Table 21. Continuum of Transportation Services Service Areas Regularly Scheduled Fixed Route Route Shuttle Service Paratransit Service (1) TriMet District Other Transit Agency ADA Paratransit Medicaid Non-Medical Medicaid Community Based Transportation (includes RideWise) (2) Washington County Incorporated Cities King City TriMet District RC-King City LIFT DMAP Broker Ride Connection Ride Connection Hillsboro Yamhill City Transit Columbia County Rider Hillsboro Link Tigard Yamhill City Transit Tualatin RC-Tualatin Shuttle Beaverton SMART RC-Beaverton RideAbout Forest Grove Yamhill City Transit RC-GroveLink Rivergrove West Linn West Linn Community Center Sherwood Durham Cornelius Yamhill City Transit Banks Tillamook WAVE RC-Wash Co. Community Bus North Plains Tillamook WAVE RC-Wash. Co Community Bus Gaston Yamhill City Transit Rural Communities Other
Table 31. Aspirational Service Guidelines Summary Route Paratransit No to Some Difficulty E&D No Difficulty Non ADA Eligible (some difficulty) ADA Eligible Assistance TriMet Service District High Frequency Corridors ≥ 18 hrs/7 days N/A Localized curb-to-curb hrs weekdays; 8-10 hrs weekends Same as fixed route 10-15 hrs weekdays; 8-10 hrs weekends TriMet Service District Standard Service ≥ 15 hrs/7 days N/A Localized curb-to-curb hrs weekdays; 8-10 hrs weekends 22 hrs/7 days 10-15 hrs weekdays; 8-10 hrs weekends Community with more than 2,500 people 10-15 hrs/6 days 10-15 hrs/6 days 10-15 hrs/6 days 10-15 hrs/6 days 8-10 hrs/5 days Community between 2,500 and 500 people 8-10 hrs/5 days 8-10 hrs/5 days 8-10 hrs/5 days 8-10 hrs/5 days 6-8 hrs/5 days for medical, work and nutrition; 2-3 days for other trips Community with less than 500 people N/A 6-8 hrs/5 days for medical, work and nutrition; 2-3 days for trips 6-8 hrs/5 days for medical, work and nutrition; 2-3 days for other trips 6-8 hrs/5 days for medical, work and nutrition; 2-3 days for trips 6-8 hrs/5 days for medical, work and nutrition; 2-3 days for other trips Conformance to Service Guidelines 32 and Table 33 provide an evaluation of how well the service guidelines are being met. Table 32 provides the results for areas located within the TriMet Service District and Table 33 provides the results for areas located outside the TriMet Service District. Gaps in service exist primarily in the Needs Assistance category, and in local on-demand services for ADA and non-ADA-eligible customers. This evaluation is based on conformance to service guidelines which are aspirational but that should be worked towards in the long-term.
Oregon City Frequent & Standard + Short 3 hrs. weekdays & No weekend service + Short 3 hrs. weekday & No Sat. service Milwaukie Frequent & Standard + Short 2 hrs. weekdays & No weekend service + 2 hrs. weekday & No Sat. service Johnson City Standard Short 1.5 hrs. service weekdays, No service weekends No Service + No Service Urban Areas Clackamas Standard Short 4 hrs. Sundays Short 2 hrs. weekdays & No weekend service + 2 hrs. weekdays & No Sat. service (1) Ride Connection Network service provides door-through-door assistance in some circumstances Table 33. Conformance to Service Guidelines Outside the TriMet Service District Boundary Area Place Route ON DEMAND No Difficulty (Public DAR) Non ADA Eligible (Curb-to-Curb) ADA Eligible Needs Assistance Washington County Incorporated Cities Banks + + + + + North Plains + + + + + Cornelius NA + + No Service + Gaston N/A + + No Service + Unincorporated Rural Communities Other N/A + + No Service + Multnomah County Incorporated Cities Other N/A + + No Service + Unincorporated Communities Other N/A + + No Service + Clackamas County Incorporated Cities Wilsonville No Sun Service N/A No Weekend Service + No Weekend Service Molalla No Sun Service, Sat Service for Molalla-CCC route only Sandy + + + + 3 hrs. service weekdays Estacada + Short hrs. weekdays, only volunteer service 1 weekday Short 3.5-6 hrs. weekdays, only volunteer service 1 weekday + 1.5-4 hrs. weekdays, only volunteer service 1 weekday Unincorporated Rural Communities Hood Villages (Shuttle) No Weekend Service N/A No Weekend Service No Weekend Service N/A Other N/A Based on volunteer driver and vehicle availability No Service See non-ADA service note (1) Ride Connection Network service provides door-through-door assistance in some circumstance
King City, which is classified as a high frequency location, fixed route- service is short 13 hours on weekdays and has no service on weekends. Communities within the TriMet service district are short of complying with service standards for the Non-ADA Eligible (Curb-to-Curb) and Needs Assistance (Door-through-Door) categories, with most short at least a few hours on weekdays and many lacking weekend service. Most cities and unincorporated areas outside of the TriMet service district do not have fixed route service. However, most of these locations do meet service standards for Dial-A-Ride (DAR) services including: No Difficulty (Public DAR), Non-ADA Eligible (Curb-to-Curb), and Needs Assistance Most cities and unincorporated areas in Clackamas County are short of the service standards for those DAR services.
