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COLLIER COUNTY TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED SERVICE PLAN September 2002 Prepared by: Laurel A. Land, AICP Center for Urban Transportation Research College of Engineering University of South Florida Tampa, Florida
TABLE O F C ONTE N TS TDSP CER T IFICA T I O N ....... . .. . . ..... . . v LCB ROLL CALL VOTE ...... .... ..... ...... ....... . .. ... .. . . .. ........ . .. . .. ... .. . ...... .. ..... .. ...... vii INTRODUCTION ............... ........... ...................................... .... . ............... ............... . . lx I. DEVELOPMENT PLAN INTRODUCT ION TO TH E SER VICE AREA , ......... . .................. ......... ,,, ......... 1 Backgroun d .. . . . ... .. ... ................ ... .. . . .. .. ........ ........ ...... . .... .. .... ......... . . .. . ... . 1 Consistency R evie w of Othe r Plans ... ... .. .. .......... . .. .. ..... .. . ............... ................ . 3 Local C oordina t in g Board C ertification .. ...... ...... .......... .. . ..... .... . .. ... ........... .. 3 SERVIC E AREA P ROF ILE AND DEMOGRAPHI CS .. .... .... ... .. .. 3 o .escnptlo n ........................... ................................... ...... .... ......... 3 Demog rap h ics ............................................ ................... : .. . .................................. 4 Land U s e ..................................................... .... . .... ... . .... . ... . 4 Popu l atio n ... .......................... . . ........................ ..................... .. ... ................. 4 A g e ............................ ..... .. ..................... .... ........ ......... ... ....... ......... ........ 4 Inco m e ...... ...... ... .. . .. .. . . .. .. ................... ....... .... . .. ... . ................................ 5 Employ ment .... . .. .. ........ . . . .. ......... . .. .. .. . . . ... .. .. .. . .. ........ .... ............ .... 6 M ajo r T rip Gen e rator s . .. ... ... . . ... . .. . ..... ..... . .... .. .. .. .. ... ........... . . 6 SERV .ICE A N A L YSIS ......................................... ................. ........ ..................... ............ 7 Forecasts of T O P opulation ................................................. ...... ............................ 7 Dem and for Program Trips ..................................................................................... 9 D e m a nd for G enera l Trip. s ............................................... ..................................... 10 B arri ers to Coord ination ............. ....... ................................................................... 1 1 GOALS A N D O BJE C T I VES ......... ..... ...................... . ................... .... ................... ......... 1 2 IMP LEMENTAT I O N P LAN , . ... . . ,, ....... ... . 14 II. S ERVICE PLAN OPERATIONS ELEMEN T ............ . .. .......... . . ... . . 1 5 Types, H ours and D ays o f Service .................................. ... . ................................. 15 Accessing Servi c e s ....... .. .. ... ............... ........................... ........ .. ........ .. ............... 1 5 Eli g ibility ... ................... .. . .... ................. ......... . ............ .. .............. . . .... .. 1 5 P r iori t ization ..................... ................... .. .. .. ......... .. .. ... .. ........ ........ ......... .. 16
Transportation Oper ators .... . ..... . .......... . . .......... .... . ...... .......... .... ......... .......... 17 Pub l i c Transit Uti lization . . ....................... . ... ... ....... .. ....................... ..... .. ........ .. 1 7 Sc hool Bus Util ization .. .. . . . .. . ........ .......... ...... . .... ..... .. .... ... . . ... .. .. .......... ... 1 7 Vehicle I nventory . . . .. . ...... . . ...... . .. . ..... . ... ......... ....... .... .. .................. .... ... .. 17 System S afety Program P l an C erti fica tion ....... .. . ... ...... . ....... ..... ..................... ..... 1 7 lnte r countv Services ........... . . ..... ................... ........ .......... . . ...... ..... .............. 1 8 Natural Disaste r /Eme rgency Preparedness .............................. ..... . . ....... ............ .. 1 8 Marketing ........ ........ ........... ................ ....... .................... .... ............... .... .... .... 1 8 Acceptabl e A l ternatives .................... . ..... . .. . .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . ..... . . . .. .. .. .. .. ..... 1 8 Ill. QUALITY ASS URANCE S E RVIC E STANDARDS ................... ..... ..... . . I . . ........ ......... .. ................ . .................... 1 9 D rug and A l cohol Testi n g .. ............. .. . ..... .. . .. . .. ... ... . . . .. . . . ...... . ... .. .. ......... .. 1 9 Dr iver Identific ation ........ ....... .. ..... ... ... . ....... .. . . . .......... .. ................ .. .... ...... . 19 s .eating .............................. ........... ................ ........................ .. . ......... ............... 9 Passenger loading Assistance . .......... .. . . . .... . .. . .. .. .. ................... .. ............... 19 Smoking, Drinki n g and Eating ... . .. ....... .. .. .. ........... .. ....... .... . .. ..... ................... 19 Pas senger Propert y ..... . ............... . . . . ............ ..... ........... .... . . I . . ..... ..... . .... . 1 9 Child Restrain t s ...... ........ ... ........... ..... ............. . . ..... ..... .... I ............................. 20 Local Toll-Fr ee Numbe r ... ...... .. ... .. ... .. ... .. . ...... ..... ........ . .. .. ....... ......... ......... 20 C onsumer Comments/Complaint s . .... . . . .. .. . . . . ..... ....... ...... . .. . ....... . ........... 20 Escorts and Children ...... . ..... ... . . .. . ...... . .... .. . ....... . ...... .. ...... .. ... . ............ ... 20 Transfer Points ............... .... .... .......................... . . .......................... . ............ ... 20 Passenger/Tr i p Database ..... .. . ....... ........ . ..... .. .. .. .. . . ..... ........... .. .. . .. .. ... ...... .. . 20 B illin g .............. .. ..... ....... ....... .. ..... .. . . . .......... ........... . .. ........ .............. ......... . ... 20 C ontra c t M o n i t o r ing .. ............ .. . . ...... ....... . .. ..... .. ... ...... .. . ... ... .......... .. ... .. . .. ...... . 2 0 Passenger NoS hows ...... ...... . ..... . . .. ...... . . . . .. .. . ......... .. ....... ...... ...... ... ... . 2 1 T ra i n i n g ................. ...................... ........ ........... ...... . ............. ........ .............. ... 21 Vehicle Clean l iness ... . ................. .. ..... ...... .... ... .. . . ........ .. . ....... ............... .. ... .. 2 1 Outof_Serv i ce-Area Trips .............. .......... . .. ....... ....... .. ... . . .. ......... ................ 2 1 Vehic l e Equipme n t ........ ..... .... .... ... I ............... ............... . . ............................ 2 1 P ick-Up Window .... ...... ......... ........... ....... ................................................... ....... 22 On Time Perfo rmance ..... .......................... ............. . . ..................................... .. 22 R i de Time . . ............................ ...... . . .. .................. ............. ...... ...... . . ..... ... ... 22 Advance Reserva t ions ...... .. ... . .. ........................... ... . .................... ..................... 22 B ackgroun d Checks ....... .. .. .. ...... .. . .......................... . .. .. . . . ........ ....... . ...... .. 22 Public Trans i t Util ization ........ . .... .. ........ .. . ....... . . . .......... .. . . .. .... .. ............. .. . 22 Accidents . ..... ..... ....... ....... ..... ... ... ............ . ...... .. ............... ....... .... . . ...... ....... 22 Roadcalls ......... ..................... . ................. ................ . ... ... .. . . . ..... . .......... . . 23 Ca ll H old . ........... .......................... .... ........ ........................... ................ ......... 2 3 Service Effectiveness ............. ...... . ......................................... ...... ..... .............. 23 LOCAL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE ..... ................... . .. .. .. .. ........ ............ . .. .. . . ...... ..... ,. 23 CTC EVALUAT ION P ROCESS ........ ........... ........... ................. ........... ...... . . . .. ... . .. 23 ii
