Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority

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**Tulsa, OK**

Assessment

of

ADA Complementary Paratransit Service

Capacity Constraints

March 11-14, 2002

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*Summary of Observations*

**Prepared for**

**Federal Transit Administration**

**Office of Civil Rights**

**Washington, DC**

**Prepared by**

**Planners Collaborative, Inc.**

**with**

**Multisystems, Inc.**

**Final Report: October 3, 2002**

CONTENTS

#  {#section .unnumbered}

[I. Purpose of the Assessment 1](#purpose-of-the-assessment)

[II. Overview of the Assessment 3](#overview-of-the-assessment)

[III. Background 7](#background)

[IV. Summary of Findings 11](#summary-of-findings)

[V. Observations Regarding ADA Complementary Paratransit Eligibility &
Other Service Access Issues
15](#observations-regarding-ada-complementary-paratransit-eligibility-other-service-access-issues)

[VI. Observations Regarding Telephone Capacity & Trip Reservations
21](#observations-regarding-telephone-capacity-trip-reservations)

[VII. Observations Regarding Scheduling of Trip Requests
26](#observations-regarding-scheduling-of-trip-requests)

[VIII. Observations Regarding Service Provision
29](#observations-regarding-service-provision)

[A. Analysis of On-Time Performance
35](#analysis-of-on-time-performance)

[B. Analysis of Trip Length 40](#analysis-of-trip-length)

[IX. Resources 44](#resources)

*Attachment A* Response from Tulsa Transit

*Attachment B* On-Site Assessment Schedule

*Attachment C* *Tulsa Transit Paratransit Service Information Brochure:
Effective November 20, 2001*

*Attachment D* *ADA* *Paratransit Application for Physical or Cognitive
Disability*

*Attachment E* *ADA Paratransit Application for Visual Disability*

*Attachment F* Request for Personal Interview

*Attachment G* Request for Information from Medical Professional

*Attachment H* Acceptance Letter

*Attachment I* Denial Recommendation and Letter

*Attachment J* Sample Completed Driver Manifest

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# Purpose of the Assessment

Public entities that operate fixed route transportation services for the
general public are required by the U.S. Department of Transportation
(USDOT) regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 (ADA) to provide ADA Complementary Paratransit service for persons
who, because of their disability, are unable to use the fixed route
system. These regulations (49 CFR Parts 27, 37, and 38) include six
service criteria, which must be met by ADA Complementary Paratransit
service programs. Section 37.135(d) of the regulations requires that ADA
Complementary Paratransit services meet these criteria by January 26,
1997.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is responsible for ensuring
compliance with the ADA and the USDOT regulations. As part of its
compliance efforts, FTA, through its Office of Civil Rights, conducts
periodic assessments of fixed route transit and ADA Complementary
Paratransit services operated by grantees.

The purpose of the assessment is to assist the transit agency and FTA in
assessing whether capacity constraints exist in ADA Complementary
Paratransit services. The compliance assessment examines service
standards and policies related to issues of capacity constraints such as
telephone hold times, trip denials, on-time performance, on-board travel
time, and any other trip-limiting factors. The assessment considers
whether there are patterns or practices of a significant number of trip
limits; trip denials; early or late pickups or arrivals after desired
arrival (or appointment) times; long trips; or long telephone hold times
as defined by established standards (or typical practices if standards
do not exist). The examination of patterns or practices includes looking
not just at service statistics, but also at basic service records and
operating documents, and observing service to determine whether records
and documents appear to reflect true levels of service delivery. Input
also is gathered from local disability organizations and customers.
Guidance is provided that will assist the transit service provider in
ensuring that service can be effectively monitored by transit agencies
for capacity constraints.

FTA conducted an on-site assessment of ADA Complementary Paratransit
service provided by the Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority (MTTA or
Tulsa Transit) of Tulsa, Oklahoma from March 11 to 14, 2002. Planners
Collaborative, Inc., located in Boston, Massachusetts conducted the
compliance assessment for the FTA Office of Civil Rights. The assessment
focused on compliance of Tulsa Transit's ADA Complementary Paratransit
service, with one specific regulatory service criterion: the "capacity
constraints" criterion. Section 37.131(f) of the DOT ADA regulations
requires that ADA Complementary Paratransit services be operated without
capacity constraints.

This report summarizes the observations and findings of the on-site
assessment of Tulsa Transit's ADA Complementary Paratransit service, the
"Lift Program." First, the report describes key features of the Lift
Program. The report then provides a description of the approach and
methodology used to conduct the assessment. There is a summary of
observations and findings related to each element of the capacity
constraint criteria. The major findings of the assessment are summarized
in Section IV of this report. Recommendations for addressing some of the
findings are also provided.

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Tulsa Transit received a draft copy of the report for review and
response. A copy of the correspondence received from Tulsa Transit
documenting the agency's response to the draft report is included as
Attachment A.

# Overview of the Assessment

This assessment focused on compliance with the ADA Complementary
Paratransit capacity constraints requirements of the DOT ADA
regulations. The regulations identify several possible types of capacity
constraints. These include "wait-listing" trips, having caps on the
number of trips provided, or recurring patterns or practices that result
in a significant number of trip denials, untimely pickups, or
excessively long trips. Capacity constraints also include other
operating policies or practices that tend to significantly limit the
amount of service to persons who are ADA Complementary Paratransit
eligible.

To assess each of these potential types of capacity constraints, the
assessment focused on observations and findings regarding:

-   Trip denials and "wait-listing" of trips

-   On-time performance

-   Travel times

The assessment team also made observations and findings related to three
other sets of policies and practices that could affect access to ADA
Complementary Paratransit service:

-   ADA Complementary Paratransit service eligibility process

-   Telephone capacity

-   Service area and service times

ADA Complementary Paratransit eligibility determinations were assessed
to ensure that the system use was not impacted by inappropriate denials
of eligibility for the service or unreasonable delays in the eligibility
process. Telephone capacity was assessed because access to reservations
and customer service staff is critical to using any ADA Complementary
Paratransit service.

**Pre-assessment**

The assessment first involved the collection and review of key service
information prior to the on-site visit. This information included:

-   A brief description of the administrative structure of the ADA
    Complementary Paratransit service.

-   Copies of the contracts between the paratransit broker and the three
    primary carriers.

-   The *Operational Procedures and Safety Manual*, manual for vehicle
    drivers prepared by Express Personnel, the largest paratransit
    carrier.

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-   The *Tulsa Transit Paratransit Service Information Brochure
    Effective November 20, 2001*.

-   A summary of telephone call-handling standards.

-   Sample driver manifests.

-   Data on trips and trip denials for fiscal years 1999, 2000, and
    2001.

-   Tulsa Transit vehicle fleet information.

-   Budget data for fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002.

-   Maps of Tulsa Transit fixed route bus service.

The assessment team also requested that additional information be
available during the site visit. This information included:

-   Completed applications, both accepted and denied, for ADA
    Complementary Paratransit service.

-   Copies of completed driver manifests for recent months.

-   Vehicle fleet and driver information of the paratransit carriers.

-   Sample forms used by carriers in their daily operations.

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-   Service data from selected sample days and months, including the
    number of trips requested, scheduled, canceled, no-shows, missed
    trips, trips provided, and trip durations.

-   Written customer complaints.

In addition to the review of data and direct observations, the
assessment team conducted telephone interviews with 11 individuals who
either use the Tulsa Transit's Lift service or work with those Lift
users. The assessment team also reviewed two complaints relating to ADA
Complementary Paratransit service on file with FTA.

**On-site Assessment**

The on-site assessment began with an opening conference, held at 1:00
p.m. on Monday,

March 11, 2002, at the Tulsa Transit administrative offices at 510 South
Rockford Avenue in Tulsa. The following Tulsa Transit staff and Express
Personnel staff attended the conference:

> Steven Cox Director of Procurement
>
> Bill Cartwright Director of Finances
>
> Gail Van Dalsem Vice President, Paratransit Services
>
> Nancy Santiago Operations Manager
>
> Shirl Pilcher Paratransit Coordinator
>
> Kathy Goff Manager, Express Personnel Services

Don Kidston, David Chia, and David Loutzenheiser of Planners
Collaborative comprised the assessment team. Roberta Wolgast of the
Office of Civil Rights participated in the opening conference via
telephone.

Ms. Wolgast opened the meeting by emphasizing that the purpose of the
ADA compliance assessments is to help transit properties provide
effective ADA Complementary Paratransit service.

She also thanked Tulsa Transit staff for their cooperation in the
conduct of the assessment.

Ms. Wolgast explained that:

-   Preliminary findings and an opportunity to respond would be provided
    at a closing meeting on Thursday.

-   A report would be drafted and provided to Tulsa Transit for review
    and comment before being finalized as a public document. The final
    report would be available via the Freedom of Information Act.

Mr. Chia described the schedule for the on-site assessment and the
subsequent report. A copy of the assessment schedule appears in
Attachment B. Tulsa Transit and Express Personnel staff indicated that
they were willing to provide any information and assistance to the
assessment team.

At the opening conference, Ms. Van Dalsem and other Lift staff provided
an overview of existing Lift services, including the respective
responsibilities of Tulsa Transit, Express Personnel, and the other Lift
contractors. Following the opening conference, one of the Team members
met with Tulsa Transit's director of finances. Then all of team members
traveled to the downtown call center at 823 S. Detroit, where the Lift
staff and managers work. Tulsa Transit provided space at this office for
the assessment team. For the remainder of afternoon, assessment team
members observed Lift trip reservations at the call center.

On Tuesday morning, March 12, a team member again observed Express
Personnel staff taking calls for Lift service. Another team member began
to review the statistical reports provided on site by Lift personnel.
The third team member began to gather information needed to conduct the
analysis of on-time performance. In the afternoon, a team member met
with Lift staff and a contractor from Ability Resources, Inc. to discuss
the eligibility determination process. The assessment team also
conducted the following activities during Tuesday: reviewed complaint
data; reviewed the service area and service hours; and collected and
analyzed data related to the telephone system.

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On Wednesday morning, March 13, team members visited the three contract
carriers: Express Personnel, All City Transportation, and Tulsa
Answering Dispatch. During these visits, team members interviewed
managers, dispatchers, and drivers, and collected information about the
carriers' vehicles. During the afternoon, a member of the assessment
team interviewed the Lift schedulers. All assessment team members
continued to review and analyze data provided by Tulsa Transit.

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On Thursday, March 14, team members completed their on-site analysis and
prepared for the afternoon exit conference. Prior to the exit
conference, team members met with the Vice President for Paratransit
Services to preview their findings. During the exit conference, the
assessment team presented preliminary findings, and discussed these
findings and recommendations with Tulsa Transit and Express Personnel
staff. Staff who attended the exit meeting included:

> Steven Cox Director of Procurement
>
> Bill Cartwright Director of Finances
>
> Gail Van Dalsem Vice President, Paratransit Services
>
> Nancy Santiago Operations Manager
>
> Shirl Pilcher Paratransit Coordinator
>
> Kathy Goff Manager, Express Personnel Services

Roberta Wolgast, of the Office of Civil Rights, participated in the exit
conference via telephone.

The assessment team reviewed initial findings in the areas of:

-   Customer complaints

-   Service area, days and hours

-   Service eligibility

-   Trip reservations and scheduling

-   On-time performance

-   Trip duration

-   Resources

Ms. Wolgast emphasized that FTA was available to provide additional
technical assistance to Tulsa Transit.

# Background

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The Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority (MTTA or Tulsa Transit)
provides fixed route bus service and ADA Complementary Paratransit
service for the City of Tulsa. Tulsa Transit is a "public trust" of the
city. Its employees are not city employees. However, the mayor of Tulsa
appoints the seven-member board, and the city approves the transit
system's annual budget. Tulsa Transit directly operates the fixed route
bus service with its own staff and vehicles. Tulsa Transit contracts for
its ADA Complementary Paratransit service with a private bus operator
and two cab companies. It also contracts with an independent living
center to conduct eligibility determinations.

The City of Tulsa has an area of 183 square miles and a population of
393,049 (2000 US Census). Three fixed routes extend beyond the city
limits, to Broken Arrow (southeast of Tulsa), Jenks (southwest), and
Sand Spring (west), and small portions of unincorporated Tulsa County.
The population of the City of Tulsa plus these three municipalities is
494,916 (2000 US Census).

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The fixed route fleet consists of more than 90 buses. Currently, there
are 32 fixed routes. All routes operate from Monday to Friday, with
reduced service on Saturday and no Sunday service. All routes except for
four express routes operate with 100 percent accessible vehicles.
Service on some routes starts at 4:50 a.m. on weekdays. Service on five
"Nightline" routes operates as late as 1:25 a.m. These Nightline routes
all operate on a route deviation basis with accessible vehicles, so they
do not require ADA Complementary Paratransit service. Service on
non-route deviation routes ends by 9:00 p.m.

In calendar year 2001, Tulsa Transit fixed route buses served 3.09
million passenger trips, averaging 12,000 passenger trips per weekday.
This was a 1.9 percent decrease from calendar year 2000. Section V of
this report includes more information about the fixed route bus service.

**Description of the ADA Complementary Paratransit Service**

Tulsa Transit operates the "Lift Program" to provide ADA Complementary
Paratransit service. Tulsa Transit contracts with four companies to
provide portions of Lift service. Three of these companies operate
vehicles. Table III.1 lists the ADA carriers.

