Butte County
Coordinated
Public TransitHuman Services
Transportation Plan
With
May 2008
Today’s Workshop
Why are we doing this?
Survey Findings
Outreach Findings
Direction of Recommendations
Dialog on possible projects
Finalizing the plan and next steps
 Section 5310 process
 Local Call for Projects
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
Project Overview
Why are we doing this?
 Coordination history long
•
•
•
•
Improving rural/ improving social service transportation (1970s)
GAO Report on Coordination (2003)
Federal Executive Order (2004)
Locally (2001) – Regionalizing transit creating B-Line; human services
coordination working group—Easter Seals project
 Coordination Requirement of new Federal legislation
• Section 5310 – Capital program / seniors & persons with disabilities
• Section 5316 – Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC)/ low income
& work-related trips
• Section 5317 – New Freedom program / persons with disabilities
Circulars require a unified, comprehensive plan that is locally
developed with public transit and human services participation.
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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4 Federal Requirements
 An assessment of available services that identifies current
providers (public, private and non-profit).
 An assessment of transportation needs for individuals with
disabilities, older adults and people of low income -- this assessment
can be based on experiences and perceptions of the planning
partners or on the data collection efforts and identified gaps in
service.
 Strategies and/or activities and/or projects to address the
identified gaps between current services and needs as well s
opportunities to improve efficiencies in service delivery.
 Priorities for implementation based on resources (from multiple
program sources), time and feasibility for implementing.
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Coordination Plan Development Goals
1. Through outreach, identify & promote partnerships.
•
Interested, Willing and Able Agencies. Looking for leadership.
2. Identify unmet needs & service gaps for target populations.
•
Persons of low income
•
Persons with disabilities
•
Seniors
3. Promote survey and validate survey findings.
4. Inform & educate stakeholders about capacity building strategies.
5. Integrate SAFETEA-LU coordination planning into BCAG’s ongoing
efforts to build cooperative relationships.
6. Leverage existing dollars to expand transportation options/ choices.
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services
Transportation Plan for Butte County, 2008
A Locally Developed Comprehensive, Unified Plan Tied to 3 Federal Programs
§ 5316 – Job Access &
Reverse Commute Program
Demographics
Analysis:
2000-2030
SSTAC/Wkg Grp.
Jan 7th
Stakeholder
Inventory
Survey
§ 5317 – New Freedom
Program
Outreach
Opportunities:
Need and
Resource
Assessment
Activities
3 Subarea Workshops;
Selected Stakeholder
Interviews
Background
Information:
Consumer
Focus
Groups
Assessments:
Transit Operators –
B-Line,
Other Operators
Report of
Findings/
Needs
Assessment
§ 5310 – Seniors & Persons W/
Disabilities Capital Program
Unmet Needs,
Performance Audit
Disabilities, LowIncome, Seniors
May Project
Development
Workshop
Coordinated
Plan
SSTAC/Wkg. Grp.
Draft Plan
Public
Hearing
Process
Adopted
Plan
Call For
Projects
2007/08
Target Populations
Target Populations
Butte County Transportation Coordinated Plan
Adult Target Populations, 2000 and 2007
250,000
7% increase
2000 Census
2007 DOF
County Population
200,000
150,000
100,000
percent of total population
5.9%
50,000
19.7%
15.7%
0
Butte County
Adults w/ Disabilities
16-64
Adults Low Income 1864
Seniors 65+
Orange County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Target Population Subgroups
 Seniors
•
•
•
Low income seniors
2,286 persons
1.1% of 2000 County population
Seniors w/ self-reported disabilities
5,546 persons
2.7% of 2000 County population
Oldest seniors, 85+
4,384 persons
2.2% of 2000 County population
 Other Subgroups
•
•
•
•
•
•
Welfare-to-work families & children
Homeless individuals returning to
employment
Persons on dialysis
Adults with developmental
disabilities
Chronically mentally ill homeless
Discharged prisoners
 Youth
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chronically or acutely ill children &
youth
Court-placed youth; CASA youth
Aging out of foster care
In behavioral health system
On probation
With developmental disabilities and
special needs
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Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Current Transportation
Resources
Resources
 Regional Public Transit Network
B-Line Service in Chico, Oroville, Paradise areas -- intra and inter-community lines
B-Line Paratransit
Gridley Golden Feather Flyer
Adjacent Counties – Glenn Ride and Plumas Transit
 Other Public Sector Transportation (partial)
Butte College
Chico State University
School districts – Chico, Oroville, Durham and Feather Falls Unified School Districts
 Human Service Agency & Organization Transportation (partial)
Bus ticket distribution – DPSS, CAP
Catholic Workers, Salvation Army
Longfellow Catholic Ladies
Faith-based organizations
Work Training Center
Feather River Hospital – Rural Health Clinic
Peg Taylor Center
Passages
 Private sector services (partial)
Merit Medi-Trans
Better Babies/ Cabs for Kids
Greyhound Bus Lines
Telephone check-in/ transportation provider for seniors
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Existing Public Transit
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Resource Utilization (2007)
 Trips taken in Butte County by various services:
• B-Line fixed-route – 1.1 million trips
• B-Line paratransit – 112,420 trips
• Responding human services providers – 281,364 trips
(excludes school districts and commercial providers; n=15)
 Trips Per Capita