IV. COST/REVENUE ALLOCATION AND FARE STRUCTURE JUSTIFICATION COS T REVENUE ALLOCATION ............... .......... . ........ ............................................... 25 RATE AND fARE STRUCTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 Passenger Co-Pay {fare) ..................... ................................... .............................. 25 V. PEER AND TREND ANALYSI S CTC TREND ANA.LYSIS ............ ................................... ............ ................................. 27 CTC PEER REVIEW ANALYSIS ................................................ 29 Comparative Demographics .... .................................... ....................... ............ 30 Comparative Performance ........... ... ... ... .. .... ................ .................... 30 CONCLUSIONS ...................................................... .................................................. 32 APPENDIX A Loca l Coordinating Board Certification APPENDIX B Vehicle Inventory APPENDIX C APPENDICES System Safety Service Plan Certification APPENDIX D Grievance Procedure APPENDIX E Cost Effectiveness Worksheets Ill
TDSP CERTIFICATION The Collier County local Coordinating Board hereby certifies that an annual evaluation of the Community Transportation Coordinator was conducted consistent with the policies of the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged and all recommendations of that eva lua tion have been incorporated in this Service Plan. We further certify that the rates contained he rein have been thoroughly reviewed evaluated and approved. This T rans portation Disadvantaged Service Plan was reviewed in its entirety and approved by this Board at an official meeting held on September 11, 2002. Date Coordinating Board Chairperson Approved by the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged: Date Jo Ann Hutchinson Executive Director v
LCB ROLl CALL VOTE for Approval of Collier County's Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan Update September 11, 2002 Commissioner Donna Fiala Elected Official Barry W illi ams Veterans Services Richard Shine Florida Department of Transportation Joe Martinez Agency for Health Care Administration Hallie Devlin Departmen t of Children and Families Pam Fico Department of Elder Affa i rs Mary Walford Dept of Labor and Employmen t Security Kevin Hilliard Public Educa t i on Paul starzyk Citizen Advocate Vacant Citizen Advocate .User Barbara Jones Elderly Cilizens Vacant Disabled Vacant Economically D isad vantaged Vacant Private P r ovide r .r .r .r .r .r .r .r .r .r .r vii
INTRODUCTION The 1979 Florida Legislature passed the Transportation Services Act, Chapter 427, Florida Statutes, which called for the coordination at the County level of all Federal and State expenditures for the "transportation disadvantaged." The Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged (CTDI is the agency authorized to oversee implementation of transportation ser v i ce development plans for the transportation disadvantaged program in Florida. Chapter 427, F.S requires each County to deve lop a Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan !TDSPI for the Transportation Disadvantaged program, w ith an update every three years, at a minimum. The development and update of the TDSP must meet the requirements of Chapter 427, Florida Statutes, as stated in Rule 41-2, Florida Administrative Code. The TDSP is used by the Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC) and the Local Coordinating Board (LCB) to maintain and/or improve transportation serv i ces for the transportation disadvantaged and to serve as a framework for performance evaluation. ix
I. DEVELOPMENT PLAN INTRODUCTION TO THE SERVICE AREA Background Collier County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) serves as the Community Transportation Coor dinator (CTCI for Collier County. Collier BCC was designated as the CTC in April 1999. The BCC was autl)orized as the CTC tor a three-year term ending September 30, 2002. In June 2002, through a Request for Proposal process, ATC was given the responsibilities of managing coordination and ca rrying out the day-to-day activities of the Transportation Disadvantaged (TO) program. Figu re 1 shows the organizational structure of the Collier County CTC. Collier County CTC is considered a complete brokerage, contracting all fixed-route and paratransit operations to private operators. A TC obtains prior authorization for the trip, schedules the trip and invoi ces the BCC on a monthly basis. Collier Area Transit operates seven buses on a fixed-route system. The e ntire fleet is equipped with lifts that are compatible with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Private operators provide TD paratransit service throughout the remaining portions of Collier County. As the management company for the CTC, ATC performs the basic elements of coordination for the TD program in Collier County, e .g., call intake, certification, eligibility, rese rvations, scheduling, transportation, reporting, cost-sharing and inform ation sharing. Collier County provides admin istrati ve support for the TO program, such as grant writing, planning, and public information. 1
Fig u r e 1 Collier County CTC O r g a nizational Chart F l orida Com m ission for \he Transporta tion D i sadvantaged i I I I : I Collier BCC (CTC) Local Coordinat i ng Boa r d Cottier County MPO A T C ( M anager) Tra nsportation Operators CUSTOMERS 2
Consistency Review of Other Plans Pertinent portions of the following plans were rev iewe d In order to determine consistency and identify existing goals, objectives and policies that support transit. Collier County's Growth Management Plan Marco Island's Comprehensive Plan for Future Growth City of Naples' Comprehensive Plan Transit Development Plan for Collier Area Transit Collier County 2025 Long-Range T ransportation Plan Collier County Comprehensive Pathway (Bicycle/Pedestrian) Plan T ransportation Improvement Program Strategic Regional Policy Plan (SWFRPC) Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged 5 and 20 year plans T ransit 2020: Florida's Strategic Plan for Public Transportation This Service Plan is consistent with all of the above-referenced plans. By reducing the number of individual trips and vehicles on the road, the coordinated system helps to address concerns expressed in these plans regarding roadway safety and capacity constraints Local Coordinating Board Certification See Appendix A for Collier County Coordinating Board Membership Certification. SERV ICE AREA PROFILE AND DEMOGRAPHICS Description Collier County is located on the southwest coast of Florida and occupies a land area of 2,026 square miles, making it the largest county in the State. The County shares its eastern border with Broward and Dade counties, its northern border with Lee and Hendry counties, and Its southern border with Monroe County. Specialized medical services (for children veterans, etc.) within Co ll ier County are limited, and it is often necessary to transport clients to Fort Myers or Miami. 3
Demographics Collier County consists of three incorporated areas: Naples, Marco Island, and Everglades City. Because Collier County experiences a high influx of seasona l residents, maneuvering through traffic is particularly difficult during the winter months. L an d Use Employment, medical and social services are mainl y concentrated in Naples. The cost of livi ng is high in Naples and many people who are el i gible for transportation under the TO program live in outlying areas, such as Golden Gate City, Golden Gate Estates, and Immokalee. Although not incorporated, I mmokalee and Golden Gate City each have a population that is nearly the same as Naples. yet Immokalee is located approximately 50 miles from Naples. This disparity between where people l ive and where they need to go, creates a challenging environment for delivery of transportation serv ices. Additionally, the N aples urbanized area has spread into Lee County, further complicating service delivery. Many people living in Bonita Springs (in Lee County) may actually be closer to facilities in Nap l es (Collier County) than in Fort Myers (within Lee County). Population According to the U.S Census Bureau, Collier County's 2000 population count was 251,377, indicating 65% growth in the past 10 years. Table 1 shows growth and density for Collier County and Florida. Age Collier County Florida Table 1 Population and Density 152,099 251,377 12,938,071 15,982,378 65% 124 24% 296 Source: 1990, and 2000 population counts provided b y U.S. Census 8u(eau At 44 years, Collier's median age continues to be higher than the State ave rage of 39. Figure 2 compares Collier's age distribution to the State of Florida. F lorida's largest age group is 0-24, with eac h age group progressing downward; Comer s overall population is equal in its age group distribution. Interestingly, Collier's age group separation can be clearly seen i n its 4
