Butte County Coordinated Public Transit- Human Services Transportation Plan

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

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

3. Project Overview

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

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

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

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

8. Target Populations

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

10. Target Population Subgroups • Other Subgroups • Welfare-to-work families & children • Homeless individuals returning to employment • Persons on dialysis • Adults with developmental disabilities • Chronically mentally ill homeless • Discharged prisoners • Seniors • Low income seniors 2,286 persons 1.1% of 2000 County population • Seniors w/ self-reported disabilities 5,546 persons 2.7% of 2000 County population • Oldest seniors, 85+ 4,384 persons 2.2% of 2000 County population • Youth • Chronically or acutely ill children & youth • Court-placed youth; CASA youth • Aging out of foster care • In behavioral health system • On probation • With developmental disabilities and special needs Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan

11. Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan

12. Current Transportation Resources

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

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

15. Resource Utilization (2007) • Trips taken in Butte County by various services: • B-Line fixed-route – 1.1 million trips • B-Line paratransit – 112,420 trips • Responding human services providers – 281,364 trips (excludes school districts and commercial providers; n=15) • Trips Per Capita • Fixed-route – 5.5 • Paratransit – 0.6 • Survey agency trips provided – 1.3 • All trips counted – 6.9 Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan

16. Resource Utilization (2007) Coordinated Plan Trip Per Capita Demand Estimates: • All transit – 10.7 • Specialized – 2.7 • Trips taken in Butte County by various services: • B-Line Fixed-route – 1.1 million trips • B-Line Paratransit – 112,420 trips • Responding human services providers – 281,364 trips (excludes school districts and commercial providers) • Trips Per Capita • Fixed-route – 5.5 • Paratransit – 0.6 • Survey agency trips provided – 1.3 • All trips counted – 6.9 Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan

17. SAFETEA-LU Funding Section 5310 – Statewide competition of $12 million Section 5316 – JARC $ 51,000 Section 5417 – New Freedom $ 30,000 Section 5307 – Small urban areas $1.5 million Section 5311 – Rural areas $500,000 California Transit Funding Transportation Development Act, LTF $6.8 million California State Transit Assistance $1.1 million Transportation Funding Resources in Butte County Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan

18. Human Services Funding Butte County Dept. of Education $8 million Far Northern Regional Center $1.7 million Other Funding Sources (partial) California Dept. of Rehabilitation Dept of Health Services (MediCal) Calworks/ GAIN Proposition 63 – Mental Health Services Act Tobacco Settlement Revenue First Five Ryan White CARE Act (HIV/AIDS) Chaffee Act (Foster Care Independence) Transportation Funding Resources in Butte County Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan

19. Survey Results

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

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

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

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

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

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

26. Outreach FindingsNeeds and Issues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

42. Emerging Recommendations

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

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

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

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

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

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

49. Project Development

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