Title
Staff Report for a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Accept the 2014-2015 Measure B Paratransit Application for a $280,887 Grant Allocation for the San Leandro Paratransit Program to the Alameda County Transportation Commission, and to Negotiate, Execute and Administer All Documents and Awarded Funds in Support of These Activities
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to submit the FY 2014-15 Application for Measure B Paratransit funds. The application will provide for the following paratransit services:
Measure B Grant - $280,887
1. Flex Shuttle Service (Shuttle) - Two buses, operating on two interconnecting routes during peak hours (9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). Service is free, after an annual registration fee of $20 is paid.
BACKGROUND
Analysis
Funded with Measure B Paratransit funds, the Flex Shuttle provides transportation to seniors and disabled adults. The grant allocation is based on a formula which takes into account projected sales tax revenue and the City's population of disabled, 85 and over, 65-84 and SSI recipients. The Flex Shuttle provides approximately 17,000 one-way trips per year.
In 2012-13, in response to community outreach meetings and rider input, Flex hours were increased an additional hour daily serving users until 5 p.m. instead of 4 p.m. The program has been operating within grant limits and reserve funds for the past four fiscal years. This February, staff conducted the annual rider survey and held two public workshops to plan for the 2014-15 paratransit program to ensure that the City was meeting rider needs as effectively as possible. The most common feedback received was a request to incorporate a new shuttle stop at the new San Leandro Kaiser Hospital once it opened and a desire to operate the Flex shuttle on the weekends. Senior Services staff proceeded to incorporate a new Kaiser shuttle stop for both the North and South shuttle routes. However, at this time there aren't enough funds available to run the Flex shuttle on the weekends. Despite requests for increased days of operation, general rider consensus shows that riders are very pleased with the Flex shuttle.
Due to changes in County funding, the City of San Leandro will no longer offer Medical Trip shuttle service after June 30, 2014. However, the Taxi Voucher pilot program was successful. Staff anticipates that it will fill the gap caused by the discontinuation of funding by the County of the minimum service level grants, which provided funding for the medical trips.
In 2012-13, San Leandro participated in an Alameda County Transportation Commission (CTC) pilot program to expand the South County Taxi Voucher Program into Central County. Through the taxi voucher program, riders may purchase a $3.50 voucher, which will subsidize up to $14 of taxi meter fare. Each rider may purchase a total of 72 vouchers per fiscal year, which was determined based on available funding. CTC funds the program and oversees the taxi vendor contract. San Leandro Recreation and Human Services staff sells the vouchers and conducts daily administration of the program. This program proved tremendously successful, and CTC agreed to continue administering the program through July 31, 2014. The City of San Leandro and the City of Hayward applied for a joint grant to extend the taxi voucher program for FY 2014-2015 and were awarded funding to administer the taxi voucher program themselves. It is hoped that the continuation and expansion of the taxi voucher program will fill the service gap of the medical trip shuttle's discontinuation.
Previous City Council Action(s)
On May 20, 2013, the City Council approved the resolution for the FY 2013-2014 Alameda County Transportation Commission application and funding for the Senior Services paratransit program.
Applicable General Plan Policy
· Transportation Safety - Section 4(E) - The General Plan strives to make the streets safer for persons with special needs, including seniors and persons with disabilities.
· Transportation - Interagency Coordination - Section 4(F) - The General Plan strives to manage congestion and create a more viable public transportation system through cooperative efforts with other jurisdictions.
Board/Commission Findings
The Senior Commission approved the plan on March 20, 2014.
Summary of Public Outreach Efforts
February 2014 Survey
An annual survey is conducted of all registered riders to gather information to plan for the next year's service.
FY 2014-15 Program Planning Workshops:
February 4, 2014 Public Workshop
February 13, 2014 Public Workshop
Fiscal Impact
Through the Measure B Grant application, the City has applied for the following grant funds:
Measure B Paratransit Grant $ 280,887
Budget Authority
NA
Attachments
· Annual Application for Measure B Paratransit Grant Funds - FY 2014 -15
PREPARED BY: Carolyn Knudtson, Recreation and Human Services Director, Recreation and Human Services Department