**Table III.1 -- Contract Carriers for Lift ADA Complementary
Paratransit Service**

+----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Express Personnel Services**   | 1530 E. 1st Street                |
|                                  |                                   |
|                                  | Tulsa, OK 74110                   |
+----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **All City Transportation        | 531 N. Peoria Avenue              |
| Services**                       |                                   |
|                                  | Tulsa, OK 74110                   |
+----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Tulsa Answering Dispatch       | 2409 Dawson Road                  |
| (TAD)**                          |                                   |
|                                  | Tulsa, OK 74110                   |
+----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

Express Personnel is the largest carrier. It uses vehicles provided by
Tulsa Transit. All City Transportation and TAD are cab companies that
provide sedan service. Tulsa Transit also contracts with Express
Personnel to provide certain office staff, including call takers. These
personnel are located at the downtown call center. The call center and
Express Personnel's vehicle facility are both provided by Tulsa Transit.

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Tulsa Transit contracts with Ability Resources, Inc. to conduct
eligibility certification for ADA Complementary Paratransit service.
Ability Resources is located in the same building as the call center,
823 S. Detroit in downtown Tulsa.

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Lift service is available on weekdays from 4:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. On
Saturday, Lift service is available from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The fare
for a one-way trip is \$1.50, payable in cash or pre-paid tickets. The
fixed route fare is one dollar. Tulsa Transit also has a special fare of
\$3.00 for trips specifically requested as will calls. Personal care
attendants and children under five riding with a Lift passenger ride for
free. Guests of a Lift passenger pay the same fare as the Lift
passenger.

Lift passengers can reserve a trip from one to seven days in advance.
Call takers accept reservations from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. seven days a
week. On an informal basis, Lift accepts same-day trip requests. Lift
also provides subscription service for riders who make the same trip
(origin, destination, and time) at least two times per week. The service
area for the Lift program is the entire city of Tulsa.

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Attachment C includes the *Tulsa Transit Paratransit Service Information
Brochure: Effective November 20, 2001*. This brochure explains the Lift
program, including eligibility criteria, the application process,
service policies, rider responsibilities, and rider suspension and
appeals processes. This brochure is available on the
*www.tulsatransit.org* web site.

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For fiscal year 2000 (July 1999 through June 2000), ADA Complementary
Paratransit service ridership was 187,052. Ridership in FY2001 decreased
by 5.6 percent to 176,531. For the first 6 months of FY2002, ridership
was 92,983 -- an increase of 13.4 percent over the same period in
FY2001.

As of March 2002, there were 3,314 individuals certified for Lift
service. This compares with 5,375 certified riders in March 2001.

**Policies and Service Standards Related to Capacity Issues**

Tulsa Transit has established service standards for telephone capacity,
trip denials, and travel time. The service standards are described
below.

-   ***Telephone Capacity***: Tulsa Transit has standards for call
    answering and hold time: 98 percent of calls should be answered
    within two minutes; 98 percent of calls should be on hold for less
    than 90 seconds. These standards are not included in the rider
    brochure.

-   ***Trip Denials***: Tulsa Transit does not allow any denials due to
    capacity constraints.

-   ***On-Time Performance***: Tulsa Transit has a pickup window of 15
    minutes before to 15 minutes after the requested pickup time.
    Vehicles that arrive within this window are considered on time.
    There is no standard for on-time performance. There is no standard
    for drop-off times.

-   ***Travel Time***: The standard for any one-way trip is 60 minutes
    on board the vehicle, regardless of the trip distance.

Tulsa Transit does not have any service standards for: the number of
complaints; response to complaints; or missed trips.

Tulsa Transit has the following goals for vehicle productivity:

-   Tulsa Transit vans (operated by Express Personnel): 2.0 passenger
    trips per vehicle hour

-   Dedicated sedans: 3.0 passenger trips per vehicle hour

**Consumer Comments**

The assessment team gathered information about the concerns of riders
who use the Lift service through three sources: telephone interviews
with riders or professionals who work with riders; written complaints to
FTA; and written and telephone complaints to Tulsa Transit.

The assessment team conducted interviews with 11 individuals who either
use the Lift service or work with Lift riders, e.g., social workers,
transportation coordinators at agencies and hospitals. The individuals
were generally complimentary of Lift service. The most common concerns
cited by the respondents were late and erratic pickup times and long
telephone hold times. Several respondents had concerns with the
eligibility process, including the need for an in-person interview and
the length of the written application.

FTA has two complaints on file since 1998 concerning Tulsa Transit's
Lift service. In November 1998, a Lift rider cited the following issues:

-   Missed trips, late pickups, and excessively long trips

-   Busy signals and long hold times when trying to make trip
    reservations

-   Fares greater than twice the fixed route fare

A second complaint was based on a September 2000 newspaper article that
reported the death of a passenger who was using Lift service. This
complaint was closed, as no individual made a formal complaint.

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Tulsa Transit received 327 complaints concerning Lift service during
calendar year 2001.

Table III.2 presents a distribution by category of complaint.

> Table III.2 -- Lift Service Complaints, Calendar Year 2001

  ---------------------------------------------------- ------------------
  **Complaint Category**                               **Percent**

  Vehicle no-show, Pickups, and drop-offs              59.6

  Driver Attitude                                      12.8

  Scheduling (e.g., reservation error, scheduling      9.5
  error)                                               

  Vehicle or Safety (e.g., unsafe driving, damaged     9.2
  vehicle)                                             

  Reservations and Call Takers                         1.5

  Other                                                7.4

  **Total**                                            100.0
  ---------------------------------------------------- ------------------

# Summary of Findings

This section of the report summarizes the findings drawn from the
compliance assessment. The bases for these findings are addressed in the
following sections of this report. The findings should be used as the
basis for any corrective actions proposed by Tulsa Transit.
Recommendations are also included in the report for the consideration of
Tulsa Transit in developing corrective actions.

**Findings Regarding ADA Complementary Paratransit Eligibility**

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1.  The number of clients certified for Lift service has decreased from
    5,375 in March 2001 to 3,314 in March 2002. The Lift paratransit
    coordinator attributed this decrease in certified riders to a more
    rigorous review of applications, particularly for riders who were
    applying for re-certification.

2.  Tulsa Transit's denial letter for ADA Complementary Paratransit
    service eligibility does not state that the applicant has up to 60
    days to appeal the decision.

3.  During calendar year 2001, 92.6 percent of applicants for Lift
    service received some degree of certification. Of these, 58 percent
    received unconditional eligibility; 40 percent, transitional
    eligibility; and 2 percent, conditional eligibility.

4.  The paratransit coordinator is a member of Tulsa Transit's appeals
    committee for ADA Complementary Paratransit service eligibility.
    Because she is the individual who makes the initial decision on
    eligibility, she should not be a member of the appeals committee.

5.  A review of a sample of processed eligibility applications found
    that all applications that Tulsa Transit approved for service were
    processed within 21 days. However, 12 of 29 applications that Tulsa
    Transit *denied service* took more than 21 days -- with a maximum of
    60 days.

6.  The Paratransit Service Brochure describes policies and procedures
    for suspending riders for no-shows and late cancellations. While
    Tulsa Transit is tracking each client's points, it has not yet
    enforced the suspension policy.

**Findings Regarding Other Service Access Issues**

1.  The Lift service area extends beyond area described in the
    Paratransit Service Brochure to cover the area served by fixed route
    service. There is one area where the call takers do not seem to
    understand the service area boundary, where a bus route travels
    along the border between Tulsa and Broken Arrow.

2.  Lift service days and hours match (or exceed) those of fixed route
    service, with the exception of one route that runs till 9 p.m. on
    weekdays. Lift service operates until 8:30 p.m.

3.  Tulsa Transit provides accessible route deviation service during
    weekday evenings. This service eliminates the need to provide ADA
    Complementary Paratransit service during these hours.

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**Findings Regarding Telephone Capacity & Trip Reservations**

1.  Callers abandon 20 to 30 percent of calls during the day, with
    hourly abandonment rates ranging from 10 to 70 percent.

2.  The average time before calls are abandoned is two minutes on
    weekdays and over four minutes on Sundays.

3.  Based on an analysis of calls to the call center during a two-week
    period, the hourly averages of hold times during the period when
    Tulsa Transit accepts trip requests for Lift service (9 a.m. to 5
    p.m.) usually ranged from two to three minutes, which is almost
    double the Tulsa Transit standard of 90 seconds.

4.  The assessment team observed no trip denials. The call takers
    generally accept the requested time, rarely negotiating to adjust
    the pickup time. All trip requests are based on a pickup time.

5.  Based on discussions with a call taker, there are occasional blocks
    of time when the available capacity for wheelchair trips is filled.
    The call takers let passengers know of these unavailable times and
    suggest other trip times for wheelchair passengers. If schedule
    times were offered to the customer that were more one hour from the
    time requested by the customer, this would be a trip denial.

6.  Tulsa Transit has established a "will call" trip with a \$3.00 fare
    -- more than twice the fixed route fare. Tulsa Transit justified the
    \$3.00 fare by characterizing will call trips as "premium service"
    beyond the requirements of the ADA. The FTA ADA Information
    Bulletin,\
    Volume 2, "'Premium Charges' for Paratransit Services,"
    (Enclosure 2) allows for higher fares for service that is above and
    beyond the regulatory obligations, if the transit agency is meeting
    the basic ADA Complementary Paratransit service criteria.

7.  Call takers confirm pickup times with customers at the end of call
    to make reservations, but do not usually recite the 30-minute pickup
    window.

8.  When call takers needed to contact Express Personnel dispatchers or
    drivers to respond to customer queries, they had often had to search
    for a phone, extending the duration of the call.

**Findings Regarding Scheduling**

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1.  As of February 2002, Tulsa Transit was scheduling over 1,000 one-way
    paratransit trips per weekday and serving over 860 trips. More than
    half of these are subscription trips and about 18 percent are
    non-ambulatory trips.

2.  A small portion of the trips are assigned to manifests more than a
    day in advance. The Tulsa Transit schedulers estimate that they
    assign about 75 percent of the trips by hand every day.

3.  Neither the Tulsa Transit schedulers nor the carriers' dispatchers
    are performing regular reviews of the daily vehicle manifests.

4.  Based on 2001 statistics, productivity of the vans, which carry all
    of the non-ambulatory trips, was 1.79 passenger trips per vehicle
    hour. Productivity for the dedicated cars was 2.45 passenger trips
    per vehicle hour.

**Findings Regarding Dispatch and Operations**

1.  Early and late pickups and vehicle no-shows (missed trips) are the
    source of over half of the complaints submitted to Tulsa Transit by
    Lift riders.

2.  Managers from all three carriers had concerns with the manifests
    created by the Tulsa Transit schedulers. They said that they were
    generally too tight, had illogical routing, and too much
    deadheading. Drivers had mixed views of the schedules.

3.  The Express Personnel manager believed that she needed additional
    six vehicles (from 29 to 35) to serve all demand at peak periods.

4.  The Express Personnel manager believes that the contract limits on
    the funds that are available to pay drivers leads to a high driver
    turnover rate.

5.  TAD does not collect information on pickup and drop-off times for
    the Lift trips that are provided through the supplemental taxi
    service.

6.  Drivers had varying views on the training that they received. Some
    said that they received good training, including sensitivity
    training. Five of the drivers said that they had not received
    sensitivity training. Over five percent of the complaints received
    by Tulsa Transit related to drivers.

**Findings Regarding On-Time Performance**

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1.  Tulsa Transit does not measure on-time pickups for all completed
    passenger trips. Pickup times were not recorded for TAD taxi trips,
    which comprised approximately 20 percent of passenger trips during
    the period September 2001 through February 2002. As a result, it is
    not possible to determine the full number of untimely pickups.

2.  During the six-month period September 2001 through February 2002, of
    the trips for which Tulsa Transit measured performance, 94.3 percent
    of passenger pickups were either early or on time.

3.  In spite of the 94.3 percent on-time performance for measured trips,
    the two most frequent areas of rider complaints in 2001 were vehicle
    no-shows (29.4 percent) and late pickups (20.4 percent). This seems
    to indicate that TAD taxi service may have a significantly lower
    on-time performance than that of the other Tulsa Transit carriers.

4.  The carrier failed to pick up the customer on 0.4 percent of the
    scheduled trips, and was unable to locate the customer (customer
    no-shows) on 3.1 percent of the scheduled trips.

5.  Of 11 late trips identified on January 6, all were served within 30
    minutes of the scheduled pickup time or 15 minutes of the pickup
    window. Based on the sample of the late pickups reviewed by the
    assessment team, there does not appear to be a pattern of
    excessively untimely pickups.

6.  Tulsa Transit does not use appointment times in scheduling. It does
    not measure on-time drop-offs for appointments.

**Findings Regarding Trip Length**

1.  Tulsa Transit's standard for trip length on Lift service is that the
    maximum on-board time for a customer is 60 minutes, regardless of
    trip distance. Based on sample data for a week in January 2002, 0.6
    percent of the trips (24) exceeded this standard.

2.  Based on a sample of 24 lengthy Lift trips, seven had a travel time
    of at least 30 minutes longer than the estimated time for a
    comparable trip on fixed route services. Eleven other trips from
    this sample had a shorter travel time than that estimated for a
    comparable fixed route trip.

**Findings Regarding Resources**

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1.  The high incidence of abandoned telephone calls and long wait times,
    particularly on Sundays and Mondays, indicates that the number of
    call takers is insufficient to provide reasonable access for
    customers wishing to make trip reservations.

2.  The limited number of radios available to supervisors at the call
    center causes delays in contacting dispatchers and drivers for
    responding to customer inquiries.

