Agenda

Return

C.111

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Comm
Date:	January 11, 2011

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Report on transportation plans and services for specific populations

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 01/11/2011

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

John Greitzer 335-1201

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: January 11, 2011
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

RECEIVE report on transportation plans and services for specific population groups, as recommended by the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee.

FISCAL IMPACT:

NONE. This is an informational report.

BACKGROUND:

The list of issues referred by the Board to the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee includes transportation plans and services for specific populations. The term “specific populations” refers to low-income persons, elderly persons, and those with disabilities that limit their mobility. These three groups of people tend to be more dependent upon public transit services including paratransit, because they are less able to afford automobiles and in some cases physically unable to drive.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

The Committee received this report on December 20, 2010 and determined to forward the report on to the full Board of Supervisors.

Transportation services for these particular population groups are largely a result of federal regulations. All public transit agencies that receive federal funding have been required since 1973 to provide paratransit service for disabled persons and elderly persons. Transit services for low-income persons were developed in response to federal policies stemming from the federal welfare reform act of 1996, which focused on helping welfare recipients find and keep jobs.

This report summarizes some recent developments in these services within Contra Costa County.

Transportation plans and services for low-income persons:

• The County Connection, which provides bus service in Central and South County, discontinued its Route 8 bus service along Monument Boulevard in Concord earlier this year as part of service cuts due to primarily to reduced state funding. The route, known as the Monument Community Shuttle, was initially funded through a three-year grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). The service was designed to serve low-income residents along the Monument Boulevard Corridor. The grant ran out this year, and County Connection determined that ridership was not adequate to continue the route using the other funding sources available to the agency.

• The County’s Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD) provides one transportation-related service for CalWORKs participants, the “KEYS” Auto Loan Program. KEYS stands for “Keeping Employment Equals Your Success.” This program enables CalWORKs participants who have jobs to purchase automobiles at lower interest rates than they could obtain in the private market. By assisting participants in purchasing automobiles, the program enables them to stay employed and successfully make the transition from welfare to work.

• EHSD’s other transportation programs, such as the “Rides To Success” transportation service, were discontinued during budget cuts over the past two years. Rides To Success provided rides, through shuttles or taxis, for CalWORKs participants who lacked an automobile and needed transportation to their job location or job-training site, or to take their children to schools or day-care facilities while the parents were at work.

• The County provided emergency funding in 2008 to help Tri Delta Transit continue to operate the Route 200 bus, which provides service from Bay Point to various social service agencies, health clinics and hospitals. The service was in danger of being eliminated because budget cuts forced the County’s Health Services Department to discontinue its financial support of the route. Funds from another County source, the Keller Canyon Mitigation Fund, were identified and made available to Tri Delta Transit. The Route 200 is a “lifeline” service designed to provide low-income communities with transit access to health care and other needed services.

• Community-based transportation plans have been developed through planning grants from MTC for low-income communities in the Richmond/North Richmond/San Pablo area, Bay Point, the Monument Boulevard Corridor in Concord, and Martinez. The plans recommend a variety of transportation improvements, largely (but not entirely) focused on public transit. Some of their recommendations have been implemented, such as Tri Delta’s Route 201 from Bay Point to Concord destinations including a high school and a hospital; the Route 8 Monument Community Shuttle mentioned above; and transit information programs for North Richmond/Richmond residents.

Transportation plans and services for elderly persons:

Van and automobile pickup services are provided to elderly persons by a number of organizations, including EHSD’s Area Agency on Aging, numerous local jurisdictions, Rossmoor, local community groups and non-profits, and churches and other religious organizations. Many of these services are performed by volunteer drivers.

• The City of Pleasant Hill in December received a $56,000 Measure J grant to assist in purchasing a replacement van for one of its senior vans.

• The City of Walnut Creek received $9,000 in Measure J funding, also in December, to help finance the operations of its Walnut Creek Senior Club Minibus service.

Transportation plans and services for disabled persons:

Staff has no recent developments to report on these services. All providers of public transit service – at least, those who receive federal funding – are required to provide paratransit service, or service for persons with mobility problems who are unable to ride bus routes or train routes, and cannot drive. These services are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Transit operators also provide service for disabled persons that goes beyond ADA requirements.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is conducting a Transit Sustainability Study to determine how Bay Area transit agencies can continue to provide service in the face of severe budget shortfalls. Depending on the study’s final recommendations, there may be opportunities identified for transit operators to strengthen their financial situation which could in turn enable them to devote more resources to services for elderly persons, disabled persons, and low-income communities such as those described in this report. MTC has been working with the transit operators, academic researchers and stakeholder groups on the study. The Transportation Water and Infrastructure will monitor the development of the study and report to the Board if appropriate.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

NONE.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

Not Applicable.