Meeting_Body
FINANCE, BUDGET AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 18, 2017
Subject
SUBJECT: ACCESS SERVICES - QUARTERLY REPORT
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE status report on Access Services - ADA Paratransit Service.
Issue
ISSUE
This is a quarterly update on Access Services (Access), as requested by Metro’s Finance, Budget and Audit Committee at their June meeting.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Agency Overview
Access Services is the Los Angeles County transit agency that provides paratransit services on behalf of Metro and 44 other Los Angeles County fixed route operators, as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Eligibility for Access is based on a person’s ability to use accessible buses and trains in Los Angeles County. Access serves more than 4.3 million customers and provides an average of 11,000 trips daily. Access’ paratransit service is a next-day shared-ride service, which means a ride must be reserved the day before and may be shared with other Access customers. Access provides curb-to-curb service with additional assistance available to qualified individuals. The service is operated by six contractors who are responsible for the following regions: Eastern, Southern, West Central, Northern, Santa Clarita Valley and Antelope Valley. Customers call Access’ providers directly to make reservations and schedule trips. Access serves any area within ¾ of a mile on either side of a rail line or local bus route. This coordinated system allows Access customers to travel without having to transfer nearly anywhere in the Los Angeles County basin served by fixed-route transportation.
Background
This quarterly update and presentation provides information on Access’ operational performance, complaints process and other Agency initiatives.
Agency Operational Performance
One of the main ways that Access oversees its contractors’ compliance with federal law and regulations and their service to Los Angeles County paratransit customers is through regular audits and the monitoring of a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). In the last year, Access has expanded and modified its KPIs based on its own research and the results of a recent Comprehensive Operational Review (COR) performed by the consulting firm Nelson\Nygaard. Access has also introduced liquidated damages in its operating contracts that are tied to these KPIs.
While the system is meeting standards for some measures, particularly on-time performance, other measures, such as increasing complaints in FY 17/18, are being closely monitored. Access will continue to work with individual contractors that are not meeting performance targets to ensure that performance is improved and established goals are met.
Key Performance Indicators
A year-to-year comparison of the major KPIs is provided below:
On-time Performance (OTP) - Access has an OTP standard of 91% within a 20-minute arrival window and measures on-time performance by using GPS validation to confirm and verify driver-reported arrival time at a pick-up location. On-time windows of 20 or 30 minutes are standard for ADA paratransit.
Average Initial Hold Time (AIHT) -Access measures the average amount of time, in seconds, that calls for reservations, customer service and its OMC are on hold before being answered.
Calls on Hold over 5 Minutes - (COH>5min) - Access measures the percentage of reservation calls that were on hold for five minutes or longer before being answered.
Service Complaints per 1,000 Trips - Access tracks the number of complaints it receives to monitor the overall quality of the service. All complaints received, regardless of validity, are included in this measure.
Preventable Collisions - Access tracks preventable collisions system-wide, at the contractor level, and down to the driver level. As a primary measurement of how safe the paratransit system is, the preventable collision rate is calculated monthly and measures the number of preventable collisions per 100,000 service miles, an industry standard.
Complaints Process
Access has a centralized customer service call center that is managed by ALTA Resources (ALTA). ALTA assists customers by providing information on the eligibility process, replacing ID cards and answering general service questions. ALTA also assists customers with immediate service needs and processes customer comments. Access’ customer comments (consisting of both complaints and commendations) are received by phone, Access’ website, email, and mail. The customer service number is promoted on customer ID cards, the website, the Rider’s Guide and other publications. Additionally, Access is in the process of including a sign in vehicles referencing the customer service and reservations numbers. Access works with its contractors to investigate all complaints and provides response letters, if requested, within 14 days.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
None.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Access is in the process of completing the following:
• Implementing recommendations from the COR as part of Access’ Strategic Plan. Specifically, Access is looking at centralizing some aspects of its operations to improve the customer experience and increase efficiency. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) also recently reviewed Access’ operations during an ADA Compliance Review in August 2017 and will be providing recommendations.
• As it does periodically, Access has retained a professional survey firm to measure customer satisfaction. Data from this survey will be reviewed and improvements will be made as appropriate. Results should be available in November 2017.
• Continue to implement technology initiatives including text Estimated Time of Arrival (ETAs) and automated call outs, online reservations/cancellations and eligibility applications, as well as a “Where’s My Ride” (WMR) application to allow customers to better track their trips and rate their trip experience through the use of a smart phone. WMR is currently being beta tested by customers and is expected to be rolled out by the end of the year.
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Giovanna M. Gogreve, ADA Paratransit Manager, 213-922-2835 (in consultation with Andre Colaiace, Access Services’ Executive Director, 213-270-6000)
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Nalini Ahuja, Chief Financial Officer, 213-922-3088