The actions are assigned a “tier” ranking. Tier 1 projects are considered of high priority to the region and the most feasible to implement. Tier 2 projects are considered short-medium term with potential funding sources to implement them. Tier 3 projects are those that will require long-term implementation efforts, and where funding is not secured. 51 identifies the strategies and the CTP Priority that the strategy helps implement. Table 52 through Table 57 identify actions to implement each strategy, suggested lead agency or agencies to assume responsibility for implementation, the timeframe for completion, and the suggested tier. It should be noted that while some actions will require an initial investment to implement them, over the long term they may result in cost-savings to public transit programs. Table 51. Strategies and CTP Priorities Addressed CTP Priority Addressed Strategies 1a – Maintain Service 1b – Expand Service 1c – Increase Capacity and Quality of Service 1d – Improve Stop Accessibility 2 – Capital Replacements and Maintenance 3 – Balance cost-effectiveness and accessibility 4 – Equitable Distribution of Funds 5 –Increased funding 6 – New/Innovative Partnerships and Funding 7 –New and Innovative Technology and Service Models 8 - New Partnerships to serve underserved communities 9 – Enhance rider experience Develop a committee to oversee implementation of the plan x x x x Measure performance X Enhance access and increase system efficiency X X x Encourage use of fixed route transit X Manage ADA service demand x Enhance pedestrian access/land use improvements X
transit trips that require transfers. On-time performance of these trips is critical for customers to make their connections and arrive at their destinations on time. Most of Ride Connection’s community connectors link to a transit center and anyone who qualifies for door-to-door services can request a trip to a transit center rather than their final destination. However, it is rare that customers request this due to the transfer penalty associated with their fare. Ride Connection does not currently require door-to-door trip requests to link to fixed route service even if an assessment of their ability would indicate they are able to do so. Route Deviation In a route deviation, a bus goes off its course to go to a specific location on a request. By surveying riders using paratransit services to travel to community centers and supported employment sites, transit operators can determine if a route deviation would allow many of the riders to instead use the fixed route buses. Riders could be given incentives to make the switch to fixed-route buses. Ride Connection provides deviated route service within ½ mile of the routes for the Washington County Community Bus, GroveLink, Tualatin Shuttle, King City RideAbout, and North Hillsboro Link. These services are free and open to the public. The South Clackamas Transportation District and Mount Hood Express also offer deviated fixed-route service. Address Safety and Security Concerns at Transit Facilities and on Vehicles Improving access to bus stops and rail stations can remove physical barriers preventing riders from using fixed-route services, but customer perceptions about their personal safety may limit the use of these services. See the section on Improving Customer Experience for actions that can improve safety and deter crime, and address the perceptions of transit as unsafe, which are often not the case. Manage ADA Service Demand Review paratransit service standards In 2012 TriMet LIFT ADA service boundaries and were modified to better align with TriMet fixed route. Previously service throughout the ADA service area was offered—this was adjusted to six service areas (Weekday, Weekday Evening, expensive
Table 54. Actions to Enhance Access and Increase System Efficiency Action Next step Responsible party Time Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Encourage Use of Fixed Route Transit Support and expand travel training programs Continue support for Ride Wise and other programs. STFAC, Ride Connection, transit providers Ongoing x Implement or expand upon feeder services to fixed route transit Identify most popular destinations visited by seniors and persons with disabilities utilizing LIFT or other paratransit service. Implement community connectors identified in TriMet’s SEPs. Transit agencies and Ride Connection partners Ongoing x Consider incorporating public restrooms into transit center designs and look for options to retrofit existing transit centers to include public restrooms Identify most critical transit centers for retrofit, comment on all future proposed transit centers STFAC, Transit agencies Ongoing x Manage ADA Service Demand Implement trip screening as appropriate for ADA paratransit users Prepare a plan, conduct research, develop preliminary goals TriMet and other transit agencies, if interested Ongoing x