. . . : communities. The average age in Naples and Marco Island is 61 and 60, respectively, while the average age in Immoka lee and Golden Gate is 25 and 30. Income Fig ure 2 Population by Age 35.0% .,.-------------30.0% +-f'=<----==------25.0% 2().0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0 .0% ().24 2&-44 4&-64 Co16er 0 Aorkla The 1999 per capita personal income (PCPI) for Collier County was $44,862. This ranked Collier 1 in t he State and nation, 61% more than the State average PCP! of $27,781, and 57% greater than the national average PCPI of $28,546. For 2001, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develo pment recorded Collier County as having the highest median family income in F lorida, at $65,000. !See Figure 3.) Figure 3 Median Family Income2001 $80,000.---------------, $60,000 $40,000 $20,000 $0 Colller Palm Browanl Flo
Employment In 2001, Collier County had an unemployment rate of 3.9%, compared to an overall unem p loyment rate of 4.8% for the state. Table 2 compares the County and State employment populations and unemployment rates. Table 2 Labor Force Comparison (2001) Cottier County 108.014 72.8% 3.9% Florida 7.674 000 75 7% 4.8% Source: Florida Research and Ecooomic Database, www.labormarketinfo.com The largest emp loyment industr i es in 2000 were services (35.8%). finance, insurance, and real estate (14.9%). and retail trade (12.4%). The slowest growing industry was state and loca l government (increasing 8.3%); the fastest was construction (increasing 1 7 .4%).1 The five largest employers i n Collier County are: Collier County Public Schools NCH Hea lthcare System Pub l ix Super Markets Collier County Sheriffs Office Collier County Government Major Trip Generators Table 3 lists some of the major trip generators/attractors in Collier County, in no particu lar order. Bureau of Economic Analysis, www. bea doc.gov 6
Tabie Major Trip Generators and Attractors NaplesCBD Barefoot Beach Park coasuand center Mall Bonita Beach Park Venetian Village I and II Tiger Tall Beach Wai-Mart (US 41 and Palm Dr) Wiggins State Park and Beach (US 41 North) Vanderbilt Public Beach Carillon Place Lorenzo Walker Inst i tute ofT echnology Pine Ridge Crossings Edison COllege Naples COmmunity Hospita l The Naples Garilsle (Assisted Living) Coltier COunty Government Comlex Buena Vida (Asslsled Living) Naples Municipal Airport SERVICE ANAL VSIS This section presents estimates regarding the need and demand for transportation services among the Transportation Disadvantaged (TO) population in Collier County. It prov ides a quantitative transportation needs profile for the applicable TO populations and indicates unmet need for transportation in the Collier County service area. All estimates are based on the methodology described in Methodology Guidelines for Forecasting TD Transportation Demand at the County Level, May 1993 and the Florida Statewide Transportation Disadvantaged Plan: Population and Demand Forecasts 1996-2015, July 1996. Forecasts of TO Popula tion There are two categories of TO populat ion in the State of Florida, the difference between which is specifically related to funding arrangements. The first group is the "potential TO population" {also known as TO Category 1). This potential TO population includes disabled, elderly, low-income persons, and children who are "high-risk" or "at-risk." The second group of TO population (also known as TO Category II), includes those persons who are unable to transport themselves or to purchase transportation. These persons are e l igible to receive the same subsidies as those in Category I, plus they are eligible to receive TO Trust Fund monies for non-sponsored general trips. Thus, this population group is actually a subset of the potential TO population. 7
Tabla 4 Forecasts of TO Pop ulations in Collier County 100,239 103,718 107,321 111,054 114.862 118,813 Category II 16,175 16,686 17,212 17,758 18,277 18 ,815 Tables 5 and 6 b re ak down the Potential TO Population and TO Population groups in Collier County. Persons in either of these population groups may be heavily dependent on some form of public transportation. Disabled Non-Disabled Tota l 8 Table 5 2002 Collier County Potentla l Transportation Disadvantaged Population (Category I) Low Income Non-low Income Low Income 784 Lowlnrome 100 239 1 .0% 6 8% 0 8% 54.8% 19.5% 100%
. -. ; Table 6 2002 Collier County Transportation Disadvantaged Population (Category II) ....... ._. G ....,.,. 1ft :.;,:<::J>. . . .... 1:; ".c,v!.. o l' i' . f ,>' ,:.. w ,_.,\ .. ::f. _._ ;J .... .. . :.!.r: s ..... .. : .. ;;i fu ,. .. ..l!_,__..,Vt.:J. ,\;j .. :.:B.J:bi"' {':_ ... Transportation Disabled, Non-Elderly, Low Income 453 2.8% Transportation Disabled, Non-Elderly, Non-Low Income 3,117 19.3% Transportation Disabled, Elderly, Low lnooma 401 2.5% Transportation Disabled, Elderly, NorrLow Income 7, 173 44.3% Transportation Disabled, Low Income, No Auto, 5,031 31.1% No Fixed-Route Transit Total Transportation Disadvantaged Population 16,175 100% Demand for Program Trips Persons in Category I are eligible to receive governmental and social service subsidies for program trips. A program trip is one made by a client of a government or social service agency for the purpose of participating in a program of that agency. Examples of program trips are Medicaid trips, trips to congregate meal sites, or trips to job training facilit ies. The estimated demand for program trips is shown in Table 7. Program T rip demand is dependent upon the existence of the program to which the potential TO population group is transported. For example, demand for trips to sheltered workshops exists only because there are sheltered workshop programs. Thus, the demand for program trips is equal to the number of trips required to take advantage of the service offered by the program. Therefore, the demand tor program trips depends on the funding level for the various social service programs. 9
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Demand for General Trips Table 7 Forecasts of Collier County Program Trip Demand and Supply 1 00,239 198,725 103.718 206.674 107,321 214,941 111,054 223.538 114 ,862 232.480 118,813 241, 779 198,725 206.674 214,941 223,538 232,480 241, 779 General trips are trips made by Transportation Disadvantaged persons (Category Ill to destinations of their choice (not to agency programs). Examp les of general trips are trips to work or grocery stores and non Medicaid medical trips. Deriving the demand for general trips is different than for program trips. The methodology developed to forecast demand for general trips involves the use of trip rates derived in a study of paratransit demand conducted i n 1990 for the San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportat ion Commission by Crain & Associates, inc. and others (San Francisco Bay Area Regional Para transit Plan: Final Report). The trip rates were developed from the actual experiences of paratransit systems around the country that were meeting most or all of the trip demand in their service areas. The use of these trip rates has been recommended by the Federal Transit Administration for estimatin g demand for ADA complementary paratransit. Total demand for general trips is simply the TO population multiplied by the trip rates. The TO population (rather than the Potentia) TO population) was used to forecast demand, because the TO population is the pool of persons eligible for general trips funded by the state. Table 8 shows the forecasts of the Collier County TO population, as well as demand and supply estimates for general trips by the TO population for the years 2002 through 2007. A gap exists between demand for general trips and the supply of these trips. Unmet demand refers to demand that currently exists in the TO transportation market, but is not being met due to factors such as funding, price, convenience, comfort, eligibility, and the availabil ity of other transportation modes 10
