherwise ot have ay other meas of trasportatio. The WPCTSA ad Seiors First match riders with the most appropriate mode of trasportatio. Trasportatio vouchers are used whe all other resources have bee exhausted. 29 Harris Couty Rides, Housto, Texas Harris Couty Rides is a trasportatio voucher or ticket program that provides mobility to people for whom public trasportatio is either ot available or accessible. Tickets may be used with ay of the desigated trasportatio providers i the system. Eligible customers ad participatig agecies may purchase trasportatio tickets at a discouted rate of $3 per ticket, represetig a 50 percet savigs off the regular $6 value of the ticket. Each customer may purchase up to 40 tickets per moth at the discouted rate. A customer may select oe of two levels of service optios that iclude a shared ride or taxi service. They may select the service level that is coveiet ad affordable for them. The shared ride is a o-metered program i which passegers share rides with other passegers. The cost is based o the mileage from the 10

17 CHAPTER 1 TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES poit of pickup to the destiatio. A oe-way trip cost is usually betwee 1 ad 7 tickets. Trips must be booked a miimum of 24 hours i advace. The taxi optio is a metered same-day service. The cost of the trip is based o the metered fare. Customers may use a maximum of 8 tickets for the fare of a oe-way trip. Rides are dispatched o the same day as the request. Trips ca be booked up to 90 miutes i advace. 30 State of Nevada Divisio for Agig Services The State of Nevada Divisio for Agig Services has established a voucher program that subsidizes taxi services provided to seior adults. Idividuals 60 years of age ad older may purchase taxi vouchers at half the retail value. Oe coupo booklet, valued at $20 of taxicab fare, may be purchased for $10. Taxi compaies receive a reimbursemet for the voucher from grat fuds, ad the idividual usig the voucher is resposible for the other 50 percet of the total trip cost. The program is fuded by the Admiistratio o Agig, the State of Nevada, Idepedet Livig Grats, the Alzheimer s Project, ad other fudig sources as available. 31 CABS Program Cedar Rapids Trasit System, Iowa The CABS program was created by the Cedar Rapids Trasit Departmet i coordiatio with Goodwill of the Heartlad ad Li Couty, i order to assist those who are i eed of trasportatio durig the hours i which local public trasportatio services are ot operatig. The program offers reduced fare taxi rides to people with disabilities travelig to ad from work (system icludes accessible taxis). Local huma services agecies help determie who is eligible for the program. Participats must reapply each year that they are o the program. The CABS pass is valid for oe year (July 1-Jue 30). The passes are also accompaied by a recreatioal pass, which is valid for three moths. 32 Keai Peisula Ceter for Idepedet Livig, Alaska The Keai Peisula Ceter for Idepedet Livig received a grat from the Alaska Departmet of Trasportatio ad the Alaska Metal Health Trust Authority to purchase a lift-equipped va. A local taxi compay leases the va from the Ceter free of charge. Rather tha chargig the stadard fare of $7 per oe-way trip, the taxi compay gives the Ceter s recipiets a $2 discout. The Ceter subsidizes $3 per trip from grat fuds; the passeger pays the remaiig $2. Due to the success of the program, the local taxi compay has purchased two lift-equipped vas with their ow moey to expad the services that are available. Taxi Access Program, Pace, Chicago, Illiois Pace ad the City of Chicago provide a iovative trasportatio optio for customers with disabilities. The Taxi Access Program (TAP) gives certified paratrasit customers a opportuity to travel i taxis at reduced rates for trips that origiate withi the city of Chicago. Customers ca purchase taxi vouchers valued up to $13.50 for the reduced price of $5 each. Customers may purchase up to 30 vouchers per week, ad a maximum of four vouchers may be used each day. The vouchers ca be used to pay the fare for a oe-way taxi ride. If the fare exceeds $13.50, the rider must pay the differece i the rate. Riders must call 30 miutes i advace of their trip. This service is available withi the city of Chicago 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Wheelchair-accessible taxis are available. There are curretly 22 taxi providers participatig i the program. 33 CADET Program Arkasas The CADET (Creative Alteratives for Delta Area Trasportatio) Project is a alterative trasportatio program for those livig i rural areas. The CADET program is a demad-resposive curb-to-curb service for those goig to ad from work, employmet traiig, or school. Fudig for the program comes from a variety of state sources, icludig Rehabilitatio Services, Temporary Employmet Assistace, Workforce Ivestmet Ceters, ad the State of Arkasas Highway ad Trasportatio Departmet. The Workforce Ivestmet Ceters determie the eligibility of customers. Those eligible are referred to Arkasas Rehabilitatio Services, which houses the dispatch office. Customers obtai trasportatio from local providers or voluteer drivers, who receive reimbursemet for the trips coducted. 34 Ride Coectio, Portlad, Orego Ride Coectio is a oprofit orgaizatio i Portlad, Orego, that operates oe of the largest ad most successful voluteer driver trasportatio programs for people with disabilities ad seior adults. The agecy provides iterregioal 11

18 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY trasportatio services throughout four couties i the Portlad metropolita area. Ride Coectio works with 30 parter agecies, represetig religious ad ethic orgaizatios, medical ad seior ceters, public agecies, ad social service providers ad agecies, icludig the America Red Cross, to provide trasportatio services. More tha 370 voluteers work as drivers, escorts, ad travel traiig educators ad provide a average of 248,000 rides per year. 35 Public sources of fudig for the services provided are supplemeted with private foudatio grats. Wyomig Idepedet Livig Rehabilitatio Ceter, Wyomig The Wyomig Idepedet Livig Rehabilitatio Ceter serves 13 couties i easter Wyomig. The Ceter egotiated a per-mile rate for voluteers ad other drivers. Riders must arrage for their trasportatio, ad vouchers are used to pay for the services. Voluteers are reimbursed by the Rehabilitatio Ceter for the trasportatio provided. 36 Kasas Taxi Coupo Program, Olathe, Kasas Olathe s local taxi compaies provide trasportatio services for seiors ad people with disabilities. The City of Olathe has egotiated a agreemet with these compaies to provide rides at a reduced cost to the City s residets. The taxi compaies provide door-to-door trips i either taxi sedas or wheelchair lift equipped vas. The City issues taxi coupos to eligible idividuals that may be used for trips withi the City of Olathe. Each coupo is desigated for specific use uder program guidelies. The cost of each coupo is $2 ad they are sold i books of 10 for $20. Coupos are issued i oe of four colors, gree, purple, blue, or yellow. Geeral Taxi Coupos (gree) are available to seiors or to people with disabilities who eed trasportatio to reach medical appoitmets ad for geeral shoppig trips. Participats may purchase two coupo books per moth for shoppig trips ad additioal coupos may be purchased for medical appoitmets with documetatio from a medical provider. log at the coupos are oly beig used for work/ work related trips. These coupos may ot be used for geeral shoppig trips or medical trips. Medical Taxi Coupos (blue) are available to seiors or to people with disabilities who eed trasportatio to medical appoitmets oly. The umber of coupos or books a participat may purchase is depedet upo the umber of medical appoitmets the idividual has per moth. The participat must provide documetatio cofirmig medical appoitmets i order to purchase these coupos. Special Coupos (yellow) are available to all program participats. Yellow coupos allow the participat a five miute stop at ay busiess or locatio withi the City. Taxi compaies are ot allowed to charge the participat for a additioal trip if the stop is less tha five miutes. There is o limit to the umber of coupos a participat ca purchase per moth. The cost of each Special Coupo is $1 ad books of five coupos are sold for $5. Participats must cotact a eligible taxi provider at least oe hour i advace of their trip. They must also otify the provider if a lift equipped vehicle is eeded. Participats are required to complete the back of the voucher with trip iformatio prior to givig it to the taxi driver. Services are provided Moday through Saturday from 6:00 a.m. util 7:00 p.m. These examples demostrate how successful voucher ad voluteer programs have bee established ad cotiue to operate. A umber of these examples iclude specific quatifiable beefits realized through the programs. I the followig sectio, the beefits of implemetig alterative cosumer choice trasportatio optios are addressed. I additio, the beefits of access are also addressed through the research coducted for Florida s Commissio for the Trasportatio Disadvataged ad the Trasportatio Research Board. Work Taxi Coupos (purple) are available for low-icome residets for job preparatio skills traiig ad work/work related activities. Work coupos are ot allowed for persoal trips. There is o limit to the umber of Work Taxi Coupos that may be issued to a participat per moth, as 12

19 CHAPTER 1 TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTING ALTERNATIVE CONSUMER CHOICE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS There are quatifiable beefits whe idividuals are give trasportatio optios, icludig optios such as vouchers ad voluteer programs, that eable them to live idepedetly. At a miimum, these beefits iclude: Decreased federal ad state supplemetal sup- port to people with disabilities ad other idividuals who are trasportatio disadvataged. Icreased maiteace of employmet posi- tios for people with disabilities. Icreased access to jobs. Decreased icidece of istitutioalizatio ad reduced costs associated with istitutioalizatio. Icreased access to social/commuity evets. Icreased access to healthcare ad the decreased costs associated with more advaced medical care that may be required because idividuals did ot participate i regularly scheduled prevetative appoitmets ad treatmets. Icreased access to educatio/traiig. I the discussio of the APRIL programs, quatifiable beefits i the area of employmet were provided. As refereced i that sectio, whe the APRIL programs bega 31 riders were employed. Over the first four years of the program 171 idividuals were able to obtai ad maitai employmet. Of those who were employed durig the iitial erollmet, may idicated a improvemet i their ability to be promoted ad work additioal hours movig from part-time to full-time employmet. Over the first four years of the APRIL programs, 171 idividuals were able to obtai ad maitai employmet. Of those who were employed durig the iitial erollmet, may idicated a improvemet i their ability to be promoted ad work additioal hours movig from part-time to full-time employmet. I March 2008, Florida s Commissio for Trasportatio Disadvataged released the Retur o Ivestmet Study. 37 The study was coducted to determie the retur or beefit geerated whe fudig is ivested withi the Trasportatio Disadvataged Program i Florida. The researchers focused o the beefits geerated by services provided withi five trip purpose categories, icludig medical, employmet, educatio, utritio, ad life-sustaiig/other. The beefit of trasportatio to medical-related visits was determied based o a cosideratio of average ursig home costs per moth, the cost of a average hospital stay, ad adult day care costs. Employmet-related beefits were calculated based upo a idividual s ability to geerate a wage of $6.79 per hour for six hours per day, five days per week. Educatio-related beefits were calculated based o assumptios that oe hour of traiig would equal oe hour of work. The researchers used the hourly rate of $6.79, cosistet with that used for employmet-related beefits. Nutritiorelated beefits were calculated with the assumptio that oe out of every 100 utritio-related trips resulted i a idividual avoidig a hospital stay due to lack of utritio. For life-sustaiig/ other trips, the assumptio was that each trip would geerate $20 i icremetal spedig o taxable items. 38 The average rate of retur geerated by the Trasportatio Disadvataged Program was $8.35 for each dollar ivested withi the program, usig highly coservative factors. 39 For each of the segmets, the rate of beefit for each $1.00 ivested is as follows: Nutritio-related trips - $12.52 Medical-related service trips - $11.08 Educatio/traiig-related trips - $5.85 Employmet trips - $5.71 Life-sustaiig/other trips - $4.62 This aalysis was coducted to review the beefits of ivestmet i the Trasportatio Disadvataged Program, icludig services provided to people who do ot have a disability. There is relevace i the degree to which the provisio of trasportatio disadvataged services ca demostrate a beefit to support programs specifically for people with disabilities. 13

20 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY The implemetatio of a trasportatio voucher program will provide positive impacts most otably to those eedig trasportatio to educatio/traiig ad employmet trips. The study coducted for the Commissio for Trasportatio Disadvataged provides documeted support for the fudig of trasportatio programs to provide access to these opportuities. I Cost Beefit Aalysis of Providig No- Emergecy Medical Trasportatio, 40 published by the Trasportatio Research Board i October 2005, researchers compared the costs ad beefits of providig trasportatio to o-emergecy medical care for those cosidered trasportatio disadvataged who miss or delay their healthcare appoitmets because of trasportatio difficulties. A cost-effectiveess aalysis was coducted for 12 medical coditios ad the various services provided, icludig both prevetative measures ad treatmet for chroic coditios. The determiatio of beefit was cited as reflected i a Quality Adjusted Life-Year (QALY) with each uit of oe year valued at $50,000. For example, a itervetio measure that results i oe QALY ad that costs less tha $50,000 to implemet is cosidered worth the ivestmet. Oe itervetio measure evaluated was the availability of o-emergecy trasportatio services. Based o the QALY, researchers described the availability these services as highly or moderately cost-effective. 41 The et healthcare beefits of icreased access to medical care for the trasportatio disadvataged exceed the additioal costs of trasportatio. Florida Trasportatio Disadvataged Program Retur o Ivestmet Study (2008) The implemetatio of a trasportatio voucher program will provide positive impacts most otably to those eedig educatio/traiig ad employmet trips. The researchers foud that providig oemergecy medical trasportatio services is cost-effective. The provisio of trasportatio to medical services for preatal care ad for chroic coditios icludig asthma, heart disease, ad diabetes was determied to produce overall cost savigs. The report summarily oted that additioal ivestmet i trasportatio leads to a et decrease i total costs whe both trasportatio ad healthcare are examied. 42 The study evidetially established that the et healthcare beefits of icreased access to medical care for the trasportatio disadvataged exceed the additioal costs of trasportatio. These beefits iclude both actual decreases i healthcare costs for some coditios ad improved quality of life for those who receive access. 43 These research reports support the coclusio that providig trasportatio optios to people with disabilities ad thereby icreasig access results i positive outcomes from a cost perspective. Providig access to people with disabilities ad thereby egagig them i commuity ad social evets, givig them the opportuity to obtai traiig ad employmet, ad providig access to prevetive health care services ad treatmets does lead to greater idepedece ad physical ad emotioal well-beig. 14

21 CHAPTER 1 TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 1 Cosortium for Citizes with Disabilities, Presidetial Trasitio Recommedatios, U.S. Departmet of Trasportatio, Bureau of Trasportatio Statistics, Freedom to Travel, Natioal Orgaizatio o Disability, N.O.D./Harris Survey of Americas with Disabilities, Staley, J., ad Vella-Broderick, D. The Usefuless of Social Exclusio as a Theoretical Cocept to Iform Social Policy i Trasport. Proceedigs. Thredbo 10 Workshop o Social Exclusio: What Ca Public Trasport Offer? 10th Iteratioal Coferece o Competitio ad Owership i Lad Passeger Trasport, Hamilto Islad, Australia, August Metz, D.H., Mobility of Older People ad Their Quality of Life, Trasport Policy 7, , Staley, J., ad Lucas, K., Social Exclusio: What Ca Public Trasport Offer? Joural of Research i Trasportatio Ecoomics 22, 2008, pp Wasfi, R., Leviso, D, ad El-Geeidy, A. Measurig the Trasportatio Needs of People with Developmetal Disabilities, preseted at the 86th Aual Meetig of the Trasportatio Research Board i Washigto, DC, Jauary ATR Istitute, Uiversity of New Mexico, At the Crossroads: Disability ad Trasportatio, New Mexico Developmetal Disabilities Plaig Coucil, December Ibid. 10 Natioal Coucil o Disability, Natioal Disability Policy: Progress Report, March Natioal Coucil o Disability, The Curret State of Trasportatio for People with Disabilities i the Uited States, Jue Natioal Coucil o Disability, Natioal Disability Policy: Progress Report, March Natioal Coucil o Disability, Natioal Disability Policy: Progress Report, March Haarstad, Cathy, Trasportatio Voucher Programs: Facilitatig Mobility I Rural Areas, North Dakota Ceter for Persos with Disabilities, Miot State Uiversity o behalf of the Commuity Trasportatio Associatio of America Jobliks Program, Jauary Beverly Foudatio Supplemetal Trasportatio Programs, 16 Natioal Ceter for Trasit Research. Programs that Match Seiors with Voluteer Drivers: Practical Recommedatios for Orgaizatios ad Policy Makers. Prepared for the Florida Departmet of Trasportatio, FDOT BD549 WO 41, at the Ceter for Urba Trasportatio Research, Uiversity of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. October, Ibid 18 Ibid Ibid. 21 Ibid Valerie Aderso, America Cacer Society, Florida Divisio, telephoe iterview coducted by the Ceter for Urba Trasportatio Research i March 2008 for the report Programs That Match Seiors with Voluteer Drivers, uder the Natioal Ceter for Trasit Research, October State of Nevada Divisio for Agig Services, Service Specificatios Voucher Services, ad the Goodwill of the Heartlad The Curret State of Trasportatio for People with Disabilities i the Uited States, Natioal Coucil o Disability, Jue Ibid. 36 Jobliks, Commuity Trasportatio of America, 37 Croi, J. J., Hagerich, J., Horto, J., ad Hotalig, J., Florida Trasportatio Disadvataged Programs Retur o Ivestmet Study, Marketig Istitute, Florida State Uiversity, March Ibid. 39 Ibid. 40 Hughes-Cromwick, P., Wallace, R., Mull, H., ad Bologa, J., Cost Beefit Aalysis of Providig No-Emergecy Medical Trasportatio, TCRP Web-Oly Documet 29 (Project B-27), Trasportatio Research Board, October Ibid. 42 Ibid. 43 Ibid. 15

22 16

23 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES CHAPTER 2

24 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY I a effort to better uderstad the process of establishig alterative cosumer choice mobility programs, obtaiig fudig, ad workig with sposorig agecies ad orgaizatios, the research team coducted a series of outreach activities to establish a Ivetory of Practices. A survey of atioal trasit ad social service agecies was coducted, followed by telephoe iterviews ad site visits. Cost savigs that were idetified through this process are idicated, ad curret mobility maagemet strategies ad opportuities withi Florida are examied. The comparative costs of curret mobility optios i Florida, icludig services provided through local Commuity Trasportatio Coordiators, public trasit providers, ad the private sector i select Florida commuities are addressed. SURVEY OF MOBILITY PROVIDERS A survey of atioal trasit ad social service providers curretly providig alterative approaches to providig trasportatio services to people with disabilities ad specifically targetig travel voucher programs was coducted. The survey istrumet was developed, approved i May 2009 by the Project Advisory Committee, ad admiistered usig the web-based Survey Mokey i Jue The survey closed o Jue 26, The survey questios were developed to gauge the degree to which public ad private trasportatio agecies ad orgaizatios have implemeted alterative mobility optios, idetify the parameters withi which these mobility optios are operatig, idetify fudig opportuities ad resources, ad gather participat commets ad recommedatios for those cosiderig the establishmet of these programs. The survey was distributed to: Florida s Commissio for Trasportatio Disad- vataged Commuity Trasportatio Coordiators; Florida s public trasit agecies; Over 300 trasit agecies that are members of the America Public Trasportatio Associatio (APTA); The Commuity Trasportatio Associatio of America (CTAA) for distributio to its members; The Natioal Ceter for Seior Trasportatio (NCST) for distributio to agecies ad idividuals o its distributio lists; Project Advisory Committee Members; ad Other etworked groups. Based o resposes to the survey, iterviews, ad site visits, commuities i the U.S. that provide mobility services, trasportatio voucher ad taxi subsidy programs, ad voluteer programs are reflected i the followig table. 18