Advocate for and disability-friendly streets and roads Advocate for funding sources to be applied to projects that fill gaps in system providing sidewalks, lighting, paths, crosswalk and other improvements TriMet and transit agencies to coordinate with cities, counties, and ODOT; work with local planning staff Ongoing x Implement recommendations from TriMet’s Pedestrian Network Analysis and other agencies and local jurisdiction plans (Pedestrian Master Plans, safe routes to transit) to encourage walking by seniors and persons with disabilities Prioritize impacts of improvements to benefit persons with disabilities, seniors TriMet and other transit agencies to coordinate with cities, counties, and ODOT Ongoing x Develop strategies (i.e. incentives, mutual planning requirements, etc.) to influence the siting of facilities that provide services to seniors and/or persons with disabilities. Conduct assessment of current zoning and permit processes that influence facility siting practices Transit Agencies with and local jurisdictions Ongoing x
veteran’s transportation program and is doing additional “cause based” volunteer recruitment for dialysis. Additional strategies to maintain and expand service that were identified during the CTP Update process include: Seek additional dedicated state funding for transit providers (i.e. e-cigarette taxes ear mark funds for senior programs) Revisit design of fixed-route transit buses to accommodate growth of mobility devices and other needs Develop an advocacy white paper for legislators/statewide advocacy effort to increase funding sources. Utilize source funding for special projects to expand service. Evaluate potential role of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft to provide first- and last-mile services to seniors and persons with disabilities. Table 55. Actions to Maintain and Expand Service to Meet Service Guidelines Action Next step Responsible party Time frame Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Maintain Existing Services and Programs Preserve existing services and provide vehicle maintenance for services that meet the needs of seniors and/or persons with disabilities Identify additional revenue and prioritize services Transit agencies and Ride Connection Ongoing x Advocate for adequate capital replacements Identify and prioritize funding sources Transit agencies and Ride Connection, STFAC Ongoing x
Seek stable funding in upcoming legislative session to support ongoing operations and capital expenses Develop and participate in regional and statewide advocacy and education efforts Transit agencies, human service agencies, Ride Connection 2017-18 legislative session x Expand or Establish New Services and Programs Address service gaps in public transit services Prioritize service gaps; seek additional funding Transit agencies, Ride Connection Ongoing x Implement new services including the additional community connectors identified in TriMet’s Service Enhancement Plans Implement new services including the additional community connectors identified in TriMet’s Service Enhancement Plans Transit agencies, Ride Connection, TMAs, private providers Ongoing x Increase capacity of existing volunteer programs by increasing the fleet of accessible vehicles for services Increasing capacity requires increasing the vehicle Ride Connection and county departments of social services Ongoing x
Develop driver pool for existing volunteer driver programs Ride Connection has a successful volunteer recruitment program (Iwanttodrive.org). Address issues for paid drivers. Ride Connection Ongoing x Develop and implement new or revised no cost/low cost community services projects Prepare a community needs assessment and develop partnerships outside of network. Ride Connection, transit agencies, human services departments, county agencies Ongoing x Develop and implement new transportation services to assist individuals access employment and training opportunities in rural areas Track federal legislative action on transportation authorization bill; monitor 2017 and 2019 state legislative session for opportunities Transit agencies, Ride Connection, private sector Ongoing x Develop and test new technology to improve service efficiencies Ride Connection - Implement technology to support deviated fixed route services. Ride Connection, transit agencies Ongoing x
reflecting the mobility needs of the “whole person” as people transition through various stages of age and disability. Table 56. Actions to Improve Customer Experience Action Next step Responsible party Time frame Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Improved Information and Referral/Program Outreach Develop and distribute information promoting Travel Options Counseling services and providing web-based and application based information systems Develop protocols for maintaining information. Update and continue distribution of brochure; update web site; develop mobile device application that provides info on all travel options Transit Agencies, Ride Connection, ADRC, 211 Ongoing x Increase communication and marketing efforts to make members of the public and aware of rural transportation options Work with counties to increase interest and help increase service availability Ride Connection and rural transit agencies, ADRC, 211 Ongoing x Work towards providing real-time information for scheduled rides and same-day or scheduling. Obtain necessary software. TriMet, Ride Connection, and other interested agencies 2016-2018 x