Fixed-route – 5.5
Paratransit – 0.6
Survey agency trips provided – 1.3
All trips counted – 6.9
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Resource Utilization (2007)
 Trips taken in Butte County by various services:
• B-Line Fixed-route – 1.1 million trips
• B-Line Paratransit – 112,420 trips
• Responding human services providers – 281,364 trips
(excludes school districts and commercial providers)
 Trips Per Capita




Fixed-route – 5.5
Paratransit – 0.6
Survey agency trips provided – 1.3
All trips counted – 6.9
Coordinated Plan
Trip Per Capita
Demand Estimates:
 All transit – 10.7
 Specialized – 2.7
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Transportation Funding Resources in
Butte County
 SAFETEA-LU Funding
Section 5310 – Statewide competition of $12 million
Section 5316 – JARC
$ 51,000
Section 5417 – New Freedom
$ 30,000
Section 5307 – Small urban areas
Section 5311 – Rural areas
$1.5 million
$500,000
 California Transit Funding
Transportation Development Act, LTF
California State Transit Assistance
$6.8 million
$1.1 million
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Transportation Funding Resources in
Butte County
 Human Services Funding
Butte County Dept. of Education
Far Northern Regional Center
$8 million
$1.7 million
 Other Funding Sources (partial)
California Dept. of Rehabilitation
Dept of Health Services (MediCal)
Calworks/ GAIN
Proposition 63 – Mental Health Services Act
Tobacco Settlement Revenue
First Five
Ryan White CARE Act (HIV/AIDS)
Chaffee Act (Foster Care Independence)
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Survey Results
Survey Respondents
Survey Respondents by Agency Type, n=65
0%
10%
40%
50%
43%
Public
6%
Faith Based
Tribal
30%
45%
Private, non
profit
Private, for
Profit
20%
5%
 24% response rate from 302
agencies.
 Approximate case load of
responding agencies is 163,000
persons
 Daily attendees –13,187 (8%)
2%
 Needing transport help -7,393
(5%)
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Survey Respondents
Survey Respondents' Reported Primary Client Population, n=65
77%
Persons of low income
55%
Youth
66%
Persons with behavioral disabilities
63%
Persons with physical disabilities
Persons with sensory impairments
46%
49%
Seniors, frail
Seniors, able-bodied
General public
45%
43%
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Survey - Needs
Butte Survey Respondents' Most Reported Transportation Needs, n=65
65%
Going to the doctor/medical trips
58%
Counseling/mental health treatment
46%
Training, ed classes or program sites
42%
Shopping and multiple errand trips
35%
Interviews/screenings
32%
Recreational activities or events
31%
Weekend and holiday trips
Getting to work between 8am - 5pm
26%
Late night or early morning work shifts
26%
Visiting family or friends
26%
Kids to daycare or school
22%
Long distance trips
22%
Other
14%
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Survey – Coordination Interests
•
Interest in Coordination Activities
Centralized
information
42%
Joint use/pooling
vehicles
•
25%
Coordinated service
operations
20%
17%
Joint contracting
Pooling financial
resources
16%
Shared fueling
facilities
•
14%
Not currently
interested
22%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Centralized information
highest ranked by all
agency types.
Coordinated trip
scheduling & dispatch
highest ranked by both
human service transport
providers and nonprovider agency types.
Agencies with no current
transportation function
least interested in
coordination
opportunities.
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Survey-Barriers to Transportation
 Funding availability
 directly operated or contracted transport.