3.  Limited scheduler staff levels and limited technical support and
    training by the schedule software provider appears to limit
    schedulers' ability to produce schedules with a minimum of illogical
    routing, tight routing, and late and missed trips.

4.  A limited number of drivers and tight schedules appear to leave
    little carrier capacity for increased ridership and improved
    efficiency.

5.  Limited driver training in customer sensitivity appears to
    contribute to customer complaints about insensitive drivers.

6.  A number of drivers expressed concern about problems with wheelchair
    securement systems, and some also cited cracked windshields on Tulsa
    Transit vans.

7.  The Lift Program budget is projected to decline from \$3,902,140 in
    FY2002 to \$3,894,537 in FY2003. The Lift ridership is expected to
    increase from 205,000 passenger trips in FY2002 to 209,400 in
    FY2003. The increased ridership and reduced budget will require
    increased operating efficiency. Otherwise, there is a strong
    potential that the Lift Program will experience capacity
    constraints.

8.  Budget pressure for improved efficiency, combined with limited
    existing capacity to accommodate ridership growth and improved
    efficiency and a need for expanded resources in call taking and
    scheduling, could result in diminished service levels, particularly
    for those passenger trips that are most difficult to serve.

# Observations Regarding ADA Complementary Paratransit Eligibility & Other Service Access Issues 

The assessment team reviewed the process that Tulsa Transit uses to
determine ADA Complementary Paratransit eligibility to be sure that
Tulsa Transit and its contractor are making determinations in a way that
accurately reflects the functional ability of applicants. The assessment
team also reviewed the timeliness of processing requests for
eligibility. The assessment team performed the following activities:

-   Interviews with riders to gain their views about the eligibility
    determination process.

-   Interview with an Ability Resources staff who handles the
    application process.

-   A review of application materials to develop an understanding of the
    handling and review of applications.

-   An examination of records for 49 applications, and a calculation of
    the processing time for each.

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-   Other service access issues were reviewed including:

    -   Service area

    -   Service days and hours

**Consumer Comments**

During the assessment team's telephone interviews, Lift riders and
professionals who work with the riders had several concerns about the
eligibility process. One professional stated that the process was "hard
to understand." A social worker from a rehabilitation center was
concerned with the long written application and the need for in-person
interviews. On the other hand, several respondents complimented Tulsa
Transit. They said that the transit system was sensitive to the needs of
individuals who needed to start receiving service promptly, particularly
dialysis patients.

None of the complaints filed with the FTA or the complaints recorded by
Tulsa Transit were related to the eligibility process or other service
access issues.

Eligibility Determination Procedures and Practices

As of March 2002, 3314 individuals were certified for Lift service. This
compares to 5375 certified riders in March 2001. The Lift paratransit
coordinator attributed this sharp decrease in certified riders to a more
rigorous review of applications, particularly for riders who were
applying for re-certification. During calendar year 2001, Tulsa Transit
reviewed 1,066 completed applications for ADA Complementary Paratransit
service. Of these, 987 (92.6 percent) were certified for Lift service.
During calendar year 2000, 915 of 1026 applications (89.2 percent) were
certified for Lift service.

[]{.mark}

Tulsa Transit contracts with Ability Resources, Inc. to review the
applications for eligibility, conduct in-person interviews, and make
recommendations for certification. Ability Resources makes a
recommendation to the paratransit coordinator, who makes the final
decision on behalf of Tulsa Transit.

[]{.mark}

The eligibility determination process consists of the following steps.

1.  A potential applicant telephones Tulsa Transit's call center or
    Ability Resources. The call center will refer the caller to Ability
    Resources.

2.  A professional at Ability Resources asks the caller some preliminary
    questions. The primary reason for these questions is to determine
    which written application to mail to the caller. There is an *ADA*
    *Paratransit Application for Physical or Cognitive Disability*
    (Attachment D) and an *ADA Paratransit Application for Visual
    Disability* (Attachment E). If the caller indicates that he has both
    types of disabilities, the Ability Resources professional sends the
    application that she believes relates to the dominant disability.

3.  There are two professionals at Ability Resources who review
    applications. Within two days of receiving a completed application,
    one of them calls or writes the applicant\
    (Attachment F) to schedule an in-person interview. If needed, the
    applicant can get a round trip on Lift to travel to the interview.

4.  On occasion, Ability Resources requests additional information from
    a medical professional specified by an applicant (Attachment G).

5.  On occasion, Ability Resources recommends that Tulsa Transit provide
    temporary eligibility to an applicant before making a final
    determination (e.g., a dialysis patient).

6.  After an applicant interview, Ability Resources tries to make a
    recommendation on the same day. Tulsa Transit considers the
    interview date as the beginning of the 21-day period for making an
    eligibility determination.

7.  Ability Resources completes and provides all the paperwork for an
    applicant whom it recommends for Lift service, including an ID card,
    Eligibility Certificate (Attachment H), and paratransit brochure.

8.  The Lift paratransit coordinator prepares the letter for applicants
    whom Ability Resources recommends for a denial of eligibility. This
    letter includes the reason(s) for the denial and information on the
    appeals process. Attachment I presents a sample recommendation for
    denial from Ability Resources, along with the denial letter. The
    denial letter states that a decision will be made within 30 days of
    the submission of the appeal. However, the letter does not state
    that the applicant has up to 60 days to make the appeal.

There are three levels of eligibility:

-   ***Unconditional***: the rider is eligible for any Lift trip.
    Re-certification is required in four years.

-   ***Conditional***: Lift specifies restrictions for use of Lift
    service. For other trips, the rider must use the fixed route buses.
    Re-certification is required in four years or less.

-   ***Transitional***: the rider is eligible for Lift service for six
    months.

In 2001, 58 percent of all eligible applicants received unconditional
eligibility, 40 percent received transitional eligibility, and 2 percent
received conditional eligibility.

During 2000 and 2001, about 20 percent of the mailed out applications
were not completed. Applications that are considered incomplete include:

-   Written applications that are sent out, but not returned, or
    returned, but not complete.

-   Applications that are returned, but the individual does not complete
    an in-person interview.

Individuals who have ADA Complementary Paratransit certification from
another transit system may get temporary eligibility from Tulsa Transit,
but then must apply for eligibility to Tulsa Transit.

[]{.mark}

Tulsa Transit holds a meeting on the third Wednesday of every month to
hear appeals. The appeals committee consists of eight members including:

-   Three consumers

-   Two staff members from Tulsa Transit; the paratransit coordinator is
    the committee chair

-   The Operations Manager from Express Personnel

-   Two healthcare/rehabilitation professionals

There are usually zero to three appeals heard each month. According to
the paratransit coordinator, there were fewer than 20 appeals in 2001.

**Review of Application Processing Times**

The assessment team reviewed a sample of eligibility applications, both
denied and approved, from 2001 and early 2002 to determine the time
required to process applications. Tulsa Transit's policy is that the
21-day period for timely processing of applications begins after the
in-person interview takes place. Ability Resources and Tulsa Transit
processed within 21 days all of the sample 20 applications that were
*approved for service*. However, Tulsa Transit took more than 21 days to
process 12 applications out of a sample of 29 *denied applications*.
Table V.1 presents the distribution of processing times.

**[Table V.1 -- Processing Time for Denied Applications for Lift
Service]{.mark}**

  ------------------------------------------ ----------------------------
  **Processing Time (days)**                 **Number of Applications**

  21 or fewer                                17

  22 to 26                                   2

  27 to 31                                   6

  32 to 41                                   1

  42 to 60                                   3
  ------------------------------------------ ----------------------------

[]{.mark}

The processing of denied applications takes longer because the Lift
paratransit coordinator prepares each denial letter. In addition, there
does not seem to be a backup for the paratransit coordinator among the
Lift/Tulsa Transit staff.

[]{.mark}

The DOT ADA regulations require that the transit property treat the
applicant as eligible for service and provide service if the transit
property has not made a determination within 21 days of receiving a
complete application (49 CFR §37.125(c)). However, Tulsa Transit has no
provision to meet this requirement.

[]{.mark}

**Other Service Access Issues**

**ADA Complementary Paratransit Service Area**

According to the Tulsa Transit Paratransit Service Information Brochure,
Lift service "may only be used within the Tulsa city limits. If you live
outside of the Tulsa city limits and are approved for a Lift card, you
will be responsible for providing transportation to and from a location
within the city limits (service area)."

In practice, the Lift service area extends beyond the Tulsa city limits.
According to the Lift Program service area map, the service area
includes the entire city of Tulsa plus several areas adjacent to the
city that are served by bus routes. Bus routes extend into Jenks to the
southwest, and the portions of Jenks that are within 3/4-mile of a bus
route receive Lift service.

Bus Route 318 runs on the southeast border of Tulsa County on Garnett
Road, which borders on the town of Broken Arrow. The call center
supervisor said that paratransit service is provided within 3/4-mile
from Garnett Road, although it is technically outside the service area.
However, based on discussions with call center staff, it appears that
the not all call takers understand the service area boundaries in this
region. One call taker stated that Lift service is not available at all
in Broken Arrow.

[]{.mark}

**Days and Hours of Service**

The DOT ADA regulations require that ADA Complementary Paratransit
service be available during the same hours and days as fixed route
service (49 CFR §37.131 (e)). Weekday service on several fixed routes
starts as early as 4:50 a.m. Service ends by 8:30 p.m., with the
exception of Route 233, which runs till 9 p.m. Limited routes operate on
Saturdays and there is no service on Sunday. Lift service operates from
4:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and 5:30 a.m. to

8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

"Nightline" service on five fixed route bus routes generally operates
from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays. All Nightline routes operate on a
route deviation basis. A rider may call in to schedule a curb-to-curb
trip within the Nightline service by 5 p.m. of the day before service.
This service area is anywhere within 3/4-mile of any of the five
Nightline routes. The call taker identifies the closest route and
notifies the rider of which bus to catch. The call taker fills out a
"Nightline Deviation Form," and faxes the form to the fixed route
dispatcher to forward to the driver of the specific route. All Nightline
vehicles are accessible. This accessible route deviation service
eliminates the need to provide ADA Complementary Paratransit service
during the evening hours.

[]{.mark}

One fixed route (#714) operates during the daytime on weekdays to the
town of Jenks, west of Tulsa. This route also provides accessible route
deviation service.

[]{.mark}

**Other Service Limits**

[]{.mark}

Tulsa Transit sets forth a rider suspension policy in its Paratransit
Service Brochure. The brochure states that Tulsa Transit may impose a
30-day suspension on a rider who accumulates "8 points" over a 90-day
period. Points can be accumulated through client no-shows, late
cancellations, and not being able to be dropped off at the destination
(no one to receive the client).

The brochure also describes Tulsa Transit's process of issuing warning
letters prior to the suspension, and the client's appeal process. In
practice, while Tulsa Transit is tracking each client's points, it has
not yet enforced the suspension policy.

[]{.mark}

**Findings**

1.  The number of clients certified for Lift service has decreased from
    5,375 in March 2001 to 3,314 in March 2002. The Lift paratransit
    coordinator attributed this decrease in certified riders to a more
    rigorous review of applications, particularly for riders who were
    applying for re-certification.

2.  Tulsa Transit's denial letter for ADA Complementary Paratransit
    service eligibility does not state that the applicant has up to 60
    days to appeal the decision.

3.  During calendar year 2001, 92.6 percent of applicants for Lift
    service received some form of certification. Of these, 58 percent
    received unconditional eligibility; 40 percent, transitional
    eligibility and 2 percent, conditional eligibility.

4.  The paratransit coordinator is a member of Tulsa Transit's appeals
    committee for ADA Complementary Paratransit service eligibility.
    Because she is the individual who makes the initial decision on
    eligibility, she should not be a member of the appeals committee.

5.  A review of a sample of processed eligibility applications found
    that all applications that Tulsa Transit approved for service were
    processed within 21 days. However, 12 of 29 applications that Tulsa
    Transit *denied service* took more than 21 days -- with a maximum of
    60 days.

6.  The Paratransit Service Brochure describes policies and procedures
    for suspending riders for no-shows and late cancellations. While
    Tulsa Transit is tracking each client's points, it has not yet
    enforced the suspension policy.

7.  The Lift service area extends beyond area described in the
    Paratransit Service Brochure to cover the area served by fixed route
    service. There is one area where the call takers do not seem to
    understand the service area boundary, where a bus route travels
    along the border between Tulsa and Broken Arrow.

8.  Lift service days and hours match (or exceed) those of fixed route
    service, with the exception of one route that runs till 9 p.m. on
    weekdays. Lift service operates until 8:30 p.m.

9.  Tulsa Transit provides accessible route deviation service during
    weekday evenings. This service eliminates the need to provide ADA
    Complementary Paratransit service during these hours.

**Recommendations**

1.  Tulsa Transit should revise its denial letter to inform the
    applicant that he/she has 60 days to appeal the decision.

2.  Tulsa Transit should not include the paratransit coordinator on its
    eligibility appeals committee.

3.  Tulsa Transit should strive to ensure it processes all applications
    for Lift service within 21 days. It should offer presumptive
    eligibility to applicants for whom it has not made a determination
    within 21 days. Tulsa Transit should have a backup to the
    paratransit coordinator for reviewing denied applications.

4.  Tulsa Transit should revise its paratransit service brochure to
    describe the entire area served by Lift service. It should also
    ensure that all call takers know the full service area for Lift
    service -- especially the portions that extend beyond the Tulsa city
    limits.

5.  Tulsa Transit should adjust its weekday Lift service hours to ensure
    that the area served by Route 233 has ADA Complementary Paratransit
    service until 9 p.m.

