Social Services Transportation Inventory & Survey
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Social Services Transportation Inventory & Survey Final Report May 2014 Social Services Transportation Inventory and Survey | Draft Report ACCESS Table of Contents Page 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................1-1 2 Transportation Survey and Inventory ..............................................................................2-1 Methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 2-1 3 Consolidated Transportation Service Agencies ................................................................3-1 4 Evaluation of Travel Training Program ...........................................................................4-1 5 ADA Paratransit Demand Estimates ................................................................................5-1 Appendix A: Social Services Transportation Letter and Survey Appendix B: Survey Distribution List Appendix C: Survey Responses Appendix D: Focus Groups Appendix E: Survey Handout Table of Figures Page Figure 2-1 Survey Response Statistics................................................................................................... 2-2 Figure 2-2 Type of Organization Summary ........................................................................................ 2-2 Figure 2-3 Transportation Services Summary – What Types of Trips Do You Provide? ............ 2-2 Figure 2-4 Eligibility Requirements ........................................................................................................ 2-3 Figure 2-5 Service Area Summary ........................................................................................................ 2-3 Figure 2-6 Populations Served ............................................................................................................... 2-4 Figure 2-7 Wheelchair User Trips ......................................................................................................... 2-5 Figure 2-8 Driver Training ....................................................................................................................... 2-6 Figure 2-9 Funding Sources ..................................................................................................................... 2-7 Figure 5-1 Organizations Providing Transportation to People with Disabilities .......................... 5-1 Figure 5-2 Population Counts and Estimates ....................................................................................... 5-2 Figure 5-3 Ridership Counts and Estimates .......................................................................................... 5-3 Figure 5-4 Access Service Demand Projections ................................................................................... 5-6 Figure 5-5 Historical Ridership on Access Services ............................................................................. 5-7 Figure 5-6 Per-Capita Ridership in Los Angeles and Other Areas................................................. 5-9 Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. | i Social Services Transportation Inventory and Survey | Draft Report ACCESS 1 INTRODUCTION The Social Service Transportation Inventory and Survey has been conducted to identify existing social service transportation agencies within Los Angeles County. While the report is no longer mandated to fulfill the requirements of AB 2647, Access Services (Access) has selected to conduct this study due to the valuable information that it provides to stakeholders in the region. The report includes the following: . An inventory of all existing public and private social service transportation services within its geographic area of jurisdiction. This includes a description of the amount and source of funds utilized by the service, the geographic coverage of the service, and the type and number of social service recipients being served. A concise statement on the drivers and management of the service, with an evaluation of the operating, capital and administrative costs for the service. A synopsis of the average miles of vehicle travel to provide services during each month and a brief analysis of the eligibility requirements for obtaining the service. A description of the background of the service in the community and any other information necessary or pertinent to describing the service. Access is the Los Angeles County Consolidated Transportation Services Agency (“CTSA”). Access is the designated agency for coordinating and providing complementary paratransit services under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on behalf of 44 member municipalities and public transit agencies. Access has additional data collection requirements to facilitate its own planning and coordination efforts, including an update to the Social Service Inventory and Action Plan that was developed in 2007 and was incorporated into the County’s Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan. This effort includes identification of agencies most likely to coordinate services and programs with public transit agencies providing complementary paratransit service. This report provides a description of how the social services transportation inventory and survey was conducted, including the design of the questionnaire and outreach efforts. The report provides a summary of the response to the inventory and highlights key information from the inventory. A full listing of all the transportation providers in the inventory is included as the appendix. The results of the social services transportation inventory and survey may be incorporated in the region’s Coordinated Plan update. In addition, this report also provides an assessment of CTSA and the Travel Training Program, quantifies ADA trips in the region, and presents ADA demand estimates. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. | 1-1 Social Services Transportation Inventory and Survey | Draft Report ACCESS 2 TRANSPORTATION SURVEY AND INVENTORY The purpose of conducting the transportation survey and inventory is to determine which agencies are providing accessible transportation services, whom these services benefit, and how the services are made available throughout Los Angeles County. The goals of the 2013 transportation survey and inventory were: . To identify social service agencies providing transportation services within Los Angeles County . To collect information about those services that can be used to enhance Access’ information and referral program. This will help Access have a better understanding of the social service agencies’ areas of operations and be able to contact them in the event that future transportation issues positively or negatively impact their services. To enhance coordination of services throughout the region This information is also important to plan for continuing implementation of ADA paratransit services as some of the response data will be used to project service demand in the coming years. Agencies that provide or arrange for transportation services to the general public, a specific clientele, or under contract for a public transit operator were invited to respond. Additionally, some organizations that do not provide transportation services themselves but serve clients that are recipients of transportation services were also invited to respond. METHODOLOGY The questionnaire was created in close consultation with Access staff. The survey was distributed to over 300 contacts representing 256 organizations. The survey was formatted as a single legal- sized sheet, designed to be folded and mailed without needing an envelope. The survey was also placed on www.AccessLASurvey.org to provide another convenient means of completion for participants. This distribution list was compiled using a variety of sources including: . Contacts from a previous Access Services project . Contacts provided by Access Services staff including specific contacts and database lists . Contacts provided by current project participants . Original research on the internet for provider organizations and related contacts With hundreds of social service agencies in Los Angeles County, it would not be feasible to devote time to extensive follow-up with every potential respondent. However, some larger agencies are of particular importance, due to the high volume of trips that they provide. Only agencies with annual transportation budgets of $100,000 or more and providing an average of at least 25 one- way trips per month were asked for detailed information. As recommended by the Social Service Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. | 2-1 Social Services Transportation Inventory and Survey | Draft Report ACCESS Inventory Implementation Guide developed by the California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CalACT), staff focused their efforts on all agencies receiving operating funds from federal, state or local government. Staff paid special attention to a subset of this group, the area transit agencies that operate paratransit and/or demand response services. The survey was distributed electronically via email and presented at several meetings with provider/participant organizations. Email invitations were distributed in two batches. On July 1, 2013, an invitation was sent to 302 contacts; on July 31, 2013, an invitation was sent to 46 contacts, which included new contacts and some reminder invitations. The survey was also promoted at four focus group meetings. The written survey instrument