25 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES Agecy Locatio Provider of Mobility Services Trasportatio Voucher/ Subsidized Taxi Programs Voluteer Programs Meomiee Regioal Public Trasit Keshea, WI X Door-Tra Sturgeo Bay, WI X X X Headwaters, Ic. Rhielader, WI X X X Ceter for Idepedece Livig Wester WI Meomoie, WI X X X North Couty Idepedet Livig WI X X Su Prairie Trasportatio Taxi Voucher Program WI X Miles With Meaig Atrim/Kalkaska, MI X ACBN Taxi Cab Coupo Licol, NE X Fayette Couty Alterative Trasportatio Iitiative Atlata, GA X Kasas Taxi Coupo Program Olathe, KS X Harris Couty Rides Housto, TX X Idepedet Livig Ceter Homer, AK X BAIN, Ic. Baibridge, GA X Developmetal Services of Northwest Kasas Hayes, KS X Souther Illiois Ceter for Idepedet Livig Carbodale, IL X South East Ceter for Idepedet Livig Fall River, MA X State of Nevada Divisio for Agig Services NV X South West Ceter for Idepedet Livig Marshall, MN X Salish ad Kooteai Tribes Pablo, MT X Zui Etrepreeurial Eterprises Zui, NM X Ceter for Idepedet Livig Cetral Pesylvaia Camp Hill, PA X CABS Program Cedar Rapids, IA X X Keai Peisula Ceter for Idepedet Livig Alaska X Taxi Access Program, PACE Chicago, IL X X CADET Program AR X Ride Coectio Portlad, OR X Wyomig Idepedet Livig Rehabilitatio Ceter WY X itn America Charlesto, SC X itn America Chicago, IL X itn America Portlad, ME X itn America Orlado, FL X itn America Sarasota, FL X itn America Los Ageles, CA X itn America Sa Diego, CA X itn America Lexigto, KY X itn America Efield, CT X itn America Middlesex, CT X itn America Quad Cities, IA/IL X Sa Joaqui Regioal Trasit District Stockto, CA X Metro Trasit Madiso, WI X X Brevard Achievemet Ceter Rockledge, FL X Mass Trasportatio Authority Flit, MI X Lighthouse of Cetral Florida Orlado, FL City of Torrace Torrace, CA X X City of Galvesto Galvesto, TX X Greesborough Trasit Authority Greesborough, SC X Miami-Dade Trasit/Paratrasit Operatios Miami, FL X Trasit Authority of River City Louisville, KY X X X Self-Reliace Tampa, FL X Tampa Lighthouse Tampa, FL X Lehigh ad Northampto Trasportatio Authority Alletow, PA X Pasco Couty Public Trasportatio New Port Richey, FL X Moterey-Salias Trasit Moterey, CA X X Jacksoville Trasportatio Authority Jacksoville, FL X Lee Tra Ft. Myers, FL X Pee Dee Regioal Trasportatio Authority Florece, SC X X Regioal Trasit Authority New Orleas, LA X Cetral Coecticut Regioal Plaig Agecy Bristol, CT X X Los Ageles Couty Metropolita Trasp. Authority Los Ageles, CA X X X Capital Corridor Joit Powers Authority Oaklad, CA X Bloomigto-Normal Public Trasit System Bloomigto, IL X 19

26 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Agecy Locatio Provider of Mobility Services Trasportatio Voucher/ Subsidized Taxi Programs Voluteer Programs Sata Moica Big Blue Bus Dial-A-Ride Sata Moica, CA X Itercity Trasit Olympia, WA X Kitsap Trasit Bremerto, WA X Cetral New York Regioal Trasp. Authority Syracuse, NY X X Jewish Associatio for Residetial Care Boca Rato, FL X Chautauqua Area Regioal Trasit System Jamestow, NY X X Space Coast Area Trasit Cocoa, FL X X Horizos of Okaloosa Couty, Ic. Crestview, FL X Vocatioal Rehabilitatio Ormod Beach, FL X Quest, Ic. Orlado, FL X City of Gledale, Arizoa Gledale, AZ Mid Florida Commuity Services, Ic. Brooksville, FL X Commuity Care Teams Witer Park, FL X St. Lucie Couty Commuity Services Ft. Pierce, FL X Surise Commuity, Ic. Miami, FL Regioal Coordiated Trasportatio Ashville, NC X Triagle Trasit Morrisville, NC X X X Aso Couty Trasportatio System Wadesboro, NC X City of High Poit Trasit System Highpoit, NC X Wiregrass Trasit Authority Dotha, AL X Carteret Couty Area Trasportatio System Moorehead City, NC X SCUSA Trasportatio Albermarle, NC X Greelik Greeville, SC X Meckleburg Couty Departmet of Social Services Charlotte, NC X X X Sarasota Couty Area Trasit Sarasota, FL X Positive Images Eterprises, Ic. Oaklad Park, FL X X Valley Metro Phoeix, AZ X X X Orage Couty Florida Orlado, FL X X Hillsborough Couty Sushie Lie Tampa, FL X Oaklad Couty Commuity Metal Health Auth. Aubur Hills, MI X Pierce Trasit Lakewood, WA X Norther AZ Itergovermetal Public Trasp. Auth. Flagstaff, AZ X X Uiversity of Coecticut Storrs, CT Ft. Bed Couty Public Trasportatio Departmet Sugarlad, TX X Uiversity of Texas at Dallas Dallas, TX X Clevelad Area Rapid Trasit Norma, OH X South Tahoe Area Trasit Authority Statelie, NV X Cetral Oklahoma Trasp. ad Parkig Authority Oklahoma City, OK X X X Metropolita Trasportatio Authority, Marylad Baltimore, MD X X X TMA Group Frakli, TN Sa Joaqui Regioal Trasit District Stockto, CA X Ruways Trasportatio Compay Jacksoville, FL Lake Couty Commuity Trasp. Coordiator Tavares, FL X Hall Area Trasit Gaiesville, GA X Salem-Keizer Trasit Salem, OR X Koxville Area Trasit Koxville, TN X City of Scottsdale Scottsdale, AZ X X C-Tra Vacouver, WA X Lik Trasit (Chela-Douglas Public Trasit Beefit Area) Weatchee, WA X X Access Services Los Ageles, CA X X X Modoc Trasportatio Agecy/Sage Stage Alturas, CA X Port Authority of Alleghey Couty Pittsburgh, PA X Itercity Trasit Olympia, WA X City of Sa Luis Obispo Trasit Sa Luis Obispo, CA X Riverside Trasit Agecy Riverside, CA X X X Dept. of Health/Brai ad Spial Cord Ijury Prog. Tallahassee, FL X Atelope Valley Trasit Authority Lacaster, CA X Port Arthur Trasit Port Arthur, TX X City of Las Cruses RoadRUNNER Trasit Las Cruses, NM X City Utilities Trasit Sprigfield, MO Coucil o Agig of St. Joh s Couty St. Augustie, FL X X 20

27 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES I all, 163 resposes to the survey were received. A graphical summary of selected survey results is provided below. Which of the followig best describes your orgaizatio? Respose Percet Respose Cout Private, for-profit 6.6% 11 Private, ot-for-profit 18.1% 30 Govermet etity (such as city or couty govermet) 44.0% 73 Social or huma-service agecy (such as ceter for idepedet livig, coucil o agig, associatiofor retarded citizes, etc.) 6.6% 11 Quasi-govermet etity (such as regioal plaig agecy, metropolita plaig orgaizatio, etc.) 9.0% 15 Other (please describe) 15.7% 26 aswered questio 166 skipped questio 2 Out of the 163 resposes to this questio, 44 percet idicated that they represet a govermetal etity. This is followed by private, ot for profit orgaizatio at 18.1 percet ad other at 15.7 percet. The balace of the resposes icludes quasi-govermet etity, private, for profit, ad social or huma service agecy. 21

28 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY I your commuity, which of the followig sources of fudig are used to provide trasportatio services to people with disabilities? Respose Percet Respose Cout Federal program 80.3% 122 State program 85.5% 130 Local program 69.1% 105 Foudatio support 8.6% 13 No-profit charitable givig program 14.5% 22 Other (please describe) 7.9% 12 aswered questio 152 skipped questio 13 The respodets to this questio idicated the various fudig sources that are curretly used by their agecy to provide trasportatio services to people with disabilities. More tha 80 percet of respodets idicated that they receive both state ad federal fudig to provide these services. More tha 69 percet of respodets idicated that local fudig is available to provide services to people with disabilities. Other resposes icluded o-profit charitable givig program at 14.5 percet, foudatio support at 8.6 percet, ad other at 7.9 percet. I your commuity, what are the sources of federal fudig used to support trasportatio services to people with disabilities? Respose Percet Respose Cout U.S. Departmet of Trasportatio 90.0% 99 U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services (Admiistratio o Agig) U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services (other) 40.0% % 38 U.S. Departmet of Educatio 14.5% 16 Other (please describe) 10.9% 12 aswered questio 110 skipped questio 55 This questio asked survey respodets to idicate the sources of federal fuds they were receivig to provide trasportatio services to people with disabilities. Fudig from the U.S. Departmet of Trasportatio was oted as the source most ofte used to provide these services, with more tha 90 percet of 22

29 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES respodets receivig fudig from this source. A total of 40 percet of respodets idicated that they receive fudig from U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services (DHHS), Admiistratio o Agig. This is closely followed by other DHHS-sposored programs at 34.5 percet. The balace of resposes icludes fudig from the U.S. Departmet of Educatio ad other. I your commuity, which programs i the U.S. Departmet of Trasportatio programs are used to provide trasportatio services to people with disabilities? Respose Percet Respose Cout Federal Trasit Admiistratio (FTA) Sectio % 68 FTA Sectio % 54 FTA Sectio % 50 FTA Sectio % 31 FTA Sectio % 34 Other (please describe) 13.5% 12 aswered questio 89 skipped questio 76 Survey participats were asked to idicate which U.S. Departmet of Trasportatio fudig is used to provide trasportatio services to people with disabilities. The majority of respodets (76.4%) idicated that FTA Sectio 5307 Urbaized Area Formula Program fuds are used to provide these services. This is followed by FTA Sectio 5310 Formula Grats for Special Needs for Elderly Idividuals ad Idividuals with Disabilities Program at 60.7 percet; FTA Sectio 5311 Formula Grats for Other tha Urbaized Areas at 56.2 percet; FTA Sectio 5316 Job Access ad Reverse Commute Program fuds at 34.8 percet; FTA Sectio 5317 New Freedom Program fuds at 38.2 percet; ad other at 13.5 percet. 23

30 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Which of the followig best describes your commuity? Respose Percet Respose Cout Virtually everyoe lives i urba or suburba areas 40.4% 57 Predomiatly urba/suburba but with a sizeable rural populatio 43.3% 61 Predomiatly rural but with a sizeable urba/suburba populatio 9.2% 13 Virtually everyoe lives i rural or small tows 7.1% 10 aswered questio 141 skipped questio 24 The respodets were equally distributed betwee those where virtually everyoe lives i urba or suburba areas ad predomiatly urba/suburba but with a sizeable rural populatio, with 83.7 percet of respodets i oe of these two categories. A relative small percetage of respodets were i areas categorized as predomiately rural, but with a sizeable urba/suburba populatio at 9.2 percet ad virtually everyoe lives i rural or small tows at 7.1 percet. I your commuity, do you have ay difficulty i fidig trasportatio providers to provide services to people with disabilities? Respose Percet Respose Cout Yes 39.1% 9 No 60.9% 14 If "Yes", please provide further details: 6 aswered questio 23 skipped questio 142 The majority of respodets (60.9%) idicated that fidig a trasportatio provider to provide trasportatio services to people with disabilities is ot difficult. Sice the commuities represeted by the survey are primarily urba or suburba i settig, this is a expected respose. 24

31 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES I the rural parts of your commuity, are there ay fixed-route public trasportatio services available to provide services to people with disabilities? Respose Percet Respose Cout Yes 47.8% 11 No 52.2% 12 If "Yes", please provide additioal detail: 5 aswered questio 23 skipped questio 142 This questio was specifically targeted to those respodets that serve rural areas. As such, there were oly 23 resposes to this questio. Of the 23 resposes, 12 idicated that there are o public trasportatio services withi their commuities ad 11 idicated that there are public trasportatio services withi their commuities. What types of mobility services are provided to special populatio groups i your commuity? Seiors Childre Veteras People with Disabilities Low Icome Other Respose Cout Fixed-route public trasportatio service 99.1% (114) 87.8% (101) 81.7% (94) 95.7% (110) 87.0% (100) 25.2% (29) 115 Dial-a-Ride paratrasit service (geeral public) 79.8% (71) 50.6% (45) 55.1% (49) 93.3% (83) 55.1% (49) 19.1% (17) 89 Paratrasit services for specific populatio groups 72.5% (74) 34.3% (35) 39.2% (40) 91.2% (93) 43.1% (44) 8.8% (9) 102 Carpools or vapools 60.5% (26) 39.5% (17) 44.2% (19) 62.8% (27) 51.2% (22) 46.5% (20) 43 Voluteer programs 88.4% (38) 27.9% (12) 62.8% (27) 55.8% (24) 37.2% (16) 16.3% (7) 43 Subsidized taxi programs 72.4% (21) 24.1% (7) 34.5% (10) 86.2% (25) 41.4% (12) 6.9% (2) 29 Other 85.7% (12) 50.0% (7) 50.0% (7) 71.4% (10) 57.1% (8) 35.7% (5) 14 If "Other", please describe 24 aswered questio 129 skipped questio 36 25

32 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY This survey questio was desiged to idetify both the type of services provided by respodets ad the populatio groups served withi each type of service provided. Fixed route public trasportatio service provided to seiors ad people with disabilities were the two most prevalet resposes, at 99.1 percet ad 95.7 percet, respectively. This was followed by dial-a-ride geeral public ad paratrasit services for specific populatio groups that serve people with disabilities. Of those respodig to this questio, 86.2 percet idicated that they use subsidized taxi programs to provide services to people with disabilities. The use of voluteer programs to provide services to seiors is also well represeted at 88.4 percet. Does your commuity use ay form of travel vouchers to provide services to people with disabilities? Respose Percet Respose Cout Yes, it is doig so ow 23.8% 29 No, it does ot do so ow, but it has durig the past 5 years 8.2% 10 No, it has ot doe so durig the past three years 68.0% 83 aswered questio 122 skipped questio 43 Out of the 122 resposes to this questio, oly 29 (23.8%) idicated that they are curretly usig trasportatio vouchers to provide services to people with disabilities. Eighty-three respodets idicated that they have ot used ay form of trasportatio voucher withi the last three years. Are vouchers issued for oe or more specific trip purposes? Respose Percet Respose Cout Yes, just for specific purposes 53.6% 15 No, available for all trips by persos who qualify 46.4% 13 aswered questio 28 skipped questio 137 Of the 28 resposes to this questio, 15 orgaizatios do limit trasportatio vouchers for specific trip purposes ad 13 do ot. 26

33 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES Please check all specific trip purposes for which vouchers are issued. Respose Percet Respose Cout Nutritioal 28.6% 4 Educatioal 21.4% 3 Social 14.3% 2 Employmet 64.3% 9 Health Care 92.9% 13 Other (please specify) 14.3% 2 aswered questio 14 skipped questio 151 More tha 92 percet of respodets idicated that health-care-related trips are the most prevalet trip purpose for those issued trasportatio vouchers. This is followed by employmet trips at 64.3 percet. The remaiig resposes iclude utritioal at 28.6 percet; educatioal at 21.4 percet; ad social ad other represeted equally at 14.3 percet. Are there weekly or mothly limits o the umber of trips for which vouchers ca be used? Respose Percet Respose Cout Yes 46.2% 12 No 53.8% 14 If "Yes", please provide further detail: 12 aswered questio 26 skipped questio 139 Of the resposes to this questio, over 53 percet (14 resposes) idicated that there are o weekly or mothly voucher trip limits. More tha 46 percet (12 resposes) oted that they do limit the umber of voucher trips provided either weekly or mothly. 27

34 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Are there ay distace limits for trips provided usig vouchers? Respose Percet Respose Cout Yes 58.3% 14 No 41.7% 10 If "Yes", please provide further detail: 17 aswered questio 24 skipped questio 141 More tha 58 percet (14 resposes) of those respodig to this questio have established trip distace limits for their voucher programs. Ca travel vouchers be used to trasport idividuals outside your city or couty boudaries? Respose Percet Respose Cout Yes 62.5% 15 No 37.5% 9 If "Yes", please provide further detail: 15 aswered questio 24 skipped questio 141 More tha 62 percet of respodets idicated that travel vouchers ca be used to trasport idividuals outside the city or couty boudaries. Oly 37.5 percet of respodets idicated that trips are restricted to areas withi a city or couty boudary. 28

35 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES Who accepts or hoors travel vouchers from idividuals to provide trasportatio services? Respose Percet Respose Cout Relatives 0.0% 0 Voluteers 4.0% 1 Public Trasportatio Agecies 48.0% 12 Taxis 60.0% 15 Vapools 4.0% 1 Other (please describe) 8.0% 2 aswered questio 25 skipped questio 140 Respodets to this questio were asked to check all applicable service providers that accept trasportatio vouchers withi their commuities. The provider most ofte oted was taxis at 60 percet, followed by public trasportatio agecies at 48 percet. What sources of fudig are used to pay for the travel voucher program(s)? Respose Percet Respose Cout Federal program 37.5% 9 State program 50.0% 12 Local program 54.2% 13 Foudatio support 4.2% 1 No-profit charitable givig program 4.2% 1 Other (please specify) 16.7% 4 aswered questio 24 skipped questio 141 The fudig sources specifically used to support trasportatio voucher programs were idetified i this questio. More tha 50 percet of respodets idicated that both state ad local fuds are used to support trasportatio voucher programs, while over 37 percet of respodets oted that federal fuds are used to support their voucher programs. 29

36 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Are passegers required to share i the cost of the rides provided by the travel voucher program? Respose Percet Respose Cout Yes 45.8% 11 No 54.2% 13 If "Yes", please provide further detail: 11 aswered questio 24 skipped questio 141 The majority of survey respodets (54.2% or 13 respodets) idicated that they do ot require passegers to share i the cost of the rides provided by the travel voucher program. More tha 45 percet (11 respodets) idicated that they do require passegers to participate i the share of the cost of rides provided withi the trasportatio voucher programs. The resposes received from the survey were used to highlight those agecies that have istituted trasportatio voucher programs withi their commuities. Based o these resposes, iterviews ad site visits were coducted with these mobility providers. A summary of both the iterviews ad site visits are provided i the followig sectios. INTERVIEWS WITH MOBILITY PROVIDERS USING TRANSPORTATION VOUCHERS I August ad September 2009, i-depth followup telephoe iterviews were coducted with the followig agecies that curretly use or have used some form of travel vouchers: Marylad Trasit Admiistratio (MTA), Balti- more, Marylad Norther Arizoa Itergovermetal Public Trasportatio Authority (NAIPTA), Flagstaff, Arizoa Valley Metro, Phoeix, Arizoa Cab Coectio, City of Scottsdale, Arizoa Meckleburg Trasportatio System, Charlotte, North Carolia Metro Trasit, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Torrace Trasit, City of Torrace, Califoria Wiscosi Departmet of Trasportatio These agecies were idetified through the literature review, the survey of atioal agecies, ad from discussios with mobility professioals. A summary of each iterview is provided o the followig pages. Norther Arizoa Itergovermetal Public Trasportatio Authority (NAIPTA) Flagstaff, Arizoa NAIPTA is a regioal public trasportatio authority that serves Cocoio ad Yavapai couties, the cities of Flagstaff, Sedoa, ad Cottowood, ad Norther Arizoa Uiversity. Mobility optios i the area iclude the Moutai Lie, which provides fixed route trasit services; the Moutai Lift, which provides curb-to-curb paratrasit services for people with disabilities ad those uable to use the Moutai Lie; ad the Moutai Lift Voucher Program. NAIPTA established the Moutai Lift Taxi Voucher Program i May 2006 to provide a trasportatio alterative that is withi the cotrol of the participats, flexible, ad relatively affordable. The program is ope to all Moutai Lift cliets. Trips must either origiate or have a destiatio i Flagstaff. Cliets are limited to $200 worth of voucher coupos per moth. Idividuals who are receivig dialysis treatmets are give the opportuity to request 26 additioal $10 vouchers per moth. Vouchers are valid for 60 days begiig 30

