2014 Access Triennial Findings December 16, 2014 What is a Triennial Review? • Triennial review of federal grantees • Access participates annually • Ensure grantees and contractors are compliant with federal laws and rules • Conducted by consultants selected by FTA • Much more rigorous/detailed Regional ADA Findings • Three regional ADA findings • No Shows (2014) • Origin to Destination (2013, 2014) • Fares (2014) • All of these policies have been reviewed previously and have been found compliant in the past. Proposed No Show Policy Revisions December 16, 2014 Background • 2014 Triennial Review No-Show Policy Findings • Frequency of Travel • Length of Suspension • Subscription (Standing Order) Trips Current No-Show Policy • 6 no-shows in 60 days • 4 Tier Suspension Policy • 10 days • 30 days • 60 days • 90 days • Standing Order Trips must be cancelled by 10pm the day before. Proposed No-Show Policy • 5 or more no-shows in a calendar month and exceed10% of total monthly trips • Two (2) Tier Suspension • 15 days • 30 days • Standing Order trips must be cancelled two (2) hours before scheduled Comparability Finding Current Policy Proposed Policy 1) 5 or more no-shows in Frequency of Travel 6 no-shows in a calendar month 60 days 2) Exceed 10% of total monthly trips Length of Suspension 4 Tier Suspension 2 Tier Suspension (10, 30, 60, 90 days) (15, 30 days) Subscription Trips Cancel 10 pm Cancel 2 hours (late cancellation) day before before scheduled Next Steps • Send to FTA for concurrence • Bring to Access Board of Directors for approval • Implement by March 1st, 2015 Questions? Comments? Origin to Destination Finding December 16, 2014 Origin to Destination • Access must provide “Origin to Destination” service • Based on 2005 DOT “guidance” • Metro backed Access’ position until May of this year • If the region funds the added cost, Access is prepared to comply by July 1st Implementation plan Create an Ad Hoc Regional Paratransit Working Group comprised of riders, transportation service providers, member agencies, interested stakeholders, and Access staff. Direct the ad hoc group to develop policies and procedures on how origin to destination will be implemented throughout Los Angeles County. The results shall be presented to the Access Services Board of Directors for concurrence. Implementation Plan Once the policies and procedures have been approved, Access will retain HDR Engineering, Inc. to develop cost projections. The cost projections will be presented to the Access Board of Directors for approval. Submit a request for funding to Metro. Implementation Plan Conduct a thorough public participation process as required by the ADA regulations. Present an amendment to the Los Angeles County Coordinated Paratransit Plan to the membership of Access Services. If approved, submit to the Federal Transit Administration and begin the process of implementing origin to destination service. Next steps Bring milestones to the Access Board in January for implementing Origin to Destination Communicate milestones to FTA Implement by July 1st Questions? Comments? Los Angeles County Fare Policies December 16, 2014 Current Fare Policies • Access has had a coordinated fare for the last 20 years • Benefits: • Simple to administer • Easy for customers to understand National Fare Comparison Fare Policy (Current methodology) • 2005 Triennial Findings led to current methodology • Sample of 1,200 trips to determine regional transit fare • Methodology communicated to FTA Office of Civil Rights in 2006 • 2005 Findings were removed Fare Policy (2014 Findings) • No additional findings until 2014 • Finding that Access fare is more than twice the fixed-route base fare for some member agencies • Torrance Transit, Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus, Culver City Bus, Foothill Transit and Metro received findings Road to compliance • Three Options • Regional fixed-route minimum fare • Dynamic fare • Regulatory change Fare Policy Options (Member Agency Fares) Require all member