' \ : .. !' : t : Table 8 Fore casts of Collier County TO General Trip Demand and Supply .. ,,,.,.r., w,= j1 -........ '>U 2002 16,175 232,920 92,583 140,337 2003 16,686 240 278 96.216 144,063 2004 17,212 247,653 99,991 147,862 2005 17,758 255,715 103,915 151,800 2006 18,277 263,189 107,992 155,197 2007 18 ,815 270,936 112,230 158,706 It should be noted that the figures related to the demand and supply of TO general purpose trips in Collier County include trips that will also fall under the category of ADA complementary paratransit services. The ADA provides for unconstrained delivery of paratransit trips for persons who cannot use the fixedroute bus system due to the nature and/or extent of their disability. Persons may be certified as eligible for ADA paratransit trips, as well as TO general pu r pose trips. The refore, the figures for unmet demand included in Table 8 are inflated and reflect some duplication in the calculat io n of trip demand. Barr iers to Coordination In Collier County and across the State, there is more demand for TO services than supply. Even though financing for TO services was recently increased, it cannot make up for the length of time that funding remained constant. With increased fuel costs, inflation, and a rapidly increasing population, this means there is actually less money avai l able to transport more people. Some social service agencies have had their transportation funding reduced, causing the burden t o be shifted to TO. There is a concern that some agencies see TO as an opportunity to reduce their own budgets for transportation services. Although the Statute assigns to the CTC the responsibility of bringin g non-profit and/or for profit agencies under the coor dinated umbrella, the Statute contains no penalty for those who are i n non-compliance. 11
Other barriers to TO coordination include: The administrative encumbrance of Medicaid, including prior authorization and attempts to collect copay. Rules of the program are interpreted differently by those invo l ved. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The mission of the Collier County Local Coordinating Board i s To carry out a coordinated and comprahsnsivs approach to planning, dsvaloping, and providing transponation ssrvlcss that mBflt ths nBBtls of transponstion disadvantaged parsons. ATC's mission is To coordinats and provids trsnsponstion to tha disadvantaged, disabled end general pubUc in 11 quaUty, sfficifmt, cost sffsctivs msnnBr; end to be a productive snd supponive ent;ty within Collier County. In order to carry out these missions, the following goals and objectives have been adopted: GOAL 1: Implement a fully coord inated transportation system 12 Objective 1 1 Maximize coordination with public and private agencies and other transportation operators Objective 1 .2 Coordinate efforts with Collier Area Transit Objective 1 3 Communicate and coordinate with other counties to promote ride-sharing practices and transportation arrangements
GOAL 2: Provide an efficient and effective transportation serv i ce Objective 2.1 1ncrease effective use of transpor t ation service Objective 2.2 Consistently provide on-time service Objective 2.3 Track and improve call hold time Objective 2.4 Maximize effective trans fer of individuals to the fixed-route system GOAL 3: Distribute information on Tran sportation Disadvantaged services Objective 3.1 Maximize accessibility of service informatio n GOAL 4: Operate a safe transportation system Objective 4. 1 Ensure that services are provided in accordance with CTD end FOOT standards and recommendations GOAL 5: Provide quality transportation services Objective 5.1 Maximize accountability of service providers 13
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Three-Year Transportation Disadvantaged Improvement Program Collier County's Implementation Plan is to continue with its program of providing service with modern, clean, and efficient vehicles and equipment by utilizing ongoing upgrades and replacements within ava i lable funding capacity. Spec ific capital projects and activities are listed in the implementation schedule. This year, Collier Area Transit will eliminate operating a deviated fixed-route system and begin a standard fixed-route with complementary paratransit. This means that CAT will begin assessing passengers for ADA-eligibility. The assessment process can then be used for TO passen gers, as well. If a TO trip has an origin and destination within the fixed -route, it will be necessary for the passenger to use the fixed-route, unless qualified for paratransit service under ADA. This supports and emphasizes the use of fi xe d-route bus passes and tickets. Shifting trips to the fixed-route system will help increase capacity on the paratransit system, and reduce trip costs within the coordinated system. Plans are also underway to expand the f i xed-route service area to Marco Island, and increase frequency of service to Immokalee. 2002/03 2003104 2004105 14 Implementation Schedule Process underway to procure four replacement vehictes for paratr:ansit f\eet Begin complementary paratransit service with ADAefiglbiUty, Including mandatory use of fixed-route for TO trips when the origin and desllnation are wijhin the fixed-route area. Purchase three replacement vehicles for paratransit fleet Increase frequency of fixed-route service to Immokalee Expand fixed-ro..te serv i ce to Marco Island Purchase two vehicles for expansion of paratransit fleet Explore POSSibility of extended service hours on fixedroute system
II. SERVICE PLAN OPERATIONS ELEMENT Types, Hours and Days of Service The Collier County CTC provides two types of transportation services to the public -a fixed route system and a door to-doo r paratransit service. The f ixe d route system operates five routes, six days a week (Monday through Saturday), between approximately 6:00a.m. and 7 :15 p.m. All buses are air-cond i tioned, wheelchair accessible, and equipped with racks for bicycle storage. Service for TD clients is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. All paratransit service is provided by con tracted operators Drivers will assist anyone who appears to need assistance, especially the frail, elderly, and those who are mentally or physically disabled. Drivers will not go into a home and cannot go to rooms of nursing homes or hospitals due to time constraints and liability issues Office hours are from 7:00a.m. to 5:30p.m., Monday through Friday. After hours calls are forwarded to one of the contracted carriers who provides service 24 hours a day. Nearly all trips have an origin and destination within Collier County; however, outof-County trips are provided for Med i caid clients. Accessing Services Calls for reservations come into a cen tra l reservations office at ATC. All users o f the system are in a central database in the computer system. Passengers call the centra l reservations number to schedule an appointment. Calls for reservations are generally taken until 2:00p. m . the day before service is desired; however, reservations may be made after that time, as circumstances dictate. During the slow summer months, there is more of a possibility of taking calls after the published cut-off t imes. Operator manifests are distributed to the operators by 5:00 p .m. the day before the scheduled trips. Eligibility People who meet the definition of Transportation Disadvantaged and meet income criteria and have no other means of transportation may qualify for sponsorship from the Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund. Those seeking sponsorship from the Trip /Equipment Grant will be asked to complete an application. 15