37 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES with the date the voucher is issued. The vouchers ca be used to receive trasportatio services from local taxi operators (a list of participatig taxi compaies is provided with each voucher order). Upo the completio of a trip, a participat is required to pay a portio of the taxi fare ad surreder the voucher to the taxi driver. Moutai Lift cliets who wat to participate i the program may request ay umber of vouchers up to a full packet, usig the order forms provided by NAIPTA. The program staff issues work orders withi two weeks. There is o fee to obtai the vouchers. Taxi vouchers may be purchased i the followig voucher packet combiatios: $10 vouchers 20 $15 vouchers 13 $20 vouchers 10 $20 vouchers 5, plus $10 vouchers 10 $15 vouchers 6, plus $10 vouchers 10 $20 vouchers 3, plus $15 vouchers 5, plus $10 vouchers 10 Participats determie their trip destiatios i advace. Each voucher is preprited with the ame of the participat, expiratio date of the voucher, ad the two addresses betwee which the participat may travel (geerally the trip icludes either a origi or destiatio that is the passeger s home). To provide additioal flexibility for uplaed trips, each moth cliets may order up to four vouchers that do ot have their home address icluded. Participats usig blak destiatio vouchers are resposible for eterig the complete destiatio address iformatio, icludig ame, address, ad city of destiatio, before givig the voucher to a taxi driver. The taxi driver must eter the total fare amout of the trip o the voucher, ad the voucher must be siged by both the driver ad the rider. Participats ca utilize the vouchers to receive trasportatio services with ay participatig taxi compay. Participats are resposible for cotactig a taxi provider ad arragig their trasportatio. They are asked to provide the taxi compay as much detail as possible, icludig physical assistace eeded, trasportatio for special care attedats, physical accommodatios, wheelchair or walker trasport, ad if service aimals will be accompayig the participat. Moutai Lift Taxi Voucher is a per-mile, farebased program with o mileage limitatios. The maximum fare that NAIPTA will subsidize is at the bottom of each voucher ($10, $15, or $20). Participats i the Americas with Disabilities Act (ADA) complemetary paratrasit service area i Flagstaff pay the first $2 of the fare. Kachia cliets ad Flagstaff cliets outside the ADA complemetary paratrasit service area pay the first $5 of the fare. If the fare for a oe-way trip exceeds the iitial ADA fare amout (either $2 or $5) plus the maximum value amout of the voucher ($10, $15, or $20), the participat pays the remaiig balace of the fare. NAIPTA will cover a tip of up to 15 percet o fares up to the maximum fare of $12 to $25, respectively. It is the participat s decisio whether or ot to tip the driver. Taxi compaies provide billigs to NAIPTA o a mothly basis. Taxi compaies are pre-qualified by NAIPTA ad work uder a cotractual agreemet. There are curretly three taxi providers that have bee pre-qualified ad are participatig i the program. Taxi providers are resposible for providig traiig i the areas of ADA compliace, defesive drivig, first aid/cpr, ad passeger assistace traiig. They are ot required to perform backgroud checks or coduct drug/alcohol testig for taxi drivers. The fudig sources for the program iclude local fuds ad Federal Trasit Admiistratio fuds, icludig New Freedom ad Urbaized Area Formula program fuds. The average taxi fare is betwee $7 ad $8. NAIPTA represetatives estimate their cost of paratrasit services to be approximately $25 per trip. They ote sigificat cost savigs to the agecy of approximately $17 per trip with the voucher program. NAIPTA oted sigificat cost savigs to the agecy of approximately $17 per trip with the voucher program. 31

38 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Valley Metro Phoeix, Arizoa Valley Metro is the regioal trasit system i the Phoeix metropolita area ad is fiacially supported by the local govermets that choose to participate i the system. Valley Metro Board members iclude represetatives from Avodale, Buckeye, Chadler, El Mirage, Gilbert, Gledale, Goodyear, Maricopa Couty, Mesa, Peoria, Phoeix, Quee Creek, Scottsdale, Surprise, ad Tempe. Valley Metro provides fixed-route services ad ADA complemetary paratrasit services. I additio, it has established alterative trasportatio delivery programs icludig a subsidized taxi program called Coupos for Cabs ad a voluteer trasportatio program called the Mesa Mileage Reimbursemet Program, which is available oly to residets of Mesa. For residets of Chadler ad Gilbert, a voluteer trasportatio program is available through a partership betwee Valley Metro ad About Care. The Coupos for Cabs Program provides affordable cab service for seior citizes who are at least 65 years of age ad people with disabilities who live i the East Valley commuities of Chadler, Gilbert, Mesa, ad Tempe. I the Coupos for Cabs program, participats may purchase up to $100 i travel vouchers per moth. The coupos are provided i booklets of 10 with each coupo worth $1. Residets of Chadler, Gilbert, Mesa, ad Tempe ca purchase $100 i coupos for $25. Participats ca use the coupos to help pay for cab trips they take with ay of the program s authorized cab compaies. For idividuals travelig to dialysis treatmets, there is o cost for the vouchers (up to six trips per week). The coupos have a expiratio date (set betwee three ad six moths from the date of purchase) ad must be used prior to that date. Coupos may be used for the taxi fare ad tip. Participats must cotact oe of the authorized cab compaies (a list is provided to riders oce they have bee approved to participate i the program) to schedule a trip. They must idicate that they are usig a coupo ad request a estimate of the trip cost. If the idividual eeds a wheelchair-accessible va, they must otify the cab compay whe schedulig the trip. Valley Metro pre-authorizes the mileage for the trips. I order to be authorized as a Coupos for Cabs provider, a cab compay must be licesed by the State of Arizoa Departmet of Weights ad Measures. Cab compaies are required to perform backgroud checks ad drug ad alcohol testig for their drivers. Aual ADA traiig is required for each driver. I Mesa, the ADA paratrasit service trasports approximately 9,000 passegers per moth. A additioal 5,800 mothly passegers are provided services through the alterative programs. Of those services provided through the alterative programs, approximately 30 idividuals are usig the vouchers for dialysis treatmets which equates to approximately 725 trips per moth. Officials oted that the average Coupos for Cabs trip to dialysis cost them approximately $27.50, a 21 percet savigs over the estimated $35 per trip expeded for the same trip o the ADA paratrasit service. Officials oted that the average Coupos for Cabs trip to dialysis cost them approximately $27.50, a 21 percet savigs over the estimated $35 per trip expeded for the same trip o the ADA paratrasit service. The Mesa Mileage Reimbursemet Program provides mileage reimbursemets to voluteer drivers who trasport seior citizes ad people with disabilities. The service is available oly for qualified Mesa residets. Because this service is paid for by the City of Mesa, it is ot available for persos who live outside Mesa. Participats ca receive up to $300 of per-mile voluteer reimbursemet authorizatios per moth. The voluteer driver ca be a fried, eighbor, or relative, but the driver caot live i the same household as the participat. The mileage reimbursemet may ot exceed the curret IRS mileage reimbursemet rate ($0.55 per mile). Approximately 4,000 trips per moth are provided through this program. The Mesa Mileage Reimbursemet Program pays a average of $6.50 per trip, compared to the average cost of a dial-aride trip of $ Idividuals must complete a applicatio ad be approved before they ca participate i the Mileage Reimbursemet Program. Oce they have received their approval otificatio, they are mailed a welcome packet that icludes mileage log sheets. The participat must accurately complete the mileage log sheets ad submit them to the 32

39 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES Average per trip cost through the Mesa Mileage Reimbursemet Program = $6.50. Average dial-a-ride trip = $ Sigificat cost savigs. Ride Choice Office by the 5th day of the followig moth i order to receive the mileage reimbursemets. Reimbursemet checks are mailed o the 15th of the moth. Reimbursemet checks are set to the passegers, who are resposible for turig the moey over to their drivers. For residets of Chadler ad Gilbert, seiors ad people with disabilities are eligible to schedule trasportatio with About Care, a oprofit orgaizatio. This service is provided through a partership betwee Valley Metro ad About Care. About Care recruits voluteer drivers who use their ow cars to provide the trips, ad Valley Metro provides About Care with fuds to reimburse the drivers for mileage. Cab Coectio Scottsdale, Arizoa Cab Coectio is a taxi voucher subsidy program that was established i November 2000 to provide a trasportatio alterative to dial-a-ride service. Cab Coectio is withi the cotrol of the participat, flexible, ad relatively affordable. The program serves all areas withi Scottsdale, Arizoa. Participats must be Scottsdale residets, who are at least 64 years of age, or have a documeted disability. Participats must complete a applicatio process, which icludes proof of residecy. Participats also must have a valid Valley Metro Reduced Fare Authorizatio Card. Valley Metro I.D. cards are valid for five years ad require reewal to maitai eligibility i the Cab Coectio program. Oce applicatios are completed ad approved, vouchers are mailed to participats. Participats may request ay umber of vouchers durig the moth, up to 16 oe-way vouchers per moth, usig the mail order forms provided by Cab Coectio. Dialysis patiets are eligible to receive 26 vouchers per moth to travel to dialysis ceters, plus 16 additioal vouchers for other trip purposes (a total of 42 vouchers per moth). Program staff members issue vouchers withi two weeks of receipt of a order. Each voucher is preprited with the ame ad address of the participat ad the expiratio date. Vouchers are valid for 30 days begiig with the date the voucher is issued. Whe usig the vouchers, participats are resposible for eterig the ame of the destiatio ad the complete destiatio address o the blak destiatio lie of the voucher before givig it to a cab driver. Oce the trip is completed, the participat ad the driver must sig the voucher. Cab Coectio is a fare-based program ad has o mileage limitatios. Travel is permitted outside Scottsdale as log as the ride either begis or eds withi the Scottsdale city limits. Trip chaiig or makig iterim stops is ot permitted. The City of Scottsdale will ot pay for taxi wait charges. Cab Coectio will pay for oly oe trip as described o the voucher. The City of Scottsdale pays 80 percet of the fare, up to the maximum fare per trip of $ O a fare of $12.50, the City pays $10 ad the participat pays $2.50. If the fare for a oe-way trip exceeds $12.50, participats pay the full fare, mius $10 (the maximum City subsidy). Tippig i additio to the 15 percet gratuity provided to the taxi compaies by Cab Coectio is the resposibility of the participat. The City will cover 100 percet of the trip cost for idividuals travelig to dialysis treatmet ceters. The City also will cover 15 percet gratuity for these trips. Vouchers ca be used with ay of the participatig taxi compaies, a list of which is provided to participats ad updated as taxi compaies choose to participate or as iformatio chages. To arrage a trip, participats select a taxi compay from the list provided, ad call the taxi compay to make a reservatio, givig the reservatios operator as much detail as possible, such as requests for physical assistace, special physical accommodatios, wheelchair or walker trasport, service aimal trasport, etc. Taxi compaies bill the City of Scottsdale at the ed of each moth. A origial ivoice with the provider s compay ame ad address is submitted alog with the origial vouchers. The City provides taxi compaies a spreadsheet template to use whe submittig each bill that allows for the etry of each voucher cotaied i the billig. The City of Scottsdale pays the ivoices withi 30 days of receipt. To participate i the program, taxi compaies must be licesed by the State of Arizoa Departmet of Weights ad Measures. There are curretly eight taxi compaies participatig i the 33

40 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY program. Taxi drivers are cotract employees who lease vehicles from the taxi compaies. While ot required for licesig or through the program, some taxi compaies do perform backgroud checks o the drivers. The aual budget for the Cab Coectio voucher program is approximately $400,000. The program averages 50,000 to 60,000 trips per year. Based o the average cost of a paratrasit trip i the system (approximately $29 per trip) ad the average trip cost for a voucher ($9.47), the City of Scottsdale has see sigificat savigs with the program. Based o the average cost of a paratrasit trip i the system (approximately $29 per trip) ad the average trip cost for a voucher ($9.47), the City of Scottsdale has see sigificat savigs with the program. Marylad Trasit Admiistratio (MTA) Baltimore, Marylad MTA is a state-operated public trasportatio agecy that is part of the Marylad Departmet of Trasportatio. The MTA operates a comprehesive trasit system throughout the Baltimore- Washigto Metropolita Area. More tha 50 local bus lies serve Baltimore s public trasportatio eeds, alog with other services that iclude light rail, the Metro Subway, MTA Marylad Commuter Bus, ad MARC Trai. Mobility/Paratrasit is a specialized, curb-tocurb service for people with disabilities who are ot able to ride fixed-route public trasportatio, icludig lift-equipped buses. (The MTA defies the term fixed-route to iclude local bus, light rail, or Metro Subway routes operated by the MTA.) Mobility service is provided withi ¾ mile of ay fixed-route service i the City of Baltimore ad Baltimore ad Ae Arudel couties. I Jauary 2009, MTA Mobility Services implemeted Taxi Access II. Taxi Access II is a premium service delivery optio for certified MTA mobility/ paratrasit customers. It is ot part of the ADA complemetary paratrasit services provided by MTA, but rather a separate service provided by taxis ad other private compaies. Taxi Access II is available withi the MTA service area, ad services are available 24 hours per day, seve days per week. To be eligible for the Taxi Access II, customers must have bee certified as a MTA Mobility Services customer for at least 90 days ad must be at least 13 years of age. All applicats must be capable of boardig, ridig, ad exitig vehicles either idepedetly or with the assistace of a compaio. Customers may travel with up to three other idividuals (such as a persoal care attedat, a compaio, or childre) at o additioal cost. However, they must have the same trip origi ad destiatio. Participats i the program receive a smart card with a uique umber that idetifies them as a Taxi Access II customer. These cards are used for trip verificatio usig a mobile trackig device that uses Global Positioig System (GPS) techology. The smart card is ot used for moetary trackig. Customers may use the card up to two times per day to travel withi the MTA Mobility Service area (withi ¾ mile of MTA fixed-route service). The customer pays $3 for each oe-way trip. If the total trip cost exceeds $20, the customer will pay the driver the amout over $20 (i additio to the $3 fare). To access trasportatio services, customers must cotact the dispatch office of a participatig trasportatio provider at least 40 miutes prior to the trip ad provide their 16-digit smart card umber, their telephoe umber, the day, date, ad time for the trip, ad their pickup locatio ad destiatio. If customers use a mobility device such as a wheelchair, they must otify the provider. Oce the trasportatio provider arrives, customers preset their Taxi Access II card ad the $3 fare. All travel must begi ad ed withi the established MTA Mobility Service area. Drivers use the customer s Taxi Access II card both at the start of the trip ad at the ed of the trip ad must provide a completed receipt to the customer for review ad sigature. The customer must verify all the iformatio o the receipt for accuracy before sigig. The customer s sigature is used to validate the trasactio ad authorize paymet for services. Customers are required to keep all receipts for six moths for auditig purposes. The average taxi trip provided uder the Taxi Assess II program is seve miles i legth with a per-trip cost of $20. ADA paratrasit trips provided by the MTA curretly average $42 to $50 per trip. 34

41 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES The average cost of a Taxi Access II trip is $20. The average MTA ADA paratrasit trip is $42 to $50. Meckleburg Trasportatio System Charlotte, North Carolia Meckleburg Couty icludes seve muicipalities, icludig the City of Charlotte. The Charlotte Area Trasit System (CATS) is the public trasportatio provider i the area. Meckleburg Trasportatio System (MTS), maaged by the Meckleburg Couty Departmet of Social Services, provides o-emergecy trasportatio to eligible citizes of the couty. MTS uses the services provided by CATS through weekly or mothly bus passes, provides trasportatio directly with couty drivers ad vehicles, ad cotracts with private trasportatio providers, such as taxis ad those that operate wheelchair accessible vehicles. MTS has developed a partership with the America Red Cross to assist i meetig the trasportatio eeds withi Meckleburg Couty. Through this program, idividuals who are uable to use CATS or the MTS system ad who are referred by physicias or medical facilities ca receive trasportatio from the America Red Cross. The America Red Cross uses voluteer drivers who operate agecy-owed vehicles. There is o cost to the rider for trasportatio provided through this program; the services are supported by a grat from the local chapter of the Uited Way. The program serves approximately 2,600 cliets ad provides more tha 17,000 trips per year. There are 82 voluteer drivers used withi the program. The MTS also is workig with Work First i the coordiatio of trasportatio optios for their cliets. Work First cliets receive bus passes ad gas vouchers ad have received support to repair ad maitai persoal vehicles. Fiacial support for this program comes through the U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services, Admiistratio for Childre ad Families, Temporary Assistace to Needy Families (TANF) Program. Metro Trasit Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Metro Trasit is the public trasit uit withi the Cetral Oklahoma Trasportatio ad Parkig Authority (COTPA) trust, the largest trasportatio agecy i Oklahoma. Metro Trasit has 24 itercoectig routes coverig the Oklahoma City Metropolita Area, icludig two weekday express routes to dowtow Oklahoma City ad the dowtow Trolley etwork. I additio, Metro Trasit has established the Share-A-Fare program that provides lower cost taxi fares for seiors ad people with disabilities. Participatig commuities ad Metro Trasit pay 40 percet of the cost of a taxi ride, ad participats cover the remaiig 60 percet of the trip. To participate i the program, a idividual must apply for the Share-A-Fare Program through Metro Trasit. Eligibility is limited to residets of participatig muicipalities who are at least 60 years of age or people with disabilities (verified with a doctor s certificatio). Oce eligibility has bee cofirmed, participats receive a photo idetificatio card ad a puch card. Eligible participats may purchase Share-A-Fare coupo books by presetig their Metro Trasit photo idetificatio card ad their puch card. Coupo books are $6 each ($10 value) ad must be purchased i the city withi which they reside. There is oe taxi compay curretly providig the services withi the program. Metro Trasit periodically issues requests for proposals for additioal providers. Taxi providers must carry miimum liability isurace ad be licesed. There are o accessible taxis withi the system. Torrace Trasit City of Torrace, Califoria Torrace Trasit has operated weekday service o eight fixed routes cotiuously sice Three of the routes provide service withi the City of Torrace. Five routes provide regioal coectios to Los Ageles, Log Beach, the Metro Blue Lie Artesia Statio, ad Los Ageles Iteratioal Airport. Service also is provided to Gardea, Redodo Beach, Lomita, Carso, ad umerous other commuities withi the South Bay regio of Los Ageles Couty. Torrace Trasit also offers a variety of other trasit services to residets of the South Bay area. The Torrace Commuity Trasit Program provides taxi service to people with disabilities ad seior residets of Torrace. The Commuity Trasit Program icludes two specialized taxi trasportatio optios that eable seiors ad people with disabilities to be coveietly picked up ad take to locatios throughout the city. 35