6.  Tulsa Transit should consider enforcing its suspension policies to
    prevent riders from taking advantage of lax no-show and late
    cancellation practices.

# Observations Regarding Telephone Capacity & Trip Reservations

[]{.mark}

The purpose of the assessment team's review of the telephone system and
trip reservation process was to determine whether riders who use Tulsa
Transit's Lift service can effectively reach call takers and have their
trip requests scheduled. Information reviewed and observations made on
telephone service and capacity and reservations included:

[]{.mark}

-   Consumer interviews, review of complaints filed with FTA, and review
    of complaints filed with Tulsa Transit.

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-   Review of Tulsa Transit's policies and procedures for taking trip
    reservations for ADA Complementary Paratransit service.

-   Direct observations of calltaking practices in the reservations
    office.

**Consumer Comments**

Of the two complaints on file with FTA, one referred to long hold times
(as long as 45 minutes) and busy signals when trying to make a trip
reservation. This complaint was filed in

November 1998. FTA investigated this complaint and reported that Tulsa
Transit believed that the complainant was calling another Tulsa Transit
telephone line, rather than the line for ADA Complementary Paratransit
service.

Several of the assessment team's telephone interviews with Lift riders
and professionals who work with them mentioned long hold times when
making trip reservations; however, this did not seem to be a significant
issue.

[]{.mark}

During 2001, 1.5 percent of complaints (five) recorded by Tulsa Transit
concerning Lift service were related to call takers or the trip
reservation process.

**Review of RTS Reservations Policies and Procedures**

[]{.mark}

Tulsa Transit operates a call center that provides information for both
its fixed route service and the Lift program. One telephone number
(918-582-2100) connects a caller with call takers who provide
information about the fixed route buses (routes, fares, trip planning),
as well as take trip requests and other calls for Lift service. The
software system installed on their workstations includes both fixed
route service data and client files and trip request intake for Lift
service.

Tulsa Transit also manages "Sooner Ride," a statewide Medicaid
transportation program. Sooner Rider is funded separately from Lift
service. While Sooner Ride shares office space with the call center, its
office operations are segregated from those of Lift and fixed route. It
has a different telephone number, separate workstations, a separate trip
reservation system, and separate call takers.

There are eight workstations for Tulsa Transit call takers. The call
center telephone lines are staffed from 4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday
through Saturday. On Sunday, call takers are on duty from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. Tulsa Transit accepts reservations for Lift trips seven days a
week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Riders can make reservations from one to
seven days ahead.

Tulsa Transit has six full-time and eight part-time call takers, or
"customer service representatives," for fixed route and Lift service.
During the weekday hours that Lift reservations are accepted, the call
center has six to seven call takers working. On Saturday, there are
three call takers on duty; on Sunday, two call takers.

For incoming calls to Tulsa Transit's call center, the standard for hold
time is that customers will be on hold for 90 seconds or less for 98
percent of calls. The standard for answering calls is 98 percent of
calls will be answered in two minutes or less.

The call takers use "Trapeze" software for retrieving information for
both fixed route and Lift calls. For callers who are making requests for
Lift trips, the call takers ask for the following information:

-   Rider name

-   Pickup address

-   Date of requested trip

-   Requested pickup time

-   Drop-off address

-   Drop-off location name (e.g., building, doctor)

-   Return pickup time

[]{.mark}

The call taker enters this information into the computer. Tulsa Transit
has established a pickup window of 15 minutes before to 15 minutes after
the agreed upon pickup time, e.g., a window of 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. for an
agreed upon 8 a.m. pickup. The call taker is then supposed to repeat the
information provided by the rider. Call takers generally recite the
requested pickup time rather than the 30-minute pickup window. Reciting
the pickup window could reduce the potential for customer
misunderstanding of when the vehicle is expected to arrive.

All trip requests are based on a pickup time. The call takers generally
accept the requested time, rarely negotiating to adjust the pickup time.
For round trips, Tulsa Transit requires that the two legs have pickup
times that are at least 90 minutes apart (this is based on potential 15
minutes' adjustment on each leg plus a potential 60 minutes of
in-vehicle time). A call taker also said that there are occasional
blocks of time when the available capacity for wheelchair trips is
filled. If this occurs, a Lift scheduler notifies the call takers, who
then let passengers know of these unavailable times and suggest other
times for wheelchair passengers, usually within one hour of the
requested time. Tulsa Transit does not consider this as a trip denial.
However, if schedule times were offered to the customer that were more
one hour from the time requested by the customer, this would be a trip
denial.

[]{.mark}

A rider can make reservations for multiple trips during one call. A
rider can also request subscription service. According to the
Paratransit Service Brochure, subscription service is available to Lift
riders "if traveling to the same destination at the same time and same
day at least twice a week." Tulsa Transit has no limit on the number of
subscription requests.

[]{.mark}

**Will Call Trips**: Tulsa Transit has a specific category of "will
call" trips. A rider may request a trip with an origin and destination,
but no pickup time. The rider calls Tulsa Transit when he/she is ready
for the pickup. According to the Paratransit Information Brochure, it
"may take as long as 2-3 hours to be picked up." A will call trip is
often the return leg of a round trip, but can also be a single one-way
trip. The fare for a will call trip is \$3.00. This fare is twice the
regular Lift fare for a one-way trip and three times the fare for a
fixed route trip.

This policy for will call trips started in 1998 after discussions
between Tulsa Transit and a group of Lift riders. The policy was part of
a larger agreement about various Lift service policies. The Lift riders
and Tulsa Transit justified the \$3.00 fare by characterizing will call
trips as "premium service" beyond the requirements of the ADA -- thereby
permitting a fare greater than twice the fixed route fare.

[]{.mark}

**Observations of Lift Reservations Practices**

[]{.mark}

The assessment team observed 75 calls to call takers during two periods:
Monday afternoon, March 11, from 3 to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, March 12, from
9 to 10 a.m. Team members observed four different call takers. In
addition to making trip requests, customers also called for a variety of
reasons:

[]{.mark}

-   To ask, "Where's my ride?"

-   To ask when the rider will be dropped off

-   To confirm ride times

-   To cancel trip requests

-   To reschedule trip requests

-   To obtain service information, e.g., eligibility, fares

-   To obtain fixed route information -- often to find out the schedule
    of the next bus and closest bus stop from their current location

Team members made the following observations about the call takers'
practices:

-   When a rider had no definite return time, a call taker advised
    him/her of the availability of will call trips (including the
    additional cost), but discouraged him/her from using it.

-   Though not permitted in written policies, call takers do accommodate
    some same-day trip requests. Included in these are re-scheduled
    return trips when a rider is a\
    no-show on the return leg of a round trip, to avoid stranding any
    riders.

-   A rider scheduled a trip to the wrong address and called to correct
    the address. The call taker said this would be treated as a will
    call trip and cost \$3.00.

-   A rider "waved off" a driver. This counts as a no-show, even if the
    rider is willing to pay the fare.

-   A new Lift rider was told to call back later in the day because the
    new eligibility information was not yet in the computer system. The
    call taker said that the rider's information would be put into the
    system that day, but it was the responsibility of the customer to
    call back to reschedule.

-   A Lift driver went to the wrong pickup location. The trip was
    counted as no-show.

-   Call takers share cell phones/radios to call the dispatcher and
    drivers at Express Personnel. This practice required call takers to
    spend time finding phones/radios, thereby extending the call times.

[]{.mark}

The assessment team also analyzed call data from the call center's
tracking system for a 13-day period, from February 1 to February 14,
2002 (call data for Saturday, February 9 was not available). For this
period, there was an average of 1,023 routed calls per day. Of those
routed calls, 75 percent were answered, with the remaining calls
abandoned. The following information comes from the analysis of call
data:

-   Sundays and Mondays have the longest average hold times. During the
    sample set of days, a majority of the hours between 9 a.m. and 5
    p.m. on those days had average wait times of greater than four
    minutes.

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-   Average daily wait time ranges from over one minute to eight minutes
    (the daily average of eight minutes occurred just prior to a major
    bus service change). On weekdays, hold times are greatest in the
    early morning and at the end of the day.

-   The time before calls are abandoned is relatively constant during
    weekdays at approximately 2 minutes. On Sunday, the average is over
    four minutes.

-   During the times when Tulsa Transit accepts trip requests for Lift
    service (9 a.m. to\
    5 p.m.), the average of hold times usually ranged from two to three
    minutes, which is almost double the Tulsa Transit standard of 90
    seconds.

-   An average of 20 to 30 percent of calls are abandoned throughout the
    day. This range is relatively constant when looking at daily
    averages. However, comparing by hour and by day, call abandonment
    rates varied widely, ranging from 10 to 70 percent.

**Findings**

1.  Callers abandon 20 to 30 percent of calls during the day, with
    hourly abandonment rates ranging from 10 to 70 percent.

2.  The average time before calls are abandoned is two minutes on
    weekdays and over four minutes on Sundays.

3.  Based on an analysis of calls to the call center during a two-week
    period, the hourly averages of hold times during the period when
    Tulsa Transit accepts trip requests for Lift service\
    (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) usually ranged from two to three minutes, which
    is almost double the Tulsa Transit standard of 90 seconds.

4.  The assessment team observed no trip denials. The call takers
    generally accept the requested time, rarely negotiating to adjust
    the pickup time. All trip requests are based on a pickup time.

5.  Based on discussions with a call taker, there are occasional blocks
    of time when the available capacity for wheelchair trips is filled.
    The call takers let passengers know of these unavailable times and
    suggest other trip times for wheelchair passengers. If schedule
    times were offered to the customer that were more one hour from the
    time requested by the customer, this would be a trip denial.

6.  Tulsa Transit has established a "will call" trip with a \$3.00 fare
    -- more than twice the fixed route fare. Tulsa Transit justified the
    \$3.00 fare by characterizing will call trips as "premium service"
    beyond the requirements of the ADA. The FTA ADA Information
    Bulletin,\
    Volume 2, "'Premium Charges' for Paratransit Services,"
    (Enclosure 2) allows for higher fares for service that is above and
    beyond the regulatory obligations, if the transit agency is meeting
    the basic ADA Complementary Paratransit service criteria.

7.  Call takers confirm pickup times with customers at the end of call
    to make reservations, but do not usually recite the 30-minute pickup
    window.

8.  When call takers needed to contact Express Personnel dispatchers or
    drivers to respond to customer queries, they often had to search for
    a phone, extending the duration of the call.

**Recommendations**

1.  To decrease wait times and hold times during peak calling periods
    and on Sundays, Tulsa Transit should consider adding additional call
    takers and scheduling increased phone coverage during peak call
    periods.

2.  Tulsa Transit should ensure that there are no capacity constraints
    for any riders, including those who use wheelchairs.

3.  Tulsa Transit should review its paratransit operations to ensure
    that it continues to meet basic ADA complementary paratransit
    requirements and that riders are not \"steered\" into services
    (i.e., \"will call\" trips) for which premium charges are applied.

4.  Tulsa Transit call takers should reinforce the concept of the pickup
    window by reciting the window to riders -- rather than the requested
    pickup time -- when confirming trip information.

5.  Tulsa Transit should consider purchasing additional cell phones for
    use by the call takers to contact the Express Personnel dispatcher.

# Observations Regarding Scheduling of Trip Requests

The assessment team reviewed scheduling of Tulsa Transit's ADA
Complementary Paratransit service trips requests. Information reviewed
and observations on scheduling included:

-   Consumer interviews, review of complaints filed with FTA, and review
    of complaints filed with Tulsa Transit.

-   Review of Tulsa policies and procedures.

-   Interviews with the Lift schedulers and supervisor and carrier
    staff.

**Consumer Comments**

Customer comments about trip scheduling and the actual delivery of
service are often closely related. Customer comments specifically about
scheduling are presented in this section of the report, while comments
about on-time performance, trip lengths, and pickup/drop-off locations
are included in Section VIII of this report.

Neither of the complaints filed with FTA referred specifically to
scheduling issues, as defined for this section of the report.

The assessment team's telephone interviews did not include any concerns
about Lift's scheduling process.

Of the complaints collected by Tulsa Transit during 2001, 9.5 percent
(31) related to scheduling issues, e.g., a rider claim of a reservation
error or scheduling error.

**Overview**

All trip requests for ADA Complementary Paratransit service come to the
call center. In February 2002, Tulsa Transit received requests for over
22,000 one-way trips. After accounting for cancellations (a large
proportion of these requests were cancelled by riders before they were
scheduled) and customer no-shows, Lift served over 18,400 passenger
trips during February 2002. This number includes escorts and companions.
Average weekday ridership was 863, ranging from 782 to 958. Average
Saturday ridership was 291. Riders who used wheelchairs comprised 17.2
percent of the total ridership. The peak ridership times for Lift
service are weekdays from 7 to 8:30 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m.

In 2002, Tulsa Transit schedulers had been preparing schedules for over
1,000 trips each weekday; 15 percent of these scheduled trips became
no-shows or cancellations. According to the scheduling staff, the trips
scheduled included about 120 trips for Sooner Ride clients. As stated
earlier, Sooner Ride is funded separately from Lift service, and Tulsa
Transit handles eligibility and trip requests separately. The part of
operations where the two programs come together is trip scheduling and
delivery for Sooner Ride trips that have origin and destination within
the Lift service area. Because the carriers for in-town Sooner Ride
trips also provide Lift service, Tulsa Transit believes that it is more
efficient to combine that portion of Sooner Ride operations with Lift
service.

