Steering Committee Meeting United We Ride Plan Update

Coordinated Public Transit / Human Services Transportation Planning

Thursday, Sept. 20, 2011

In Collaboration with:

UNITED WE

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Public Transit/

Human Services

Transportation

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Today’s Agenda• Welcome and Project Purposes• Presentations

– Report of Findings from Agency Survey, including Themes

from two prior meetings– Preliminary Findings of Outreach – Overview of RVTD ‘s Tiered Service Improvements

• Steering Group Discussion – Prioritizing Transportation Gaps/Needs of Three Target Groups

• Identifying strategies to meet needs– Projects and Partners

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2012 United We Ride Coordinated Plan

Study area -- Jackson County Considers region – given regional trips and two-

county impacts, given RVCOG two-county focus Working and not working? Unmet mobility needs of 3 target groups? What coordinated transportation exists ? What strategies and projects can meet needs?

Shelf-ready project list….prioritized for future funding opportunities

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Themes from:Prior Steering Group Meetings

andUWR Plan Existing Conditions Drawn From Secondary Sources

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Themes Overall population growth –

12% over past decade; more growth anticipated Region clearly impacted by Great Recession –

Jackson Co. – 21,000 persons/ 150% poverty level Increased poverty levels for:

• Children• Working and non-working adults• Hispanic persons• Persons with disabilities• Older persons

Additional target group – veterans Older vets aging in place/ caregiver needs too Interest in rural areas for newly returning vets

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Themes Trip type needs –

Medical trips, for those on Medicaid - covered Work trips and job seeking trips - needed

• Living wage employment– Sundays – New Saturday service a boon– Before 5 or 6 a.m. and after 8 p.m.?

Trip needs outside RVTD district boundaries:– Shady Cove, Upper Rogue– Gold Hill, Rogue River– Grants Pass

Trip needs within district; not on existing RVTD service footprint or beyond Valley Lift ¾ mile

Individualized trips – trip chaining ,door thru door6

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Themes Other areas of need –

Affordability of transit Information tools

- 2-1-1 Centralized Information- Agency staff limited transit understanding - Travel training opportunities

Other connections Opportunities –

TransLink and URCC brokered service RSVP volunteer driver program Living Opportunities vehicle loaner program

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Highlights of Agency Survey

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Agency Survey – Respondents

Survey distributed July and August54 total agencies (49 unduplicated)Reporting total caseload almost 70,000

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Agency Survey – RespondentsSENIORS AARPCentral Point Senior CenterRVCOG – Senior & Disability ServicesMedford Senior CenterFood & Friends, RVCOGRidgeview Assisted LivingRogue Valley Manor Community ServicesWynwood Rogue ValleyUpper Rogue Community Center

VETERANSVeterans AdministrationVA SORCC – Voc Rehabilitation ProgramVeterans Administration/ DAVVA SORCC CNH Program

LOW-INCOMEAshland Emergency Food BankCommunity WorksHearts with a MissionHousing Authority of Jackson CountySalvation Army

CHILDREN, YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTSFamily Nurturing Center Magdalene HomeCASA of Jackson CountyBoys & Girls Club of the Rogue ValleyMaslow ProjectMediation WorksSouthern Oregon Child & Family Council

HeadstartRogue RetreatRogue Valley Family YMCAUnited Way of Jackson County

DISABILITIESDSACEaster Seals OregonJackson County DD ServicesLiving Opportunities, Inc.Phoenix CounselingRVCOG – Senior & Disability ServicesRogue RetreatSouthern Oregon GOODWILLThe ARC Jackson County

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Agency Survey - Clientele

Varying clientele groups well-represented

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Agency Survey – Transportation Role

Multiple roles - 28 respondents reporting some transportation function

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Agency Survey – Transportation Role

Transportation information/ arranging role most common

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Agency Survey – Transportation Role

Respondents are spending $s on transportation – operating or contracting

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Agency Survey – Role by Type

Providers split between public and non-profits -more non-profit, non-provider agencies

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Agency Survey - ProvidersServices directly operated –

12 Agencies directly operating; significant reliance

upon volunteers

Agency: City:# of

Vehicles

Department of Veterans Affairs White City

Family Nurturing Center - Outreach/Intake Medford 2

Hearts With A Mission Medford 1

Josephine Community Transit - JCT Grants Pass

Living Opportunities, Inc Medford 17

Salvation Army Hope House Medford 2

Southern Oregon Child and Family Council Head Start Central Point

Southern Oregon Goodwill Medford 5

Upper Rogue Community Center Shady Cove 6

Veteran's Administration White City

Veterans Administration - DAV White City 6

Wynwood Rogue Valley Medford 1

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Agency Survey - ProvidersSubsidizing bus passes –

In addition to RVTD’s bus pass program with United Way and ACCESS, 8 other agencies are distributing RVTD bus pass or tokens.