42 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY The Seior Taxi is for residets of Torrace who are at least 65 years of age. Seiors must apply to the Torrace Commuity Trasit Program to register for the service. The cost of the taxi trip ticket is $5, but discouted tickets are available for seiors based o household icome level. The taxi ticket has a value of $13. The Dial-A-Taxi program has bee established for residets of Torrace or Lomita. The ticket price is $1, regardless of household icome. Torrace ad Lomita residets with disabilities must apply for the services ad must have a physicia complete a eligibility form. For those with a temporary disability, eligibility must be reewed each year. Participats who use wheelchairs must otify the taxi provider that they eed a lift-equipped vehicle. Reservatios should be made at least 24 hours i advace. Same day service is geerally ot available. Taxi providers are give a 25 miute pick up widow. If they do ot arrive at the pickup locatio withi the widow, the trip must be provided at o cost. For both the Seior Taxi ad Dial-A-Ride Taxi programs, participats may purchase their first batch of taxi tickets at Torrace s West Aex Trasit Ceter. After the first purchase, all orders must be made by mail. Participats are limited to 16 taxi tickets per moth. Idividuals also receive eight Raiy Day tickets that have o expiratio date. These may be used at ay time, but o more tha eight are issued to a idividual. Taxi providers must be licesed by the City of Torrace. There are curretly three taxi compaies participatig i the program. There are miimum isurace coverage requiremets, sesitivity traiig is required for drivers, ad backgroud checks are coducted. Wiscosi Departmet of Trasportatio (WDOT) The Wiscosi Departmet of Trasportatio has established a etwork of resources to assist local commuities i the developmet ad implemetatio of Mobility Maagemet programs. Through these programs, a umber of commuities withi the state have created ad implemeted trasportatio voucher ad voluteer programs. WDOT has provided ad cotiues to provide support services to agecies across the state to assist with mobility maagemet approaches. These services iclude: Grat awards to 16 mobility maagemet projects; A formalized traiig program that cosists of two-day workshops ad other traiig evets (travel related expeses are covered by WDOT); Seve telecofereces per year that provides opportuity for techical assistace ad etworkig amog peer systems; ad Two Google groups, oe that is ope to ayoe ad oe that is for Wiscosi Mobility Maagemet project staff (curretly, 26 areas have mobility maagers with 48 staff members). I additio, through the Wiscosi Trasportatio Assistace Program, support is provided for low-iterest used-car purchases (usig doated vehicles) to assist i job access ad shared-ride taxi programs. Based upo the iterview with the WDOT staff, a literature review, ad iformatio obtaied through the survey istrumet ad from represetatives from Uited We Ride ad the Commuity Trasportatio Associatio of America (CTAA), visits to Wiscosi trasportatio voucher sites were coducted. TRANSPORTATION VOUCHER PROGRAM SITE VISITS I August 2009, three o-site visits were scheduled with agecies that have developed trasportatio voucher programs, icludig: Door Couty Trasportatio, Door Tra, Sturgeo Bay, Wiscosi Meomiee Regioal Public Trasit, Keshea, Wiscosi Headwaters, Ic., Rhielader, Wiscosi Door-Tra Sturgeo Bay, Wiscosi Door Couty is ortheast of Gree Bay o the Door Peisula (bordered by Lake Michiga ad Gree Bay). Although Door Couty has a year-roud populatio of about 28,000, it experieces a tourist explosio each summer betwee Memorial Day ad Labor Day. Durig this time, the peak residet ad visitor populatio of Door Couty ca reach 250,

43 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES I 2006, the Door Couty Trasportatio Cosortium bega research to determie the trasportatio eeds of Door Couty residets. This research icluded a aual eeds assessmet of the commuity based o surveys of residets ad trasportatio providers. The research results oted that the affordability of trasportatio services was a large cocer for may of the residets of the couty. I respose to the aual assessmets, the Cosortium implemeted programs to decrease barriers ad promote more affordable, available, ad accessible trasportatio for the residets of the area. The programs were established uder the operatioal structure called Door-Tra, which fuctios with a full-time Mobility Maager. The iitial fiacial support for Door-Tra trasportatio programs came from the Door Couty Commuity Foudatio, with support ad participatio from the Trasportatio Cosortium members ad a active goverig coucil. The Uited Way is the fiscal aget for Door-Tra ad is the grat recipiet for a recetly-awarded Federal Trasit Admiistratio New Freedom grat. The services provided by Door-Tra iclude a free carpool matchig service, a trasportatio resource guide, ad a half-price trasportatio voucher system. Door-Tra also provides a iformatio ad referral phoe system ad website. The iitial fiacial support for the Door-Tra programs came from the Door Couty Commuity Foudatio The carpool matchig program was started by Door-Tra i November 2008, complemetig the Wiscosi Employmet Trasportatio Assistace Program (WETAP). This program fuctios as a guarateed ride home program, matchig riders with employmet carpools. WETAP also purchases trasportatio vouchers for its cliets. The Door-Tra Voucher Program was implemeted to provide Door Couty residets the opportuity to purchase trasportatio vouchers for 50 percet of the value of the vouchers. There is o eligibility process. Ayoe who is a residet of Door Couty is eligible. Vouchers may be purchased at the Door- Tra offices i Sturgeo Bay. Social service agecies may purchase the vouchers for their cliets at full face value. Busiesses, orgaizatios, ad other agecies may also purchase the tickets at full face value. Vouchers are available i $1, $5, ad $10 icremets. Each voucher is umbered ad is assiged to a specific idividual. Participats may purchase up to $200 i vouchers per moth. The vouchers expire six moths after the date of issue, ad a oe-time, three-moth extesio may be provided o a idividual basis upo approval by Door-Tra. The trasportatio providers that curretly accept the vouchers iclude the America Red Cross, the Sushie House, Door Couty Seior Trasportatio, ad local taxi operators. All trasportatio providers must sig a Memoradum of Uderstadig with Door Tra that idetifies ad sigifies their agreemet with the operatig coditios ad processes established. The America Red Cross uses voluteer drivers ad provides services from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Moday through Friday. Sushie House operates from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Moday through Friday. The Door Couty Seior Resource Ceter provides services from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. o Moday, Wedesday, Thursday, ad Friday i Sturgeo Bay ad o Tuesday i orther Door Couty. Local taxi compaies ad the Door Couty/Gree Bay Shuttle have trasportatio services available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. While Door Tra would prefer 24-hour advaced otice whe arragig for a ride, o-demad services are available with taxi cab compaies. Riders must make their ow trasportatio reservatios with system providers. At the coclusio of a trip, the trasportatio provider must record the date of the trip ad the umber of miles for the trip o the voucher. Most trasportatio providers ivoice Door-Tra o a mothly basis. The Door Couty Seior Resource Ceter geerally bills o a quarterly basis. Paymets are issued i a timely maer, with those ivoices submitted by the 5th day of each moth paid o or before the 15th day of the same moth. Marketig ad publicity for the voucher program is provided through visits with local social services agecies ad commuity orgaizatios, postigs i the local ewspaper ad other press releases, radio broadcast aoucemets, postigs withi commuities o storefrots or other visible locatios, ad staff participatio at commuity evets. 37

44 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY As of August 2009, 121 idividuals had or were curretly usig the voucher program ad four agecies had purchased vouchers. Of these, 64 are idividuals with a disability, 42 are age 55 years of age or older ad 15 are classified as geeral public. A total of 2,230 rides have bee provided sice November 2008, with 814 of those categorized as work trips, 681 social/appoitmets/religious trips, 299 medical trips, 322 shoppig trips, ad 114 to educatio-related activities. A total of 2,230 rides have bee provided by Door-Tra sice November 2008, with 814 of those categorized as work trips, 681 social/appoitmets/ religious trips, 299 medical trips, 322 shoppig trips, ad 114 to educatiorelated activities. Meomiee Regioal Public Trasit Keshea, Wiscosi The City of Keshea is a small commuity i Meomiee Couty ortheast of Gree Bay. I 2000, Meomiee Couty had a populatio of 4,562. Meomiee Regioal Public Trasit (MRPT) is located i Keshea ad provides trasportatio services to all residets of the Meomiee Reservatio ad Meomiee Couty for medical, utritio, recreatio, educatio ad employmet-related activities. MRPT coordiates a local trasportatio voucher program with the Meomiee Couty Departmet of Health ad Huma Services (HHS). Uder the program, idividuals travelig to a HHS-sposored service or to a medical visit are provided a trasportatio voucher. If a idividual is referred by a Meomiee Couty cliic or is set to a specialist, the Meomiee Couty HHS pays 100 percet of the trip cost. Approximately 600 to 700 vouchers are issued per moth. Vouchers are tracked by voucher umber ad a HHS case worker. The Meomiee Couty HHS has established a aual allocatio for trasportatio services. Quarterly allocatios are provided to MRPT, ad services are provided directly by MRPT. There are o taxi providers i the area. Services are available Moday through Friday from 4:30 a.m. util 6:30 p.m. Idividuals must arrage for their trip at least 30 miutes prior to the trip. Weeked trasportatio is available for medical trips. Services are door-to-door, although MRPT is cosiderig the expasio of regularly-scheduled fixed-route trips. Curretly, six routes per day provide trasportatio services to Gree Bay. Trips to Milwaukee ad Madiso are also provided daily. MRPT has a full-time mobility maager, 35 bus drivers, ad 3 full-time dispatchers. Sixty miutes of driver traiig is required per year. Drug ad alcohol testig is coducted at a local Meomiee Tribal facility ad backgroud checks also are coducted. Headwaters, Ic. Rhielader, Wiscosi Rhielader is the couty seat of Oeida Couty. I 2008, the estimated populatio of Rhielader was 7,649. Headwaters, Ic. was established i 1969 as a ot-for-profit commuity-based work/rehabilitatio ceter. It provides services to people with disabilities, people who are chroically metally ill or ecoomically disadvataged, ad childre with special eeds i Forest, Oeida, ad Vilas couties. The adult traiig program cosists of commuity itegratio, vocatioal evaluatios, sheltered workshops, case maagemet, trasportatio, ad commuity employmet. Headwaters, Ic. provides services to more tha 400 idividuals each year. Headwaters established a trasportatio voucher program i April To use the vouchers, riders must have a mobility limitatio ad be a Headwaters cliet. Vouchers are used for employmet, medical, ad social trips, ad participats make their ow travel arragemets. Idividuals ca purchase the vouchers for $2.50 each (a 10-pack of vouchers ca be purchased), ad the balace of the trip cost is covered with Federal Trasit Admiistratio New Freedom grat fuds ad U.S. Departmet of Educatio Vocatioal Rehabilitatio fudig. Trip costs rage from $10 locally to $65 for trips outside the area. Trips withi Rhielader are provided for a fixed flat rate of $10. Trasportatio services to destiatios outside the City of Rhielader are provided at a flat rate plus mileage. Taxi drivers are required to provide the origi ad destiatio iformatio o the voucher whe received. Vouchers are umbered, ad participats must sig the vouchers whe used. There are curretly two taxi cab compaies that accept the vouchers, ad each has oe accessible va. Services are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. 38

45 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES Sevety percet of the trips provided are employmet trips. Durig the first ad secod quarters of 2009, a total of 1,260 vouchers were issued. Headwaters, Ic. has approached local govermet represetatives to discuss expadig the program, ad staff members are also lookig for alterative fudig sources to help support the program. REPORTED PROGRAM COST SAVINGS The majority of the agecies ad commuities examied through this project have ot coducted a formal beefit/cost aalysis of their mobility programs. Most agecies report aecdotal evidece to support the success of the programs, the cost savigs that were oted sice the implemetatio, customer satisfactio, capacity expasio, ad secodary impacts to those idividuals who are participatig i the program. Cost savigs were oted by a few of those iterviewed. Agecies reported that these cost savigs allowed them to expad services ad icrease the umber of idividuals served. I the City of Scottsdale, it was reported that a trip usig dial-aride services costs the City approximately $29. The same trip provided by a taxi cab results i a billig to the City of $9.47. I Torrace, the average paratrasit trip is $30, while the average trip cost usig a voucher is $13. Valley Metro i Phoeix/Mesa, Arizoa reported a similar situatio a paratrasit trip for dialysis is $27.50 ad a dial-a-ride trip is approximately $35. The average taxi voucher trip paid by Valley Metro is $8.00. Valley Metro staff oted that vouchers provide more capacity at lower per trip costs, which eables them to provide a additioal 30,000 to 40,000 trips per year. The Mesa Mileage Reimbursemet Program pays a average mileage reimbursemet of $6.50 per trip, compared to a average dial-a-ride trip of $ I Flagstaff, a paratrasit trip provided by NAIPTA is aroud $25. Moutai Lift Taxi Voucher program trips average betwee $7 ad $8. Valley Metro staff oted that vouchers provide more capacity at lower per trip costs, which eables them to provide a additioal 30,000 to 40,000 trips per year. The Mesa Mileage Reimbursemet Program pays a average mileage reimbursemet of $6.50 per trip versus the average dial-a-ride trip of $ MOBILITY OPTIONS IN FLORIDA For people with disabilities i Florida, access to alterative mobility optios ca vary greatly depedig o where they reside withi the state ad eve withi their commuities. Optios The mobility optios available to people who have limited or o access to a private automobile ca be geerally grouped ito three categories public trasportatio, paratrasit services, ad taxi service. Public trasportatio exists i may of the urba ad urbaizig commuities withi Florida. People with disabilities who have the ability to access these public trasportatio services fid that the services ofte are offered durig limited operatig hours ad withi defied service corridors ad areas. Paratrasit service is a coordiated, shared ride door-to-door trasportatio service that requires passegers to be registered for the service ad to make prior reservatios. Paratrasit service is provided i each of Florida s 67 couties either uder the auspices of the Florida Commissio for the Trasportatio Disadvataged (CTD) or by the complemetary ADA paratrasit services offered by public trasit agecies. Florida s coordiated system is govered by Chapter 427, Florida Statutes. The trasportatio services offered withi the coordiated system are either provided directly by or coordiated through local Commuity Trasportatio Coordiators (CTCs) i each couty. The CTCs are give the resposibility of esurig that coordiated trasportatio services are provided to trasportatio disadvataged idividuals who, because of physical or metal disability, icome status, or age, are uable to trasport themselves or to purchase trasportatio services ad are, therefore depedet upo others to obtai access to health care, employmet, educatio, shoppig, social activities, or other life-sustaiig activities, or childre who are 39

46 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY hadicapped or high-risk or at-risk as defied i s Chapter 427, F.S., requires all local govermet, state ad federal fuds that are for the trasportatio of the trasportatio disadvataged to be coordiated through CTCs, with services either provided directly by the CTCs or by public, private, or private o-profit trasportatio operators withi the coordiated system. Private trasportatio services iclude those services provided by private taxi compaies, ad shuttle ad limousie services. Historically, private trasportatio services have bee too expesive to be used o a regular basis. I additio, few of these service providers have accessible vehicles withi their fleets. Yet, there are public trasportatio providers ad Commuity Trasportatio Coordiators that have successfully used private carriers to supplemet the services available withi their systems. There curretly are o statewide safety stadards for private trasportatio providers operatig outside Florida s coordiated system ad those that are ot operatig uder a provider agreemet with a public trasportatio agecy. Florida s cities ad couties are authorized to establish local rules, regulatios, ad procedures for private carriers operatig withi their commuities. As a result, the oversight of the taxi idustry varies from commuity to commuity ad, i some cases, does ot exist. Chapter 14-90, Florida Admiistrative Code, requires the developmet of ad adherece to local bus system safety program plas ad security program plas for public trasportatio providers ad those private providers participatig withi Florida s coordiated system. As oted above, private trasportatio providers that operate outside Florida s coordiated system are ot govered by state established operatioal safety stadards. I the provisio of trasportatio for people with disabilities, safety ad security of the rider must be addressed. The mobility optios provided below are ot cosistetly available withi all Florida commuities. Urba areas ted to provide more mobility optios, while rural areas may have few trasportatio alteratives or, if available, the optios may be very limited i service hours or coverage. Operatig Characteristics of Optios I additio to the variatios i their availability, the three geeral mobility optios (public trasit, paratrasit/demad respose, ad taxis) each have uique operatig characteristics as summarized below. Operatig Characteristics of Mobility Optios* Mobility Optio/ Characteristic Public Trasit Paratrasit Demad Respose Services Taxis Type of Vehicle ft bus Va or mii-bus Taxi or va Private or Shared Ride Shared ride Shared ride Private ride Cost to Passeger Miimal Miimal to moderate (2 to 3 times public trasit) High (3 to 10 times public trasit) Schedule Fixed schedule o reservatio Reservatio day before Reservatio same day Availability Usually early morig to early eveig, Moday through Saturday Usually same as public trasit Usually 24/7 Service Coverage City or Couty limits Usually same as public trasit City or Couty limits beyod o case-by-case basis Travel Time Moderate Highest Lowest most direct *Local variatio may exist 40

47 CHAPTER 2 INVENTORY OF PRACTICES TRANSPORTATION COSTS FOR TRADITIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND TAXI SERVICES IN FLORIDA The cost of providig mobility services to people with disabilities varies by the mode selected. Mobility optios available to people with disabilities come with variable costs to the perso receivig the services, as well as the social service agecies subsidizig the cost of the trip ad the system providig the services. As detailed i the followig tables, as the quality of service provided icreases, the cost to the idividual, the sposorig agecy ad the trasportatio system may be higher. The data used to compile these reports were obtaied from FDOT s 2009 Florida Trasit Hadbook prepared by CUTR, the Commissio for Trasportatio Disadvataged 2008 Aual Operatig Reports, ad agecy websites. To provide a compariso of the costs that a idividual would icur for the four most commo trasportatio optios public trasportatio (i.e., bus), complemetary ADA paratrasit services, trasportatio disadvataged (TD) paratrasit service, ad private taxi average trip costs were estimated for six Florida metropolita areas. The table titled Cost Comparisos: Public Trasit, ADA, TD Demad Respose ad Taxi Out-of- Pocket Cost to Passeger for Oe-Way Trip provides uit passeger cost for each mode, the cost to the passeger for a five mile trip, ad the cost to the passeger for a 10-mile trip. The cost to the passeger for traditioal public trasit, ADA complemetary paratrasit service, or trasportatio disadvataged (TD) paratrasit service is a flat rate that does ot usually vary based o the legth of the trip provided. The costs for taxi service, o the other had, are based o the legth of the trip. While the taxi costs for the shorter five-mile trip are geerally 12 to 15 times a bus ride ad 3 to 4 times the cost of a paratrasit ride, as the trip legth icreases, the cost differetial icreases dramatically to 24 times for the bus ad 6 to 7 times for paratrasit trips, thus makig the passeger s cost for the taxi trip cost prohibitive i may cases. The ext table provides a similar compariso for the costs icurred by a sposorig agecy, which icludes the public trasportatio provider. Usig the same six metropolita areas, the typical costs that the agecy pays for providig the trip are provided. The total cost of a oe way trip to the agecy, the et cost of that oe way trip (agecy cost less the passeger fare), ad the oe way passeger cost of similar trips usig taxis (for both 5- ad 10-mile legth trips) are represeted i the table titled Cost Comparisos: Public Trasit, ADA, TD Demad Respose ad Taxi Net Cost of a Oe-Way Trip to Sposorig Agecy. From this iformatio, it is readily apparet that traditioal public trasit service is the most cost efficiet to provide. Where public trasit service is available ad whe people with disabilities ca access the service, public trasit is the mobility optio that should be promoted. Aother observatio is that the cost of usig taxis is competitive for shorter trips (i.e., trips of less tha 10 miles). This idicates the potetial of sposorig agecies for usig taxis to provide some of their shorter passeger trips to provide both a more cost-efficiet trip ad to provide capacity relief o the paratrasit services. Assumig competitive rates could be egotiated with the taxi compaies, the use of taxis i a voucher program is a attractive ad cost effective optio. These egotiated rates coupled with greater passeger participatio due to the premium services that would be provided could make a trasportatio voucher programs cost-effective for a commuity. It must be oted that further aalysis would be required to idetify ad measure ay additioal costs for sposorig agecies that may become ecessary to provide oversight of taxi service providers. These additioal costs may iclude the moitorig ad evaluatio of system safety program compliace, moitorig the quality of the customer service provided, which may iclude surveyig participats ad/or sposorig agecies, ad billig oversight ad recociliatio. If traiig is required for private trasportatio carriers operatig withi the voucher program, this may also iclude the costs associated with providig this traiig. These additioal costs may be offset by well egotiated per uit trip costs ad overall system efficiecies. 44 S (1), Florida Statutes 41

