Toolkit for Rural Community Coordinated Transportation Services (2004) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 39-88
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Here we are talking about (1) what steps need to be taken in what order to establish successful coordinated transportation services and (2)
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The process should be managed by a steering committee or task force of interested parties that defines roles and responsibilities among the agencies and other parties involved. Coordination of transportation services begins because an individual or small group thinks that there must be a better way to provide transportation services in their community.
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✦ Step #6 -- Implement the Preferred Choice -- Formulate action plans and implement coordinated transportation services. ✦ Step #7 -- Evaluate and Improve the System(s)
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Implementation Step #1 -- Initiate the Improvement Process Checklist of Important Activities The improvement process starts with a decision that coordinated transportation may offer better services than exist at present. What can be considered "better" depends on the state of transportation services locally and what kinds of improvements are thought to be necessary.
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As discussions move forward, the group will begin to get ideas for change and for organizing and delivering transportation services differently. Care must be taken not to let ideas solidify too early, but an important outcome of these discussions should be a preliminary road map of what coordinated transportation services may be and what can be accomplished.
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Transportation providers may include public transportation agencies, community and county transportation services, social service agency transportation programs, private transportation operators such as taxi companies, local charter bus operators, and transportation coordinating agencies that already exist. Elected officials may include transportation planning agencies and area agencies on aging.
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All participants in the early discussions should recognize that people and agencies with diverse interests are coming together to begin building coordinated transportation services. They should be guided by the following: ✦ Consider and express views about transportation needs and services openly, but nonjudgmentally; ✦ Think creatively and do not let past issues or present constraints inhibit the exploration of possible changes in the delivery of transportation services; ✦ Develop an understanding of transportation needs and resources in the community that transportation coordination can address; and ✦ Work together to establish a vision of success, a mission, goals and objectives, and a plan for action to coordinate transportation services.
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This helps to build trust in the interview process. Following these interviews, it is wise to report back, in written form, to the steering committee or Chapter 3 How to Implement New Coordinated Transportation Services 49 Coordinating travel services requires an understanding of community resources and travel needs.
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Needs should be addressed 50 Implementing New Coordination Efforts SECTION II To effectively plan for and implement coordinated transportation services, it is necessary to understand the resources, both physical and financial, that the participating agencies will have available.
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At this point, in order to keep the process moving, a regular meeting calendar should exist. Chapter 3 How to Implement New Coordinated Transportation Services 51 Hold regular task force meetings
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Report to Key Participants and the Community It is important for key members of the broader community to be kept informed of progress in developing coordinated transportation. Reporting to the community can take the form of letters to individuals; newsletters; small group meetings with key community leaders, advocates, elected officials, and/or customers; or open community meetings.
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Chapter 3 How to Implement New Coordinated Transportation Services 53 Agree on the problem, develop consensus, and set a direction
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Developing strategic direction involves taking an open and unbiased look at the information that exists, the problems and needs, and existing transportation services, to uncover and develop options for improving them. Strategic thinking starts with an investigation of the strengths and weaknesses of the "internal environment" within which transportation services are provided.
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Chapter 3 How to Implement New Coordinated Transportation Services 55 Brainstorming is founded on the premise that all ideas are good.
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With the completion of Implementation Step #3, the task force has the road map and priorities to begin developing alternative courses of action that will result in the selection of a specific plan of action resulting in implementation of coordinated transportation services. See Appendix E
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Coordination of transportation services can be organized formally or informally and with highly centralized or widely dispersed service delivery. Alternative courses of action need to be addressed in the following areas: – Interagency relationships, roles, and responsibilities; – Organizational structure, management, and staffing; – Service development, delivery, and pricing options; – Maintenance, storage, fueling, and sharing of vehicles; – Financial resources -- operating and capital -- and associated budgets; and – Human resources -- staffing and training.
