Meeting_Body
FINANCE, BUDGET AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
APRIL 17, 2019
Subject
SUBJECT: ACCESS SERVICES - QUARTERLY UPDATE
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE status report on Access Services - ADA Paratransit.
Issue
ISSUE
This is a quarterly update on Access Services (Access), as requested by the Finance, Budget and Audit Committee.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Agency Overview
Access is the Los Angeles County transit agency that provides paratransit service on behalf of Metro and 44 other 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. There are currently 151,000 registered Access riders. Access’ paratransit service is a next-day, shared-ride, curb-to-curb service with additional assistance available to qualified individuals. The service is operated by six contractors in the following regions of Los Angeles County: Eastern, Southern, West Central, Northern, Santa Clarita Valley and Antelope Valley. Access provides service in which customers are picked up and dropped off within 3/4 of a mile of local bus and rail routes. Customers call Access’ providers directly to make trip reservations.
FY19 - Operational Performance for July 2018 - March 1, 2019
Access monitors its contractors’ compliance with federal law and regulations and their service to Los Angeles County paratransit customers through regular audits and the monitoring of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
From July 1, 2018 through March 1, 2019, Access provided more than 2.3 million passenger trips, approximately a two percent increase over the same period last year. Year to date, on-time performance (OTP) remains strong and all key performance indicators are being met, except for preventable collisions. Preventable collisions continue to be considerably lower than those experienced by peer transit operators. As a reflection of the importance the agency places on safety, Access counts any contact as a collision, regardless of the cost or extent of vehicle or property damage. This focus has led to a decrease in Access’ auto liability premiums for the past two years.
Access works with their service contractors to ensure that optimal performance standards are met monthly. All contracts include 15 separate KPIs. For providers that are not meeting contractually established KPIs, staff requests the submission of corrective action plans and assesses liquidated damages. The major KPIs are listed below.
Working with Community Partners
Aging and Disability Transportation Network (Network): In response to a June 2016 Metro Board motion (“Countywide Services for Older Adults and People with Disabilities”), Metro and Access staff have met with Network representatives regularly to discuss and study enhancements to the service.
The first enhancement to emerge from this collaboration is an expansion of transfer service between the North County and the Los Angeles Basin, which was approved by Access’ Board of Directors in March. Currently, there are three weekday transfer times between Antelope Valley and the Basin and four weekday transfer times between Santa Clarita and the Basin. All of the transfers take place at Olive View Medical Center in Sylmar. Based on customer feedback, Access is proposing to expand the number of transfer times from three to eight on weekdays; initiate transfer service on weekends and holidays; and lower fares for transfer trips from $7.00 to $3.50. This initiative will be funded by a Federal Section 5310 grant and Measure M 2% funds.
As discussed in prior reports, Metro and Access staff continues to discuss additional improvements, including using technology to improve dispatching/routing and other facets of the rider experience, such as an improved web site and online reservations. The Network and Access have also been working together on strategies to expand the Parents with Disabilities (PWD) program, which provides additional assistance to Access customers with school-age children. Access expects to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) by the end of March 2019 to solicit vendors to expand the program countywide. This RFP will give vendors the ability to “broker” trips to existing transportation resources, including taxis and Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft.
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center (Rancho): Rancho is one of Access’ largest trip generators with 25,000 trips provided to and from the center on an annual basis. Last year, several service enhancements were implemented by Access’ Southern Region provider, Global Paratransit (Global), including the provision of a dedicated road supervisor, or floater, to Rancho. This arrangement has led to better on-time performance (an average of 92 percent during the last 6 months), more flexibility for Rancho patients to rebook their trips around their medical appointments, and increased customer satisfaction (only six complaints during the last six months). Additional recent operational improvements include the relocation of Access’ three pick-up stand signs following Rancho’s recent campus renovations. Access staff is also collaborating with Rancho staff and customers on a wheelchair securement training video that will be used system-wide to improve customer service and safety. Finally, Access staff attends various meetings and special events at Rancho, including their Patient Advisory Committee meetings.
Abilities Expo: Access and its contractors provided transportation to the annual Los Angeles Abilities Expo, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in late February. This annual event draws Access riders from across the county and Access provided 659 trips to or from the event. The Metro Civil Rights Department and Access had a booth at the Expo and were on hand to answer questions and to provide mobility device safety strap services for dozens of customers. Staff also assisted riders with eligibility application process and Where’s My Ride (WMR) App.
Technology Update
Southern Region Dispatching/Routing Improvements: Access’ Southern Region Contractor, Global Paratransit, recently transitioned to a new routing, scheduling and dispatching software package, TSS Wireless’ 5M system, which is also in use in the Eastern and West/Central Regions. The 5M software has given Global the ability to seamlessly integrate its subcontracted taxicab operations into its overall service. Because of the transition, 75 percent of the Los Angeles basin is now on the 5M system and Access is seeing improved performance in the Southern region, including improved on-time performance and better routing, which has resulted in lower customer complaints.
Where’s My Ride (WMR) App: More than 4,900 customers have registered to use the WMR application, which is up from 3,100 customers in the January report, a 58 percent increase. The app allows customers to obtain an estimated time of arrival (ETA), vehicle location for their trips, and provide feedback and comments after the trip is completed. WMR has provided over 1.2 million ETAs this fiscal year alone. Based on customer feedback, the latest enhancement will make the app more accessible for visually impaired riders by providing distance and cross street data. In addition, the app will provide alerts and updates via push notifications regarding emergency events and potential service delays.
Online Reservations: Currently beta testing of the new system has expanded to additional customers in the West Central, Eastern, and the Southern regions. This test group is booking trips online and continues to provide valuable feedback. This platform will go-live for these three regions in April 2019. The remaining Access regions (Northern, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley) are on different software platforms and are scheduled to have online reservations within the next 6 months
The above initiatives, as well as the expanded suite of KPIs, are Measure M 2% funded and will provide enhanced service to Access customers.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Goal 2: Deliver outstanding trip experiences for all users of the transportation system
Goal 3: Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Access is in the process of completing the following:
• Finalize development and implementation of an online reservations platform with initial deployment in April 2019;
• Amend existing contract in the Antelope Valley to include an expanded suite of Key Performance Indicators (with accompanying liquidated damages) to provide enhanced ADA paratransit service;
• Implement an expanded North County transfer program and continue to work with Community Partners in the area;
• Work with Metro staff to develop the FY20 Budget.
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Giovanna M. Gogreve, Senior Manager Transportation Planning, (213) 922-2835 (in consultation with André Colaiace, Executive Director, Access Services, (213) 270-6000)
Reviewed_by
Reviewed by: Nalini Ahuja, Chief Financial Officer, (213) 922-3088