Agency: City:# of

Vehicles

Community Works Medford

DD Services Medford

Family Nurturing Center - Outreach/Intake Medford 2

Jackson County DDS Medford

Living Opportunities, Inc Medford 17

Maslow Project Medford

Southern Oregon Goodwill Medford 5

VHA-White City, OR SORCC White City

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Agency Survey - ProvidersContracting for transportation –

8 organizations procuring needed transportation via contract.

Agency: City:# of

Vehicles

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley Grants Pass 1

Community Works Medford

Department of Veterans Affairs White City

Jackson County DDS Medford

Rogue Retreat Medford 1

Rogue Valley Family YMCA Medford

RVCOG - Senior and Disability Services Central Point

Upper Rogue Community Center Shady Cove 6

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Agency Survey – Themes in Unmet Needs

Breadth of unmet needs reported.

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Agency Survey – Themes in Unmet Needs

Top-rated needs are individualized or beyond existing RVTD network.

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Agency Survey – Themes in Unmet Needs

Reported needs differ somewhat by transportation role

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Agency Survey – Themes in Unmet Needs

• Other reported needs –• Sunday service in White City and for vets in

residence at SCORCC (325)• Appointments and groups ending after 8 p.m.• Some dialysis trips• Route to Amy’s Kitchen and at shift changes• Consistent service to east end of Ashland• Groceries: twice monthly to Winco & Food 4 Less• Regional trips: Josephine County, Cave City, Gold

Hill, Grants Pass and Upper Rogue

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Agency Survey – Barriers to Mobility

• For Vets • At VA, no lift-equipped vehicles • Not all can get to DAV pick-up points

• Other Barriers• Affordability – costs to riders; agencies limited

budgets for tokens & passes• Physical infrastructure and pedestrian safety in

getting to bus – crossing 4+ lanes of traffic• Inconvenience – time traveling, waiting for bus,

Valley Lift window of 15/30/45 minutes• RVTD schedules – early a.m., eves, Sundays

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Agency Survey – Coordination Interests

Bus passes & information needs highest rated

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Agency Survey – Coordination Interests

Second tier interests are also opportunities.

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Agency Survey – Coordination Interests

• Collaborative county – Multiple informal relationships and arrangements around

transportation– Several formal contracts

Second tier interests are also opportunities.

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Agency Survey - Budgets

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Almost $300,000 in transportation funds

reported by 10 agencies

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Stakeholder Outreach Effort

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Who We’ve Talked ToStakeholders United Way RSVP La Clinica STEPS Ashland Food Bank VASORCC Housing Authority Rogue Community

College ACCESS

Metro Medical RV Medical Center Harry and David Goodwill Ashland Senior Center Call a Ride Program Maslow Program

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Who We’ve Talked ToFocus Groups of Constituents La Clinica Clients Veterans DASIL Consumers WIC Program Participants (Mothers)* Medford Senior Center*

Key Themes from Interviews and Focus Groups

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Key Themes: What is Working RVTD providing excellent quality service during

the times when they operate Much appreciation for new Saturday and later evening

service High marks for bus operators, vehicles and reliability

Non-emergency medical transportation TransLInk Call a Ride - RSVP DAV

Services for Developmentally Disabled programs Highly collaborative social service community

working to meet many needs 211 Program is now live

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Key Themes: What is Needed Specific trip segments to increase transit

access to employment and education opportunities TIME:

• Early morning (e.g. Harry & David)• Evening (retail, restaurant, Industrial)• Sundays (retail)

PLACE: • Amy’s Kitchen, and other industrial work sites• Eagle Point• Grant’s Pass• Table Rock Campus

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Key Themes: What is Needed New services to north portion of RVTD

District Connect Central Point – White City – Eagle Point Growing affordable housing (New Housing

Authority Complex in White City) RCC Table Rock Campus Amy’s Kitchen/Industrial Areas Central Point La Clinica (Hammerick Rd) Wal-Mart in Eagle Point

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Key Themes: What is Needed Eagle Point

Wal-Mart Growing low income community Need to get to RCC campuses - Table Rock and

Medford STEPS program

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Key Themes: What is Needed Other unserved destinations within Medford

area East Medford (Spring Street/Springbrook

Extension area) Maple Terrace Housing Authority Complex

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Key Themes: What is Needed Ashland

Improved access to food bank in Ashland Mountain Meadows and other retirement

communities north-east of freeway Hospital East Main and north of there Better distribution of bus tokens purchased by

City of Ashland, availability of free passes provided by RVTD

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Key Themes: What’s Needed Unserved Pockets in rural areas