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Alternatively, some agencies may simply want to work with others to make some of their excess service capacity available to help other agencies meet their needs. If a lead organization does not exist, but the participating agencies wish to merge or consolidate some or all functions of a number of agencies, 58 Implementing New Coordination Efforts SECTION II A key consideration in deciding on organizational structure and management is whether or not a lead organization exists that has the capability and willingness to expand and change its role and responsibility in delivering transportation services.
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– Who will be responsible for community outreach, education, marketing, and public relations? Chapter 3 How to Implement New Coordinated Transportation Services 59 Coordinated transportation services can be organized through a regional transportation authority, a unit of local government, a social service agency, or a newly created organization.
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Service delivery may occur through a single agency where all services are consolidated or through a decentralized, but centrally managed, 60 Implementing New Coordination Efforts SECTION II Service delivery may occur through a single agency where all services are consolidated or through a decentralized, but centrally managed, environment with a number of service providers.
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(Few rural transportation systems receive revenues from investments; not many systems receive significant advertising Chapter 3 How to Implement New Coordinated Transportation Services 61
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62 Implementing New Coordination Efforts SECTION II In a coordinated setting, tracking and reporting is required so that participating agencies and funding agencies pay their fair share of the coordinated transportation service costs and no more or no less.
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Chapter 3 How to Implement New Coordinated Transportation Services 63 The benefits you are trying to achieve should be expressed in the mission, vision, and goals that you have already established. Training is important and should include vehicle operations, accessibility features, customer service, and customer sensitivity.
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; – Service area to be included -- square miles, population, development character, and distribution of existing and potential passengers across the area; – Facilities that will be available; – Vehicle fleet size, variety, accessibility features, compliance with program requirements, accumulated mileage and condition, replacement timing, and cost; – Organizational, management, and staffing requirements; – Expected level of services to be provided -- days and hours of service availability, vehicle miles, and hours of service; – Organizations and agencies participating or not participating and the implications for customer demand, service levels, costs, and revenues; – Technology requirements related to availability; and – Performance measures for comparison, which should include cost-effectiveness (passengers carried per mile and hour of service, operating cost per passenger carried) , and cost efficiency (operating cost per vehicle mile and hours operated)
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Formulate action plans and implement coordinated transportation services
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Such a body is critical for the successful development of plans and actions to implement those plans. Outline Your Broad Strategy Based on the assessment completed in Implementation Step #5, you know the strategy or approach that you will be taking to coordinate transportation services.
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Review and Update Memoranda of Understanding The original memoranda of understanding were executed to formalize roles and responsibilities for determining how coordinated transportation services would be developed and the potential roles that various participants could play in the coordinated setting. At this time, as the final plan for coordinated transportation services is being prepared, existing memoranda of understanding should be reviewed for currency of roles and responsibilities.
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– The nature and size of the market for coordinated transportation service. – The recommended organizational structure through which coordinated transportation services will be organized and the 68 Implementing New Coordination Efforts SECTION II
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Highlight key milestones that will be achieved as implementation occurs. First and foremost, let people know when coordinated transportation services will begin, making sure that the start date is achievable.
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Implementation Step #7 -- Evaluate and Improve the System(s) Implemented Checklist of Important Activities ✦ Don't wait too long to review how coordinated transportation services are doing.
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Decide What Is Important to Review Decide what activities you will review and how often as you are completing the plan for coordinated transportation services. This will help you establish what data needs to be collected and how frequently.
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Communicate your results in a variety of ways. Publish a quarterly 72 Implementing New Coordination Efforts SECTION II Understand that problems will arise and should be dealt with without undue delay.
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Prepare articles for publication and keep in touch with local media people to publish or report on the article. SUMMARY To implement coordinated transportation services in your community, follow this sequence of steps: – Step #1 -- Initiate the Improvement Process -- Form a task force or steering committee and decide to move forward.
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✦ With all the work on coordinated transportation systems in rural areas for many years, why isn't coordination easier? Chapter 4 Some questions about coordination seem to come up again and again, particularly when starting efforts to coordinate transportation services.