 Challenges with public transit
 reliability, availability, frequency, bus pass purchase rules
 Demand response service
 trip scheduling, service reliability, difficulties with dispatch
 Butte County’s geography and long-trips
 Information assistance needed at all levels
 agencies, consumers booking trips, riders boarding/ on vehicles
 Consumers’ individualized needs
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Survey- Resources
 Vehicles reported by 36 human service agencies (exclusive
of B-Line):
• 174 vans and buses
• 146 (84%) used daily
• 80 (46%) in need of replacement within next two years
• Only 17% lift-equipped
 Funding for transportation by human service agencies
responding to survey:
• Reported over $5 million (may include some duplication with FNRC $s)
• Funding for vehicle operations, bus passes, mileage
reimbursement, taxi vouchers, some administration
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Outreach Findings
Needs and Issues
Outreach Meetings:
Representative Contacts
Community Workshops
Attended by over 50 persons representing 35
organizations
 Paradise – Family Resource Center
 Chico – Community Employment Center
 Oroville – Community Employment Center
Meetings/Roundtables
 BCAG’s Social Services Transportation
Advisory Council/ Coordination Working Grp.
 Secondary & University Transportation
Providers
 Butte Community College
 Chico State University of California
 Chico Unified School District
 Dept. of Public Social Services
Housing & Community Development
Program Managers
Meetings/ Interviews

Paradise Adult Treatment Center

Peg Taylor Adult Day Care

Merit Medi-Trans

Work Training Center

Feather River Rural Health Clinic

North Valley Catholic Social Services

Dept. of Behavioral Health, Prop. 63
Consumer Focus Groups

Persons with chronic mental illness –
Paradise Treatment Center

Seniors –
Residents at Jarvis Gardens, Chico

Individuals of low income –
Jesus Center food bank
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Needs Identified
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Human service agency needs
Consumer needs
B-Line fixed-route and unserved pockets of County
B-Line ADA and paratransit needs
Community infrastructure needs
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Human Service Agency Needs
 Gatekeeper Information and Communications, relating to
fixed route services
•
•
•
•
New staff not aware of available services
Caseworkers don’t track changes in transit
Destination-oriented fixed-route transit info
Helping clients translate ride guide info into a trip plan
 Travel training





Training staff to train consumers
Select locations (CAP Training) good sites for consumer training;
Assisting consumers in how to use available services
Youth need training
No Cost Low Cost/ Help Central a resource
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Human Service Agency Needs
 More escorted transportation needed


So consumers don’t wander off (Alzheimer's’, developmental disabilities)
Assistance between door and vehicle (frail elderly, frail and blind, dialysis
patients, unsteady on feet)
 Need transit to follow


Entry-level jobs at airport, casinos, fast food locations
New low-income housing developments (seniors, families)
 Special purpose shuttles
• Shopping shuttles (from Paradise to Costco/ Chico mall)
• Recreational activities on Saturdays and evenings
(Do-It dances, movies)
• Families with children
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Human Service Agency Needs
 Non-emergency medical transportation
• High level of no-shows for MediCal appointments due to transportation
difficulties
 Agency staff transport costs increasing;

