Opportunities for Better Special Needs Transportation Coordination

1. Opportunities for Better Special Needs Transportation Coordination A Report from the Agency Council on Coordinated Transportation House Transportation Committee Work Session February 8, 2007 Mike Harbour Intercity Transit Paula Hammond WSDOT Lynn Moody Hopelink

2. Discussion Outline • ACCESS Transportation System Model • Special needs transportation coordination • Washington Brokerage System • Coordination Strategies and Opportunities • Automated billing and reporting • Centralized One-Stop customer service • Coordination between providers • Customer information • Recommendations • Coordinate billing and reporting standards • Enhance 211, 511, and Travel Options • Share operations data and costs • Share customer data, rides, and costs • Was created in 1998 to promote coordination as a key to improving transportation resources for persons with special needs. • The council provides a forum for agencies and organizations to improve special needs transportation services. • ACCT Terminates in July of 2007 and the legislation is repealed in June of 2008. House Transportation Committee Work Session: HB 1694

3. Automated billing and reporting Centralized One-Stop customer service Coordination between providers Customer information Business information Service information Operations information Eligibility information ACCESS Coordination Strategies:Include sharing information These ACCESS strategies were identified by the Federal Transit Administration. Each strategy is related to sharing specific types of information. Successful coordination means sharing information. House Transportation Committee Work Session: HB 1694

4. Business information Service information Operations information Eligibility information Coordinated performance reporting Access to services Increased capacity utilization Reduced cost per trip Cost Allocation ACCESS Coordination Strategies:Equal results ACCESS Pittsburgh is able to achieve coordination goals because they are sharing specific information. Sharing information supports coordination goals. House Transportation Committee Work Session: HB 1694

5. Medicaid Brokers and Brokerage Regions House Transportation Committee Work Session: HB 1694

6. Automated billing and reporting Washington Projects: Washington does all billing and reporting by program. Each transportation provider and broker manages their own system. • Transit Agencies • 28 systems • Brokers • 8 organizations • Community Transportation Providers • 33 transportation WSDOT grantees Opportunities Standardizing agreements and reporting requirements. House Transportation Committee Work Session: HB 1694

7. Centralized One-Stop customer service Washington Projects: • 211 is a statewide information and referral line for social services including transportation. Launching spring 2007. • Travel Options is astatewidetrip planning program which collects and manages transportation service information– from Amtrak and Greyhound to local transit and taxi services. Launching spring 2007. • 511 is a statewide road and travel information which provides transit call center numbers. Opportunities • Support investments in 211, 511, and Travel Options. • Enhance interoperability of these systems by providing resources for sharing information and “direct connect” services. House Transportation Committee Work Session: HB 1694

8. Coordination between providers Washington Projects : • Travel Optionsprovides information to call centers and the public about services available in the area. Reduces secret transportation. • METRO Community Vans places lift-equipped vans in community organizations and, depending on ADA usage, pays some operating costs. • www.FindARide.orgcoordinates travel information for special needs services and makes them available to the public. • Beyond the Borders is a project of Pierce Transit and Paratransit Services, Inc., a Broker, which uses demand response service to increase access to fixed route service. Opportunities • Coordinate information, customers, and service so more customers can access existing services. • Develop an implementation plan to build on existing call centers and customer information from each service type. • Reciprocal eligibility for service. House Transportation Committee Work Session: HB 1694

9. Customer information Washington Projects: • Brokered Transportation in rural areas. The broker knows the cost of the service, the needs of the clients, and the area the vehicle is in. • Common Ground is a projectthat has limited sharing of customer trip and eligibility information between Medicaid brokers and Pierce Transit. Opportunities • Share eligibility information between ADA paratransit, Medicaid, senior programs, and disabilities programs; make it easy to put as many people as possible on whatever vehicle is part of the system. • Develop a full cost allocation model so that each program, whether transit or social service, pays the actual cost of transportation services used. House Transportation Committee Work Session: HB 1694

10. Reauthorize Agency Council on Coordinated Transportation Increase ACCT’s role in coordinating Washington investment in special needs transportation. Increase crosscutting accountability through comprehensive tracking and reporting to ACCT. Increase role of coordinated planning at the regional level Reinforce regional accountability and investment. Support local assessment of needs and resources. Share information about: Business Service Operations Eligibility Cost allocation To achieve: Increased capacity utilization. Access to services. Reduced cost per trip. Response to increasing demand. Increased accountability. The greatest possible leveraging of state and federal funds. Recommendations House Transportation Committee Work Session: HB 1694