Encourage seniors and persons with disabilities to utilize online trip planning Coordinate technical training to support phone literacy; Include question about smart phone usage by seniors and persons with disabilities in future surveying efforts Transit Agencies, Ride Connection, Independent Living Resources 2016-2018 x Create Safer Environment and Improve Perception of Safety Create a safer transit environment Improve lighting and implement other safety and security improvements; coordinate with transit security personnel Transit agencies, Counties, Cities, and State Ongoing x Address perception of personal safety for new or potential users of fixed route transit Develop public relations campaign, informational materials. Ride Connection – continue presentations to students and teachers the safe use of public transit. Transit agencies, Ride Connection Ongoing x
Explore partnerships with schools to utilize their buses and drivers for community shuttles and other types of trips. Ride Connection currently works with 20 programs across 13 different school districts. Table 57. Actions to Promote Coordination and Innovative Collaboration among Service Providers Action Next step Responsible party Time frame Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Consider expanding E-fare participation within the region Conduct a peer review of electronic fare systems, prepare a gap analysis report for potential new participants and develop a Project Management Plan identifying new and existing participant roles and responsibilities ODOT, TriMet, Rural transit agencies 2016 x Improve regional connections between modes and service providers Use Hop Fastpass trip pattern data to analyze regional connections to identify opportunities to make service improvements ODOT, transit agencies x Coordinate with public and private sector: joint scheduling or sharing of vehicles off of successful pilot with Mary’s Woods and work with assisted living facility with vehicle, church, grocery store, or school districts Ride Connection, transit agencies Ongoing x
Coordinate with medical facilities, Seniors and/or Persons with Disabilities transportation consumers and their representatives to optimize trip scheduling Develop information for medical providers illustrating opportunities to work with transit providers and coordinate customer travel schedules Ride Connection, transit agencies, Coordinated Care Organizations, medical providers, Access to Care Ongoing x Expand awareness of home delivery services (i.e. groceries, library) to people who stay at home in order to assist with “aging in place” and providing independence for persons with disabilities Continue collaboration and coordination between transit and human service agencies and providing information through provide information and referral on this through Travel Options Counseling where appropriate. Social service agencies, Ride Connection, private sector Ongoing x Continue program to provide fare assistance for people whose primary barrier to using public transit is financially based. Implement fare assistance program or other steps to assist such riders Ride Connection, social service providers and transit agencies throughout the Tri-County area Ongoing x
Coordinate outreach and advocacy activities with CCO development Continue discussions with CCOs, County Departments of Social Services, State OHA Ride Connection, TriMet and other transit providers Ongoing x Develop a centralized information system that can be accessed by people needing information on applicable transportation resources for them. Identify site and resources STFAC and sub-committee will likely lead; ADRC, 211 Ongoing x Explore partnerships with TNCs such as Uber or Lyft to provide transportation for customers that can utilize transit for part of their trip. Explore agreements and funding approach being utilized in Kansas City, Kansas and Dallas, Texas. Transit agencies, Ride Connection 2017 x Explore opportunities to expand Less Connect or develop a new platform for ridematching for seniors and persons with disabilities Work with Drive Less Connect or other sources to explore opportunities. TriMet, Ride Connection 2017 x
The latest federal transportation funding authorization is the five-year Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which was signed in December 2015. Highlights of FAST that are relevant to the CTP are summarized in Table 61. Table 61. FAST Act Highlights Program Purpose Status in FAST Act Overview of Changes in FAST Act §5307 - Urbanized Area Formula Program Provides funding for transit capital, operations, planning, and engineering in urbanized areas (which have a population of 50,000 or more). This includes some ADA complementary paratransit service costs. Modified ‘"100 bus rule" is modified to include non-ADA general population demand response transit service Allows 20% of allocation to be used for operations of ADA paratransit certain conditions Directs recipients to maintain equipment and facilities in accordance with their transit asset management plan Eliminates requirement to spend 1% of 5307 funds on Associated Transit Improvements Allows use of up to 0.5% of 5307 funds for Workforce Development Increases the Small Transit Intensive Cities (STIC) tier starting in FY 2019 Funding: $4.53 Billion (FY 2016) authorized Small but not substantial changes in funding levels from previous years §5310 - Enhanced Mobility of Seniors & Individuals Provides funding to support transportation for the elderly and persons with Modified Allows states or localities that provide transit service to be direct recipients under this section