48 Cost Comparisos: Public Trasit, ADA & TD Demad Respose ad Taxi Out-of-Pocket Cost to Passeger for Oe-Way Trip Uit Passeger Costs Per Oe Way Trip Passeger Cost For Five Mile Trip Passeger Cost For Te Mile Trip Florida City Bus* * Discouted fare ADA Demad Respose Local TD Service Taxi Bus* Ft. Lauderdale $0.75 $3.00 $3.00 $2.50 first 1/6 mile + 40 cets per 1/6 mile Ft. Myers $0.60 $2.00 $2.00 $3.05 first 1/5 mile + 40 cets per 1/5 mile Miami $1.00 $3.00 $3.00 $ $2.40 per mile Orlado $1.00 $4.00 $3.50 $ $2.50 per mile Pesacola $0.85 $3.50 $3.50 $2.00 first 1/9 mile + 25 cets per 1/9 mile Tampa $0.85 $3.50 $5.00 $2.00 first 1/5 mile + $2.75 per mile + 45 cets per 1/5 mile ADA Demad Respose Local TD Service Taxi Bus* ADA Demad Respose Local TD Service Taxi $0.75 $3.50 $3.00 $12.10 $0.75 $3.50 $3.00 $22.10 $0.60 $2.00 $2.00 $12.65 $0.60 $2.00 $2.00 $22.65 $1.00 $3.00 $3.00 $12.10 $1.00 $3.00 $3.00 $24.10 $1.00 $4.00 $4.00 $12.50 $1.00 $4.00 $4.00 $25.00 $0.85 $3.00 $3.50 $13.00 $0.85 $3.00 $3.50 $24.25 $0.85 $3.50 $3.50 $14.80 $0.85 $3.50 $3.50 $28.55 Cost Comparisos: Public Trasit, ADA & TD Demad Respose ad Taxi Net Cost of a Oe-Way Trip to Sposorig Agecy Total Cost of Oe Way Trip to Agecy Net Cost of Oe Way Trip (Agecy Cost less Passeger Fare) Total Cost of Oe Way Taxi Trip to Passeger Florida City FY2008 Fixed Route Cost Per Oe Way Trip FY2008 ADA Demad Respose Cost Per Oe Way Trip TD/AOR FY2008 Data Cost Per Oe Way Trip Fixed Route Net Cost Per Oe Way Trip ADA Demad Respose Net Cost Per Oe Way Trip TD/AOR Net Cost Per Oe Way Trip Taxi - Cost of 5-Mile Ride Taxi - Cost of 10-Mile Ride Ft. Lauderdale $2.56 $28.25 $28.06 $1.81 $25.25 $25.06 $12.10 $22.10 Ft. Myers $5.36 $32.38 $27.74 $4.61 $30.38 $25.74 $12.65 $22.65 Miami $3.91 $25.15 $28.68 $3.16 $22.15 $25.68 $12.10 $24.10 Orlado $3.32 $32.69 $17.51 $2.57 $28.69 $14.01 $12.50 $25.00 Pesacola $6.25 $22.21 $23.08 $5.50 $18.71 $21.58 $13.00 $24.25 Tampa $6.71 $31.45 $16.87 $5.96 $27.95 $11.87 $14.80 $

49 BEST PRACTICES CHAPTER 3

50 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Providig safe, reliable, ad accessible trasportatio optios for people with disabilities is challegig. The survey of mobility providers detailed i the previous chapter idetified several examples of successful programs that have effectively addressed the challeges of meetig the trasportatio eeds of their commuities. These programs have istituted alterative mobility optios that expad opportuities to people with disabilities. The programs that have excelled i the establishmet ad maagemet of these mobility optios, specifically trasportatio voucher programs, are highlighted i this chapter. Overall best practices observed through the survey, agecy iterviews, ad site visits also are icluded. NORTHERN ARIZONA INTERGOVERNMENTAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (NAIPTA) Moutai Lift Taxi Voucher Program Flagstaff, Arizoa Program Desig NAIPTA established the Moutai Lift Taxi Voucher Program i May The program was established to provide a trasportatio alterative that is withi the cotrol of participats ad is flexible ad relatively affordable. It is a fare-based program ad has o mileage limitatios. The vouchers ca be used to obtai trasportatio services from local taxi operators. Participat Eligibility The program is ope to all Moutai Lift paratrasit cliets. All trips must either origiate from or have a destiatio i Flagstaff. Voucher Desig ad Distributio Each Moutai Lift voucher is preprited with the ame of the participat, expiratio date, ad the two addresses betwee which the participat may travel. The participat s residece is usually oted as either the trip origi or destiatio. To provide additioal flexibility, each moth cliets may order up to 4 of the vouchers for which they are eligible with a blak destiatio. These vouchers may be used for uplaed trips. Participats usig these blak destiatio vouchers are resposible for eterig the destiatio ame ad address iformatio before givig the voucher to a taxi driver. Moutai Lift cliets who wat to participate i the program may request ay umber of vouchers up to a full packet of 20 - $10 vouchers per moth, usig the order forms provided by NAIPTA. Cliets who are receivig dialysis treatmets may request a additioal 26 vouchers per moth at o cost. A list of participatig taxi compaies is provided with each voucher order. Vouchers are valid for 60 days from the date of issuace. Provider Selectio/Qualificatios Taxi compaies are pre-qualified by NAIPTA ad work uder a cotractual agreemet. Taxi rates are established o a per-mile fare basis. Taxi providers are resposible for providig traiig i the areas of ADA compliace, defesive drivig, first aid/cpr, ad passeger assistace traiig. The providers are ot required to perform backgroud checks or coduct drug/ alcohol testig for taxi drivers. Trip Rates/Rider Participatio The maximum fare that NAIPTA will subsidize is idicated o each voucher ($10, $15, or $20). Participats i the Americas with Disabilities Act (ADA) complemetary paratrasit service area i Flagstaff pay the first $2 of the fare. Kachia cliets ad Flagstaff cliets outside the ADA complemetary paratrasit service area pay the first $5 of the fare. If the fare for a oe-way trip exceeds the iitial ADA fare amout (either $2 or $5) plus the maximum value amout of the voucher ($10, $15, or $20), the participat pays the remaiig balace of the fare. Participats are required to pay their portio of the taxi fare whe the vouchers are provided to the taxi driver upo completio of a trip. 44

51 CHAPTER 3 BEST PRACTICES Trip Reservatios Vouchers ca be used with ay of the participatig taxi compaies. There are curretly three taxi providers participatig i the program. Participats are resposible for cotactig a taxi provider ad arragig their trasportatio. They are asked to provide the taxi compay with as much detail as possible, icludig the eed for physical assistace, trasportatio for special care attedats, physical accommodatios, ad/or wheelchair or walker trasport, ad if there are service aimals that will be accompayig the participat. Billigs/Oversight Taxi compaies provide billigs to NAIPTA o a mothly basis. Vouchers used ad collected durig the billig period must be provided with each ivoice. Each voucher must have iformatio o the trip s origi ad destiatio, the total fare for each trip, ad must iclude the sigatures of both the driver ad the participat. Fudig Sources The fudig sources for the program iclude local fuds ad Federal Trasit Admiistratio New Freedom ad Urbaized Area Formula program grat fuds Best Practices Allowig additioal travel vouchers for dialysis patiets at o cost to the cliet. Providig up to four blak destiatio vouch- ers per moth, allowig greater flexibility. Purchasig accessible taxi cabs for use by co- tracted providers. Requirig taxi providers to trai drivers i ADA compliace, defesive drivig, first aid/ CPR, ad passeger assistace. Allowig social service agecies to purchase vouchers ad distribute them to their cliets. VALLEY METRO Coupos for Cabs ad Mesa Mileage Reimbursemet Program Phoeix/Mesa, Arizoa Program Desig The Coupos for Cabs program provides affordable cab service for seiors 65 years of age ad older ad people with disabilities who live i the East Valley commuities of Chadler, Gilbert, Mesa, ad Tempe. The Mesa Mileage Reimbursemet Program provides a reimbursemet to voluteer drivers who trasport seior citizes ad people with disabilities. Participat Eligibility The Mesa Mileage Reimbursemet Program is available oly to qualified Mesa residets. A applicatio must be completed ad approved before a idividual ca participate i the program. Voucher Desig ad Distributio I the Coupos for Cabs program, participats may purchase up to $100 i travel vouchers per moth. The coupos are provided i booklets of 10, with each coupo worth $1. Residets of Chadler, Gilbert, Mesa, ad Tempe ca purchase $100 worth of coupos for $25. Participats ca use the coupos to help pay for cab trips they take with ay of the program s authorized cab compaies. For idividuals travelig to dialysis treatmets, there is o cost for the vouchers (up to six trips per week). The coupos have a expiratio date that rages from three to six moths from the date of purchase ad must be used prior to that date. Coupos may be used for the taxi fare ad tip. Mileage Reimbursemet Program Desig Participats ca receive up to $300 of per mile voluteer reimbursemet authorizatios per moth. Oce participats are erolled i the program, they receive a welcome package that icludes mileage log sheets. Participats must complete the log sheets ad submit them to the Mesa Ride Choice office for reimbursemets. The reimbursemets are paid to the participat who is resposible for reimbursig the voluteer driver. The mileage reimbursemet is $0.55 per mile (the curret IRS rate). 45

52 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Provider Selectio/Qualificatios Cab compaies are licesed by the State of Arizoa Departmet of Weights ad Measures. Cab compaies perform backgroud checks ad drug ad alcohol testig for their drivers. Aual ADA traiig is required for each driver. Voluteer drivers providig services as part of the Mileage Reimbursemet Program ca be a fried, eighbor, or relative of the participat. However, the voluteer caot reside with the participat. Trip Rates/Rider Participatio The trip cost is based upo a metered taxi rate. Valley Metro pre-authorizes a mileage limit for each trip. Each voucher coupo is worth $1. Participats are required to provide the taxi driver the umber of coupos ecessary to cover the cost of the trip. Trip Reservatios To schedule a trip, participats must cotact oe of the program s approved cab compaies. They must idicate that they are usig a coupo ad request a estimate of the trip cost. If passegers eed a wheelchair-accessible va, they must otify the cab compay whe schedulig the trip. Billigs/Oversight Mileage log sheets must be completed accurately ad received i the Ride Choice Office by the 5th day of the moth. Reimbursemet checks are mailed o the 15th of the moth. Reimbursemet checks are set to the passegers, whose resposibility it is to tur the moey over to their voluteer drivers. Fudig Sources The Coupos for Cabs ad Mesa Mileage Reimbursemet Program are supported by geeral reveue fudig from participatig muicipalities, a $0.05 sales tax, state lottery fuds, the City of Mesa ad a Federal Trasit Admiistratio New Freedom grat. Best Practices Usig voluteer drivers i the Mileage Reim- bursemet Program which provides cosiderable system cost savigs. Providig trasportatio vouchers to dialysis trips for up to six trips per week at o cost to the participat. Esurig participatig taxi providers coduct backgroud tests, establish drug ad alcohol testig programs, ad provide ADA traiig for their drivers. Requirig taxi providers to be registered with the State of Arizoa Departmet of Weights ad Measures. CAB CONNECTION Scottsdale, Arizoa Program Descriptio Cab Coectio is a taxi voucher subsidy program desiged to provide a trasportatio alterative to dial-a-ride service. Cab Coectio is withi the cotrol of the participat ad is flexible ad relatively affordable. The program serves all areas withi the City of Scottsdale. Participat Eligibility Participats must be City of Scottsdale residets, age 65 or older or with a documeted disability. Participats must complete a applicatio process that icludes proof of their physical address. Participats must have a valid Valley Metro Reduced Fare Authorizatio Card. Valley Metro idetificatio cards are valid for five years ad require reewal to maitai eligibility i the Cab Coectio program. Voucher Desig ad Distributio Participats may request up to 16 oe-way vouchers per moth, usig the mail order forms provided by Cab Coectio. Dialysis patiets are eligible to receive a additioal 26 vouch- 46

53 CHAPTER 3 BEST PRACTICES ers per moth to travel to dialysis ceters for a total of 42 vouchers per moth. Program staff issue vouchers withi two weeks of receipt of a order. Vouchers are mailed directly to the participat at their address of record (vouchers are ot mailed to post office boxes). Each voucher is preprited with the ame ad address of the participat ad a expiratio date. Vouchers are valid for 30 days from the date the voucher is issued. Provider Selectio/Qualificatios To participate i the program, taxi compaies must be licesed by the State of Arizoa Departmet of Weights ad Measures. There are curretly eight taxi compaies participatig i the program. Taxi drivers are cotract employees who lease vehicles from the taxi compaies. While ot required for licesig or through the program, some taxi compaies perform backgroud checks o the drivers. Trip Rates/Rider Participatio Cab Coectio is a fare-based program ad has o mileage limitatios. Travel is permitted outside Scottsdale as log as the ride either begis or eds withi the Scottsdale city limits. Trip chaiig or makig iterim stops is ot permitted. The City of Scottsdale will ot pay for taxi wait charges. Cab Coectio will pay for oly oe trip as described o the voucher. The City of Scottsdale pays 80 percet of the fare, up to the maximum fare of $12.50 ($10 subsidy). If the fare for a oe-way trip exceeds $12.50, participats pay the full fare, mius $10. The City will cover 100 percet of the trip cost for idividuals travelig to dialysis treatmet ceters. Trip Reservatios Vouchers ca be used to obtai trasportatio from ay participatig taxi compay. A list of participatig providers is provided to participats ad is updated as taxi compaies choose to participate or withdrawal their participatio. The list is also updated if ay cotact iformatio chages for the provider. To arrage a trip, participats select a taxi compay from the provider list. Participats the call the taxi compay to make their reservatio, givig the operator as much detail as possible, icludig requiremets for physical assistace, special physical accommodatios, wheelchair or walker trasport, or service aimal trasport. Participats must show their Valley Metro Reduced Fare Authorizatio Card to the driver upo pickup. Participats are resposible for eterig complete destiatio address iformatio, icludig the ame of the locatio, o the blak destiatio lie of the vouchers before givig it to the cab driver. The driver must provide the total fare, the amout paid by the participat, ad the ame of the trasportatio provider. The participat ad driver must sig the voucher upo the completio of the trip. Billig/Oversight Taxi compaies bill the City of Scottsdale at the ed of each moth. A origial ivoice must be submitted alog with the origial vouchers. The provider s compay ame ad address are prited o the ivoice. A Excel spreadsheet i the exact format prescribed by the City of Scottsdale listig all the vouchers is also provided electroically each time a ivoice is submitted. A spreadsheet template is mailed to taxi providers to use whe submittig each billig. The City of Scottsdale pays the ivoices withi 30 days of receipt. Fudig Source Fudig is received from a portio of a oehalf cet sales tax levied i the regio for trasportatio improvemets (passed by voter referedum i 2004 kow as Propositio 400 ) that is collected by the couty. While the majority of these fuds are used to support highway projects, a portio of the reveue is used to offset the costs of providig dial-a-ride services ad dialysis trips ad supportig the Cab Coectio. Fudig is also made available from the City of Scottsdale. Best Practices Expadig the services provided to people with disabilities ad seiors utilizig the cost savigs geerated by the Cab Coectio program. Utilizig the Valley Metro Reduced Fare Authorizatio Card cofirms the idetity of participat ad their eligibility for services. Allowig additioal travel vouchers for dialysis patiets at o cost to the participat. Requirig taxi providers to be registered with the State of Arizoa Departmet of Weights ad Measures. 47

54 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY MARYLAND TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION (MTA) TAXI ACCESS II Baltimore, Marylad Program Descriptio Taxi Access II is a premium service delivery optio for certified MTA mobility/paratrasit customers. Services are provided by taxi ad other private compaies ad are available withi the MTA service area. Services are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Participat Eligibility To be eligible for the service, customers must be certified as a MTA Mobility Services customer ad must have bee certified for at least 90 days. Participats must also be 13 years of age or older. All applicats must be capable of boardig, ridig, ad exitig vehicles either idepedetly or with the assistace of a compaio. Voucher Desig ad Distributio Participats i the program receive a smart card with a uique umber that idetifies them as a Taxi Access II customer. These cards are used for trip verificatios usig a mobile trackig device that uses GPS techology. The smart card is ot used for moetary trackig. Customers ca use this card up to two times per day to travel withi the MTA Mobility Service area (withi ¾ mile of MTA fixed-route service). Provider Selectio/Qualificatios Taxi providers operatig withi the City of Baltimore ad Baltimore Couty fuctio uder the authority of the Public Service Commissio. Taxi compaies or drivers operatig i Ae Arudel Couty fuctio uder the regulatory cotrol of the Ae Arudel Departmet of Licesig. MTA has a broker who cotracts with the taxi providers for the services. There curretly are 11 taxi ad seda compaies participatig i the Taxi Access II program. Trip Rates/Rider Participatio Participats pay $3 for each oe-way trip. If the total trip cost exceeds $20, the customer pays the driver the amout over $20 (i additio to the $3 fare). Trip Reservatios To access trasportatio services, customers must cotact the dispatch office of a participatig trasportatio provider at least 40 miutes prior to the trip ad provide their 16-digit smart card umber. They also must provide their telephoe umber; the day, date ad time of the trip; ad the pickup locatio ad destiatio. Customers who use a mobility device, such as a wheelchair, must otify the provider. Customers may travel with up to three other idividuals (such as a persoal care attedat, a compaio, or childre) at o additioal cost but all must have the same trip origi ad destiatio. Oce the trasportatio provider arrives, the customer must preset the Taxi Access II card ad the $3 fare. All travel must begi ad ed withi the established MTA Mobility Service area. Billig/Oversight The driver uses the customer s Taxi Access II card both at the start of the trip ad at the ed of the trip ad must provide a completed receipt to the customer for review ad sigature. The customer must verify all the iformatio o the receipt for accuracy before sigig. The customer s sigature validates the trasactio ad authorizes paymet for services. Customers are required to keep all the receipts for a period of six moths for auditig purposes. Fudig Source Fudig is provided by the State of Marylad Departmet of Trasportatio. Best Practices Applyig smart card techology has sigifi- catly icreased system efficiecy, reduced fraud ad abuse, ad reduced billig errors ad associated recociliatio activities. I additio, data obtai from the card readers ca assist with performace measuremet ad moitorig ad system plaig. Utilizig a broker to cotract with participat- ig taxi providers. Purchasig mobile data termials (MDTs) with card readers ad leasig them to participatig taxi providers. 48