Gold Hill Shady Cove Applegate area

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Key Themes: What’s Needed Regional Trips

Grant’s Pass for Jobs, Courts and RCC Lack of information about what is currently

available (Greyhound, Amtrak Thruway, other private carriers)

Affordability issues

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Key Themes: What is Needed Recreational Trips

Veterans – Saturday evenings, Sundays and Holidays

Disability Population – after 8 pm Older Adults - Churches, Community Concerts

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Themes: What’s Needed Enhanced Communications

Stakeholders not fully aware of services available (e.g. Saturday service)

Eligibility for specialized services not always well understood

Google Transit not well known

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Key Themes: What’s Needed Transit Affordability

Transit is a better value for lower income families than owning/maintaining a vehicle.

Lowest income populations struggle to pay fares and often run out of money before end of month.

Free ride program is very appreciated• 22 rides over 3 months is limiting.• Equity of free pass distribution – Medford only.

New one-transfer policy disliked by some riders.

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Key Themes: What’s Needed Built Environment

Better Pedestrian/Bicycle Access • Built environment is highly auto oriented • Not pedestrian friendly

Locating of human service and educational destinations relevant to transit

• Social Services• Housing Authority• RCC

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Key Themes Jobs Access – critical trip segments

Time and Place Central Point-White City-Eagle Point Connection Eagle Point Unserved pockets (within Medford) Ashland (unserved areas) Unserved Pockets (rural areas) Regional Trips Recreational Trips Enhanced Communications Transit Affordability Built Environment

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RVTDServices and

Tiered Strategic Planning Direction

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RVTD Transit Services RVTD Fixed Route

General public riders RVTD Valley Lift

Persons certified as ADA eligible for complementary paratransit

Trips within ¾ mile of fixed-route RVTD PLUS

Non-medical trips for DHS eligible riders; 1 ½ mile RVTD DD53 (new program)

Workshop/ employment trips for eligible riders Way To Go promoting alternatives to driving

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RVTD’s Tiered Strategic Plan

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Available Public Transit

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Other Area Public Transit or Specialized Transportation Josephine Community Transit – Fixed Route

and Dial-a-Ride Klamath Shuttle & Southwest Point STF-Funded Programs

Upper Rogue Community Center (URCC) Living Opportunities, Ashland – Grants Pass RSVP Call A Ride mileage reimbursement

TransLINK OBSS [Oregon Brokerage System Software] Greyhound and Amtrak Thruway

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Discussion: Prioritize Needs Jobs Access – critical trip segments

Time and Place Unserved Times – Sunday, early, evening Central Point-White City-Eagle Point Connection Eagle Point Unserved pockets (within Medford) Ashland (unserved areas) Unserved Pockets (rural areas) Regional Trips Recreational Trips Enhanced Communications Transit Affordability Built Environment

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Coordination Opportunities

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Opportunities Coordinated Dispatching – Upper Rogue

Community Center Has increased utilization of transit resources

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Opportunities Opening of integrated HHS office downtown

Medford Distribution of free/subsidized bus passes Easy access from Front Street station Day Care opportunity?

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Opportunities Before/After Hours Work Access

Specialized Vanpool/Shuttle Drive Less Connect - ridesharing Shared Ride Subsidized Taxi Employer Participation

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Opportunities Information

Travel Training Stakeholder Training Google Transit Customized Information Mobility Manager for outreach

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Opportunities How to Service Unique Trips

Mileage Reimbursement to Volunteer Drivers• Outside RVTD Service Area• Individual/Unique Trips/Trip Chaining

Living Opportunities Vehicle Loan Program

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Opportunities Increase bicycle infrastructure

Larger bike racks on buses Bike lockers at bus stops Bike lanes and bikeways Bike share or bike donation programs

• Maslow• Veterans Admin

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Specific Coordination Opportunity Opportunity to connect Vets with jobs and

training Housing Authority Development in White City VA Rehab Program Employers (Harry and David) RCC Table Rock Campus Shuttle

Discussionof Opportunities

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Potential Partners

Providers(3+ vehicles)

Volunteer Providers

Passes/ Reimbursement

RVTD Call a RideCommunity Works

Living Opportunities DAVDD Services

Upper Rogue Community Center

Family Nurturing Center - Outreach/Intake

Southern Oregon GoodwillJackson County DDS

VASORCCLiving Opportunities

7+ organizations with 1-2 vehicles used for specialized client base

Maslow Project

Southern Oregon Goodwill

VASORCC

Major Employers

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Schedule Overview August and September

Agency Survey Conducting September interviews (9/17 to 9/21)

September 20th Workshop, Steering Committee Results of Community Input Strategies and Solutions

January Review Draft Plan Additional Public Input

April Adopt Final Coordination Plan

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