with Disabilities disabilities. Provides funding for vehicles, wheelchair lifts, scheduling systems, mobility management programs, contracted services, services beyond those required by the ADA, travel training, and more. Requires FTA to develop a best practices guide for §5310 service providers Introduces a new Pilot Program for Innovative Coordinated Access & Mobility (to improve coordination of transportation and medical transportation services) Requires Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) to produce a strategic plan to address coordination across the federal government Funding: $263 million (FY 2016) authorized from the Fund Small but not substantial changes in funding levels from previous years §5311 - Formula Grants for Rural Areas Provides funding for transit capital, planning, and operations in rural areas (population less than 50,000), including job access and reverse commute projects. Modified Increases the tribal formula authorization to $30M/year, maintains the $5M discretionary tribal program Allows advertisement & concessions revenue as local match Clarifies what costs are to be counted as local match with respect to intercity bus feeder service Recipients may now use up to 20% of their 5311 allocation (previously 10%) for the operation of paratransit service, if certain conditions are met
In determining the amount of the unsubsidized portion of privately provided intercity bus service that connects feeder service that is eligible as in-kind match, all operating and capital costs can now be included without revenue offset Funding: $620M (FY 2016) authorized from the Trust Fund but not substantial changes in funding levels from previous years §5314 - Technical Assistance & Workforce Development Supports technical assistance activities that enable more effective and efficient delivery of transportation services, foster compliance with federal laws (including the ADA), meet the transportation needs of the elderly, and more. Supports activities that address public transportation workforce needs through research, outreach, and training. Consolidates former §5314 and §5322 into a single section for both eligibilities, and maintains the National Transit Institute (NTI) Workforce Development remains a competitive program, with outreach to additional populations, a focus on national training standards, increased outcome requirements, and a Report to Congress Allows use of up to 0.5% of 5307 for Workforce Development Funding: $9M/year from the Trust Fund, of which $5M is set-aside for NTI, and an additional $5M/year authorized from the General Fund (subject to appropriations) Small but not substantial changes in funding levels from previous years
The region is growing rapidly and the population of seniors and/or persons with disabilities is growing even faster as a of the total population. In order to support and maintain strong communities, there is a growing emphasis on “aging in place” which means that demand for transportation is expected to remain strong and grow over time. Strong coordination, collaboration, and innovation will be critical to meeting the transportation needs of seniors and/or persons with disabilities in the future. The CTP defines priorities and action steps to support a cost-effective, efficient and high-quality transportation network for seniors and/or persons with disabilities. It also looks forward to future needs, identifying those needs, calling for actions to help address them. Among the many actions called for, some highlights include: Creating an implementation sub-committee of the STFAC to help ensure that actions are carried through and that the region continues to collaboratively seek additional funds for identified service needs Strengthening the focus on performance measurement and monitoring including updating current data reporting to make it more focused and user-friendly Encouraging use of fixed-route transit, which has a much lower cost per ride and therefore offers the opportunity to provide mobility for many more people with whatever the resources available Managing ADA service demand to ensure that who need it have it available and manage future costs Enhancing pedestrian access and participating in land use decision-making to make it easier for seniors and/or persons with disabilities to not have to rely on paratransit or individual rides, but be able to get around more on their own or on fixed-route transit Maintain current cost-effective services that meet the needs of Seniors and/or Persons with Disabilities Expand or establish new services and programs to provide greater coverage, more span throughout the day and weekends, as well as expanding the most cost-effective services and new technologies Improve the customer experience with better information Create a safer environment and improve the perception of safety with infrastructure like lighting and with information and outreach