agencies to have a minimum base fare or adopt a unified fare structure in order to set a compliant regional fare for ADA paratransit service. Compliant Member Agency Base Fares Member Agency Base Fare Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority $2.50 City of Westlake Village $2.00 City of Bell $1.75 City of Cudahy $1.75 City of Huntington Park $1.75 City of Inglewood $1.75 City of Lynwood $1.75 City of Rosemead $1.75 Los Angeles County Department of Public Works $1.75 Metro $1.75 Antelope Valley Transit Authority $1.50 LADOT $1.50 Noncompliant Member Agency Base Fares Member Agency Base Fare Member Agency Base Fare Foothill Transit $1.25 Baldwin Park Transit $0.80 Long Beach Transit $1.25 City of Lawndale $0.75 Norwalk $1.25 Pasadena Area Rapid Transit $0.75 Montebello Municipal Bus Lines $1.10 Bellflower Bus $0.50 Beach Cities Transit $1.00 City of Bell Gardens $0.50 BurbankBus $1.00 City of Cerritos $0.50 Carson Circuit $1.00 City of El Monte $0.50 City of Calabasas $1.00 Downey Link $0.50 City of Paramount $1.00 Alhambra Community Transit $0.25 City of West Covina $1.00 City of Compton $0.25 Culver CityBus $1.00 City of Monterey Park $0.25 Gardena Transit $1.00 City of Commerce Municipal Bus $0.00 Glendale Beeline $1.00 City of La Cañada Flintridge $0.00 Santa Clarita Transit $1.00 City of Sierra Madre $0.00 Santa Monica Big Blue Bus $1.00 City of West Hollywood $0.00 Torrance Transit $1.00 Duarte Transit $0.00 Fare Policy Options (Dynamic Fare) Move to a dynamic fare system in which fares for each trip will be calculated using the trip planner on www.metro.net or www.go511.com. The Access fare may be double the lowest fare quoted. Trips that cannot be provided by fixed route services may be denied. Fare Policy Options (Dynamic Fare) • Impact of a dynamic fare system • Strict compliance with current regulations • Higher fares (assuming 2X) 19.9 Miles 20 + Miles Total Lower Cost 129 12% 3 2% 132 Higher Cost 928 88% 140 98% 1,068 1,057 143 1,200 Fare Policy Options (Dynamic Fare) • Varying fares • Regional trip denial? • Coupon issues • Technical issues • Software changes will take a minimum of 9 months • Fare rules • Which trip should be chosen? Fare Policy Options (Dynamic Fare) Metro.net found 12 trips leaving from EL MONTE to WESTWOOD (UCLA) at 8 am. Lines Depart Duration Fare Transfer Foothill Transit 481/Metro Rapid Line 720 810 1:25 $3.25 $0.50 Metro Silver Line/Metro Rapid Line 720 800 1:40 $2.50 TAP ‐ Free Foothill Transit Silver Streak/Metro Rapid Line 720 809 1:35 $2.95 $0.50 Foothill Transit 481/Metro Local Line 20 810 1:50 $3.25 $0.50 Metro Silver Line/Metro Local Line 20 800 1:49 $2.50 TAP ‐ Free Foothill Transit Silver Streak/Metro Local Line 2 809 1:54 $2.95 $0.50 Metro Silver Line/Metro Local Line 2 800 1:55 $2.50 TAP ‐ Free Foothill Transit Silver Streak/Metro Local Line 20 809 2:04 $2.95 $0.50 Metro Silver Line/Metro Local Line 4 800 2:12 $2.50 TAP ‐ Free Metro Rapid Line 770/Metro Rapid Line 720 802 2:10 $1.75 TAP ‐ Free Foothill Transit Silver Streak/Metro Local Line 4 809 2:03 $2.95 $0.50 Fare Policy Options (Regulatory Change) Given that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations encourage a coordinated paratransit plan but do not address a coordinated paratransit fare, seek legislative or regulatory changes to allow for a coordinated fare when operating under a coordinated plan. Fare Policy Options (Regulatory Change) • ADA regulations encourage coordinated systems but are “silent” on coordinated fares • Legislative/regulatory change would solve the problem and allow Access to keep the fare system it has had for the last twenty years FTA Meeting • Met with Acting Administrator Therese McMillan on December 2nd • FTA believes that a dynamic fare system is feasible • Will give region time to implement • DOT rulemaking petition also a possibility Next steps • Bring milestones to the Access Board in January • Dynamic fare implementation schedule • Investigate rulemaking petition • Communicate milestones to the FTA .