Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc. Transportation: Past, Present and Future

1. Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc. Transportation: Past, Present and Future Presentation by Sheila Gritz-Swift, Deputy Director of Programs

2. 2011-2016 • Culmination of Transportation Stakeholders’ Group • Collaboration with Florida Department of Transportation on Transportation Voucher Pilots • Implementation of a Transportation Options Research Project

3. 2017-2021 • State Plan Goal, Objectives and Activities • Culmination of 2011-16 initiatives in 2017 • Transportation Goal • Sustainable solutions • Infrastructure change • Increased access to safe and affordable transportation

4. 2017-2021 • Transportation Goal Major Activities Tentatively Planned • Mobility Management • Travel Training • Data collection or database on unmet needs

5. “Florida’s Transportation Voucher Pilot Program: A Model for 24-Hour Inclusive Community Transportation”

6. Conceptual Idea • Transportation to employment, postsecondary education/training and the greater community • Vouchers for requesting rides • Sedans and paratransit with wheelchair lifts as needed • Seven days a week, including nights, weekends and holidays at no additional cost to rider

7. Collaboration • Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) • Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc. (FDDC) • Urban Model • Hillsborough Area Regional Transition Authority (HART) HARTPlus Customer Choice Voucher Pilot Project • Rural Model • Citizens for Improved Transportation (CIT)

8. Awards and Implementation • Start-up Funding • Process/Procurement • Pricing • Quality Assurance • Issues Along the Way

9. Outcomes and Impact… • HART • ¾ mile trips to 7.6 mile trips • 3 day notice to 24-hour transportation availability • Improved access to community • 27,813 trips at $16.00 a trip • Cost of $445,008 versus $1,001,268 • Total savings of $556,260 • 8% growth • Self-supporting after one year of funding

10. …Outcomes and Impact… • CIT • Year 2 • 1,533 rides • Approximately $54,912.06 to date (Year 2) for paratransit, monthly bus passes and taxis • Employment, education and job training with majority for employment • Working on sustainability and more options for flexible schedules

11. …Outcomes and Impact • CIT • Belle Glade, South Bay and Pahokee residents • $8.05 per hour to $16.00 per hour • Access for training and employment • Several riders unemployed and turning down jobs; now employed at $10.00 per hour • Access to employment

12. Promising/Supporting Legislative Action 2017 • CS/HB 221 “Uber/Lyft Bill” • s. 627.748, F.S.   • Background checks • Insurance requirements

13. Transportation Options Research Project

14. Desired Outcomes • Identified evidence-based and promising practice programs and resources leading to new approaches that increase affordable and accessible transportation • Improved knowledge of key transportation stakeholders • Improved transportation services

15. Key Objectives of Project • National research on affordable and accessible transportation options • Gaps analysis between Florida and states with successful programs • Recommendations for replication of successful practices

16. Key Components of Project • Gap Analysis • Florida Transportation Analysis (FTA) • Florida Case Study (FCS) • National Research Synthesis (NRS) • Successful Practices/Recommendations • Five primary/crucial needs from FTA • Subordinate needs from FTA and FCS • Recommendations from FCS and NRS

18. Persons with Disabilities and Caregivers Endorsed Needs… • No evening transportation 46 • No transportation for recreation 41 • Timeliness (e.g., late pickups or long waits) 41 • Frequency of rides during the day 40 • Availability of stops 39 • Not willing to cross county lines 37 • Routes not near critical services 36 • Unable to make multiple stops 36 • Knowledge of the area by drivers 34

19. …Persons with Disabilities and Caregivers Endorsed Needs… • Driver friendliness and knowledge of people with disabilities 30 • Driver turnover 29 • Poor communication of routes 25 • Cost of ride 23 • Ease of scheduling a pickup 22 • Wi-Fi availability 18 • Inability to have caregivers on paratransit 18 • Passes difficult to obtain online 13

20. …Persons with Disabilities and Caregivers Endorsed Needs • Language barrier with drivers 11 • Cleanliness 8 • Lack of understanding of AT needs 7 • Exact change needed 4 • Demeaning comments from passersby 3

