In 2019, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA/Authority) and the County applied for and received a Sustainable Communities Planning grant from Caltrans in the amount of $400,000 to complete the countywide Accessible Transportation (ATS) Plan to address transportation services in the county related to transportation for seniors and people with disabilities. The study was recommended in CCTA's 2017 Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP).
The ATS Plan was prepared by Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates with oversight provided through a partnership between CCTA and the County and input and guidance provided by a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and a Policy Advisory Committee (PAC).
The CTP identified a need to address the challenges associated with: (1) different types of accessible transportation services for older adults and people with disabilities; (2) multiple transportation providers including cities, transit operators, social services agencies, and non-profit organizations; and (3) diverse, and sometimes overlapping, service areas. The ATS Plan has documented the following gaps and concerns: cross jurisdictional transfer trips leading to long and confusing rides, the need for more evening and weekend service, the need for a "one-call/one-click" system, and the need for same day service, among many other issues. Advocates have been expressing these concerns for decades. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan summarizes the status of this segment of the transportation system as follows:
“Current senior-oriented mobility services do not have the capacity to handle the increase in people over 65 years of age…the massive growth among the aging …points to a lack of fiscal and organizational readiness…the closure and consolidation of medical facilities while rates of diabetes and obesity are on the rise will place heavy demands on an already deficient system.”
Recent Events
The Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee received an overview of this item at their February 8th meeting. The Board of Supervisors also should be aware of two events that occurred subsequent to that meeting:
1) The Draft Final ATS Plan (attached) was published
The recommendations in the ATS Plan are discussed in more detail below but in summary, the primary recommendation is to form a Task Force that will recommend a Coordinating Entity. The Task Force, potentially comprised of PAC members, will determine what agency or type of agency (public agency, joint powers, non-profit, etc) will act as the Coordinating Entity. There is general agreement that a Coordinating Entity is needed to ensure ATS Plan implementation.
2) March 3rd Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) Planning Committee took place
This report was published prior to the March CCTA Planning Committee meeting. CCTA staff will be present at the March 9th Board of Supervisors meeting and will review any outcomes from the Planning Committee meeting of which the Board should be aware.
Critical Issues Raised During the ATS Process:
• Legacy: In Contra Costa County there have been three similar studies conducted in thirty years with little implementation. This was a concern to all participants in the ATS Plan process. There was agreement that a new entity needed to be formed ("Coordinating Entity") in order help ensure implementation and avoid the fate of earlier plans.
• Funding: There is a need for additional funding to implement any of the ATS Plan recommendations. Discussion on this point was one reason why the designation of a non-profit organization found favor (see citation in the next bullet) with the PAC. The funding needs include one-time grants for discrete expenses and capital purchases but also a critical need for ongoing funding. Some PAC members believed that a non-profit organization would be better positioned than the public sector to generate new funding opportunities.
• Primary Recommendation: Coordinating Entity: The ATS Plan provides a two-step recommendation to address the need for a new entity to oversee implementation of the ATS Plan. First, a Task Force would be formed. Second, that Task Force would "define and establish a dedicated countywide Coordinating Entity." The dialog at the PAC included support for a non-profit organization acting as Coordinating Entity: "At the completion of the ATSP process there appeared to be a plurality amongst the PAC in favor of ultimately designating a non-profit organization as the Coordinating Entity (existing or new was not determined)." However, the recommendation in the ATS Plan is to have the Task Force explore a range of options including a non-profit organization as well as public sector agencies.
• Protection for Existing Transit Revenues: Contra Costa transit operators expressed concern that as implementation moves ahead their Measure J revenue is protected.
• User/Passenger Membership on the Task Force: It has been proposed that the existing ATS Plan PAC be used as the implementation Task Force. Regardless if this is the case, or new members are identified, it is important that the roster include representation from the population that will ultimately use the service.
Schedule/Next Steps:
Wednesday, March 17: Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) Board of Directors will consider the ATS Plan. CCTA will be responsible for establishing the Task Force.