55 CHAPTER 3 BEST PRACTICES DOOR-TRAN Sturgeo Bay, Wiscosi Program Descriptio The Door-Tra Voucher Program is a trasportatio optio implemeted by Door Couty to decrease barriers ad promote more affordable, available, ad accessible trasportatio for residets of the couty. The program provides residets of Door Couty with the opportuity to purchase trasportatio vouchers at 50 percet of their face value. These vouchers ca be used to purchase trasportatio services from participatig service providers. Participat Eligibility There is o eligibility determiatio process. Ayoe who is a residet of Door Couty is eligible for the services. Voucher Desig ad Distributio Participats may purchase up to $200 i vouchers per moth. Vouchers may be purchased at the Door-Tra offices i Sturgeo Bay. Social service agecies may also purchase the vouchers for their cliets at full face value. Busiesses, orgaizatios, ad other agecies also may purchase the tickets at full face value. Vouchers are available i icremets of $1, $5, ad $10. Each voucher is umbered ad assiged to a specific idividual. The vouchers are valid for 60 days from the date of issue. A oe-time, three-moth extesio may be provided o a idividual basis upo approval by Door-Tra. Provider Selectio/Qualificatios Trasportatio providers i the area are ivited by Door-Tra to participate i the voucher system by agreeig to accept vouchers from passegers. All trasportatio providers i the system must sig a Memoradum of Uderstadig with Door-Tra that idetifies the operatig coditios ad processes established. The trasportatio providers that curretly accept the vouchers iclude the America Red Cross, the Sushie House, Door Couty Seior Trasportatio, ad local taxi operators. The America Red Cross uses voluteer drivers ad provides services from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Moday through Friday. The Sushie House operates from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Moday through Friday. The Door Couty Seior Resource Ceter provides services from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. o Moday, Wedesday, Thursday, ad Friday i Sturgeo Bay ad o Tuesday i orther Door Couty. Local taxi compaies ad the Door Couty/Gree Bay Shuttle have trasportatio services available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Trip Rates/Rider Participatio Participats ca purchase vouchers for 50 percet of their face value. Taxi providers are paid with vouchers for the full meter rate for the trip. The vouchers are provided to the drivers upo completio of the trip, ad participats are required to record the date of the trip ad the umber of miles travelled o the voucher. Trip Reservatios Participats are asked to make reservatios 24 hours i advace of the trip, although odemad services are available based o system capacity. Riders must make their ow trasportatio reservatios with participatig service providers. Billig/Oversight Most trasportatio providers ivoice Door-Tra o a mothly basis. The Door Couty Seior Resource Ceter geerally bills o a quarterly basis. Paymets are issued i a timely maer, with those ivoices submitted by the 5th of each moth paid o or before the 15th of the same moth. Participatig providers are reimbursed for 95 percet of the face value of the voucher or at 95 percet of the cost of the service provided, whichever is less. Fudig Sources Iitial fudig for the program was provided by the Door Couty Commuity Foudatio. A New Freedom Program grat from the Federal Trasit Admiistratio has also bee awarded. Support also is provided by Door Couty ad commuity orgaizatios ad agecies. 49

56 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Best Practices Beefittig from a active trasportatio co- sortium ad goverig coucil. Successfully securig iitial fiacial support from the Door Couty Commuity Foudatio. Successfully gaiig commuity ad local govermet fiacial support. Utilizig a Memoradum of Uderstadig with trasportatio providers that idetifies miimum operatig coditios ad system processes. Utilizig voluteer drivers to reduce costs. SUMMARY OF BEST PRACTICES KEY SUCCESS FACTORS AND PROGRAM ELEMENTS I additio to the five commuity mobility programs highlighted, there are several agecies ad orgaizatios that have implemeted trasportatio voucher ad voluteer programs that have key success factors ad program elemets that bear discussio, as idicated i the literature review, the survey, ad site iterviews. Through program startup, gaiig commuity ad govermetal etity coordiatio ad buy-i, the implemetatio process, system operatio, ad iteractio with other voucher/mobility optio program staff members, additioal best practices have bee idetified. Those best practices that hold relevace for this study are oted below. They iclude procedures ad policies related to the use of federal ad state fuds, other fudig mechaisms ad structures, operatioal characteristics, rider resposibilities ad qualificatios, taxi driver requiremets ad qualificatios, establishmet of rate structures for trasportatio services, participatio i the program by social service agecy cliets, ad billig procedures. These practices are categorized ad listed i the sectios that follow. Voucher Program Desig ad Distributio Usig photo idetificatio cards (or smart cards) that idetify participats ad their eligibility for services. Allowig vouchers to be used to pay mileage reimbursemets to voluteer drivers. Icorporatig voluteer driver programs withi the voucher program to improve system efficiecy ad reduce program costs. Distributig the vouchers by mail to partici- pats erolled i the program. This is more coveiet for participats ad allows greater distributio cotrol. Usig trasportatio vouchers for dialysis trips. Idividuals who have received dialysis treatmets will have reduced wait times for retur trips followig those treatmets. Allowig social service agecies to purchase vouchers ad distribute them to their cliets. Implemetig voucher ad voluteer programs i rural areas where there is little to o public trasportatio, thereby icreasig opportuities for people with disabilities. Implemetig voucher ad voluteer programs as supplemetal services i areas where there is limited public trasportatio available. Provider Selectio/Qualificatios Aually coductig procuremet processes for private service (taxi) providers, allowig greater competitio ad participatio. Requirig participatig taxi providers to co- duct backgroud tests ad establish drug ad alcohol testig programs for their drivers. Optimizig customer choice i areas where there are several taxi providers by cotractig with multiple providers. If riders are dissatisfied with the services provided, they simple select a differet provider. Requirig taxi drivers to be traied i ADA compliace, defesive drivig, first aid/cpr, ad passeger assistace. 50

57 CHAPTER 3 BEST PRACTICES Trip Rate/Rider Participatio Negotiatig fixed price trip rates with local taxi operators, limitig the opportuity for overbillig ad reducig the time spet recocilig billigs. Reducig the co-paymet or requirig o co-paymet for idividuals usig vouchers for trasportatio to dialysis treatmets. Trip Reservatios Allowig participats to schedule trasporta- tio directly with a participatig provider. Allowig participats to choose their traspor- tatio provider. Billig/Oversight Closely moitorig the voucher program bud- get. This is critical i areas where taxi services are ot provided at a fixed flat rate. Variatios i average trip costs ca sigificatly affect the program budget ad sustaiability. Usig a mobility maager or trasportatio coordiator to effectively implemet, admiister, moitor ad maage a trasportatio voucher program ad coordiate with ad egage the trasportatio iterest etwork withi the commuity. Usig smart card techologies as a mechaism to improve system efficiecy ad improve the issuace, billig, trackig, ad recociliatio processes. Smart cards ca sigificatly icrease system efficiecy, reduce fraud ad abuse, ad reduce billig errors ad associated recociliatio activities. I additio, data obtai from the card readers ca assist with performace measuremet ad moitorig ad system plaig. Establishig voucher distributio thresholds per moth or per idividual to reduce the risk of budget shortfalls. Havig both the rider ad the driver sig the voucher cofirms the trip was made ad provides documetatio of the trip origi ad destiatio. Usig safety paper for vouchers or umberig them reducig the likelihood of duplicatio or the risk of fraud. Fudig Creatively usig social service agecy fuds, icludig U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services fudig, to match federal ad state trasportatio fuds. Actively pursuig fiacial support from chari- table orgaizatios, o-profit ad commuity groups, ad foudatios. Usig federal stimulus fuds from the Federal Trasit Admiistratio to pay for mobility maagemet services ad to supplemet the program budget. Usig federal trasportatio fuds to purchase accessible taxis or other vehicles ad leasig those vehicles to private providers for use withi the system. Usig federal trasportatio fuds to purchase techology applicatios, icludig global positioig system (GPS)/automatic vehicle locator (AVL) techologies, mobile data termials, other capital items ecessary for the applicatio of smart cards (such as card readers), ad associated hardware/software). Effectively directig fuds saved through the voucher programs to expad services to those who use paratrasit services or to expad voucher programs. 51

58 52

59 VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION CHAPTER 4

60 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING TRANSPORTATION VOUCHER PROGRAMS IN FLORIDA Trasportatio voucher programs, icludig those that icorporate services provided by voluteers, are feasible mobility optios for Florida. The success of voucher programs, icludig those hybrid programs that icorporate characteristics of both voucher ad voluteer programs, has bee demostrated i commuities across the coutry, ad the programs or elemets of the programs ca be replicated i Florida. Additioal discussio follows regardig the cosideratios ecessary for the implemetatio of trasportatio voucher programs i the state. The feasibility of implemetig trasportatio voucher programs ad the implemetatio of pilot or demostratio programs are discussed i this chapter. Implemetatio strategies, a recommeded timelie for the selectio ad implemetatio of a pilot program, ad performace measures that ca be icorporated ito a competitive procuremet for oe or more pilot projects are provided, as are the operatioal parameters for implemetatio. These parameters are based o the best practices described i Chapter 4, as well as the dialogue with the agecies ad orgaizatios that have successfully implemeted such programs. Also icluded i this chapter is the idetificatio of some of the more frequetly-used federal fudig sources that could be used to support these programs. This is followed by a discussio of the barriers or challeges to the implemetatio of a voucher program, the likelihood that these could be overcome, ad mechaisms that may be used to alleviate or elimiate these barriers ad challeges. The discussio ecourages the close coordiatio ad cooperatio amog stakeholders, oe of the most critical elemets to overcomig barriers ad challeges ad implemetig a successful voucher pilot program. Stakeholders ivolved i a voucher pilot program could iclude local program coordiators, Regioal Plaig Coucils, Commuity Trasportatio Coordiators, local private for-profit trasportatio providers, social service agecies ad orgaizatios, local govermet represetatives, private charitable ad faith-based orgaizatios, state agecies (icludig Florida s Commissio for the Trasportatio Disadvataged, the Florida Departmet of Trasportatio, the Florida Goveror s Commissio o Disabilities, ad the FDDC, as well as others), program participats, ad local trasportatio providers. PILOT PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY To establish cosistecy, it is recommeded that the pilot projects be developed uder a set of similar parameters, such as the type of vouchers issued, the voucher distributio process, the method for determiig program eligibility, the ability of social service agecy providers to purchase vouchers for their cliets, the fiacial participatio of the idividuals who will be usig the vouchers, the provider selectio process, the method by which providers will be paid (icludig how rates are set), the billig recociliatio process, ad program oversight-related activities. It is recogized that the fial operatig parameters will be subject to local egotiatios that will occur durig the implemetatio process ad should be tailored to meet local coditios ad situatios. The followig provides a summary of the type of processes ad policies that must be cosidered i the developmet stages of the pilot projects. Selectio of Pilot Projects The best method to establish trasportatio voucher pilot projects will be to coduct a competitive selectio or formal project applicatio process to solicit local project coordiators. It is recommeded that a miimum of two sites be selected, oe i a urba settig ad oe i a rural eviromet. Pilot program sites should be cotaied withi areas that have fully-established mobility maagemet plaig activities ad processes. Competitive Program Coordiator Procuremet I the developmet of a competitive selectio process for the coordiator of the program ad the resultig scope of services, a umber of miimum operatioal cosideratios will eed to be addressed. Respodets should be ecouraged to propose regioal delivery applicatios. The proposal evaluatio process should favorably weigh proposals from agecies ad orgaizatios that have demostrated advaced mobility maagemet strategies that iclude a meu of trasportatio service optios of which a trasportatio voucher program could be a part. The proposals should iclude the method by which service providers will be selected. I additio, respodets 54

61 CHAPTER 4 VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION that have extesive trasportatio service delivery experiece should be weighed favorably. Agecies or orgaizatios that are selected to implemet pilot projects should have demostrated maagerial ad fiscal qualificatios, icludig iteral cotrols that esure that effective cotrol ad accoutability are maitaied through the project. It will also be importat to select agecies or orgaizatios that will be eligible to apply for ad accept federal ad state grat awards. Voucher Pilot Program Maagemet The implemetatio of a voucher program will require the coordiatio of social service programs, commuity groups, private trasportatio providers, ad state ad federal grats. The selected program coordiators should be able to maage cotracts with service providers, coordiate with program sposors at the local level, maage state ad federal grat awards, have fiacial maagemet capabilities, ad esure the establishmet ad moitorig of performace measures. It is recommeded that the pilot project locatios establish a program steerig committee or advisory committee that will provide advice, directio, ad support to the program coordiator. Voucher Program Desig Oe area of priority should be the use of trasportatio vouchers by people with disabilities for employmet trips. As demostrated i the APRIL program summary, oe of the greatest beefits of the program was the sigificat icrease i the umber of participats who were able to obtai ad maitai their employmet status. The program should focus the use of trasportatio vouchers for dialysis trips. The use of taxis by dialysis patiets affords them more direct ad timely service. The movemet of some employmet ad dialysis trips to the voucher program may free up capacity o the paratrasit system. Oce the program is successfully established, the expasio of the program to other groups ad for varyig trip purposes will be ecouraged. At a miimum, the trasportatio voucher program should operate durig the same hours that Oe area of priority should be the use of trasportatio voucher by people with disabilities for employmet trips. other mobility services are operated i the area. Ideally, the trasportatio voucher program would be available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Selectio of Service Providers A method should be established for the selectio of the trasportatio service providers. Iitial discussio of this topic should be cotaied withi the proposal submitted by the selected program coordiator. I areas that cotai several qualified service providers, a competitive process such as a Request for Bids should be coducted. I areas where there are few trasportatio providers, a Request for Qualificatios may be doe, or there may be direct egotiatios with service providers. A cotract should be executed betwee the program coordiator ad the trasportatio service providers. I the selectio of ad egotiatio with a service provider, miimum safety ad operatioal requiremets will eed to be addressed ad cofirmed. Trip Rate Negotiatios Trip rates should be egotiated with the local taxi compaies. Flat per-trip or zoal rates facilitate recordkeepig, billig ad budget cotrol, but per-mile trip rates are workable. Out-of-area trips should be egotiated o a per-trip basis for each destiatio. Participat Eligibility Requiremets Subject to the fudig source criteria, it is suggested that eligibility for participatio i the trasportatio voucher program iitially be limited to idividuals with a cofirmed disability, seior adults age 60 or above, ad dialysis patiets. A applicatio ad approval process should be developed to idetify eligible program participats. Voucher Istrumet Desig ad Distributio Upo registratio ad establishmet of participat eligibility, vouchers would be issued to eligible passegers either by mail or by other distributio method, as agreed upo by the program coordiator. The vouchers should be paper vouchers prited o security paper ad should iclude the participat s ame (vouchers will be o-trasferable) ad a umber. They should be available i booklets of 10 to 20 i a quatity ot to exceed a certai umber of vouchers per moth. The voucher should have a specific value or idicate a ot-to-exceed amout. The fial desig of the voucher program may require the paymet of a co-pay to be paid by the participat for each trip. Fiacial participatio by riders would allow the 55

62 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY program to provide additioal trips. Vouchers should be valid for a specific period of time set by the program (for example, for o more tha 60 days from date of issue). The use of vouchers to reimburse voluteer drivers for mileage accumulated i the delivery of trasportatio services should also be cosidered. I programs that have used voluteer drivers withi the system, program cost savigs have bee documeted. The local voucher program coordiator should determie the rate of the mileage reimbursemet ad the qualificatios for voluteer drivers. The local project coordiator must register ay voluteer drivers that will be used i the system. Voucher trips provided by voluteer drivers should be delivered at o cost to the participat. Trip Reservatios ad Provider Cotact Participats would be allowed to choose a provider (icludig approved voluteer drivers) based o a list of eligible providers. Provider cotact iformatio should be provided by the program coordiator ad should be icluded i voucher packets ad updated as required. Participats would cotact the provider directly to make travel arragemets. Participats usig taxi cab services should be required to provide two-hour otice for all local trips ad should arrage for out-of-area trips the day before the trip will occur. The otice requiremets for voluteer drivers would be established betwee the voluteer driver ad the participats. If participats require a accessible vehicle, the trip should be arraged a day i advace. Participat Co-Pay The amout per trip for which a passeger is resposible should be egotiated. The participat co-pay could be based o program sposor, passeger icome level, time of day of the service, or the type of service provided (e.g., dialysis trips may require o co-paymet). The co-pay policy could be desiged to require idividuals travelig out of the area to pay the differece betwee the value of the voucher ad the egotiated trip rate for the destiatio. Co-pays could either be collected by the private trasportatio provider who would bill for the balace of the trip rate or, a participat may pay the co-paymet to the voucher project coordiator whe requestig coupos. Trasportatio services provided by voluteer drivers should be completed without participat co-pay. This may ecourage participats to actively idetity potetial voluteer drivers who could be registered withi the system. The use of voluteer drivers would result i sigificat per trip cost savigs. Program Billigs ad Oversight Participats would provide the private providers (taxi drivers) with the voucher upo completio of the trip. The voucher should iclude the destiatio ad trip cost ad should be siged by both the driver ad the participat. The taxi compaies would collect all vouchers ad submit them to the program coordiator withi the timeframe specified i the provider agreemet. If participat co-paymets are required to be paid to the private provider, the provider would bill for the total per trip egotiated rate mius the co-paymet received. Paymets would be made to the private provider i a timeframe specified i the provider agreemet. The paymet would be the differece betwee the egotiated trip rates less the fare paid by the passeger. Trips ad vouchers would be radomly selected by the program coordiator for oversight review. Participats (or their desigees) would be cotacted to cofirm the date of the trip ad the destiatio. If the program is desiged to issue vouchers at o upfrot cost to the passegers, the fiacial recordkeepig requiremets would be simplified. The taxi compaies would be reimbursed for the completed ad siged trasportatio vouchers collected at a predetermied per-trip flat rate (cost of trip less fare collected). Voluteer drivers must maitai a log of the trips provided ad the mileage for each trip. The log with correspodig mileage must be tured i for mileage reimbursemets. Grat Maagemet The project coordiator should moitor the project to esure that all grat supported activities are beig coducted i compliace with those grats. Grat maagemet resposibilities should iclude: Providig admiistrative ad maagerial sup- port throughout project implemetatio. Demostratig the ogoig legal, fiacial, ad techical capacity to carry out all aspects of the pilot project. Providig, or directig by cotract, adequate techical expertise ad supervisio i the coduct of the project related activities. 56

