Meeting_Body
FINANCE, BUDGET AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
MARCH 17, 2021
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).
Background
BACKGROUND
Access is the Los Angeles County transit agency that provides paratransit services 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 fixed-route buses and trains in Los Angeles County; Access currently has 132,000 registered riders. Access' paratransit service is a next-day, shared-ride, curb-to-curb service with additional assistance available to qualified individuals. The service operates throughout most of the County of Los Angeles and is operated by six contractors in the following regions: Eastern, Southern, West Central, Northern, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley. Access provides service to customers who are traveling between locations that are located within 3/4 of a mile of local bus routes and rail lines. Customers call Access' service providers directly to make trip reservations or book trips online.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Starting in the middle of March 2020 with the implementation of Los Angeles City and County's Safer at Home directives, Access saw its average daily ridership decline 78 percent from 11,600 trips a day to 2,500 trips a day. Ridership climbed up to almost 50 percent of normal through December 2020 and is now at 41 percent of normal in January 2021.
In response to the pandemic, Access proactively redesigned its system to enhance physical distancing and cleaning protocols to help protect the health of customers and frontline employees, particularly vehicle operators. These initiatives included the elimination of shared...
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