Title
Staff Report for a City of San Leandro City Council Resolution to Approve and Authorize the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Hayward to provide dispatch and concierge services to FLEX RIDES On Demand members from July 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020 at a cost of $81,429.02 utilizing Measure B and Measure BB funds.
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Hayward to coordinate and dispatch Transportation Network Company (TNC) transportation services for the FLEX RIDES On Demand program.
BACKGROUND
The City of Hayward (COH) acted as the lead agency in a subsidized Taxi Voucher Program that provided door to door services for paratransit riders that was also utilized by City of San Leandro (COSL) Paratransit Program members from FY 2014 through October 2018. The service model was a same day, wheelchair accessible transportation service that provided a limited number of subsidized same-day taxi rides to enrolled participants of the Hayward and San Leandro Paratransit Programs.
Taxi Voucher Eligibility: Rider must be an enrolled participant of the Hayward or San Leandro Paratransit Program in order to use this subsidized taxi service.
Taxi Voucher Operations:
• Enrolled participants of the Hayward or San Leandro Paratransit Program and who are 70+ years old and/or certified with East Bay Paratransit can purchase taxi vouchers at a cost of $3.50 per voucher.
• Each voucher subsidizes up to $14 of taxi meter fare.
• Riders may use more than one voucher per ride.
• Each enrolled participant can purchase a maximum of 150 taxi vouchers in a year.
Taxi vouchers can only be used with the designated taxi companies that are contracted to provide the service.
The shift in the door to door transportation industry away from taxis to TNCs (such as Uber and Lyft) made it increasingly difficult for San Leandro Paratransit Program members to rely on the Taxi Voucher Program.
Taxi Program Replaced by Uber and Lyft
Accordingly, in FY 2019 Hayward replaced the Taxi Voucher Program with an on-demand ride program utilizing a concierge service to provide Uber and Lyft to paratransit members, contracting with LIFE ElderCare. LIFE ElderCare partners with TNC’s to fulfill rides for seniors and people with disabilities who are members of the FLEX RIDES On Demand program. A concierge organization assists in assuring the specific paratransit needs of the requesting rider are met by Lyft and Uber. 235 members of the FLEX RIDES Paratransit Program for FY 2020 qualified for FLEX RIDES On Demand.
The goal of the FLEX RIDES On Demand program is to deliver quality on-demand services to San Leandro residents, including being on-time and providing proper customer service to riders. Senior Services staff receives ongoing feedback from current riders regarding the satisfaction of FLEX RIDES On Demand service, as well as accepts feedback from yearly focus groups and written surveys.
Analysis
As mutually agreed by San Leandro and Hayward, pursuing a separate agreement for TNC concierge services will provide each city with the ability to structure its program to best meet the specific requirements of each community.
On June 15, 2020, by Resolution 2020-066, the City Council approved a non-professional services agreement with GoGo Technologies, Inc. Paratransit Operators to coordinate and dispatch TNC transportation services for the FLEX Rides On Demand program for FY 2020 - 2021. This separate service agreement with GoGo Technologies, Inc. will provide San Leandro with the independence and flexibility to tailor the FLEX RIDES On Demand program to meet the specific needs of our staff and community.
City of Hayward presented the Paratransit Program Memorandum of Understanding with the effective term of July 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020. Approval of this Memorandum of Understanding allows for a smooth transition away from joint transportation services with the City of Hayward to a City of San Leandro run program, and closes pending financial transactions.
Fiscal Impacts and Budget Authority
The total compensation for this Memorandum of Understanding is $81,429.02, based on a charge of $51,150.00 for Administrative Overhead in addition to the actual cost for subsidized rides (up to a maximum of $16 per ride), totaling $30,279.02. The compensation will be funded by voter-approved Alameda County Measures B and BB. Appropriated funds for the Paratransit program are included in the FY 2021 adopted budget, in accounts 150-36-001-5640 and 150-36-002-5640.
Cost for Administrative Overhead $51,150.00
Cost for Per Ride Subsidy $30,279.02
Total Costs July 1, 2019 - September 30, 2020 $81,429.02
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment(s) to Resolution
• Memorandum of Understanding
PREPARED BY: Susan Criswell, Recreation Supervisor, Recreation and Human Services