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History/Background (Adapted from CCTA Staff Report)
The ATS Plan originated from CCTA's 2017 Contra Costa CTP. The CTP identified a need to address the challenges associated with:
(1) different types of accessible transportation services for older adults and people with disabilities;
(2) multiple transportation providers including cities/towns, transit operators, social services agencies, and non-profit organizations; and
(3) diverse and sometimes overlapping service areas.
The ATS Plan is also intended to address unimplemented recommendations of three previous studies (1990, 2004, 2013) which were similar in scope. The 2016 and 2020 Transportation Expenditure Plans (TEP), though connected to unsuccessful sales tax measures, did further set expectations for the ATS Plan to ultimately "implement a customer-focused, user- friendly, seamless coordinated system."
The ATS Plan will also help fulfill a requirement by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in its Resolution 4321, that County Transportation Agencies (CTA)/Congestion Management Agencies (CMA) must meet the following mobility management requirement:
“Each county must establish or enhance mobility management programs to help provide equitable and effective access to transportation.”
Mobility management in this context refers to a centralized point-of-contact that facilitates ease of use of a variety of transportation modes by people with disabilities, veterans, and older adults. MTC uses the following description to define mobility management activities:
The region’s Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan directs counties to develop mobility management programs with three key components:
• Countywide travel training;
• In-person Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit certification; and
• Coordination of information and referrals (I&R) through the provision of a mobility manager.
As part of the preparation for the project, the Authority and the County met with each transit agency to ensure they were supportive of the study, consulted with the Authority’s Bus Transit Coordinating Committee (BTCC), and had each transit agency review and comment on the Scope-of-Work (SOW) and proposed oversight structure before the study was initiated.
This effort was a partnership between the Authority and the County, funded by a Caltrans Sustainable Communities Transportation Planning grant. The Authority issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) and selected Nelson\Nygaard. The process of developing the plan was originally intended to involve multiple oversight committees. The project team eventually defined and set-up a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and a Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) (detailed membership rosters are included in the attached ATS Plan):
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
The role of the TAC was to provide subject matter expertise and public policy implications on service concepts under review by the study team. The TAC first met in November 2019 and continued meeting approximately monthly throughout the Study.
Policy Advisory Committee (PAC)
The role of the PAC was to provide input on addressing policy barriers, communicate with stakeholders about the Study, liaise with elected or appointed Boards, and review and prioritize recommended strategies. The PAC first met in August 2020 and was originally slated to meet three times. Given the online meeting format and the complicated nature of the County’s transportation challenges, the PAC ended up meeting approximately monthly since October 2020. Supervisor Candace Anderson was the County's representative on the PAC.
As noted above, previous paratransit-related studies have been completed. Four studies of note are:
- 1990 Contra Costa County Paratransit Plan,
- 2004 Contra Costa County Paratransit Improvement Study,
- 2013 Contra Costa County Mobility Management Plan, and
- 2018 West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC) Transportation Needs Assessment.
While many of the strategies recommended in those plans are considered to be best practices in other locations, a significant portion have not been implemented in the County. There are a variety of reasons for the failure to implement these previous studies such as lack of political support, structural issues related to the existence of multiple agencies involved in service delivery, and the lack of funding.
A primary factor in the Authority’s design and development of this study was to uncover and address these previous barriers to ensure that recommendations from this study are more likely to be implemented. The process incorporated into the ATS Plan resulted in a more collaborative and engaging discussion than was the case in previous studies. It is therefore anticipated that the recommended strategies will have greater community and agency support than previous efforts, and therefore have a greater likelihood of implementation.
Seniors and people with disabilities face significant challenges navigating a disparate transportation system. In addition, the proportion of seniors in the population is growing significantly, leading to an increase in demand for ADA paratransit services and a continuing magnification of related transportation challenges, including the need for greater transportation resources. The growing challenges facing seniors, people with disabilities, and eligible veterans in accessing needed transportation have been integrated into the recommended strategies of the ATS Plan.