Prioritization Coord inated T rips that are funded by the Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund are managed by the Community T ransportation Coordi nator (CTC) according to the LCB's Prioritization Policy. The Policy ranks certain trip purposes in a priority order, and has a co-pay, based upon the passenger's income. (See Rate and Fare Structure in Section IV for a detailed explanat ion of co-payment/fare determination.) Funding is allocated according to a monthly spending plan. Trips are provided based on trip efficiency, seating availability, and ava i lable funding. There may be times when the CTC cannot provide every trip requested. Passengers may be asked if they could take their trip on a different day, when there may be more availabil ity. The CTC has been directed to impose performance measures on all trip requests 2 3 4 5 6 7 16 Table 9 Trip Purpose Prioritization IIEDICAL -medical, dental 01 tberapeu1ic services Including hospital apj)OintmeniS; clinic viSits; heallh department; speech, ocarpational. physical therapies; psycl1iallic, psychologlcalw;loos EMPLOYIIENT-WOik or employmentlraining educallon such as JPTA. Job Se
Transportation Operators Collier County is a complete brokerage system contracting with four transportation operators for provision of service. Table 10 lists operators currently und e r contract. Table 10 Contract Providers --___ ,__ - c ....... ,l""''"'-----. -----,-......, -r---..... r ...... -.. _, . .. .' .,', u ... : :' .-. < -1 "- .:" : l, ; : [ .' ,. l ,, ' o -, ' < '-, c 'I' ,, <, ,; -- .,,][ __ ._. _.....__, -. v ,_, r-" - l ._. l Checker Cab Nick Whitney A,W All Caring for Kids Gabe Tejerina A.W All A & S Transportation M ichael Bondarenko A All AC Non-Emergency Transportation Allen GregoJY s All A ; Ambulatory; W ;: Wheeldlair; S = Stretcher Public Transit Utinzation Public transit utilization is an integral part of the overall C T C network. All TO and Medicaid clients whose origin and dest i nation are within the fixed route service area are r equired to use the fixed-route as their primary mode of transportation. School Bus Utiftzation At this time, there is no schoo l bus utilization in effect. The school buses are designed with the f irst step of the stairway being very high, most buses are not air conditioned, and the ride itself is too rough for frail elderly passengers. All things considered, the elderly and disabled cannot comfortably utilize the school buses. And, since the CTC would have to pay the schoo l bus rate, the cost to use school buses may be impractical. Vehicle Inventory Appendix B contains the fleet inventory for all vehicles used in the Collier County coordinated system. System Safety Program Plan Certification Appendix C contains the System Safety Program Plan Certification. 17
Intercounty Services At thi s time there are no intercounty service agreements in effect. However, the CTC and ATC a r e ope n to inves tigating the poss i bil ity of i ntercounty coordination w ith lee County in orde r to increase efficiency Natura l D i saster/ Emergency P r eparedness The CTC participates with the Collie r County Emergency Evacuation Services. Thi s g r oup meets when necessary. T h us far, all special needs persons have been i dent i fied and a plan for evacuation exists The p lan is to identify all persons with spec i al needs so that in the eve n t of a n evacuation the CTC will pr int out a l i s t of passengers. T hat list w i ll be used as a run sheet for the operators Marketing A TC management attends many interagency m e etings i n order to educate a myriad of potentia l users and sponsoring agencies. There are brochures / r i der guides distr i buted to social service age n cies, doctors' offices and new r iders descr ibing the transportat i on services Speaking requests are n ever refused Acceptable A l tematives When a pu r chasing agency has a transportation need that cannot be met by ex i sting c o ordination efforts, a system is in place to arrange coord i nation with the agency i n an effort to meet their extenuat ing c i rcumstances 18
Ill. QUALITY ASSURANCE SERVICE STANDARDS Drug and Alcohol Testing Besides the Federal Transit Administration (FT A} Drug Program, the CTC maintains a Drug Free Workplace. All safety sensitive job positions comply with the pre-employment, randomization, post-accident, and reasonable suspicion testing requirements of the FT A. Driver Identification Drivers are required to announce and identify themselves by name and company in a manner that is conducive to communications with specific passengers, upon pickup except in situations where the driver regularly transports the rider on a recurring basis. All drivers are to have a name badge displayed at all times when transporting passengers Seating Vehicle seating should not exceed the manufacturer's recommended capacity. Passenger Load ing Assistance All drivers shall provide the passenger with boarding assistance, if necessary or requested to the seating portion of the vehicle. The boarding assistance shall include opening the vehicle door, fastening the seat be l t or utilization of wheelchair securement devices, storage of mobility assistive devices, and closing the vehicle door. Passengers, especially frail and elderly and/ or disabled, s h all be assisted from the door of their p ick up point to the door of their destination. Other assistance may be provided except in situations in which providing assistance would not be safe for passengers remain i ng on the vehic le. Assisted access must be in a dignified manner. Drivers may not assist passengers in wheelchairs more than one step up or down. Smoking, Drinking and Eating There will be no smok ing on any vehicles in the coordinated system. Eating and drink i ng on board the vehicle is prohibited. Passenger Property Passengers will be allowed to bring up to four shopping bags onto the vehicle. Bags must fit under the passenger's seat, and/or on their lap. 19
Child Restraints All passengers under the age of 5 and/or under 50 pounds will be requir ed to use a child restraint device. This device will be provided by the parent or sponsoring agency. Local Toll-Free Number The local toll-free phone number will be included in the complaint process. This number, 1 -800-694-6566, will be posted on the right visor of all vehicles with numbers three inches high. The CTC will also explore other methods to communicate the phone numbers to passengers Consumer Comments/Complaints There shall be no more than two complaints per 1,000 trips. The LCB should evaluate the CTC based upon the number of complaints that are resolved, versus unresolved. Any noticeable increase in the number of complaints as recorded in the quarterly report should be discussed by t he LCB. Escorts and Children Children under age 12 or individuals reqUiting special assistance will be required to b e accompanied by one escort. The escort must be an adult and must be able to provide necessary assistance to the passenger. Waivers may be granted on a case-by-case basis. Transfer Points Vehicle transfer points will be located in a safe, secure place. Passenger/Trip Database The CTC management entity will collect and store in a database the name, phone number, address, funding source, eligibility, and special requirements of each passenger. Bilnng All payments shall be paid to subcontractors within seven calendar days after receipt of payment by the CTC. Contract Monitoring The CTC will perform ongoing monitoring and an annual evaluation of the contracted operators according to the LCB' s evaluation process, us in g applicable portions of the evaluation materials. 20