63 CHAPTER 4 VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Esurig that subcotractors maitai compli- ace with the requiremets of the agreemet. Esurig coformity to ay federal ad state grat agreemet, state ad federal laws, ad requiremets specifically related to the pilot project. Maitaiig the work schedule developed through the project award effort, subsequet cotract scope of services, ad as directed by the project maagemet team. Keepig all expeditures related to the voucher program, icludig maagemet ad admiistratio, withi the approved project budget. Providig periodic reportig that icludes performace measuremet, fiacial status, participat service characteristics ad operatig data, ad other data summaries cosistet with the terms of the pilot project agreemet. Quality Assurace ad Cotrol The perspectives represeted i a pilot project should iclude the grator (or state agecy maagemet etity), the project coordiator, the trasportatio service providers, ad the participats of the voucher pilot program. These perspectives represet quality assurace ad cotrol at the program level, at the project level, ad at the participat level. The defiitio of quality will vary withi each of these levels ad for each perspective represeted. Because of the subjective ature of quality, the performace stadards should be addressed, developed, ad moitored. The expectatios of each member of the trasportatio voucher pilot project commuity should be idetified ad addressed with requisite performace thresholds established. At a miimum, to esure quality assurace ad cotrol, stadards for the provisio of the trasportatio services should be established. Service stadards should be developed i the followig areas: Reliability Depedability Availability Resposiveess Security Accessibility Customer service Participats should have a method to report icidets that ivolve the provisio of trasportatio at less tha the service stadards defied for the services. Icidets could iclude, but ot be limited to, difficulty i arragig a trip; a trasportatio service provider that arrives outside a assiged pickup widow; a trasportatio vehicle that is uclea, usafe, or i poor operatioal coditio; ad poor customer service by reservatioists, drivers, or others ivolved i service provisio. The availability of a toll-free phoe umber or local umber that ca be used by participats to report issues would be a valuable tool. It is also suggested that radom mail ad telephoe surveys be coducted to gauge participat satisfactio with the services provided. The overall quality of a voucher pilot project should be moitored to esure that the project is beig implemeted ad maaged i a maer cosistet with the performace stadards developed, cotract terms, ad grat requiremets, ad that the project successfully expads the opportuities for people with disabilities. It is recommeded that a idepedet etity be cotracted to help facilitate the implemetatio the voucher program, documet the process of its establishmet, moitor the performace stadards developed for the program, ad evaluate ad report o the success of the program. ESTIMATED VOUCHER PILOT BUDGET The followig tables reflect aualized budget estimates for the provisio of a trasportatio voucher pilot project. The budget cosideratios iclude variability i the umber of participats (from 100 to 1,000), the umber of trips per week per participats (from 2 oe-way trips per week to 10 oe-way trips per week), a estimated per trip cost of $15.00 (amout paid to private carrier for each oe-way trip provided), ad co-pay versus o co-pay optios. The accuracy of these tables is highly depedet upo the success of local pilot project coordiators i egotiatig fixed per trip fees with private trasportatio providers. 57

64 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Aualized Budget Estimate at $15.00 per Trip No Passeger Co-Paymet Number of Oe-Way Trips Per Week per Participat 2 Trips Per Week/Participat Aualized Cost Total Trips 4 Trips Per Week/Participat Aualized Cost Total Trips 6 Trips Per Week/Participat Aualized Cost Total Trips 8 Trips Per Week/Participat Aualized Cost Total Trips 10 Trips Per Week/Participat Aualized Cost 100 $156,000 10,400 $312,000 20,800 $468,000 31,200 $624,000 41,600 $780,000 52, $390,000 26,000 $780,000 52,000 $1,170,000 78,000 $1,560, ,000 $1,950, , $780,000 52,000 $1,560, ,000 $2,340, ,000 $3,120, ,000 $3,900, , $1,170,000 78,000 $2,340, ,000 $3,510, ,000 $4,680, ,000 $5,850, ,000 1,000 $1,560, ,000 $3,120, ,000 $4,680, ,000 $6,240, ,000 $7,800, ,000 Total Trips Aualized Budget Estimate at $12.50 per Trip with $2.50 Passeger Co-Paymet Number of Oe-Way Trips Per Week per Participat 2 Trips Per Week/Participat 4 Trips Per Week/Participat 6 Trips Per Week/Participat 8 Trips Per Week/Participat 10 Trips Per Week/Participat Aualized Cost Total Trips Aualized Cost Total Trips Aualized Cost Total Trips Aualized Cost Total Trips Aualized Cost 100 $130,000 10,400 $260,000 20,800 $390,000 31,200 $520,000 41,600 $650,000 52, $325,000 26,000 $650,000 52,000 $975,000 78,000 $1,300, ,000 $1,625, , $650,000 52,000 $1,300, ,000 $1,950, ,000 $2,600, ,000 $3,250, , $975,000 78,000 $1,950, ,000 $2,925, ,000 $3,900, ,000 $4,875, ,000 1,000 $1,300, ,000 $2,600, ,000 $3,900, ,000 $5,200, ,000 $6,500, ,000 Total Trips Number of Participats Number of Participats 58

65 CHAPTER 4 VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION The implemetatio of trasportatio voucher pilot projects must be approached coservatively. It is critical to desig, implemet, moitor ad correct ay deficiecies. I additio, fudig to provide the services may be limited. A iitial program budget of $650,000 ad the participatio by 100 idividuals, 50 idividuals withi two voucher pilot project locatios, are recommeded. Uder this sceario, this will also allow idividuals to obtai up to 10 oe-way trips per week (52,000 trips per year). This will sufficietly eable participats to use vouchers for employmet trips, a focus beefit area for the program. The use of voluteer drivers withi the program will exted the available fudig ad should aggressively be pursued. To effectively maage the voucher program, a aual budget allocatio should be established for the purposes of supportig a mobility maager for the program. I additio, admiistrative costs associated with pritig vouchers; coordiatig with commuity resource staff, grat awardig agecies, ad social service agecies; vedor moitorig; billig ad recociliatio activities; ad overall program support will also eed to be provided. Grats for mobility maagemet activities are available through the Federal Trasit Admiistratio, New Freedom ad Job Access ad Reverse Commute grat fudig programs admiistered by the Florida Departmet of Trasportatio (discussed i the Fudig Opportuities sectio of this chapter). GENERALIZED IMPLEMENTATION TIMETABLE As with ay ew trasportatio iitiative, careful plaig ad collaboratio are importat aspects of a successful trasportatio voucher program. I its Toolkit for Operatig a Rural Trasportatio Voucher Program, the Associatio of Programs for Rural Idepedet Livig (APRIL) recommeded 10 steps to guide a commuity i the establishmet of a ew voucher program. These steps iclude: 1. Idetify eed ad estimate the demad for service. Voucher programs are desiged to fill gaps i existig trasportatio or mobility services. A ivetory of a commuity s existig services will help focus o areas of eed where trasportatio voucher programs should be directed. The trasportatio voucher program should be desiged to meet the eeds of the eligible populatio based o available resources. This step should iclude defiig the geographical area to be served i which eligible voucher rides will be provided ad the hours of service. I additio, eligibility for program participats eeds to be defied ad the eligibility process eeds to be detailed. Both of these factors may be dictated, i part, by the fudig sources used to support the trasportatio voucher program. Idetify a program coordiator. The program coordiator for the trasportatio voucher service eeds to be idetified by the lead or sposorig agecy. The program coordiator would have primary resposibility for the oversight ad maagemet of the program. Idetify appropriate fudig sources ad establish roles for program stakeholders. A critical compoet of this step is idetifyig the appropriate fudig sources to support the trasportatio voucher program ad securig the fudig. This step will help defie the program parameters ad help idetify the key stakeholders that should be ivolved. Develop a implemetatio pla ad timelie. To esure that all the program elemets are i place, the lead or sposorig agecy eeds to develop a implemetatio pla ad timelie for the completio of critical tasks, icludig: A iitial program budget of $650,000 ad the participatio by 100 idividuals are recommeded, which will allow idividuals to obtai up to 10 oe-way trips per week (52,000 trips per year). This will sufficietly eable participats to use vouchers for employmet trips, a focus beefit area for the program. Fializig the plaig for the program. Developig ad submittig ay fudig proposals. Securig additioal fudig from federal, state, local ad private sources. 59

66 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Fializig the details of the voucher istru- met ad its distributio. Developig cotractual arragemets with trasportatio providers, icludig the establishmet of trip rates. Developig methods for trackig usage ad reimbursemet to providers. Developig ad implemetig promotio of the voucher program ad recruitmet of prospective passegers. Successfully lauchig the service. Determie sposorig agecy s relatioship with trasportatio providers. It will be ecessary to determie the roles ad relatioships amog the lead or sposorig agecy, the program coordiator, ad the trasportatio providers. Idetify appropriate fudig sources ad obtai fudig. The local program coordiator eeds to develop a program budget that ca be used i the process of idetifyig ad obtaiig program fudig. Idetify potetial issues that may arise ad strategies to address them. The lead or sposorig agecy ad the program coordiator eed to address how several critical elemets of the trasportatio voucher program will be hadled, icludig: Defiitio of miimal isurace require- mets of trasportatio providers. Settig ad moitorig miimal opera- tioal safety parameters for trasportatio providers. Maagemet of iformatio ad records. Settig of trip fares for passeger ad reimbursemet rates for the trasportatio providers. Availability of accessible vehicles. Safeguards to miimize program abuse by passegers ad trasportatio providers. Implemet ad evaluate a pilot ru of the voucher program. A pilot project or projects should be developed to provide a test of the trasportatio voucher program. Goals ad milestoes should be established to provide measure to evaluate the program at the ed 9. of the test ru period. All aspects of the pilot project should be documeted ad evaluated to provide a blueprit for the expasio of the trasportatio voucher programs to other passeger segmets or other commuities. Publicize the program ad educate the riders. Oce the pilot trasportatio voucher program is ready to start, a well-thought-out program implemetatio pla should be developed to publicize the program, cotact prospective customers ad caseworkers, ad provide a uderstadig of the passeger duties ad resposibilities. As the trasportatio voucher pilot projects progress, they should be publicized to other prospective markets ad commuities to provide a blueprit to reproduce trasportatio voucher programs i other areas. 10. Implemet ad expad the trasportatio voucher program to additioal markets ad commuities. FLORIDA PILOT PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION TIMETABLE With this backgroud, the followig table provides a list of the key process steps ad their respective timelies to move forward from this report to the establishmet two trasportatio voucher pilot projects. This timetable icludes the establishmet of a workig collaboratio betwee the FDDC ad the Florida Goveror s Commissio o Disabilities, the Florida Commissio for Trasportatio Disadvataged ad the Florida Departmet of Trasportatio. This Collaboratio will develop ad issue a request for proposals for a project coordiator i each pilot area that will implemet the trasportatio voucher program. Additioal duties for the Collaboratio are delieated i the Recommedatios sectio of this report. This timetable was developed with the assumptio that a level of base pilot project fudig would be idetified prior to iitiatig the pilot project selectio process (Request for Proposals or Request for Qualificatios). The 27-moth timetable icludes 15 steps, begiig with the edorsemet of this report s recommedatios ad cocludig with the documetatio, evaluatio, ad assessmet of the trasportatio voucher pilot projects. 60

67 CHAPTER 4 VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Key Process Steps to Iitiate ad Implemet Trasportatio Voucher Pilot Program TIMELINE (By Moth) STEPS Edorse Report Recommedatios 2. Defie Roles of FDDC, Ic. 3. Seek ad Secure Fudig 4. Coduct Pilot Project Selectio Process 5. Idetify Trasp. Voucher Pilot Project Coordiator 6. Hold Orgaizatioal Meetig (key parties, agecies, orgaizatios) 7. Establish Project Oversight Committee Develop Fial Details for Trasp. Voucher Pilot Project 9. Seek ad Negotiate with Trasp. Providers 10. Iitiate Marketig ad Commuity Outreach Efforts 11. Register ad Certify Prog Participats 12. Fialize Voucher Istrumet ad Process 13. Fialize Program Reportig & Reimbursemet Process 14. Start Trasp. Voucher Pilot Project 15. Documet, Evaluate ad Assess Pilot Project Ogoig Ogoig Ogoig 61

68 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY RECOMMENDED TECHNICAL ELEMENTS FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OR QUALIFICATIONS Uder the assumptio that the pilot trasportatio voucher pilot project (or projects) coordiators would be selected through a competitive procuremet process, this sectio details the recommeded techical elemets that should be icluded i a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Qualificatios (RFQ) package. These recommedatios were developed assumig that some base project fudig will have already bee idetified Geeral Descriptio of the Proposed Pilot Project. Provide a brief overview ad descriptio of the proposed pilot trasportatio voucher program. Specific Details of the Proposed Pilot Project. Provide specific details o the proposed pilot trasportatio voucher program, addressig, at a miimum, the followig compoets: Descriptio of the Voucher Pla. Descriptio of types of passegers to be served. Estimate of umber of idividuals to be served. Estimate of umber of trips to be provided (i.e., daily, mothly, aually). Hours that service will be available for the Voucher Pla (i.e., hours per day, days per week). Service coverage area of the Voucher Pla. Eligibility requiremets ad process. Passeger registratio process. Trip reservatio process. Descriptio of proposed voucher istrumet: Overview descriptio of voucher. Distributio process. Costs to passeger (co-pay). Reimbursemet process to providers ad voluteer drivers Accoutig ad fraudulet use safeguards Descriptio of proposed complait resolu- tio ad grievace process. Regioal coectios. Coordiatio with other mobility service providers. Cost ad beefit aalysis. Descriptio of prior local mobility plaig efforts ad coordiatio efforts. Descriptio of aalysis of mobility eeds. Proposed trasportatio voucher program marketig ad outreach efforts. Descriptio of proposed customer service program. Descriptio of the Proposed Project Maagemet Pla. Provide a overview ad details o the proposed project maagemet pla, addressig, at a miimum, the followig compoets: Descriptio of ay proposed project advi- sory or steerig committees. Descriptio of orgaizatio providig grat ad fiacial oversight. Descriptio of lead program coordiatig agecy. Staffig ad orgaizatio. Prior experiece i mobility delivery ad maagemet. Proposed key staff member qualificatios ad resumes. Performace measures ad project reportig. Describe Proposed Trasportatio Vedor Selectio Process. Provide details o the selectio process that will be used to select trasportatio vedors addressig, at a miimum, the followig compoets: The process used to select trasportatio providers for the voucher program (e.g., Request for Proposals or Request for Bids). The proposed cotractual arragemets with trasportatio providers. The process that will be used to idetify, approve ad register voluteer drivers. 62

69 CHAPTER 4 VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Detail Miimal Vehicle Operator Requiremets. Provide details o the vehicle operator/driver qualificatios, addressig, at a miimum, that followig compoets: Miimum vehicle operator requiremets/ qualificatios. Backgroud ad motor vehicle record check processes ad detail. Safety requiremets, icludig drug ad alcohol testig. Vehicle operator traiig program. Detail Proposed Vehicle Types. Provide details o the vehicles to be used i the voucher program, addressig, at a miimum, the followig compoets: Types of vehicles to be used. Vehicle accessibility features ad mix. Overview of the vehicles (age, mileage, seatig capacity, ad equipmet/accessories). Number of available vehicles, idicatig the umber of those that are accessible. Detail Proposed Vehicle Maiteace Pla. Provide details o the proposed vehicle maiteace pla, addressig, at a miimum, the followig compoets: Stadards for maitaiig vehicles, iclud- ig proposed prevetative maiteace program. Descriptio of who will be maitaiig the vehicles. Detail Proposed Project Safety ad Security Pla. Provide details o the proposed project safety ad security pla, addressig, at a miimum, the followig compoets: Curret safety ad security pla. If federal or state fudig is beig used, detail how the requiremets of Chapter 14-90, FAC will be met. Miimum safety requiremets for taxi drivers. Requiremets for voluteer drivers. 9. Provide Detailed Proposed Fiacial Pla ad Budget. Provide details o the proposed pilot trasportatio voucher fiacial pla ad budget, addressig, at a miimum, the followig compoets: Overview of fiacial maagemet pro- cess. Proposed project reveues, icludig grats, local matches, passeger reveues, ad other sources. Proposed project expeses, icludig the estimated costs for the provisio of trasportatio services, admiistrative expeses, isurace expeses, vehicle maiteace expeses, trasportatio reservatio expese, ad other related expeses. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES Federal Trasportatio Fudig Programs The followig sectio provides iformatio o federal fudig programs that could be accessed to support trasportatio voucher pilot programs i Florida. The greatest opportuity for fudig exists withi those programs fuded by the U.S. Departmet of Trasportatio, Federal Trasit Admiistratio, codified i Chapter 49 of the Uited States Code (U.S.C.). Except as otherwise oted, the majority of these programs are distributed to local couties, cities, public trasportatio providers or other public agecies. For these programs, accessig these fuds for a local or regioal trasportatio voucher program will require a locally developed applicatio ad recipiet. Because of this elemet of program implemetatio, it is recommeded that oce a regioal trasportatio voucher pilot project applicatio site has bee selected, the local program coordiator or mobility maager work with local Florida Departmet of Trasportatio district staff to idetify available trasportatio fudig sources ad make applicatio for those sources. A map of the FDOT Districts ad a listig of FDOT district staff members are provided i Appedix A. 63

70 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY U.S. Departmet of Trasportatio, Federal Trasit Admiistratio Formula Grats for Special Needs for Elderly Idividuals ad Idividuals with Disabilities Program (49 U.S.C. Sectio 5310) This program provides formula fudig to states for the purpose of assistig private o-profit groups i meetig the trasportatio eeds of seiors ad people with disabilities whe the trasportatio service provided is uavailable, isufficiet, or iappropriate to meetig these eeds. Fuds are apportioed based o each state s share of the populatio for these groups of people. I Florida, the Sectio 5310 Program is admiistered by FDOT. Program fuds are distributed to each FDOT district office based o its percetage of the state s seiors ad people with disabilities populatios. A aual applicatio ad discretioary award cycle is coducted withi each district. Formula Grat for Other tha Urbaized Areas (49 U.S.C. Sectio 5311) This program provides formula fudig to states for the purpose of supportig public trasportatio i areas of less tha 50,000 i populatio. Program fuds are apportioed to each state i a amout proportioal to each state s o-urbaized populatio. Program fuds may be used for capital, operatig, state admiistratio, ad project admiistratio expeses. Each state prepares a aual program of projects, which must provide for fair ad equitable distributio of fuds withi the states, icludig America Idia tribes, ad must provide for maximum feasible coordiatio with trasportatio services assisted by other federal sources. The state must use 15 percet of its aual apportiomet to support itercity bus service, uless the goveror certifies that these eeds of the state are adequately met. I Florida, the Sectio 5311 Program is admiistered by FDOT. Program fuds are distributed to each FDOT district office based o its percetage of the state s rural populatio. Each district office allocates program fuds to desigated eligible recipiets through a aual grat applicatio process. Job Access ad Reverse Commute Program (JARC) (49 U.S.C. Sectio 5316) This program provides fudig to develop trasportatio services for welfare recipiets ad low-icome idividuals to ad from jobs ad from urba ceters to suburba employmet opportuities. JARC Program fuds are distributed by formula to desigated recipiets i urbaized areas with over 200,000 i populatio ad to states through a applicatio process. I urbaized areas uder 200,000 i populatio ad i rural areas, fuds are allocated through a competitive grat solicitatio process admiistered by FDOT district offices. Eligible activities for Job Access grats iclude capital ad operatig costs of equipmet, facilities, ad associated capital maiteace items related to providig access to jobs. Also icluded are the costs of promotig the use of trasit by workers with o-traditioal work schedules, promotig the use of trasit vouchers, ad promotig the use of employer-provided trasportatio icludig trasit beefits. For Reverse Commute grats, eligible activities iclude operatig costs, capital costs, ad other costs associated with reverse commute by bus, trai, carpool, vas, or other trasit service. To be eligible to receive JARC fuds, a local area must develop a Coordiated Public Trasit-Huma Services Trasportatio Pla (i most areas, the Trasportatio Disadvataged Service Pla will meet the requiremets for this documet). The recipiet must also develop a Program Maagemet Pla. New Freedom Program (49 U.S.C. Sectio 5317) This formula program provides fudig for services that are developed beyod that required by the Americas with Disabilities Act (ADA) to assist i meetig the trasportatio eeds of people with disabilities. Sixty percet of the apportiomet uder the program is allocated directly to large urbaized areas (over 200,000 populatio), ad the remaiig 40 percet is allocated to states for use i urbaized areas of less tha 200,000 populatio ad i rural areas. Labor protectio provisios (Sectio 13c) do ot apply to this program. I Florida, FDOT applies for program fuds for areas uder 200,000 i populatio ad admiisters this grat program. Each FDOT district office has a grat applicatio process to evaluate proposed projects ad award program fuds for these areas. Coordiatio with the Commissio for the Trasportatio Disadvataged is required. To be eligible to receive New Freedom fuds, a local area must develop a Coordiated Public Trasit-Huma Services Trasportatio Pla (i most areas, the Trasportatio Disadvataged Service Pla will 64