The scheduling duties are split among three schedulers; two are
dedicated to Lift scheduling, while the third scheduler works half-time
on Sooner Ride scheduling (non-Tulsa trips). The schedulers said that
they use Trapeze's capabilities to schedule about 25 percent of the
trips. The balance of the trips are scheduled by hand every day. There
are few trips fixed to specific manifests. More than half of the ADA
Complementary Paratransit trips are subscription trips. In spite of
this, the scheduling staff estimated that about 20 percent of trips are
placed onto vehicle manifests more than a day in advance.

The first priority of scheduling is to assign the trips of all the
riders who use wheelchairs, who comprise 17 percent of the Lift
ridership. These trips are all assigned to Express Personnel, which
operates the Tulsa Transit accessible vans. The second priority is to
assign ambulatory trips to fill the Express Personnel vans. Next, trips
are assigned to the dedicated cars (sedans) of All City and TAD. Last,
the remaining trips are given to the TAD taxi service. The schedulers do
not try to assign repeated trips to the manifests of either All City or
TAD. Table VII.1 presents the carriers' ridership approximate shares, as
of February 2002.

Table VII.1 -- Weekday Service of Lift Carriers

  ------------------- ------------ ------------------ --------------------
  **Carrier**         **Vehicle    **Passenger Trips  **Percent of Total
                      Runs**       (approx.)**        Trips**

  Express Personnel   32           390                45

  TAD: dedicated      7            170                20

  TAD: taxi           ---          170                20

  All City            6            130                15
  ------------------- ------------ ------------------ --------------------

The third scheduler strives to complete the work before 8 p.m.; he said
that this can vary from 7:30 to beyond 9 p.m. The final step of the
process is to print the vehicle manifests and individual taxi tickets,
with each carrier picking up their respective work.

**Observations**

The productivity goals of Lift service are 2.0 passenger trips per
vehicle hour for the vans and 3.0 passenger trips per hour for the
dedicated cars. TAD and All City are paid on a per vehicle hour basis;
in addition, higher productivity means fewer trips assigned to the TAD
taxis. The schedulers try to reach those goals while serving all trip
requests and keeping travel time under one hour. In calendar year 2001,
the van productivity was 1.79 passenger trips per vehicle hour. The
dedicated car productivity was 2.45 trips per hour. The productivity
goals are ambitious and the actual levels are reasonable, given the
industry norms and the Lift operating environment.

The schedulers themselves are concerned with a decrease in service
quality. They said that they do "periodic" quality control checks of the
final schedules. In addition, Trapeze has some built-in checks for
lengthy trips and unreasonable vehicle tours. But they said that they
rely on each carrier to review the manifests before giving them to their
drivers. They believe that this does not happen regularly because they
hear complaints from the drivers. These complaints confirm some of the
consumer complaints on service quality, including trip lengths.

The schedulers are not satisfied with the technical capabilities of
Trapeze. This is why they perform most of the scheduling by hand. They
also cited poor technical support by the software company.

The lead scheduler believed that the volume of Lift trips merited three
full-time schedulers (rather than 2.5). At the time of the assessment,
one of the call takers was in training to be a scheduler, while one of
the schedulers was planning to take another position within Tulsa
Transit.

**Findings**

1.  As of February 2002, Tulsa Transit was scheduling over 1,000 one-way
    paratransit trips per weekday and serving over 860 trips. More than
    half of these are subscription trips and about 18 percent are
    non-ambulatory trips.

2.  A small portion of the trips are assigned to manifests more than a
    day in advance. The Tulsa Transit schedulers estimate that they
    assign about 75 percent of the trips by hand every day.

3.  Neither the Tulsa Transit schedulers nor the carriers' dispatchers
    are performing regular reviews of the daily vehicle manifests.

4.  Based on 2001 statistics, productivity of the vans, which carry all
    of the non-ambulatory trips, was 1.79 passenger trips per vehicle
    hour. Productivity for the dedicated cars was 2.45 passenger trips
    per vehicle hour.

**Recommendations**

1.  Tulsa Transit should pre-assign the subscription trips to vehicle
    runs to reduce the number of trips that have to be scheduled the day
    before service. This would reduce the number of trips to be
    scheduled each evening and could improve schedule quality and
    possibly reduce the need for additional schedulers.

2.  Tulsa Transit should take greater advantage of the scheduling
    capabilities of the Trapeze software by pursuing additional training
    and/or technical support from Trapeze. Better computer-generated
    schedules should reduce the need for manual adjustments and would
    produce better final schedules.

3.  Upon completion of the schedules, Tulsa Transit schedulers should
    review the schedules and adjust as necessary to assure that the
    routing is logical and that schedules can be realistically
    performed. Tulsa Transit should consider revising procedures to have
    the carriers conduct a similar review, coordinating changes with the
    Tulsa Transit schedulers.

# Observations Regarding Service Provision

The assessment team reviewed the operations of Tulsa Transit and its
carriers to determine whether requested trips are being served in a
timely fashion and are not excessively long. Information reviewed and
observations on operations and service delivery included:

-   Consumer interviews, review of complaints filed with FTA, and review
    of complaints filed with Tulsa Transit

-   Review of Lift service policies and procedures

-   Observations of customer service calls

-   Site visits to carriers

-   Interviews with 11 drivers

-   Review of trip manifests and analysis of on-time performance

-   Analysis of Lift service trip durations

**Consumer Comments**

In the November 1998 complaint filed with FTA, the Lift rider cited
several issues relating to the delivery of service. The complaint cited:
missed trips, late pickups, and excessively long trips.

Nearly 70 percent of the complaints collected by Tulsa Transit in 2001
concerning the Lift service (225 of 327) were related to the service
that riders received from their carriers, e.g., late pickups, vehicle
no-shows, unsafe driving. Table VIII.1 presents categories of rider
complaints (these are sub-categories of the first 2 categories shown in
Table III.2).

[]{.mark}

Table VIII.1 -- Selected Lift Rider Complaints, 2001

  ---------------------------------------------- ------------------------
  **Topic**                                      **Percent of Total**

  Vehicle No-show                                29.4

  Late Pickup                                    20.5

  Reckless Driving                               5.2

  Early Pickup                                   4.3

  Other In-Vehicle or Safety Complaints          9.5
  ---------------------------------------------- ------------------------

Among the areas of concern mentioned during the assessment team's
telephone interviews, several of the 11 individuals cited late and
erratic pickup times.

**Tulsa Transit Service Policies and Procedures**

**Trip Denials**: It is Tulsa Transit's policy not to allow any denials
due to capacity constraints.

**On-Time Performance**: Tulsa Transit has a pickup window of 15 minutes
before to 15 minutes after the requested pickup time. Pickups made
within this window are considered on time. There is no standard for
achieving on-time pickups. There is no standard for drop-off times.

**Travel Time**: The standard for any one-way trip is 60 minutes on
board the vehicle, regardless of the trip distance.

**Vehicle productivity**: Tulsa Transit's contracts with the carriers
include the following productivity goals.

-   Tulsa Transit vans (operated by Express Personnel): 2.0 passenger
    trips per vehicle hour

-   Dedicated sedans: 3.0 passenger trips per vehicle hour

Tulsa Transit does not have any service standards for the number of
complaints, response to complaints, or missed trips.

**Dispatch and Operations Overview**

As discussed earlier in this report, the Tulsa Transit call center
accepts all trip requests for Lift service. The Tulsa Transit
schedulers, also located at the call center, assign trips to the
carriers. The schedulers then develop vehicle manifests for the Express
Personnel vans, the All City dedicated cars, and the TAD dedicated cars.
The schedulers provide the trip and client information for the trips
assigned to the TAD taxis, but do not create manifests for them. Each
manifest has a run number, but each carrier decides how to assign its
runs to its drivers. None of the contracted carriers have the Trapeze
software, so any changes that they make to their schedules are done by
hand.

[]{.mark}

**Call Center Customer Service.** Tulsa Transit call center staff
responds to a range of questions from riders. The majority of incoming
calls dealt with Tulsa Transit's fixed route service. Each workstation
has the software to provide information on both fixed route and Lift
service. Riders for Lift service most often called to:

-   Ask "Where's my ride?" for a late pickup.

-   Cancel a requested trip.

-   Request a change in pickup time for a trip later that day (including
    will calls).

-   Request a same-day trip.

-   Confirm the pickup time for a trip later that day.

The call takers contact the carrier to check on late trips or make
changes to service later that day. The call takers can be in direct
contact with the Express Personnel dispatcher and van drivers through
two-way radios. To contact either the All City or TAD dispatchers, the
call takers put the caller on hold and telephone the carrier. For any
same-day trip requests, a call taker checks with carriers (other than
the TAD taxis) to find out if they can serve the trip.

[]{.mark}

**Carrier Dispatch and Operations.** Each carrier handles the daily
operations of its own vehicles. Each carrier assigns its runs and
vehicles to its drivers. Each carrier dispatcher is also responsible for
monitoring service and reassigning trips when problems arise.

A carrier is supposed to telephone the call center if one of its
vehicles is significantly behind schedule so that the call center can
let the riders know. If a carrier determines that it cannot handle a
trip that it has been assigned, it is supposed to call the call center
so a call taker can reassign the trip to another carrier.

**Lift Carriers**

On March 13, the assessment team visited the three carriers that provide
ADA Complementary Paratransit service trips for Tulsa Transit: Express
Personnel Services, All City Transportation Services, and Tulsa
Answering Dispatch (TAD). At each visit, a team member talked to
managers and dispatchers; collected information about the vehicles and
staff used for paratransit service; and interviewed drivers. The
assessment team also observed dispatch activities.

**Express Personnel** serves the largest share of the Lift trips \--
approximately 45 percent. It also carries all non-ambulatory riders, who
comprise about 19 percent of the total Lift ridership (40 percent of
Express Personnel ridership). Express Personnel charges Tulsa Transit by
the labor hour -- drivers, dispatchers, clerical, supervisors, and
manager -- based on a wage schedule set forth in its contract. Its
current contract runs to October 2002, with 2 one-year options.

Express Personnel uses a fleet of 29 accessible vans that are owned by
Tulsa Transit. Its operations, garage, and maintenance facilities are
also Tulsa Transit property. Express Personnel also has a contract to
operate Tulsa Transit's Nightline service and the Sand Springs Shuttle
(Route #714). Express Personnel also provides some Sooner Ride service.

The Express Personnel Manager had concerns about the number of vehicles,
and the number of drivers. She believes that there are too few vehicles
available for peak service and that there is a need for at least two
additional runs and six additional vehicles. Overall, she believes that
Express Personnel needs a fleet of 35 vehicles to serve its trips.

The contract with Tulsa Transit limits the funds available that Express
Personnel can pay its drivers. This leads to a smaller pool of potential
drivers. It also leads to a very high turnover rate. Even for those
drivers who stay beyond one month, the turnover rate is 50 percent per
year. The top hourly rate is \$8.00 per hour, and she believes that
\$9.00 per hour is required to reduce the turnover.

The manager is also concerned about the manifests that it receives from
Tulsa Transit. There is too much deadheading and not enough time built
in for lunch breaks for the drivers. Express Personnel generally
receives the schedules between 8:30 and 9 p.m. the night before. Her
dispatchers do not review them. That is the responsibility of the
drivers.

**All City Transportation Services** provides Tulsa Lift and Sooner Ride
services. The current contract with Tulsa Transit began in 2001. Its
contract with Tulsa Transit runs through

June 2004, with 2 one-year options. All City receives \$23.00 per
car-hour, with a guarantee of 10 hours per car per day. For split shifts
and Saturday service, it receives \$25.00 per car-hour.

All City has six dedicated vehicles (sedans) with "plenty" of spares,
according to its manager. It receives seven manifests on each weekday
from Tulsa Transit. Two of these manifests are split shifts that
together require only one car. All City appears to have the equipment
and resources to provide its service.

[]{.mark}

While the All City manager was satisfied with his relationship with
Tulsa Transit, he had a number of comments and suggestions for improving
Lift service. He would like to have more control over the vehicle
routing. He thinks that part of the reason that the schedules are not as
good as they should be is that the schedulers start their work *too
early* -- before all the trip requests are in. At the same time, he
thinks that the Tulsa Transit schedulers should place regular riders on
the same manifests. This would lead to better service, as the driver
would know both the route and the rider, and the rider would feel more
comfortable with the consistent driver.

The manager also said that drivers are sometimes sent out a long
distance at the end of the day and therefore return back to the office
an hour after their shift ends. He said that sometimes an attendant
traveling with a rider is not listed on the manifest, and because the
vehicle is already full, the rider listed on the manifest cannot be
picked up. Furthermore, some trips are designated as missed trips even
though it was not the fault of All City.

The All City manager did not agree with the new guidance that prohibited
the cancellation of a return trip if a rider was a no-show on the first
leg of a round trip.

[]{.mark}

**Tulsa Answering Dispatch** provides both dedicated car service and
supplemental taxi service for the Lift Program. At the time of the
assessment, TAD had seven dedicated cars, providing 20 percent of the
weekday trips. In addition, its supplemental (non-dedicated) taxis serve
another 20 percent of the trips. Its current contract with Tulsa Transit
runs to June 2004, with 2 one-year options. For the dedicated cars, TAD
receives \$22 per car-hour, with a minimum of 10 hours per car per day.
For the supplemental service, the charge is \$1.90 per "loaded client
mile," with a minimum of \$5.00 per passenger trip.

The manager of the TAD services noted problems with the schedules
provided by Tulsa Transit. He or his dispatcher reviews them, but also
relies on the drivers to review them before starting their runs.