The study’s three primary goals were to:
1. Evaluate the existing services and provide corresponding recommendations for improvements;
2. Identify alternative models for service delivery, present those alternatives to stakeholders, and select a final preferred model; and
3. Develop a detailed implementation plan for that model.
Any study related to transportation for seniors and people with disabilities needs to address the issues of funding and demand. The Authority and the County recognize that current funding for these areas is limited. Grants for planning (e.g. Caltrans) and mobility management pilots may be obtained (e.g. Federal Transit Administration 5310) but jurisdictions must still establish sustainable funding for ongoing operations. Significant portions of current funding, such as for ADA-mandated paratransit programs, are restricted on how and to whom they can provide service. Regulatory concerns also affect transportation to and from healthcare, and inter-jurisdictional travel. Although some organizations and jurisdictions have proposed legislative fixes to these issues, it is challenging to change State or Federal law.
Outreach
At the outset of this effort, a framework was developed for public outreach and engagement that would solicit input from key individuals and organizations, as well as a broad cross- section of the County’s communities and stakeholder groups, particularly seniors and persons with disabilities. The outreach plan included five key goals to support a successful ATS Plan:
1. Educate community members about the Study and different transportation options in the County;
2. Engage with community members and learn about current transportation usage;
3. Identify strengths and challenges of existing services and unmet needs;
4. Gather and incorporate feedback on alternative models; and
5. Create support within the community for new models and identify potential barriers to implementation.
The comprehensive outreach effort for the ATS Plan included the following components:
• Presentations pre-COVID
o Developmental Disabilities Council of Contra Costa County
o Pleasant Hill Commission on Aging
• Surveys – 1000+
o English, Spanish and Mandarin
• Flyer/survey emailed and on paper with meal delivery
• Five Virtual Focus groups
o Diablo Valley College Disability Support Services
o Lighthouse for the Blind
o San Pablo Senior Center (Spanish)
o San Ramon Senior Center
o El Cerrito Senior Center
• Eleven Stakeholder interviews
• Telephone Town Hall Meeting – Oct 27, 2020
o Call available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin
o 225 people pre-registered
o 23,000 phone numbers dialed, 1,149 accepted.
o 4 simple polls; 17 audience questions answered by staff
• Partner websites
• Social media
o Instagram, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Twitter
• Public Strategy Input on Recommendations through the project website, www.atspcontracosta.com
The outreach effort provided significant input into the identification of transportation needs and gaps, which are provided in Chapter 4 of the ATS Plan.
Recommendation Summary
The final two chapters of the ATS Plan provide recommended mobility strategies to address the needs and gaps, as well as an implementation plan which includes a blueprint to implementation of these strategies. The primary recommended strategy that is necessary to implement several of the mobility strategies is the implementation of a Coordinated Structure as defined in detail below.
Coordinated Structure
A coordinated structure will need to be in place to implement countywide and centralized mobility strategies. Due to the complexity of implementing a coordinated service, establishment of this structure is proposed to be an iterative, two-phase process. In the short-term, a Task Force should be established that will be responsible for identifying which mobility strategies require a dedicated entity to increase the likelihood of implementation of countywide study recommendations, and which strategies could be assigned to existing entities for implementation in the shorter term.
Phase 1: Establish a Task Force (TF)
The ATS Plan recommends that a TF be established to take the study recommendations to the next level of implementation. Following are some of the elements of this task that will need to be implemented:
Composition: The TF should include representatives of a broad variety of individuals representing agencies or user groups that have a stake in the project outcomes. This TF should include representatives of relevant human service agencies, transit agencies, elected officials, disabled and older adult advocates representing a range of segments of these communities, veterans, funding bodies, and other representatives.
To expedite the development of the TF, the ATS Plan recommends that it be composed of a modified version of the study’s PAC, depending on interest, availability, and representation of a diversity of interests.