71 CHAPTER 4 VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION meet the requiremets for this documet). The recipiet also must develop a Program Maagemet Pla. Other Federal Fudig Programs There are fudig opportuities that reside outside the U.S. Departmet of Trasportatio, Federal Trasit Admiistratio, which may provide fudig for voucher programs. This icludes grat fudig programs admiistered by the U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services, the U.S. Departmet of Educatio, ad the U.S. Departmet of Labor. The local trasportatio voucher pilot project coordiator should work closely with local Ceters for Idepedet Livig, ad Workforce Florida/Regioal Workforce Boards ad/ or Work Force Solutios to idetify ay available fudig that may exist to provide trasportatio optios to people with disabilities withi their service areas. U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Service (DHHS), Admiistratio for Childre ad Families Social Services Block Grat Program Social Services Block Grat (SSBG) fuds are available to each state to provide support services to meet the eeds of the idividuals residig withi that state. Eligible grat activities iclude, but are ot limited to, daycare for childre or adults, protective services for childre or adults, special services to people with disabilities, adoptio, case maagemet, health-related services, trasportatio, foster care for childre or adults, substace abuse, housig, home-delivered meals, idepedet/trasitioal livig, employmet services, or ay other social services foud ecessary by a state for its populatio. The goals for the program ad the services that are provided iclude achievig or maitaiig ecoomic self-support to prevet, reduce, or elimiate depedecy; achievig or maitaiig self-sufficiecy, icludig reductio or prevetio of depedecy; prevetig or remedyig eglect, abuse or exploitatio of childre ad adults uable to protect their ow iterest, or preservig, rehabilitatig, or reuitig families; prevetig or reducig iappropriate istitutioal care by providig for commuity-based care, home-based care or other forms of less itesive care; ad/or securig referral or admissio for istitutioal care whe other forms of care are ot appropriate or providig services to idividuals i istitutios. SSBG fuds are awarded directly to states, ot to idividuals. States are fully resposible, withi the limitatios of the law, for determiig the use of their fuds. Each state has the flexibility to determie what services will be provided, who is eligible to receive services, ad how fuds are distributed amog various services. States ad/ or local agecies (i.e., couty, city, ad regioal offices) may provide services directly or purchase them from qualified providers. I Florida, SSBG ad Commuity Services Block Grat fuds are distributed to local commuities to implemet programs ad services to support the eeds withi those commuities. I may couties, the recipiet is the couty. Oce a pilot program area is idetified ad desigated, the program coordiator or mobility maager will eed to discuss fudig opportuities with local recipiets. For areas that are curretly supportig trasportatio services, such as assistig with the cost of vehicle repairs or other direct outlays for idividual participats, the optio of purchasig trasportatio vouchers to accommodate trasportatio eeds may be viewed as a viable access solutio. Temporary Assistace to Needy Families (TANF) Uder the welfare reform legislatio of 1996 (the Persoal Resposibility ad Work Opportuity Recociliatio Act PWRORA Public Law ), TANF replaced the welfare programs kow as Aid to Families with Depedet Childre (AFDC), the Job Opportuities ad Basic Skills Traiig (JOBS) program, ad the Emergecy Assistace (EA) program. TANF is a block grat program that provides states, territories, ad tribes with federal fuds each year. These fuds cover beefits, admiistrative expeses, ad services targeted to eedy families. The TANF program provides tremedous flexibility for fudig a wide variety of activities, support services, ad beefits to accomplish the purposes of the program. Possible uses of TANF fuds for trasportatio services iclude, but are ot limited to: Providig trasportatio allowaces to cover icidetal expeses ad participatio-related expeses for uemployed families. Providig trasit passes or tokes. 65

72 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY Cotractig with a private orgaizatio or ser- vice providers to refurbish previously-owed cars ad provide the cars to TANF recipiets or provide fiacig support that eables recipiets to purchase a car. Arragig with aother agecy to use its buses or vas or share i the costs of purchasig trasportatio services. Ivestig i reverse commute projects ad other local iitiatives to improve the existig trasportatio etwork so that eedy parets ca access jobs. Reimbursig cliets for mileage, auto repairs, or auto isurace to facilitate fidig employmet ad job retetio. Subsidizig the costs of trasportig eedy childre to child care. U. S. Departmet of Educatio (DOE), Office of Special Educatio ad Rehabilitative Services Idepedet Livig State Grats Program This program offers formula grats to states for oe or more of the followig purposes: To support activities to icrease the capa- bilities of public or o-profit agecies ad orgaizatios ad other etities i developig comprehesive approaches or systems for providig IL services. To provide resources to statewide idepedet livig coucils (SILCs). To provide idepedet livig (IL) services to people with sigificat disabilities. To demostrate ways to expad ad improve IL services. To support the operatio of ceters for IL that complies with the stadards ad assuraces of Sectio 725 of the Rehabilitatio Act. To coduct studies ad aalyses ad gather iformatio, approaches, strategies, fidigs, coclusios, ad recommedatios for federal, state, ad local policymakers to ehace IL services for people with sigificat disabilities. To provide traiig o the IL philosophy. To provide outreach to populatios curretly ot beig served or are uderserved by programs uder Title VII of the Rehabilitatio Act, icludig miority groups ad urba ad rural populatios. Ceters for Idepedet Livig (CIL) This program provides support for plaig services, admiistratio, ad evaluatio of ceters for idepedet livig that complies with the stadards ad assuraces i Sectio 725 of the Rehabilitatio Act, cosistet with state plas for establishig statewide etworks of ceters. Local ceters are cosumer-cotrolled, commuitybased, cross-disability, o-residetial, private, o-profit agecies that are desiged ad operated withi local commuities by people with disabilities. Ceters provide a array of idepedet livig services. CIL discretioary grats are available to: Preserve ad create jobs ad promote eco- omic recovery. Provide ivestmets eeded to icrease eco- omic efficiecy by spurrig techological advaces i sciece ad health. Ivest i trasportatio, evirometal protec- tio, ad other ifrastructure that will provide log-term ecoomic beefit. Assist those most impacted by the recessio. Stabilize state ad local govermet budgets to miimize ad avoid reductios i essetial services ad couterproductive State ad local tax icreases. To expad local services beyod those provided through the Trasportatio Voucher Pilot Project, a local coordiator should approach local CILs to determie if the use of trasportatio vouchers would beefit their participats ad if a local CIL is willig to fiacially support these services. Vocatioal Rehabilitatio Services Program This program provides grats to states to support a wide rage of services desiged to help idividuals with disabilities prepare for ad egage i gaiful employmet. Eligible idividuals are those who have a physical or metal impairmet that results i a substatial impedimet to employmet, those who ca beefit from vocatioal rehabilitatio (VR) services for employmet, ad those who require VR services. Priority is give to servig people with the most sigificat disabilities if a state is uable to serve all eligible idividuals. 66

73 CHAPTER 4 VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Fuds are distributed to states ad territories to cover the cost of direct services ad program admiistratio. The distributio formula icludes the populatio ad per capita icome of targeted groups withi each state or territory. Grat fuds are admiistered uder a approved state pla by VR agecies desigated by each state. The statematchig requiremet is 21.3 percet; however, the state share is 50 percet for the cost of costructio of a facility for commuity rehabilitatio program purposes. U.S. Departmet of Labor (DOL), Employmet ad Traiig Admiistratio Welfare-to-Work (WtW) WtW fudig ca be used for job retetio ad support services that are provided after a idividual is placed i a job readiess activity, i vocatioal educatio or job traiig, i oe of the employmet activities, or i ay other subsidized or usubsidized job. WtW participats who are erolled i Workforce Ivestmet Act (WIA) activities may also receive job retetio ad support services fuded with WtW moies while they are participatig i WIA activities. Job retetio ad support services ca be provided with WtW fuds oly if they are ot otherwise available to the participat. Job retetio ad support services iclude such services as: Trasportatio assistace. Substace abuse treatmet (except that WtW fuds may ot be used to provide medical treatmet). Child care assistace. Emergecy or short-term housig assistace. Other support services. State Agecies ad Local Commitmets Fudig also may be available from state agecies for iovative trasportatio programs that provide icreased access for people with disabilities or for programs that provide expaded employmet or health care access. Local fiacial commitmet will also be critical. I a umber of examples from the surveys ad the iterviews for this report, local govermets, private foudatios ad charitable orgaizatios (such as the Uited Way) have provided fiacial support for the voucher programs. It will be importat to gauge ad geerate local govermet support, as well as the support of potetial o-govermet sources of fudig that may iclude private foudatios ad charitable orgaizatios. BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES Several factors may ihibit or restrict the ability to fully implemet trasportatio voucher programs i Florida, icludig those that use voluteer drivers. These factors may be istitutioal, programmatic, policy-related, or legislatively-created. Some restrictios have bee established at both the state ad federal levels related to the desig ad coordiatio of trasportatio systems ad the fudig for those systems. Fudig Istitutioal challeges exist withi the area of fudig. I the precedig sectio, a sample of Federal fudig programs that support trasportatio services was provided. However, accordig to the Geeral Accoutig Office (GAO), 62 separate Federal programs provide fudig for trasportatio services. The developmet ad implemetatio of a trasportatio voucher pilot project or voluteer program will require fiacial support ad may ecessitate the use of more tha oe of these fudig sources. May of these fudig programs have very restrictive service requiremets. This icludes those who ca be trasported (i.e., oly those people with disabilities, oly those who are over the age of 60, or the geeral public ) ad, i some cases, the purpose of the trip (i.e., for some programs, oly trips for medical appoitmets). Some of these sources may be used for capital expeses or operatig assistace oly. A variety of match requiremets exist for each program ad the defiitio of local match also vary. Each program is accompaied by separate reportig ad moitorig structures. The idetificatio of a fiacig structure for a trasportatio voucher program, icludig oe that uses voluteer drivers, is a critical step i the plaig process. The fiacig structure will have to accommodate the requiremets of the program while, at the same time, avoidig udue admiistrative burde. This effort will require close coordiatio ad cooperatio amog local program maagers ad program sposors. The lead orgaizatio that will be implemetig a 67

74 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION FEASIBILITY STUDY trasportatio voucher program must have the requisite kowledge ad experiece i idetifyig, applyig for, ad maagig federal grats. It will also be importat to have a lead orgaizatio that is a eligible recipiet for may of these program fuds. The availability of fuds to support the eeds of those withi a trasportatio voucher project area may prove to be problematic. Demad for trasportatio services is sigificatly greater tha the supply of those services. Oce fudig sources have bee idetified ad secured, it may be ecessary to restrict the services provided. This could mea settig a threshold o the umber of idividuals who ca participate, limitig the umber of trips that ca be provided per week or moth, requirig a co-pay or cliet fare, establishig trip priorities, or limitig the service area (e.g., ot allowig out-of-couty or out-of-area trips). Without preset budgetary safeguards, a pilot project locatio may have to iterrupt service or sigificatly reduce the umber of vouchers available. These service iterruptios could cause hardships for idividuals who become reliat o the services. A successful method that ca be employed to elimiate some of the variability i program costs ad stabilize the budget is the egotiatio of flat per trip rates for vouchered trips. Local program maagers, social service agecy represetatives, ad advisory groups will have to idetify other cost-savig methods ad determie how the supply of trips will be maaged. Accessible Vehicles The aticipated lack of accessible vehicles operated by private taxi providers is a challege. Without the availability of lift-equipped vehicles or other accessible vehicles, those idividuals with mobility limitatios that require the use of wheelchairs or other mobility assistace devices may ot be able to participate i the program. Oly those idividuals who are ambulatory will beefit from the program. Oe method that may be used to address this challege is the purchase of accessible taxi cabs or other accessible vehicles ad leasig them to private carriers. Federal fuds, such as the Federal Trasit Admiistratio Sectio 5310 Program, ca be used to purchase accessible taxi cabs or other accessible vehicles to provide trasportatio services to seiors ad people with disabilities. The program allows eligible recipiets to lease these vehicles to private carriers to icrease system capacity. Cotractig with Private Carriers ad Chapter 14-90, Florida Admiistrative Code A additioal barrier or challege to the implemetatio of a trasportatio voucher project will be the ability to cotract with private for-profit trasportatio providers that ca meet or be willig to meet the system safety requiremets of Chapter 14-90, Florida Admiistrative Code ad federal drug ad alcohol testig regulatios. The curret state trasit safety legislatio requires each bus trasit system to comply with the terms of Chapter 14-90, Florida Admiistrative Code. The term bus trasit system icludes a Commuity Trasportatio Coordiator, a public trasit provider, or a private cotract trasit provider that ows, operates, leases, or cotrols buses or taxi cabs where such trasportatio cosists of cotiuous or recurrig trasportatio uder the same cotract; or a privately-owed or operated trasit provider that receives operatioal or capital fudig from FDOT ad ows, operates, leases, or cotrols buses, other tha o-public sector buses that provide trasportatio services available for use by the geeral ridig public. Durig egotiatios with local taxi cab providers, it will be ecessary to address these safety-related requiremets ad cofirm their ability ad willigess to meet compliace goals for system safety programs. Voluteer Drivers The use of voluteer drivers to provide trasportatio services uder a voucher program presets a umber of barriers ad issues, as discussed i Chapter 1. The most otable issues iclude: Recruitig ad retaiig voluteers Limited carryig capacity Sustaiability Fuel costs/mileage reimbursemets Liability Risk Isurace Recruitig ad Retaiig Voluteers Successful voluteer drivig programs use several strategies to idetify potetial voluteers, recruit, trai, ad icorporate them ito their trasportatio services. Commo strategies iclude the distributio of pamphlets ad brochures ad givig presetatios at commuity evets, seior ceters, churches, ad advocacy chapters. Postig 68

75 CHAPTER 4 VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION advertisemets i local ewspapers ad commuity ewsletters is also a commo practice. Seior adults provide the greatest pool of voluteers. May voluteer programs focus their recruitmet activities withi seior commuities ad durig activities ad evets that draw seior adults. Limited Carryig Capacity Actively ad aggressively recruitig voluteers ad traiig them for icorporatio withi the trasportatio system will ehace system carryig capacity. Fudig to support voluteer drivers may limit the umber of trips that ca be provided withi the system (or the carryig capacity). However, system cost savigs that result whe voluteer drivers are used to supplemet services provided by private carriers exted program budgets ad icrease the overall carryig capacity of the system. Sustaiability The ability to sustai a voluteer driver program is depedet upo the ability to retai voluteers ad provide fiacial support to cotiue. The recruitig ad retetio strategies idetified above, coupled with aggressive pursuit of grat fudig, icludig commuity fudig, foudatio support, state ad federal discretioary fuds, ad traditioal trasportatio grats will improve the sustaiability of a voluteer driver program. Fuel Costs/Mileage Reimbursemets The high cost of motor fuel is a deterret to voluteer drivers who would use their ow vehicles to provide trasportatio services. The curret Iteral Reveue Service icome tax deductio for idividuals who use their vehicles i the provisio of charity related trasportatio is 14 cets per mile. Voluteer driver programs must provide sufficiet mileage reimbursemet for their voluteers. Voluteer programs should cosider the cost of fuel, vehicle wear-a-tear, ad ay icreases i persoal auto isurace premiums that come as a result of providig voluteer trasportatio services whe establishig the reimbursemet rate. Liability A level of liability protectio ca be obtaied by idetifyig the scope of voluteer resposibilities withi the program. A writte scope that thoroughly defies a voluteer driver s duties is a useful tool. A voluteer program coordiator would eed to make sure that voluteer drivers uderstad these duties, resposibilities, ad obligatios. The Federal Voluteer Protectio Act provides protectio for voluteer drivers if certai criteria are met. Oe of those coditios that would eed to be met to be protected from liability is that a voluteer must have bee actig withi the scope of their resposibilities. Delieatig those resposibilities may decrease the likelihood that a voluteer would be held liable for a evet that occurred while the voluteer was providig trasportatio services. Risk The reductio of risk through formalized risk maagemet activities is importat to cotrollig costs icludig isurace costs ad reductio of liability claims both to idividuals ad agecies. Driver traiig is a importat risk maagemet activity that must be a part of a voluteer driver program. Reducig distractios is aother importat measure i a risk maagemet program. Agecies that have effectively addressed distractios have used methods such as requirig voluteers to kow the route to be take ad restrictig the use of cell phoes ad other mobile devices (icludig GPS) while drivig. Other methods to reduce risk ad liability that have bee used by voluteer driver programs iclude: Restrictig the hours of operatio avoidig ight drivig ad drivig durig heavily cogested periods; Restrictig the days of operatio avoidig weeked trips; Requirig passegers to be ambulatory; ad Establishig a driver code of coduct to address items such as level of persoal assistace provided (i.e., assistace leavig or eter the vehicle, escortig passegers to the vehicle ad from the vehicle to their destiatio). Isurace HB 359, siged by Florida Goveror Charlie Crist i 2007, provides some level of protectio for voluteer drivers agaist isurace compaies ad ay practice that results i the icrease of isurace premiums or the refusal to isure idividuals or charitable orgaizatios that use voluteer drivers. Sectio (2)(a) provides: 69

76 A isurer may ot dey a applicatio for automobile liability isurace or impose a surcharge or otherwise icrease the premium rate for a automobile liability policy solely o the basis that the applicat (or aother regular user of the vehicle) is a voluteer driver. The use of isurace pools ad isurace providers that focus their services to charitable orgaizatios is gaiig mometum. These optios do provide remedy for those orgaizatios ad idividuals who still fid it difficult to obtai automobile isurace. While there are barriers ad challeges that will be problematic for the implemetatio ad operatio of trasportatio voucher pilot projects ad voluteer demostratio programs, there are methods as described above to overcome these barriers. SUMMARY This chapter discussed the feasibility of establishig a trasportatio voucher program i Florida. The use of private carriers ad voluteers withi the program was discussed. The coclusio that was draw from the discussio is that a trasportatio voucher program is a feasible mobility optio. As a result, cosideratios that will eed to be made for the implemetatio of a program i Florida were discussed. A summary of some of the more frequetly-used federal fudig sources that may be used to support trasportatio voucher services was provided. This was followed by a discussio of the barriers or challeges to the implemetatio of a trasportatio voucher or a voluteer program ad the likelihood that these could be overcome. The followig chapter provides specific recommedatios that should be cosidered to effectively implemet trasportatio voucher pilot projects withi the state, icludig those that utilize voluteer drivers. The recommedatios iclude the iitial establishmet of pilot or demostratio projects that ca be evaluated, ad, if successful, replicated throughout Florida. 70

77 RECOMMENDATIONS CHAPTER 5