The trips assigned to TAD's taxi service are dispatched one trip at a
time. TAD has individual "tickets" for each trip. As the pickup time
approaches, the dispatcher announces the availability of the trip. She
lets the drivers know that it is a Lift trip, as some drivers prefer not
to provide them. She notes when the trip is taken. At the end of the
day, TAD records the fare for each Lift trip. TAD does not keep pickup
and drop-off time information for these trips.

TAD drivers receive sensitivity training from Tulsa Transit (sensitivity
training is provided to all carriers by Mobility Resources, the agency
that also handles the review of Lift applications). The manager felt
that the training could be more extensive.

[]{.mark}

**Drivers.** The assessment team interviewed 11 drivers (four from
Express Personnel, four from All City, and three from TAD). The
following provides a summary of their comments.

-   Drivers had varying views on the training that they received. Some
    said that they received good training, including sensitivity
    training. Five of the drivers said that they had not received
    sensitivity training. Some drivers said that they did not receive
    defensive driving training.

-   Drivers had mixed opinions on the schedules. Some said that they
    were tight but generally reasonable. Others cited scheduled pickups
    at different addresses at the same time. One driver said that the
    schedules had improved compared to six months previous. Some said
    that they did not have any breaks unless they had trips cancelled.

-   Drivers say that they have the liberty to re-arrange the order of
    pickups and drop-offs. When they do this, they do not tell the
    dispatcher ahead of time.

-   Express Personnel drivers were generally satisfied with their vans.
    Two of them cited problems with the wheelchair tie-down equipment.
    They all said that the vehicles were maintained well enough.

-   Drivers generally know the correct procedures for waiting, calling
    the dispatcher, and then waiting for approval before declaring a
    passenger no-show.

-   Most riders understand the pickup window. When drivers arrive at the
    beginning of the window, most riders are ready. Some drivers believe
    that some riders take advantage of the window by waiting inside as
    long as they can.

[]{.mark}

**Findings**

1.  Early and late pickups and vehicle no-shows (missed trips) are the
    source of over half of the complaints submitted to Tulsa Transit by
    Lift riders.

2.  Managers from all three carriers had concerns with the manifests
    created by the Tulsa Transit schedulers. They said that they were
    generally too tight, had illogical routing, and too much
    deadheading. Drivers had mixed views of the schedules.

3.  The Express Personnel manager believed that she needed additional
    six vehicles (from 29 to 35) to serve all demand at peak periods.

4.  The Express Personnel manager believes that the contract limits on
    the funds that are available to pay drivers leads to a high driver
    turnover rate.

5.  TAD does not collect information on pickup and drop-off times for
    the Lift trips that are provided through the supplemental taxi
    service.

6.  Drivers had varying views on the training that they received. Some
    said that they received good training, including sensitivity
    training. Five of the drivers said that they had not received
    sensitivity training. Over five percent of the complaints received
    by Tulsa Transit related to drivers.

**Recommendations**

1.  Tulsa Transit should work with the carriers to try to resolve their
    concerns about the quality of the vehicle schedules. Tulsa Transit
    may consider revising its procedures for developing schedules and
    coordinated review, as set forth in Section VII of this report.

2.  Tulsa Transit should make sure that TAD records pickup and drop-off
    times for its taxi trips and reports this information to Tulsa
    Transit.

3.  Tulsa Transit should review the training programs that drivers
    receive -- the components provided by Tulsa Transit and by the
    carriers. Tulsa Transit should work to make sure that the training
    programs are consistent with the DOT ADA regulations and meet the
    requirements set forth in the contracts.

## Analysis of On-Time Performance

[]{.mark}

The assessment team reviewed the Tulsa Transit Lift Program on-time
performance policies and procedures; on-time performance reports; and
reviewed computer generated reports of actual and scheduled trip times
to validate on-time reporting for Lift service.

Policies and Procedures

[]{.mark}

The Paratransit Information Brochure states:

> The client must be ready and waiting for the service vehicle to arrive
> within the 30-minute window. The window is fifteen (15) minutes prior
> to the scheduled pick-up time and fifteen (15) minutes after. . . The
> client must be ready and waiting at the beginning of the window as the
> drivers are only allowed to wait for five minutes for the clients to
> board. If the client does not board within that time, the driver will
> leave and the clients will be charged with a no show.

Lift staff indicated that in the event that the rider does not appear by
the end of the five-minute wait, the procedure is for the driver to call
the dispatcher and wait for the dispatcher to release him to proceed to
his next destination. Drivers who were interviewed indicated that they
knew and followed this procedure. When the dispatcher receives the
driver's call, the dispatcher contacts the call center, which attempts
to reach the rider by phone. If successful, the appropriate steps are
taken (e.g., wait for rider, cancel trip). If the call center is unable
to reach the rider, it informs the carrier's dispatcher. The rider is
recorded as a no-show and the driver is released to his next
destination.

Tulsa Transit's standard for on-time customer pickups in the 30-minute
window is included in its contracts with Tulsa Answering Dispatch (TAD)
for Taxi Service and Dedicated Car Service, All City Transportation
Services, and Express Personnel Services. The contracts include no
incentive payments or penalties for either performing on time or failing
to do so.

Tulsa Transit has no performance standard for the number or percentage
of on-time trips, the number of missed trips, or for meeting customer
appointment times.

Tulsa Transit measures on-time performance using trip data entered into
its Trapeze software system during the reservations and scheduling
process. Most trips are scheduled at least one day before the service
day. Lift schedules same-day service:

-   If the customer was unable to establish a pickup time

-   For replacement trips for missed trips by the carrier

-   For rider no-shows

For operator-missed trips, the original trip is recorded as a missed
trip and a replacement trip is scheduled for the rider. The pickup is
scheduled for 15 minutes from the rider's request. Same-day requests for
the convenience of the customer are served as vehicles become available.
If the trip is not assigned to a van or dedicated car within two hours
of the request, it is assigned to a TAD taxi. The scheduled pickup time
for these same-day trip requests is also entered into the system as the
actual pickup time to show these trips as served on time.

Through the reservations and scheduling system, there is an electronic
record of each rider's scheduled pickup time for each trip. A driver is
supposed to record the actual pickup and drop-off times on his manifest
as each pickup and drop-off is completed. An exception to this practice
is trips provided by TAD Taxi. A sample driver manifest is included in
Attachment J. Manifests include both the time that the rider expects to
be picked up and the estimated time that the driver will arrive at the
pickup location, calculated by Trapeze. The estimated arrival time may
vary from the rider's scheduled time by as much as 15 minutes and remain
within the pickup window. This information allows the driver to follow
an efficient route while remaining aware of the rider's expected pickup
time. The assessment team could not analyze the on-time performance of
TAD Taxi service because its pickup times were not recorded or tracked
at the time of the assessment. All carriers return their completed
manifests to the call center. Tulsa Transit staff enters the pickup
times into the scheduling database. From this information, the staff
produces on-time performance reports.

[]{.mark}

**Performance Analysis**

[]{.mark}

Tulsa Transit provided the assessment team with a detailed report of
on-time performance for the period of January 6 to 12, 2002. The team
compared pickup times for 41 records in the report for January 7 with
the actual driver manifests to confirm that the report was
representative of data from the manifests. Based on this review, Tulsa
Transit reports are representative of the information that drivers
report on the manifests. The assessment team then used these reports to
further assess on-time performance.

Table VIII.2 presents a review of on-time performance for Tulsa
Transit's Lift service. The table summarizes data from Tulsa Transit
reports for the period September 2001 through February 2002. The table
presented the following data for this six-month period:

-   Total number of trips requested

-   Early cancellations

-   Trips scheduled

-   Late cancellations

-   Customer no-shows

-   Operator missed trips

-   Completed trips tracked

-   TAD Taxi trips that are not tracked for on-time performance

-   Trips that are tracked for pickup time

-   Trips served either on time or early

-   Late pickups

**Table VIII.2 -- Analysis of On-Time Performance of Tulsa Transit Lift
Service:** **September 2001 to February 2002**

+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
|                | *    | **% of  | **%   | **% of  | Calculation of |
|                | *TOT | Trips   | of    | Trips   | Row Value      |
|                | AL** | Requ    | Trips | Comp    |                |
|                |      | ested** | S     | leted** |                |
|                |      |         | chedu |         |                |
|                |      |         | led** |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| Trips          | 125  | 100.0   |       |         | Row 1          |
| Requested      | ,090 |         |       |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| Early          | 20   | 16.6    |       |         | Row 2          |
| Cancellations  | ,765 |         |       |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| Trips          | 104  | 83.4    | 100.0 |         | Row 3 = Row 1  |
| Scheduled      | ,325 |         |       |         | -- Row 2       |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| Late           | 481  | 0.4     | 0.5   |         | Row 4          |
| Cancellations  |      |         |       |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| Customer       | 3    | 2.6     | 3.1   |         | Row 5          |
| No-Shows       | ,269 |         |       |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| Operator       | 380  | 0.3     | 0.4   |         | Row 6          |
| Missed Trips   |      |         |       |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| Completed      | 100  | 80.1    | 96.0  | 100.0   | Row 7 = Row3   |
| Trips ^(a)^    | ,195 |         |       |         |                |
|                |      |         |       |         | -- (Row 4 +    |
|                |      |         |       |         | Row 5 + Row 6) |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| TAD Taxi ^(b)^ | 20   | 16.5    | 19.8  | 20.6    | Row 8          |
|                | ,665 |         |       |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| Tracked        | 79   | 63.6    | 76.2  | 79.4    | Row 9 = Row    |
| Pickups        | ,530 |         |       |         | 7-- Row 8      |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| On-Time &      | 75   | 60.0    | 71.9  | 74.9    | Row 10         |
| Early          | ,011 |         |       |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| Late Pickups   | 4    | 3.6     | 4.3   | 4.5     | Row 11 = Row 9 |
|                | ,519 |         |       |         | -- Row 10      |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| \% On-Time &   | 9    |         |       |         | Row 10/Row 9   |
| Early          | 4.3% |         |       |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
|                |      |         |       |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| \(a\) ADA      |      |         |       |         |                |
| eligible       |      |         |       |         |                |
| riders,        |      |         |       |         |                |
| exclusive of   |      |         |       |         |                |
| companions and |      |         |       |         |                |
| escorts        |      |         |       |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+
| \(b\) Pickup   |      |         |       |         |                |
| time not       |      |         |       |         |                |
| available      |      |         |       |         |                |
+----------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------------+

Tulsa Transit considers trip cancellations by the rider one hour or more
before the scheduled pick-up time as ***early customer cancellations***.
Cancellations less than one hour before the scheduled pickup time are
counted as ***late cancellations***. If a rider does not appear within
five minutes of vehicle arrival within the pickup window, and the
vehicle leaves without the customer, the trip is treated as a
***no-show*** by the customer. An ***operator missed trip*** is a trip
in which the vehicle arrived after the end of the pickup window and the
customer declined the trip. Of the ***completed trips***, on-time
pickups are not recorded for ***TAD Taxi trips***. ***Tracked pickups***
are the trips for which a pickup time was recorded. ***Late pickups***
are those trips that have pickup times after the pickup window, or trips
with actual pickups more than 15 minutes from the scheduled pickup time.

For the six-month period reviewed, on-time performance was tracked for
79.4 percent of the completed trips. Of these trips, 94.3 percent of the
measured pickup times were before or within the pickup window. The
remaining 20.6 percent of the completed trips were assigned to a TAD
taxi; which had no data on pickup times. Trips assigned to taxis are
typically single passenger trips -- rather than multi-passenger trips,
which are assigned to van operators. These taxi trips usually have more
dispersed trip origins and destinations and are more difficult to serve
than van trips. Consequently, the taxi trips may be more difficult to
serve on time than multi-passenger trips.

Operator missed trips comprised 0.4 percent of scheduled trips for the
six-month period. Early and on-time pickups are approximately 94.3
percent of tracked trips.

The assessment team reviewed the on-time performance for the Express
Personnel vans, All City dedicated cars, and TAD dedicated cars to
identify patterns of untimely pickups. As a percentage of scheduled
passenger trips for the six-month period reviewed, early or on-time
pick-ups ranged from 99.2 percent for All City to 92.9 percent for
Express Personnel.

Finally, the assessment team reviewed the detailed report for one day
(January 7, 2002) to identify potentially significantly late trips.
Table VIII.3 presents the results of this analysis.

Table VIII.3 -- Sample Analysis of Late Pickups (January 7, 2002)

+------------------------+---------------+-------------+--------------+
|                        | **Passenger   | **% of      | **% of Trips |
|                        | Trips**       | Trips       | Measured**   |
|                        |               | Served**    |              |
+------------------------+---------------+-------------+--------------+
| Trips Served           | 712           | 100.0       |              |
+------------------------+---------------+-------------+--------------+
| Performance Not        | 159           | 22.3        |              |
| Measured               |               |             |              |
+------------------------+---------------+-------------+--------------+
| Performance Measured   | 553           | 77.7        |              |
+------------------------+---------------+-------------+--------------+
| Early or On-Time       | 542           | 76.1        | 98.0         |
| Pickups                |               |             |              |
+------------------------+---------------+-------------+--------------+
| Late Pickups:          |               |             |              |
+------------------------+---------------+-------------+--------------+
| > 0-15 minutes late    | 11            | 1.5         | 0.2          |
+------------------------+---------------+-------------+--------------+
| > \> 15 minutes late   | 0             | 0.0         | 0.0          |
+------------------------+---------------+-------------+--------------+

Early or on-time pickups include all pickups performed inside the
30-minute (-15/+15) window. Late pickups are pickups made outside of the
window or more than 15 minutes from the scheduled pickup time. A pickup
that is 0 to 15 minutes late occurred 15 to 30 minutes after the
scheduled pickup time. As the table indicates, there appear to be no
significantly late trips within this limited sample of trips for which
actual pickup times were available.