Passenger No-5hows Passenger no-show is a trip not cancelled one hour prior to the appointment time. After the second no-show, the passenger will be notified by mail. If there is a sponsoring agency, it will be sent a copy of the l etter. Upon the third no-show in thirty days the rider will be advised that transportation services have been suspended for thirty days. Pursuant to Medicaid policy Medicaid passengers may be suspended, b u t Medicaid will not pay for no-shows or cancelled trips. Training All d rivers will be annually certified in First Aid. All drivers will be certified every two years in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation {CPR). Vehicle Cleanliness The i nterior of all vehicles shall be free from dirt, grime, oil, trash, torn upholstery, damaged or broken seats, protruding metal or other objects or materials which could soil items placed in the vehicle or provide discomfort for the passenger. All vehicles shall be cleaned {interio r and exterior) on a regular schedule. Out-of-service-Area Trips The CTC will provide outof-service-area trips on weekdays for medical reasons, on a case-by case basis, dependent upon fundi ng availability Vehicle Equipment All vehicles will be equipped with two-way communication devices. All vehicles in the coordinated system shall have working air conditioning and heating. Vehicles that do not have a working air conditioner and/or heater will be scheduled for repair or replace ment within five days Should a vehicle incur a problem, it will be repaired as soon as possible. The owner/operator is responsible for its repair. The priority is that the CTC provides transportat ion. If a vehicle's air conditioning or heating is not functioning properly, and, if there are no other vehicles available, the passengers will be transported, rather than canceling a trip. Passengers with health conditions affected by air conditioning or lack thereof will be notified if their vehicle's air conditioning is not working, and the passenger will be given an opportunity to decide whether or not to take the trip. 21
Pick-Up Window Passengers are not given a set pick-up time. Instead, they are told to be ready for their ride to arrive up to an hour before their appointment time. The ere may negotiate spec i al pick-up arrangements with the customer, in advance, as the situat ion dictates. Passengers will be dropped off 30 minutes early to zero minutes after their scheduled appointment time, with certain exceptions negotiated in advance Medical appointments and employment must follow the "30 minutes early to zero minutes late" pol i cy. All return trips are scheduled in advance. There is a 30minute window. Passengers should expect their return vehicle to arrive at the scheduled time, up 30 minutes after the scheduled return t ime. Passengers can expect their return trip to take up to 90 minutes from the time they are seated on the vehicle. On-Time Performance The ere will have an 85% on-time performance rate for all completed trips. Ride Time The eTe will make every effort to abide by funding agencies' stated ride t imes. Passengers can expect to return home within 90 minutes of their pick-up. In situations where it becomes apparent that the ride time will exceed 90 minutes (accidents and vehicular breakdowns), the eTe will make every effort to contact the famil ies of the passengers by telephone. Advance Reservations There will be a minimum 24-hour notice requirement tor all trips scheduled within the coor dinated system. Passengers with an urgent need to travel should call the eTe. Same day trip requests cannot be guaranteed however, the ere will attempt to accommodate the request. Background Checks All drivers in the coordinated system must have a favorable background from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ("favorable" according to the Department of Children and Families policies and procedures). Public Transit Utilization There shall be a one percent utilization of coordinated trips on the fixed-route system. Accidents There should be no more than of 1 .2 accidents per 100,000 miles. 22
Roadcalls There shou ld be no less than 10,000 miles between each roadcall. Call-Hold All calls should be answered within tl)ree rings. Service Effectiveness The CTC shall attempt to: 1 I ncrease the number of passenger tri ps per vehicle hour 2. Maintain the cost per passenger trip 3. Maintain the cost per vehicle hour LOCAL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE The adopted grievance procedure for Collier County is set forth in Appendix D CTC EVALUATION PROCESS Evaluation of the Collier County CTC is conducted by the LCB Evaluation Subcommittee, u sing the Goals and Objectives of the local TDSP and the Evaluation Workbook of the CTD. For information regarding monitoring and evaluation of operators and coordination contract, see Section Ill, Service Standards. 23
IV. COST/REVENUE ALLOCATION AND FARE STRUCTURE JUSTIFICATION COST REVENUE ALLOCATION The rate structure is based on the type of trip and geographic zones in the service area. Trips lor individuals are the most costly, with centralized and subscription group trips costing less. Appendix E contains the Cost Effectiveness and Efficiency worksheets from the most recent CTC evaluation. RATE AND FARE STRUCTURE Service Urban Urban Group Rural Rural Group 1 Stretcher Hourly Rate Out of Area CAT full-fare one-way ticket CAT reduced fare oneway ticket CAT fullfare 31-day pass CAT reduced f;lre 31-day pass Rate $12.00 $9.50 $27.50 $14.50 $24.00 plus $1.50 per grid mile $45.00 $12.50 plus $1.40 per grid mile $1.00 $0.50 $20.00 $12.00 'Four or more passengers traveling to/from a common point 2From one common point to another. Also used for emergency evacuation. Passenger Co-Pay (fare) Most of the cost of the trip is paid for through the grant from the TO Trust Fund; however, passengers must also contribute a co-pay. Co-pay is based on the passenger's househo ld income. Passengers whose annual income exceeds the maximum limits in the chart, below, pay $4.00 per trip; those whose annual income falls within the maximum limits in the chart pay $3.00 per trip; and those whose annual income is at or below the poverty level l imits in the chart may qualify for a $2 .00 waiver, at the discretion of the CTC's manager or designee. Passengers must make their requests for waivers in writing. 25
1 Pe rson $8, 050 $ 8.05 1 -$1 2.074 $12, 075 2 Persons $10 850 $ 10.850 $ 10.850-$16.274 $16 275 3 Persons $ 1 3. 6 50 $ 13,6 50 $13 650 --$20.474 $ 20.475 4 Person s $ 1 6 450 $ 16.450 $16 ,450s 24 .674 $ 24 675 5 Person s $ 19.250 $19.250 $ 1 9. 250-$ 28.874 $ 2 8.875 6 Persons $22,050 $ 2 2 .0 50 $ 22 .050 --s 33 074 $33, 075 7 Person s $24,850 $ 2 4 850 $24,850s 37 ,274 $37. 275 8 Persons $27 650 $ 2 7,650 $ 27,650-$41, 474 $ 41,475 Each extra person i n +$2 800 household +$2, 800 +$ 4 ,200 Sourc6: 1998 Foderal Poverty G u id tHinos. a.s published 24 Feb. 1998 i n WI RogiSter 26
... ' : .. V. PEER AND TREND ANALYSIS CTC TREND ANALYSIS A trend analysis was completed to compare the performance of the Collier County CTC over time. The purpose of the analysis is to examine the performance of the CTC over the past five fiscal years. The trend comparison analyzed data for fiscal years 1997 through 2001. Table 11 shows the performance indicators and measures for each of the five fiscal years. This trend analysis r epresents a combined set of statistics for all TO transportation services coordinated through the CTC, including TO and Medicaid paratransit, and subscription service. Fixed route service in Collier County did not begin until Spring 2001 The first measure shown in Table 11 is total passenger trips which includes all passenger trips provided or coordinated by the CTC The number of total trips has declined incrementally during the trend period. In fact, from f isca l year 1997 to fiscal year 2001, total trips decreased by 45 percent Total vehicle miles and total revenue miles have in creased during the trend, with a peak in FY 1999. From FY 1997 to FY 2001, total vehicle miles increased by 17 percent, whereas total rev enue mi l es increased by nearly 121 percent. This outcome is counterproductive, since passenger trips have decreased over the same time per iod. The next measure in Table 11, passenger trips per TO capita, demons trates the service provided to the TO population in Collier County. The trend has steadily fallen since FY 1997. As of FY 2001, this measure is 28 percent below its FY 1997 value Vehicle miles per paratransit passenger trips could be assumed to represent the average trip length of paratransit trips prov i ded unde r the coordinated system in Collier County. This trend has gone up substantially over the fiveyear pe riod From FY 1997 to FY 2001, this measure increased by more than 95%, from 5.92 miles/trip to 11.58 miles/trip. 27