21. Critical Need Categories

22. Five Critical Need Categories • Reliable and Adequate Funding • Access and Expansion of Transportation Services • Transportation Cost, Quality and Collaboration • Client (Rider) Awareness and Understanding • Other Accessibility Issues

23. Five Critical Need Categories

24. 1. Reliable and Adequate Funding • Invest in paratransit vehicles and maintenance • Improve uniformity in match/faster reimbursement • Invest in hiring and retaining qualified drivers

25. 2. Access and Expansion Issues… • Availability in rural areas • Limited hours/schedules • Availability of specialized vehicles • Limited number or runs • On-time transportation • Insufficient or difficult to understand signage • Lack of audible stop announcements • Insufficient information on availability

26. …2. Access and Expansion Issues • Barriers created by legislation or policy • Insufficient number of accessible vehicles/buses • Negative attitudes of transportation operators/employees • Poorly trained employees • Shops not being accessible from stops • Bus stop accessibility

27. 3. Cost, Quality and Collaboration • Fixed route connectivity • Reliability, cleanliness and quality of vehicles • Travel times too long for comfort or guaranteeing on time arrival

28. 4. Rider Awareness and Understanding • Online training options with easy access • Descriptions of services • Door-to-door • Assistance on ingress and egress • Languages spoken by driver • Wheelchair accessibility

29. 5. Other Accessibility Issues • More sidewalks of better quality and accessible recreation trails • Improved transportation of community festivals and events • Improved training and support of airport and other mass transit security on understanding and interacting with persons with disabilities

30. Strategies from Data Analysis

31. Strategies from Data Analysis • Policy/Infrastructure • Safety • Funding, Fund Raising and Donations • Communication/Training • Flexibility/Adaptation to Community Needs • Equipment and Drivers

32. Strategies from Data Analysis

33. 1. Policy/Infrastructure • Expand paratransit eligibility and advertisements for services • Expand the fixed route system • Develop state-wide prepaid card system

34. 2. Safety • Improve access with sidewalks • Improve access to bus stops • Require Level 2 background screening for paratransit drivers

35. 3. Funding, Fund Raising and Donations • Improve number, quality and drivers of fleets • Increase numbers of trips • Increase hours of service • Improve geographic coverage • Leverage funding, including fund-raising • Improve identification of, access to, expertise in writing, and skills in managing grant funds and sustaining services • Create a flexible system for soliciting, receiving and processing donations

36. 4. Communication/Training • Educating the public • Holding quarterly TD meetings • Investing time in community outreach

37. 5. Flexibility/Adaptation to Community Needs • Flexibility • Hours and Routes • Quality and Efficiency

38. 6. Equipment and Drivers • Understand the workforce and turnover • Create equity in wages • Assign routes and duties with equity • Minimize administrative tasks

39. National Research

40. National: Large/Urban Cities • Boston, Massachusetts • Denver, Colorado • Los Angeles, California • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Portland, Oregon • Seattle, Washington

41. National: Mid-Sized Cities • Charleston, South Carolina • Providence, Rhode Island • New Haven, Connecticut • Salt Lake City, Utah • Syracuse, New York

42. National: Rural Projects • The Arc, Connecticut • Ride Connection, Oregon • Jewish Council for Aging, Maryland • Lewis and Clark, Montana • Community Action Committee, Tennessee • TRIP, California • Mobility Outreach Project, Michigan

43. National Research Components • Background • Costs and Revenues • Identified Gaps and Obstacles • Strategies to Address Gaps and Obstacles • Innovations/Adaptions • Projects/Programs

44. Florida Gap Analysis

45. Florida Gap Analysis • Relevance • Degree the strategy would have the desired effect on improving transportation if implemented • Feasibility • Degree the strategy would be implemented with reasonable changes in state, regional or local transportation practice

46. Case Study

47. Case StudyNon-Institutionalized Persons with Disabilities (NIPD) High NIPD Counties Low NIPD Counties Alachua Leon Miami-Dade Palm Beach St. Johns • Bay • Charlotte • Citrus • Hernando • Putnam

49. Recommendations

50. Recommendations… • Need 1 • Establish and Support Reliable Funding and Support from Policy Makers • Need 2 • Improve Access, Collaboration and Expansion of Transportation Services • Need 3 • Improve Efficiency, Cost and Quality of Transportation Services