**Findings**

1.  Tulsa Transit does not measure on-time pickups for all completed
    passenger trips. Pickup times were not recorded for TAD taxi trips,
    which comprised approximately 20 percent of passenger trips during
    the period September 2001 through February 2002. As a result, it is
    not possible to determine the full number of untimely pickups.

2.  During the six-month period September 2001 through February 2002, of
    the trips for which Tulsa Transit measured performance, 94.3 percent
    of passenger pickups were either early or on time.

3.  In spite of the 94.3 percent on-time performance for measured trips,
    the two most frequent areas of rider complaints in 2001 were vehicle
    no-shows (29.4 percent) and late pickups (20.4 percent). This seems
    to indicate that TAD taxi service may have a significantly lower
    on-time performance than that of the other Tulsa Transit carriers.

4.  Carriers failed to pick up customers for 0.4 percent of the
    scheduled trips, and were unable to locate customers (customer
    no-shows) on 3.1 percent of the scheduled trips.

5.  Of 11 late trips identified on January 7, all were served within 30
    minutes of the scheduled pickup time or 15 minutes of the pickup
    window. Based on the sample of the late pickups reviewed by the
    assessment team, there does not appear to be a pattern of
    excessively untimely pickups.

6.  Tulsa Transit does not use appointment times in scheduling. It does
    not measure on-time drop-offs for appointments.

**Recommendations**

1.  Tulsa Transit should measure on-time performance for all trips,
    including taxi trips. This might be done by requiring taxi drivers
    to complete trip information on trip tickets as a requirement for
    reimbursement. Trip ticket pickup times then can be entered into
    Tulsa Transit database and used to track on-time performance for all
    trips.

2.  When entering customer trip requests, call takers should request or
    confirm telephone numbers at pickup locations and request specific
    pickup locations, particularly at facilities with multiple
    entrances. More complete and accurate information should help in
    finding and/or contacting customers, thereby reducing the number of
    instance in which the carrier is unable to locate the customer.

3.  For many trips, such as medical appointments, work trips or trips to
    school, arrival time at the destination is more important to the
    customer than the pickup time. Tulsa Transit should consider
    scheduling such trips to meet *appointment times* and measuring
    *on-time performance for drop-offs* for such trips.

## Analysis of Trip Length

[]{.mark}

The Tulsa Transit standard for trip length on Lift service is that the
maximum on-board time for a customer is 60 minutes, regardless of the
trip distance.

**Customer Comments**

Among the customer complaints filed with Tulsa Transit concerning Lift
service during 2001, seven (2.1 percent) pertained to lengthy trips. The
issue of lengthy trips was not raised in either the complaints filed
with FTA or in the assessment team's telephone interviews.

[]{.mark}

**Review of Lengthy Trips**

The assessment team analyzed Lift trips for a one-week period, January 6
to January 12, 2002. All 24 trips that exceeded one hour in length
served by Express Personnel, All City, and TAD dedicated vehicles were
analyzed and are included in Table VIII.4 (TAD taxi service is not
included in this analysis because trip time data is not available for
TAD taxi). These 24 trips comprise 0.8 percent of the trips for that
week of Express Personnel, All City, and TAD's dedicated service. A team
member worked with a Tulsa Transit call taker to compute travel times
for the comparable fixed route trips. Each fixed route travel time is
the sum of the following components:

-   Travel time on each bus

-   Transfer (waiting) time for multi-bus trips

-   Walking time on each end of the trip

This analysis allows for a 15-minute walk at both ends of each trip. In
the *Travel Time Difference* column, the figures indicate the difference
in travel time; a minus sign (-) means that the Lift travel time would
actually be less than the fixed route travel time. The Lift trips whose
travel time exceeded the comparable fixed route travel time by at least
30 minutes are highlighted in bold. The table's right-hand column
provides comments on some of the trips.

Seven of the selected Lift trips (29 percent) had travel times that
exceeded the estimated fixed route trip travel times by at least 30
minutes. Another six trips had travel times that exceeded the fixed
route trip times by between 10 and 29 minutes. The typical cause of the
long trips was that a rider was one of the first passengers picked up at
the beginning of a long group trip and was one of the last passengers to
be dropped off.

[]{.mark}

It is interesting to note that for nearly half of the sample (11 of 24),
the travel time was *less than* that of the comparable fixed route trip.

**Table VIII.4 -- Comparison of Travel Times on Paratransit vs. Fixed
Route for Selected Trips During January 2002**

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Date**     **Run      **Actual   **Actual   **Trip       **Fixed    **Travel Time  **Comments on Trip**
               Number**   Pickup     Dropoff    Duration**   Route      Difference**   
                          Time**     Time**                  Travel                    
                                                             Time**                    
  ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------ ---------- -------------- -------------------------
  **12-Jan**   **105**    **3:45     **4:52     **1:07**     **0:17**   **+50**        
                          p.m.**     p.m.**                                            

  **8-Jan**    **113**    **6:20     **8:00     **1:40**     **0:40**   **+60**        
                          a.m.**     a.m.**                                            

  11-Jan       117        4:45 p.m.  5:45 p.m.  1:00         0:40       +20            Picked up someone else

  9-Jan        119        4:35 p.m.  5:38 p.m.  1:03         1:21       -18            Other stops between
                                                                                       drop-off including
                                                                                       wheelchair

  7-Jan        120        4:46 a.m.  5:47 a.m.  1:01         1:30       -29            Long distance group trip

  **11-Jan**   **122**    **2:10     **4:30     **2:20**     **0:47**   **+93**        **Last person dropped off
                          p.m.**     p.m.**                                            of a group trip to
                                                                                       different locations**

  8-Jan        124        8:07 a.m.  9:15 a.m.  1:08         1:41       -33            Picked up early before
                                                                                       others

  11-Jan       128        12:28 p.m. 1:30 p.m.  1:02         0:35       +27            Scheduled long trip with
                                                                                       pickup and drop-off
                                                                                       between

  **8-Jan**    **129**    **1:15     **2:18     **1:03**     **0:33**   **+30**        **Picked up 2 other
                          p.m.**     p.m.**                                            people including
                                                                                       wheelchair passenger**

  9-Jan        130        11:12 a.m. 12:12 p.m. 1:00         1:03       -3             Cross-town, long trip,
                                                                                       last one dropped off

  10-Jan       130        12:01 p.m. 1:08 p.m.  1:07         1:08       -1             "Hard to schedule, very
                                                                                       long trip. Usually goes
                                                                                       by himself"

  7-Jan        132        11:15 a.m. 12:17 p.m. 1:02         1:15       -13            Picked up 2 others
                                                                                       between at different
                                                                                       locations

  10-Jan       132        11:52 a.m. 12:53 p.m. 1:01         1:01       0              Picked one in between,
                                                                                       dropped off last

  8-Jan        134        12:53 p.m. 2:09 p.m.  1:16         0:50       +26            Added to route: going
                                                                                       from downtown to deep
                                                                                       south

  8-Jan        138        4:00 p.m.  5:08 p.m.  1:08         1:22       -14            Group trip: first picked
                                                                                       up, last dropped off

  10-Jan       140        11:44 a.m. 12:52 p.m. 1:08         1:11       -3             First of 3 picked up, 2nd
                                                                                       dropped off.

  11-Jan       140        11:54 a.m. 1:15 p.m.  1:21         1:10       +11            Going all the way north
                                                                                       and east; dropped off
                                                                                       other person first

  11-Jan       142        4:00 p.m.  5:16 p.m.  1:16         1:04       +12            Group trip: first picked
                                                                                       up, last dropped off

  **11-Jan**   **146**    **4:26     **5:51     **1:25**     **0:40**   **+45**        **Group trip, same day
                          p.m.**     p.m.**                                            add-on**

  **9-Jan**    **146**    **4:37     **5:47     **1:10**     **0:38**   **+32**        **Added to route, then
                          p.m.**     p.m.**                                            added someone else with a
                                                                                       5 p.m. pickup**

  7-Jan        154        12:36 p.m. 1:40 p.m.  1:04         1:28       -24            Last person dropped off
                                                                                       of a group trip to
                                                                                       different locations

  11-Jan       154        2:45 p.m.  3:45 p.m.  1:00         0:36       +24            

  8-Jan        160        2:48 p.m.  3:57 p.m.  1:09         1:28       -19            Group trip, picked up at
                                                                                       same location, last one
                                                                                       dropped off

  **10-Jan**   **160**    **4:18     **5:39     **1:21**     **0:44**   **+37**        **Grouped with 2 others,
                          p.m.**     p.m.**                                            one add on, last dropped
                                                                                       off**
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Findings**

1.  Tulsa Transit's standard for trip length on Lift service is that the
    maximum on-board time for a customer is 60 minutes, regardless of
    trip distance. Based on sample data for a week in January 2002, 0.6
    percent of the trips (24) exceeded this standard.

2.  Analysis of the sample of 24 lengthy Lift trips indicated that seven
    had travel times of at least 30 minutes longer than the estimated
    time for a comparable trip on fixed route services. Ten other trips
    from this sample had a shorter travel time than that estimated for a
    comparable fixed route trip.

**Recommendations**

1.  Tulsa Transit should consider a standard for ADA Complementary
    Paratransit service travel time that is based on comparable fixed
    route service travel time.

2.  Tulsa Transit should conduct periodic analysis of long trips to
    identify significantly long trips and assess trends, e.g., relative
    to particular carriers, common destinations, times of day, types of
    riders.

3.  If certain riders routinely experience long trips, Tulsa Transit
    should review its carriers' schedules and take corrective action.

# Resources

The assessment team reviewed the resources provided by Tulsa Transit for
ADA Complementary Paratransit services in order to identify possible
links between service limits and the resources available. The team
reviewed Tulsa Transit's ADA Complementary Paratransit service budget,
staffing and equipment levels, and interviewed Tulsa Transit staff.

[]{.mark}

**Policies and Procedures**

[]{.mark}

The primary source of funding for Tulsa Transit is the City of Tulsa's
general fund, which accounts for approximately \$8 million per year.
Additional funds are provided by the state of Oklahoma, approximately
\$0.5 million, and the Federal Transit Administration, about \$4
million.

The City's general fund receives its revenues from sales and usage
taxes. This funding source, which is dependent on sales volumes,
fluctuates with the local economy and is a relatively volatile source of
tax revenue. The Tulsa Transit budget is dependent upon City approval.
Because of the current economy, the City is facing anticipated
shortfalls of income from previous funding levels. As a result there is
currently pressure to reduce Tulsa Transit budgets.

There is a limited constituency of support for transit service as
evidenced by an estimated 80 percent of riders who are dependent on
transit and only 20 percent who are riders by choice. However, the ADA
Complementary Paratransit services have a supportive constituency, which
participates in a paratransit committee and vocally supports service at
City Council meetings.

In addition to Lift service, Tulsa Transit administers Sooner Ride
services under a state contract.

[]{.mark}

**Personnel & Equipment**

[]{.mark}

The assessment team reviewed adequacy of Tulsa Transit staff to receive
trip reservations in a timely fashion, adequacy of staff to effectively
schedule service, and adequacy of operator staff to deliver service.

[]{.mark}

The high incidence of abandoned telephone calls and long wait times,
particularly on Sundays and Mondays, indicates that the number of call
takers is insufficient to provide reasonable access for customers
wishing to make trip reservations. At the time of the assessment, Tulsa
Transit employed six part-time and eight full-time call takers and had
eight telephone stations. Additionally, supervisors were observed
sharing two-way radios to contact Express Personnel dispatchers and
drivers. This required supervisors to walk about the office finding
additional radios. Supervisors could save time if there were a
sufficient number of radios to assign at least one to each work area, or
supervisor, in the office.

Tulsa Transit currently has 2.5 full-time equivalent staff people
assigned to scheduling. At this staffing level, schedulers appeared to
have limited time to complete, review, and edit schedules before
forwarding them to operators. Additional staffing would allow for more
time to perform scheduling activities. Additionally, it appeared that
staff had limited confidence in the Trapeze scheduling software and
could make more effective use of the software through additional
technical support and training by the software provider. More effective
scheduling can reduce the number of illogical routing, tight routing,
and late and missed trips.

During visits to the service providers, the assessment team obtained
information on the availability of drivers and equipment as needed to
provide assigned service. Table IX.1 presents the number of runs
assigned the service provider and the number of passenger vehicles and
drivers to cover those runs.

[]{.mark}

Table IX.1 -- Driver & Equipment Rosters for Service Providers

  -------------------- --------------- ------------------ -----------------
  **Service Provider** **Runs**        **Vehicles**       **Drivers**

  Express Personnel    32 (29)^a^      27                 33
                       (20)^b^                            

  TAD                  7               9                  8

  All City             7 (6)^c^        10                 10
  Transportation                                          
  -------------------- --------------- ------------------ -----------------

> \(a\) Three runs are split shifts, reducing driver requirement to 29
> drivers per day.
>
> \(b\) In addition to the three split shifts, nine runs do not overlap
> with other runs, reducing the daily vehicle needs to 20 vehicles.
>
> \(c\) Two runs are split shifts, reducing driver requirement to 6
> drivers per day

Express Personnel, in addition to operating 32 Lift runs, operates the
five Nightline routes, and provides Sooner Ride service. Nightline is a
route deviation service operated with accessible vans. Express
Personnel's target for a full driver complement to operate its assigned
service is 38, five more than were employed at the time of the
assessment. Express Personnel supplements its driver roster with five
managers who can drive if needed. The Express Personnel manager
indicated that schedules are currently quite tight, and that with added
passenger trips, drivers frequently are unable to break for lunch. Of
five drivers interviewed, two cited tight schedules and four complained
of illogical routing. The Express Personnel manager indicated that
driver attrition is approximately 50 percent during training and that
the annual turnover rate is about 30 percent. The manager attributed the
problem of attracting and retaining drivers to a relatively low pay
scale.