Tabl e 11 T r en d Ana lysis for Collier County CTC 13 1 247 125 7 5 7 1 1 9,980 90 692 1 08 ,815 -17. 1% Miles 777.496 1 051 379 1 528,440 1 159 72 2 1,260.486 .e2.1 % 5 0 9 673 733 621 1 3 1 6,902 1 ,031 283 1, 1 25 704 +120.9% Capital 1.56 1 .44 1 .33 0.97 1 .12 .2% Miles 5.9 2 8 .36 1 3.77 12.79 11.58 +95.6% Operating Expense C)8f ParattanSit $11. 1 3 $13. 2 4 $15.16 $17 .86 $ 1 4.62 + 31.4% Passenger Trip Expen se per VehJcle Mile $ 1 .88 $1.58 $1.10 $1-4 0 $1.26 -3 3. 0% 100 000 Vehicle M i les ooc/4et>1$ 1 90 0 79 0 .43 0.40 40.0% M i les betwee n Roa dcs U s 43.194 6 1 ,846 127 ,370 26 970 2 3 783 44. 9% LOe&l Revenue P et 30.76% 31. 6 2 % 16.04% 37.53% 41.92% + 36 3% Total Revenue) Sovrcs: F lorida Commission for the T ra n sportation D isadvan taged : An nual P e rforma nce R eports, 1997 -2001. The next two measures i n Table 1 1 measu r e the cost efficiency of the se rvices provided and coordinated by the CTC Operating expense per paratransit p a sse n ger trip has experienced a 31 percent incre ase, from $11 .13 in FY 1 g97 to $ 14.62 in FY 2001. This is to be expected, given the incre ased vehicle m i les per pass e nger trip. In contr ast, operating expense per vehic l e mile has decreased by 33 pe rcent o v er the period Qua l i t y of se rvice and safety measu res a r e also included i n Table 11. The accidents per 100,000 vehicle miles item measures a transportation system's safety. There was no spec ific downward or upward t r end for thi s measure over the five-year period No accidents were reported in FY 1997. From FY 1998 to FY 2001 accidents per 100,000 miles h ave decrease d by 4 0 percent. The quality of service measure that is included i n Table 11 is vehic l e m i les between roa dcalls (or s e rv i ce interruptions) Qua lity o f Se r v i ce i n Coll ier County has been negati ve over the five -year trend period, d e crea s ing by almost 4 5 perc ent f rom FY 1997 to F Y 2001. During FY 1999, this measure was at its highest peak, 127,370 mil e s between roadcalls 28
Finally, the measure related to lo ca l revenue collected within the coordinated system has increased by 36 percent over the five-year trend period. During FY 1999, local revenue was at its lowest (16.04%). whereas FY 2001 shows the highest percentage of local contribution (nearly 42%). These trends illustrate the performance of the CTC over a five-year trend period. Many factors and policies can affect these numbers; as such, they are presented for information purposes only. It should be noted that immediately prior to FY 2000, there was a change in the CTC for Collier County, including new software and data collection, which could explain a difference in reporting. Explanation and critique should be conducted within the purview of the Local Coordinating Board. CTC PEER REVIEW ANALYSIS In this section, demographic characteristics of Collier County are compared to those of peer Community Transportation Coordinators in Flo rida. In add i tion to a comparison of demographic characteristics, the review will compare performance measures within the Transportation Disadvantaged program. Collier is compared to its CTC peers, which were selected based on its similarity with peers in the following five categories: Demographic characteristics System size (measured in terms of annual TO ridership) Operating environment (u rban or ru ra l service area designation) Organization type (transit agency, government, private non-profit, or private for-profit) Network type (sole provider, partial brokerage, or complete brokerage). According to the Evaluation Workbook for Community Transportation Coordinators and Providers in Florida, prepared by CUTR, the Collier County CTC is categorized as a size 4" system 1100,000199,999 annual one-way passenger trips) that operates in an urban service area (contains an urban ized area, with a population of over 50,000). is organized as a governmental entity, and coordinated TO trips as a complete brokerage. The three counties that were selected for the Collier County CTC peer review include: Alachua, Martin and Okaloosa. Although these CTCs are not identical to Collier, they generally share 29
simi l ar demographic and systemic characteristics, as shown in Table 12. All three peer CTCs operate in urban service areas Two of the peer CTCs are organ i zed as priva t e nonp r o fit entities (Martin and Okalo o sal ; each peer coordinated trips different l y during the report ing per io d. Alachua is a comp l ete brokerage, Martin is a sole source provider and Oka l oosa is a partial brokerage. Collier operated as a governmental e n t ity and b r okered all tri ps Compa r ative Demographics Table 12 contains information for each of the peer counties on total population potential transportation disadvantaged population, population density, median age, and pe r capita personal income. As shown in Table 12, Collier County is above the peer group mean in total population, potentia l TO population, total square mi l es, median age, and per capita personal income. Collie r is below the mean in population density, which means they have more miles to serve with l ess population concentration, reducing opportunities for multiloading. T able 12 Demographics of Peer CTCs Total Population (2000)1 217,955 126,731 170,498 Potential TO PoP
However, Collier's vehicle miles per passenger trip is 30 percent greater than its peers. Accordingly, its cost per paratransit passenger trip is also above the peer mean. Interestingly, Collier's operating expense per vehicle mile is 60% less than the peer group mean, and is the lowest in the peer group. In terms of safety and quality of service, Collier County's measure for accidents per 100,000 vehicle miles is 50% of the mean, but its vehicle miles between road calls was only 37% of the mean, indicating a higher number of roadcalls. Collier ranked highest among its peers and nearly twice the peer group mean for local government revenue ratio (local government revenue divided by total operating expense}, indicating a high degree of local government commitment to Collier County's TO service. Table13 Perfonnance for Peer CTCs (FY 2001) "':'"' l ...., Passengar Trips 158,692 1 05,27 1 158,900 140,954 106,815 Passenger Trips IJ
trip are well above the mean, this becomes less significant. However, the vehicle miles between roadcalls needs immediate attention. This may be a result of aging vehicles. These comparisons provide helpful insight into how well Collier County appears to be performing statistically; however, since many factors affect performance, they should not be used as the sole measures to make i nferences about the quality of Collier's paratransit service. 32
TO BE SIGNED AT THE SEPTEMBER 13, 2002; MPO B OARD MEETI NG COL L IER C O UNTY LOCAL COOR D INATING BOARD FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OISAOVANT AGED MEMBERSHI P CERTIFICATION MPOName: Address: Collier County Metropolitan Planning Organization 2685 Sou th Horseshoe Drive, Sui t e 211 Naples. Florida 34104 The Collier County Metropolitan Planning Organizatio n named above bereby certifies to the following: 1. The mombership of lhe Collier County Local Coordinating Board, established pursuant to Rule 41 2 012(3), FAC, does in fact represen t the appropriat e parties as identified in the fol l owing list; a n d 2. The membership represents, to the maximum ex t en t f easible, a cross section of the l ocal community Signature:: _ -(MPO Chairperson) A Representa t ive of: Vo t mg Member (Tenn expires) 1. Ch n. Comm. Donna Fiala 2. Elderlv Barbara Jooes 3. Disabled Patrici a Roach 4 Citizen Advocate/Non User Pau!Swzyk S C itizen Advocate/User Vacant 6. Ve t erans Services Peter Kralev 7. Community Action Allan Bratton (eco n omically disedvant02edl 8. Public Educ a tion Kevin Hilliard 9 Fla Dept of Transportation Richard Shine 10. Florida Department of Children & Hallie Devlin Families . 11. Fla Dept of EducatiQo Divi s i on o f Mary Watford Vocational Services 12. Fla Dept Elder Affairs Pam F i co 13. Agent;y for Health Care Admin Joe Martinez 14. State Cootdinating Council (Early Vacant Childhood) IS Private Transp I ndustry Vacant 16. Mass Transit/Public Transit Industry NIA Alttmat e N/A (0212003) N/A (09/2005) N/A (12/2003) NIA N/A (09/2005) Richard D!eyer JanParbarn Beth Freshwa t er Kay Sedgwick Flora O<>nzalez T Jordon Vivian Williams Dan Durocbet Claude Herrin&IOn .. NIA A-1