Mileage reimbursement to staff significant budget item
 Agencies need vehicles on limited basis:
• Special events or outings (recreational)
• Group shopping trip on limited days
• Special out-of-county field trips
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Consumer Needs
 Rider compliments – drivers, dispatch, service
 Reduced fares for low income riders
• Many can’t afford even fixed route fares
• Transit tickets offered for individual trip; more cost effective if
monthly pass available; 10 tickets not enough for job search,
apartment search
• Smaller ticket denominations ($5)
 Increasing fuel costs severely impacting low income
consumers and families
• Desire to turn to public transit
• Where transit isn’t available, “fuel cards” are needed
 Transit dependent with pets to vets
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Consumer Needs
 Transportation accommodating needs of low income
women with children
• Work transportation to accommodate taking children to day care.
• Difficulty of traveling on bus with infants or several children to get
to medical, social service, mental health counseling appointments.
 Importance of on-time performance

Whether fixed-route or paratransit, missing buses and late arrivals
impacts doctors’ appointments, job interviews, work
 Same day non-emergency medical trips


Health needs can’t be anticipated
Changes in MediCal; difficulty in obtaining
transportation authorization
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Consumer Needs
 Travel training
•
Riders confused – county vs. city; inbound vs. outbound
 Butte County areas with limited public transit or no service
at all.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Paradise to Magalia
Paradise to Pines
Gridley
Kelly Ridge to Oroville
Oroville to Palermo
Berry Creek and Concow
Out-of-county medical trips to:
Yuba/Sutter and North Sacramento-UC Davis
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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B-Line Paratransit Related Issues
 ADA certification computerized


Hard for consumers to navigate
Difficult for caseworkers to help frail consumers
 ADA services at capacity (a.m. and p.m. peaks)

Longer waits, more missed trips; missed connections
 Service quality issues

On-time performance, missed appointments due to lateness
 Dispatch communication issues
• Consumers report difficulties around trip scheduling, follow-up on late
vehicles and missed trips
• Need for more dispatcher training, improved rider communications
• Call ahead -- reminding frail seniors who are often forgetful
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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B-Line Paratransit Related Issues
 Confusion regarding ADA trip types
• Regularly scheduled versus subscription
• Vacation trips and not; driver manifest is not always correct
 Rigidity in booking trips difficult

Sometimes consumers need a different pick-up or drop-off location
 Vehicles

Old, break-downs not infrequent, in need of replacement
 Some trip needs beyond what ADA can provide


Escort assistance; more frail riders
Trip chaining – waiting for pharmacy, grocery store return trip
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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B-Line Fixed Route Issues
 Frequency of service, particularly inter-community




Magalia to Paradise
Magalia to Chico (medical, social service appointments)
Paradise to Chico
Chico to Oroville
-Oroville
to Chico return; need additional afternoon run
-Routing reviewed; more direct routing needed
 Improved connections for inter-community trips
 B-Line buses around University:
 Changes in timing – buses leave 10 minutes to the hour;
students can’t get to the bus; long waits for next
 Calling out stops infrequent
• Difficult for new or uncertain riders
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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B-Line Fixed Route Issues
 Particular locations needing transit services
 Weekend and Evening Hours
• Half-day on Sundays; later Saturday nites for work trips
• Evening services needed for airport, certain fast food locations
• Casinos (Gold Country) need 3rd shift transportation
 Overcrowding
• Particularly Chico to Oroville and return
 Bus pass purchase capabilities



Need easier administrative processes for agency purchases.
Discounts for low income riders
Need universal bus pass that human service agencies could be
billed for trips taken
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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B-Line Fixed Route Issues
 Pockets of unserved need and key destinations without
adequate public transportation.
• Gridley
• Pockets up in the foothills – Berry Creek, Concow, Thermalito,
Feather Falls