Mission: The TF is proposed to have three primary tasks:
1. Identify ATS Plan recommended strategies that can be delegated to existing agencies or non-profit organizations that do not require a Coordinated Entity (CE) for short-term implementation;
2. Define and establish a dedicated countywide CE for implementation of countywide strategies; and
3. Identify funding.
Activities should include prioritizing of the strategies presented in this study, and development of an incremental approach to strategy implementation. This would ensure that select study recommendations can be implemented in the short-term rather than waiting for the creation or designation of a unified entity for implementation of large-scale, longer term strategies.
Reporting Structure and Administrative Support: Authority staff is recommending that the responsibility of interim oversight of the TF be provided by the Authority to ensure continuity moving to the next phase from the ATS Plan.
The TF could be an advisory committee to the Authority Board and report regularly on activities. It would need to be determined how and when the TF would report to the County Board of Supervisors (BOS), and/or transit agency Boards.
Funding Sources: Potential overhead costs for this task should be relatively limited beyond the required staffing support. Authority staff will bring a recommendation of proposed funding for staffing support to a future Authority Board meeting.
Time Frame: Once the ATS Plan has been approved by the Authority Board and County BOS, the TF could begin operating within three to six months. If the PAC is used as the basis for the formulation of the TF, it will ease implementation of this recommendation. The TF would remain in place until it completed its mission and could be dissolved once a Coordinated Entity (CE) is in place.
Phase 2: Establish a Dedicated Countywide Coordinated Entity (CE)
A dedicated CE should either be created or designated to implement countywide study recommendations. The TF will be responsible for determining where this entity should be housed – it could be in an existing non-profit or public agency, or the TF could determine that a new entity will need to be established.
Mission: The role of the CE would be to implement study recommendations. Examples of strategies to be implemented by the CE could include:
• Identify and pursue new funding sources.
• Administer a uniform countywide ADA paratransit eligibility certification.
• Expand mobility management function.
• Procure joint paratransit scheduling software.
• Present a unified voice regarding policy and funding at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Oversee a one-seat ride for inter-jurisdictional trips both within and outside the county.
Additional opportunities for countywide service could be considered in the future as appropriate. Successful implementation of this recommendation will require political commitment at the highest levels of elected representatives in the County serving on the Authority Board, County BOS, and transit agencies.
Substantial effort will be required to set-up this organization (or to designate an existing organization to take on this role). Some of the considerations include potentially lengthy negotiations between stakeholders, resolution of legal issues, governance decisions, incorporating and otherwise incubating a non-profit organization, setting up joint powers agreements, etc.
The CE could have significant potential for implementing some of the longer term strategies proposed in the ATS Plan depending on the strength of leadership and the ability to secure dedicated funding.
The CE will need to seek funding through a variety of means, likely including funding dedicated through a sales tax measure. A non-profit could have access to funding not available to public entities, such as grant funding and Community Development Block Grants, foundation funding, donations, other public funding options, etc.
One role of the TF and CE will be to explore comprehensive funding opportunities outside of “transportation” dollars. State and federal agencies provide funding through social service departments for transportation, outside of the traditional transportation silos.
Other Notes
- At the outset of the planning process, staff from the Department of Conservation and Development and Contra Costa Health Services had several exploratory meetings to discuss how the ATS Plan could support CCHS operations and how they could be more involved in the process. The collaboration was not continued due to the overwhelming demands of the COVID-19 response on CCHS.
- Outreach to Veterans Affairs generated useful information that was previously unknown to ATS staff and the consultant team. In summary, issues with transportation services for veterans are similar to the broader population, there are significant service gaps and eligibility limitations and it is difficult to navigate transportation benefit administrative requirements.
- The WCCTAC Board discussed the ATS Plan at their 1/22/21 meeting. Comments included:
- there is plenty of analysis; leadership and political champions are needed,
- questions as to why there are so many agencies running this type of service, with references to individual cities having challenges running a program,
- a need for coordination and a model to serve the whole county,
- there needs to be a countywide solution, and
- expressed support for a "one-call, one-click system."