Title
Staff Report for a City of San Leandro City Council Resolution to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Non-Professional Services Agreement between the City of San Leandro and MV Transportation for an Amount Not to Exceed $924,722.58 for provision of Paratransit Transportation Services in Fiscal Years 2020-21 and 2021-22, and to Authorize Appropriation of Additional Funding from the Special Grant Fund Reserves to the Paratransit Operating Accounts of $180,130 for Fiscal Year 2020-21
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends approval of a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the Non-Professional Services Agreement with MV Transportation, Inc. to provide transportation services for the FLEX Shuttle Paratransit Program, effective July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022.
BACKGROUND
The City of San Leandro has utilized MV Transportation, Inc. (MV) to provide shuttle services for the FLEX Shuttle Paratransit program since 2003. MV currently provides two shuttles and drivers to operate the program consisting of a North Route and South Route within San Leandro. Aside from City holidays, the shuttle service currently runs regular service hours from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The FLEX Shuttle program is open to San Leandro residents who are 60 years and older or at least 18 years old and East Bay Paratransit certified. Currently, 264 people have valid annual memberships for the 2019-2020 Fiscal Year. Funding for this program is received through the Alameda County voter-approved Measures B and BB.
The goal of the FLEX Shuttle Paratransit Program is to deliver quality paratransit shuttle services to San Leandro residents, including being on-time, providing proper customer service, appropriate vehicle maintenance, and making changes as needed to improve service to riders. Senior Services staff accepts ongoing feedback from current riders regarding the satisfaction of MV’s service, as well as accepts feedback from focus groups and written surveys. Staff also communicates with MV staff regularly to ensure proper service.
In November 2018, the City Council approved an agreement with MV to provide paratransit services from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019. The City Council subsequently approved Amendment No. 1 to that agreement to continue the services provided from July 1, 2019 to December 30, 2019. City Council subsequently approved Amendment No. 2 to that agreement to continue the services provided from to December 31, 2019 to June 30, 2020.
The FLEX Paratransit Expansion Plan, completed by the consultant Nelson Nygaard, analyzed the program in depth to identify ways in which it could be improved. Several of the most significant findings regarding the decline of the FLEX Shuttle ridership included:
• Length of trip - each route takes approximately one hour to complete the circuit.
• Routes need to be updated to incorporate additional destinations to attract more riders.
Staff reviewed recommendations contained in the Expansion Plan and decided to implement Dual Bi-Directional Loops, which will address both the length of trip and to update the two routes. This will require the addition of two vehicles, for a total of four vehicles in operation. The length of the contract is two years, due to the amortization schedule for the new vehicles. Hours of operation upon implementation of the new routes will be 8:30am - 5:30pm Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
To increase shuttle ridership, the qualifications for FLEX membership will be changed as follows for FY 2020-2021 and forward: San Leandro residents who are 50 years and older or at least 18 years old and East Bay Paratransit certified. The $20 annual membership fee will also be eliminated.
Fiscal Impacts
Exhibit B in the attached Agreement provides the Compensation Schedule from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2022. The Agreement continues the hourly rate of $72.10 per hour as reflected in the current agreement until the implementation of the dual bi-directional, 3 day per week route, estimated to occur in September 2020. At that time, the hourly rate will increase to $74.26 and last through June 2021. The hourly rate will then increase to $74.34 starting July 1, 2022.
The monthly Fixed Cost Charge for two new vehicles will be $6,446.98 commencing in October 2020. Annual maintenance for two used vehicles is not to exceed $10,000 per fiscal year. The total compensation for this agreement shall not exceed $924,722.58, based on a 5,400 hours/year cycle and will be funded by Measures B and BB in Account Nos. 150-36-001-5640 and 150-36-002-5640.
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment(s) to Related Legislative File
• Non-Professional Services Agreement Fiscal Years 2020-21 and 2021-22
PREPARED BY: Susan Criswell, Senior Services Supervisor, Recreation and Human Services Department