Gold Country Casino in Kelly Ridge

Oroville to Palermo (bus does stop at Four Corners)

Between Oroville and Yuba/ Sutter

Oroville Senior Nutrition Center

Oroville – The Oaks; Cottonwood Estate

Oroville -- New Family Resource Center
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Infrastructure Related Issues
 Need capability for trip brokering, sharing of vehicles for
trips are coming in from rural areas.
• Interest in collaboration
• Common trip corridors
• Limited ways for agencies to “find” one another around trip needs
Discounts for low income populations.
• Role for private providers
 Need mechanisms for agencies to collaborate more easily
around meeting trip needs.

Role of mobility manager
- Within agencies and service systems
- Between agencies and service systems
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Infrastructure Related Issues
 Physical environment




Curb cuts and street improvements for pedestrians
Bus stop and bus shelter needs
Stop signage incomplete, often missing, more information needed
Better info at central transfer locations (Chico mall)
 Role for volunteers

Interest in & capacity for volunteer-role in Butte County given
strong community orientation – CASA program

Insurance issues must be addressed
Fuel costs must be addressed

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Emerging Recommendations
42
Direction of Recommendations
1. Facilitating infrastructure
2. Building services
3. Enhancing information portals
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Infrastructure
 Facilitating mechanisms for coordination
 There are Interested, Willing…. And ABLE Partners
 Merit Medi-Trans
 Work Training Center
 Many other human service agencies collaborating in this process
 Roles for B-Line Paratransit and B-Line Fixed Route
Can address:
- Vehicle maintenance
- Travel training
- Ability to fill seats on specific runs
- Potential for vehicle sharing in a coordinated system
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Infrastructure
 Defining the role of a CTSA –
Consolidated Transportation Services Agency
- Institutional issues – where, who, governance
- Funding partners
- Defining responsibilities
- Defining services
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Infrastructure
 Defining the role of a CTSA –
Consolidated Transportation Services Agency
- Institutional issues – where, who, governance
- Funding partners
- Defining responsibilities
- Defining services
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Building Services
Building the Service Network



Address key B-Line fixed route and paratransit
issues identified thru upcoming transit planning
processes
Encourage human services transportation options
- promote bus pass/ voucher programs
- promote volunteers
Integrate public transit and human services
transportation capabilities
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Enhancing Information
Information portals
 Printed and website information, availability
promoted
 Travel training of users/ bus buddies
 Travel training case managers
 Development of supplemental tools
Destination oriented
- Consumer-group specific
-
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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Project Development
From Needs to Projects






Information and trip planning resources
Internal agency transportation coordinators – Mobility Managers
Non-emergency medical transportation
Same-day transportation option
Coordinated transportation options – brokered trips
Individualized shuttle services to address specialized needs
(i.e. shopping runs, recreational-Saturday dances, mothers with children, frail elderly,
youth, training events)

Voucher programs/ reduced fares/ improved bus pass distribution
for low income consumers


Improvements to B-Line ADA dispatching and communications
Improvements to existing B-Line fixed route service
Butte County Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan
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From Needs to Projects
 Define the need.
What need or service gap will your project address?
 Design the service.
What are its operating elements: days, hours, eligibility; outreach/
marketing to consumers; service area; limitations.
 Align the players.
Who will be the partners in this effort? How can you share resources
and responsibilities?
 Assign the assets.
How will you match the Federal funds – cash or in kind services?
• 50% match for operating
• 20% match for capital or mobility manager
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Next Steps
• Draft Plan for Comments
 On BCAG website in June 2008
• Adopted Plan
 July 2008
• Section 5310 Vehicle Grant Applications
 Draft application June 2nd to BCAG
 Final application August 29th to CalTrans
• Section 5316 and 5317 Call for Projects
 Announced Fall 2008
 Submitted to BCAG
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