Customers cited lack of driver sensitivity as a concern. Service
providers and drivers were interviewed regarding training provided to
drivers, particularly as relates to customer sensitivity. Also,
available training materials were reviewed. Currently, driver
sensitivity is addressed during initial training with a focus on basic
communication. Tulsa Transit also offers sensitivity training through a
monthly program. This training is provided by Ability Resources. Based
on interviews with managers, trainers, and operators, it appears that
sensitivity training is limited. Some veteran drivers indicated that
they received little training.

[]{.mark}

Tulsa Transit provides the vans for Express Personnel. Of 32 vans owned
by Tulsa Transit, 29 are assigned to Express Personnel; two of those are
used by supervisors, leaving 27 available for service. All City
Transportation also has vans. TAD has nine dedicated vehicles plus two
back-up vehicles for seven runs and also provides supplementary taxi
service. Some Express Personnel drivers complained of problems with
wheelchair securement equipment and cracked windshields.

[]{.mark}

**Budget**

[]{.mark}

The assessment team reviewed the budget information for ADA
Complementary Paratransit service for the fiscal years 1999 through
2003.

[]{.mark}

A summary of the recent market and budget history of Tulsa Transit Lift
ADA Complementary Paratransit services is presented in Table IX.2

[]{.mark}

**[Table IX.2 -- Budget Summary]{.mark}**

  ------------------- ------------- ------------- ----------------- ----------------- -----------------
  []{.mark}           **1999**      **2000**      **2001**          **2002 ^(a)^**    **2003**

  **Tulsa City                      **393,049**   []{.mark}         []{.mark}         []{.mark}
  Population**                                                                        

  **Certified         []{.mark}     []{.mark}     **5,375**         **3,314**         
  Riders**                                                                            

  **Riders per        []{.mark}     []{.mark}     **1.46 %**        **0.90%**         
  Capita**                                                                            

  **Passenger Trips   **205,810**   **188,654**   **192,263**       **205,000**       **209,400**
  ^(b)^**                                                                             

  **% Change from     []{.mark}     **-8.3 %**    **1.9 %**         **6.6 %**         **2.1 %**
  Previous Year**                                                                     

  **Lift Budget**     []{.mark}     []{.mark}     **\$3,683,281**   **\$3,902,139**   **\$3,894,537**

  **% Change in Tulsa                                               **3.9 %**         **-0.2 %**
  Transit Budget**                                                                    

  **Lift                                          **\$3,748,160**   **\$3,895,000**   **N/A**
  Expenditures**                                                                      

  **% Change in                                                     **3.9 %**         
  Expenditures**                                                                      
  ------------------- ------------- ------------- ----------------- ----------------- -----------------

> \(a\) Expenditures and Passenger Trips estimated by Tulsa Transit
> based on actual data for the first six months of the year
>
> \(b\) Includes companions and personal care attendants

[]{.mark}

According to Tulsa Transit staff, Tulsa Transit instituted a more
rigorous eligibility certification process in 2000. As scheduled reviews
of customer certifications took place, the number of eligible riders
declined. This is reflected in the decline from 5,375 eligible riders in
March 2001 to 3,314 riders in March 2002. The resulting 0.9 percent
eligible riders per capita is consistent with that seen in other urban
areas.

Tulsa Transit cited the cause for lower than expected ridership in 2000
to unusually low December ridership, due to weather conditions.

The FY2003 budget includes a four percent reduction for Tulsa Transit
service. Most of the reduction is expected to come from fixed route
services, which faces a decline from \$12.6 million to \$11.9 million.
The Lift Program budget is projected to decline from \$3,902,140 in
FY2002 to \$3,894,537 in FY2003. The Lift ridership is expected to
increase from 205,000 passenger trips in 2002 to 209,400 in 2003. The
increased ridership and reduced budget will require increased operating
efficiency to maintain or improve service levels. Pressure for improved
efficiency can result in diminished service, particularly for those
passenger trips that are most difficult to serve.

[]{.mark}

**Findings**

[]{.mark}

1.  The high incidence of abandoned telephone calls and long wait times,
    particularly on Sundays and Mondays, indicates that the number of
    call takers is insufficient to provide reasonable access for
    customers wishing to make trip reservations.

2.  The limited number of radios available to supervisors at the call
    center causes delays in contacting dispatchers and drivers for
    responding to customer inquiries.

3.  Limited scheduler staff levels and limited technical support and
    training by the schedule software provider appears to limit
    schedulers' ability to produce schedules with a minimum of illogical
    routing, tight routing, and late and missed trips.

4.  A limited number of drivers and tight schedules appear to leave
    little carrier capacity for increased ridership and improved
    efficiency.

5.  Limited driver training in customer sensitivity appears to
    contribute to customer complaints about insensitive drivers.

6.  A number of drivers expressed concern about problems with wheelchair
    securement systems, and some also cited cracked windshields on Tulsa
    Transit vans.

7.  The Lift Program budget is projected to decline from \$3,902,140 in
    FY2002 to \$3,894,537 in FY2003. The Lift ridership is expected to
    increase from 205,000 passenger trips in FY2002 to 209,400 in
    FY2003. The increased ridership and reduced budget will require
    increased operating efficiency. Otherwise, there is a strong
    potential that the Lift Program will experience capacity
    constraints.

8.  Budget pressure for improved efficiency, combined with limited
    existing capacity to accommodate ridership growth and improved
    efficiency and a need for expanded resources in call taking and
    scheduling, could result in diminished service levels, particularly
    for those passenger trips that are most difficult to serve.

[]{.mark}

**Recommendations**

[]{.mark}

1.  Tulsa Transit should consider increasing the number of call takers
    and adjusting assignments as needed, particularly for Sundays and
    Mondays, to reduce hold times and abandoned phone calls to
    acceptable levels.

2.  Tulsa Transit should acquire additional radios for supervisors at
    the call center to avoid delays in contacting dispatchers and
    drivers for responding to customer inquiries.

3.  Tulsa Transit should consider increasing the number of schedulers
    and seeking additional technical support and training from the
    scheduling software provider to promote more effective use of the
    software and to provide more resources to review and edit the
    computer-generated schedules.

4.  Tulsa Transit should consider expanding the number of runs and
    consider ways of increasing the number of drivers, particularly in
    light of projections for continued ridership growth.

5.  Tulsa Transit should consider reviewing its sensitivity training to
    assure that all new drivers receive effective training as part of
    their initial training and to provide refresher training to all
    veteran drivers. Training should be scheduled at a time that drivers
    can attend without interfering with service assignments.

6.  Drivers should be trained in the care and maintenance of wheelchair
    securement systems and be provided with materials to clean belts and
    perform simple maintenance. Equipment maintenance personnel should
    include cleaning and maintenance of wheelchair securement systems as
    part of their regular maintenance. Equipment maintenance personnel
    should also check and replace/repair windshields, mirrors, and other
    vehicle body components as part of regular vehicle inspection and
    maintenance.

7.  Tulsa Transit should continue to press for a Lift budget sufficient
    to avoid diminished service levels.

[]{.mark}

[]{.mark}

**Attachment A**

**Response from Tulsa Transit**

**Attachment B**

**On-Site Assessment Schedule**

**ADA Complementary Paratransit Service Assessment**

**Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority (MTTA): Lift Program**

**Tulsa, Oklahoma**

**March 11-14, 2002**

Schedule

+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| *       | **Activity**                     | **Who**    | *        |
| *Time** |                                  |            | *Where** |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| # Mo    |                                  |            |          |
| nday, M |                                  |            |          |
| arch 11 |                                  |            |          |
| , 2002  |                                  |            |          |
| {#monda |                                  |            |          |
| y-march |                                  |            |          |
| -11-200 |                                  |            |          |
| 2 .unnu |                                  |            |          |
| mbered} |                                  |            |          |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| 1:00    | -   Opening Conference           | All        | MTTA     |
| p.m.    |                                  |            |          |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| 2:00    | -   Review information requested | All        | MTTA     |
| p.m.    |     & policies & procedures with |            |          |
|         |     MTTA Managers                |            |          |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| 3:30    | -   Observe trip reservations;   | Chia,      | Downtown |
| p.m.    |     record trip request          |            | call     |
|         |     information                  | Lou        | center   |
|         |                                  | tzenheiser |          |
|         | ```{=html}                       |            | MTTA     |
|         | <!-- -->                         | Kidston    |          |
|         | ```                              |            |          |
|         | -   Review budget                |            |          |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| # Tues  |                                  |            |          |
| day, Ma |                                  |            |          |
| rch 12, |                                  |            |          |
|  2002 { |                                  |            |          |
| #tuesda |                                  |            |          |
| y-march |                                  |            |          |
| -12-200 |                                  |            |          |
| 2 .unnu |                                  |            |          |
| mbered} |                                  |            |          |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| 8:00    | -   Observe trip reservations;   | Lout       | Call     |
| a.m.    |     record trip request          | zenheiser, | center   |
|         |     information                  | Kidston    |          |
|         |                                  |            | Call     |
|         | -   Review complaints            | Chia       | center   |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| 9:00    | -   Meet with Lift manager       | All        | Call     |
| a.m.    |                                  |            | center   |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| 10:30   | -   Review budget                | Kidston    | MTTA     |
| a.m.    |                                  |            |          |
|         | -   Review eligibility           | Chia       | Ability  |
|         |     determination process        |            | R        |
|         |                                  | Lou        | esources |
|         | -   Review telephone system      | tzenheiser |          |
|         |                                  |            | Call     |
|         |                                  |            | center   |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| 2:00    | -   Review trip duration         | Lou        | Call     |
| p.m.    |                                  | tzenheiser | center   |
|         | -   Review on-time performance   |            |          |
|         |                                  | Kidston    | Call     |
|         | -   Review trip scheduling       |            | center   |
|         |                                  | Chia       |          |
|         |                                  |            | Call     |
|         |                                  |            | center   |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| # W     |                                  |            |          |
| ednesda |                                  |            |          |
| y, Marc |                                  |            |          |
| h 13, 2 |                                  |            |          |
| 002 {#w |                                  |            |          |
| ednesda |                                  |            |          |
| y-march |                                  |            |          |
| -13-200 |                                  |            |          |
| 2 .unnu |                                  |            |          |
| mbered} |                                  |            |          |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| 6:00    | -   Observe vehicle pull-out     | Kidston    | TAD      |
| a.m.    |                                  |            |          |
|         | -   Observe dispatch             | Chia       | Express  |
|         |                                  |            | P        |
|         | -   Interview carrier drivers    | Lou        | ersonnel |
|         |     and staff                    | tzenheiser |          |
|         |                                  |            | All City |
|         |                                  |            | T        |
|         |                                  |            | ransport |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| 10:00   | -   Eligibility analysis         | Chia       | Call     |
| a.m.    |                                  |            | center/  |
|         | -   Review service area, days    | Lou        | Ability  |
|         |     and hours                    | tzenheiser | Res.     |
|         |                                  |            |          |
|         | ```{=html}                       | Kidston    | Call     |
|         | <!-- -->                         |            | center   |
|         | ```                              |            |          |
|         | -   Review on-time performance   |            | Call     |
|         |                                  |            | center   |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| 1:30    | -   Continue data analysis       | All        | MTTA     |
| p.m.    |                                  |            |          |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| #       |                                  |            |          |
|  Thursd |                                  |            |          |
| ay, Mar |                                  |            |          |
| ch 14,  |                                  |            |          |
| 2002 {# |                                  |            |          |
| thursda |                                  |            |          |
| y-march |                                  |            |          |
| -14-200 |                                  |            |          |
| 2 .unnu |                                  |            |          |
| mbered} |                                  |            |          |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| Morning | -   Complete preliminary data    | []{.mark}  | [        |
|         |     analysis & remaining detail  |            | ]{.mark} |
|         |     work                         | All        |          |
|         |                                  |            | MTTA     |
|         | ```{=html}                       |            |          |
|         | <!-- -->                         |            |          |
|         | ```                              |            |          |
|         | -   Prepare materials for        |            |          |
|         |     debriefing session           |            |          |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+
| 1:00    | -   Exit Conference              | All        | MTTA     |
| p.m.    |                                  |            |          |
+---------+----------------------------------+------------+----------+

**Attachment C**

[]{.mark}

***Tulsa Transit Paratransit Service Information Brochure: Effective
November 20, 2001***

**Attachment D**

***ADA Paratransit Application***

***For Physical or Cognitive Disability***

**Attachment E**

***ADA Paratransit Application***

***For Visual Disability***

**Attachment F**

**Request For Personal Interview**

**Attachment G**

**Request for Information**

**From Medical Professional**

**Attachment H**

**Acceptance Letter**

**Attachment I**

**Denial Recommendation and Letter**

**Attachment J**

**Sample Completed Driver Manifest**

[]{.mark}