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Therefore, you should be able to provide the same level of service as measured by trips provided, and the service should be achieved with reduced resources. (But several factors could cause 76 Implementing New Coordination Efforts SECTION II It's your choice -- how will you apply the greater cost effectiveness that coordination offers?
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of U.S. DOT has several programs that support rural public transportation services.
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This title authorizes supportive services programs directed toward improving the lives of older persons. In local areas, these 78 Implementing New Coordination Efforts SECTION II
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It is not an exaggeration to say that Medicaid nonemergency transportation services operate more like 50 separate programs than like one program. You must understand your own state's regulations regarding nonemergency Medicaid transportation services in order to use Medicaid as a funding source for rural transportation programs.
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Funding sources other than those listed above are also crucial for rural transportation operations, but the listed programs provide the majority of Federal funds that benefit travelers living in rural areas. A more complete listing of Federal programs that can be used to fund coordinated rural transportation services can be found in GAO's recent "Transportation of Disadvantaged Populations" report on such 80 Implementing New Coordination Efforts SECTION II
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WHAT FUNDING SOURCES AM I MISSING? Develop an understanding of the funding programs for transportation or human services that potential coordination partners are already using for transportation services.
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There are challenges, obstacles, hindrances, headaches, and maybe even heartaches along the road to coordination, but barriers -- in the sense that "I am not permitted to coordinate" -- have not been found. Many coordination efforts have been slowed or halted by perceived rather than actual barriers.
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These are some of the challenges that others have faced and that you may need to be prepared to face. It's important to note that some of these challenges have very rarely occurred and that most rural coordinated transportation services have found ways to surmount these issues, which include ✦ Categorical funding, which restricts flexibility in coordination; ✦ Turfism, where agencies jealously protect their own resources; ✦ Lack of information, especially about coordination and its potential benefits; ✦ Public perceptions that may include outdated perspectives regarding rural public transportation; ✦ School bus vehicle specifications, which limit how school children can be transported, and state laws that prohibit mingling adults with school children on school buses; ✦ City taxi ordinances that restrict shared rides among unrelated parties; ✦ Prohibitions on crossing jurisdictional boundaries; ✦ Differing regulations about fares, farebox return, and revenuesharing; ✦ Differing mandates for performance measures; ✦ Labor rules and mandated protections for union versus nonunion drivers; ✦ Legislation requiring competitive bidding or awards to low bidders; Chapter 4 Frequently Asked Questions About Coordination 83 .
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But finding funds for planning coordinated transportation services may be one of the first challenges you face. Some planning funds for developing rural public transportation services are available from the FTA through its Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP)
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Welcome to the club. In any community contemplating the coordination of transportation services, three lists will emerge.
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In the early stages, it is important to be open and inclusive in inviting potential participants into the discussions. Consequently, you want to invite agencies that provide transportation services, agencies that need transportation services, local public officials, state agency staff who may be helpful, local community and business leaders who are interested, people who advocate for services, and people receiving transportation services.
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Despite many challenges, the overwhelming message is that many persons have succeeded in establishing and maintaining coordinated transportation services in rural communities. Take heart in this message: success is possible, although it's seldom easy.
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Coordinated transportation services often command many more resources than non-coordinated operations. They become a new force within the community and may become the target of envy and hostility if there are other local stakeholders -- for example, politicians or other transportation providers -- who are not firmly committed to the coordinated operations.
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WHAT ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENTS OF SUCCESSFUL COORDINATION? Close attention to a small number of fundamental coordination concepts will increase the probability of successful and sustainable coordinated transportation services.
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It means that not only do transportation providers communicate and coordinate with each other, but that human service agencies, doctors, hospitals, and other service organizations work jointly with the transportation services to create a highly integrated scheduling of services for clients, thus creating the most cost-effective overall allocation of resources within the entire community. 90 Implementing New Coordination Efforts SECTION II
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✦ What are the important funding sources for rural transportation? ✦ What funding sources am I missing?
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It's likely that someone will have found the answers to the questions that you have about coordinated transportation services. 92 Implementing New Coordination Efforts SECTION II
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