2002 VEHICL E INV E N TORY Name of Organization: Collie r County Board of County Commissioners ; -... ,,., '"-, ,.: .: .,r.:-l).O'i"='i'(:.--;--;;'o;-;jf;'l(:.;:, .. ;_: I .. ,rl .... .-.. I . ' J ... : ___ -------------.:.:!.._ 1996 FORD STARTRAN 181048 1FDI.E40Fl THB62053 y CHECKER 1996 FORD STARTRAN 181049 1 FDLE40F3THB62054 y CHECKER 1996 FORD STARTRAN 1 8 1047 1 FDlE40FXTHB62052 y CHECKER 1 995 THOMAS INTERNATIONAL 1 81035 1HVDBABKXSH664404 y CHECKER 1996 FORD STARTRAN 181061 1FDLE405THB62086 y CHECKER 199 7 FORD S TARTRAN 92154 1FDLE40F6VHB88716 y CH ECKER 1996 FORD STARTRAN 181050 1FDI.E4 0 F 56THB62055 y CHECKER 2000 KIA SOFI A KNJ\FB1213Y5907112 N CHE<:KER 2000 K I A SOFI A KNAF81212Y5907246 N CHE<:KER 2000 KIA SOFIA N CHECKER 2000 KIA SOFIA KNAFB1219Y5882345 N CHECKER 1 998 FORD VAN 2FMDA5147WBA30239 N CHECKER 1 998 FORD VAN 2FMDA5145WB884965 N CHECKER 1998 FORO VAN 2FMDA5143WBB77979 N CHECKER 200 1 FORD E350 93 1 4 8 1FTSS34F61HB37627 y CHECKER 200 1 F ORD E350 93 1 49 1FTSS34F81HB37628 y CHECKER 2001 FORD E350 93150 1FTSS34F91HB34558 y CHECKER 2001 FORD E350 9315 1 1FTSS34F01HB34559 y CHECKER 1997 FORD W INDS T AR 2FMOA5142ZBD2201l9 STRETCHER AC 1990 BLUEBIRD 1 HVBBZW5LH68448 N A&S 1990 BLUEBIRD 1HVBBZWP1LH276151 N A&S 1993 BlUEBIR D 1HVBBPENXPH550828 N A&S 1 997 GMC SAFAR! 1GKDM19W7VB53Z560 N CARING 1999 GMC SAFAR! 1GKDM19WXXB528862 N CARING B
COLLIER COUNTY GOVERNMENT 26SS SOUI'HHORSESHOBDRIVE, SUITE211 NAPLBS,fL34104 DATE: February 19,2002 NAME: Collier County BCC (941) 403-2310 FAX: (941) :213-5815 BUS TRANSIT SYSTEM ANNUAL SAFETY CERTIFICATION ADDRESS: 2685 South Horseshoe Drive Naples, Fl34104 IN ACCORDANCE WITH FLORIDA STATUI'E 341.061, 'I'BE BUS TRANSIT SYSTEM NAJ\mD ABOVE BEREBY CERTIFIES TO TBE FOLLOWING: 1) The adop\ion of a System Safety Program Plan (SSPP) pursuant to Florida Department of 'I'.rallsponatioJ>.safety standa
LOCAL SERVICE COMPLAINTS AND FORMAL GR. IEVANCE PROCEDURE/PROCESS FOR COLLIER COUNTY Existence of Complaint Policy and Procedures: The Comer County Local Coordinating Board for the Transportation Di s advantaged has established the following procedures for the Community T ransp ortation Coordinator to use to address complaints from agencies, users, potential users, subcontrac. tors, and other interested parties. Definition of Service Inquiry: Service inquiries are re quests for infonnation about the service and can occur once or severa l times in the course of a day's service. An example of a service inquiry is when a c ustomer calls the CTC and says, "My bus is a few minutes late, where is it?" Service inquiries are reported to the driver or dispatcher or to otber individuals involved with the daily operations, and are usually resolved by the CTC immediately or within the c ourse of a reas onable time period suitable to the complainant Service inquiries do not have to be recorded as a complaint. Definition of Service Complaint: Sen1ce wmplaints are routine incidents that occur on a daily basis, are reported to the driver or dispatcher, or to other individuals involved with tbe daily operations. and are resolved within the course of a reasonable time peri od suitable to tbe complainant. Service complaints should be recorded as 'complaints The CTC i s to total these service complaints on a yearly basis for the CTD's Annual Operating report, (AOR). Service Complaints may include but are not limited to: "My bus is late [beyond the On-Time Policy for the service area.) Late trips (late pickup and or late drop-off;) No-show by transportation operator; No-show by client; Client behavior; Driver bebavjor; Passenger discomfort; Service denial (refused se.rvice to client w ithout an explanation as to why, e.g. trulY not qualify, lack of TO funds, etc ) If unresolved, a routine service complaint can result in a formal grievance. [The Local Coordinating Board has a separate "Grievance Procedure," available from the DOPA staff.] Local service complaints are driven by the inabilit y of the community transportation coordinator or transportation operators to meet local service standards established by the community transportation coordinator and local coordinating board. Forms to Use to record a complaint: The Community Transportation Coordinator shall utiliz e the attached Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged's Uniform Sen>ice Reporting [for Service Complaints) January 1996 as a guide to the proper method to identify a complaint, determine its validity, D-1
complete a service repon, and acbi eve customer satisfaction. Carriers are to use the same fo rms. Each complaint shall be assigned a Log Number to assist in tracking the resolution of each complaint All service complaints should be recorded. Letting the Consumer know bow to complain: The Community Transponation Coordinator shall make reasonable effons to ensure that its c ustomers know b o w to complain. The CTC should announce the existence of its complaint process in its brochures and other printed material, in its telephone recordings, and in signs posted inside of the vehicles. The CTC should ensure that its information on how to complain is provided to persons in accessible foi'Dlats as needed. Posting Or Contacts in the Vehicles: The CTC must ensure that the conta c t numbers for the CTC, for the CID's Ombudsman Hotline, and the Local Neutral Zone are posted in eaeh vehicle. Reporting Complaints: A monthly summary of all complaints and their status of resolution, should be provided by the Commun ity Transponation Coordinator to the Designated Official Planning Agency. [see sample form, attached.} The Designated Official Planning Agency will then provide the most current summaries to the Local Coordinating Board for its next meeting. The Community Transportation Coordinator shall collect service complaint statistics by operator, and by county. Surveying customers to determine satisfaction levels and to make route improvements based on future demand: D-2 The Local Coordinating Board requires the Community Transponation Coordinator to conduct periodic surveys of consumers in order to determine their level of satisfaction with services. These surveys are also used by the Local Coordinating Board to evaluate the Community Transponation Coordinator on factors associated with customer satisfaction. The surveys also can be used to determine where the demand for service is. The Community Transponation Coordinator is to conduct random surveys of consumers each year. It is suggested that they conduct some surveys each month. (Although they could do some in April and some in October.) The Community Ttansponation Coordinator is to 'send out' enough surveys, in order 10 obtain 150 responses. These surveys shall be On-Board surveys conducted by drivers, and telephonic surveys conducted by LCB members In addition lo this, the Commission for the Transponation Disadv antaged's Quality Assurance team conducts random sample surveys of passengers telephonically, during the biannual review of the Community Transportation Coordinators The Community Transponation Coordinator will provide the surveys to the Designated Official Planning Agency within a month after the survey is conducted. And, the DOPA will request the CTD's QAPE to provide the DOPA with results of its surveys.
Planning staff [with assistance frO;,; ihe i.ocat Coordinating Board's appropriate conunittee] will tabulate the surveys and provide a report to the Local Coordinating Board for its next meeting Agency Surveys: The DOPA will conduct mailed out surveys of the agen.:ies on an annual basis (September) to determine their levels of satisfaction with the County TD Program. The CTC shall provide the DOPA with current mailing list of agencies they provide transportation to by September 15th. Standards & Policies: The Local Coordinating Board sets performance standards for the Community Transportation Coordinator. The Local Coordinat in g Board evaluates the Community Transportation Coordinator's performance based upon these standards and policies. [Existing and updated] Standard 2.11 Complaints. There shall be no more tban 1 complaints per 1,000 trips The LCB should evaluate the CTC based upon the number of complaints tbat are resolved, versus unresolved. [Proposed] Standard 2 .12--Compl aints. A noticeable increase in the number of complaints as reported in the Quarterly report to the LCB, should be discussed by the LCB. Commission's Ombudaman Hotline: The Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged bas an Ombudsman Program to assist individuals with complaints. The toll free Ombudsman Hotline is 1 -8()()-983-2435. IDENTIFICATION OF 'DOORWAYS' There are many 'doorways' where a complaint regarding transportation services can enter the system These 'doorways' include: the driver of the vehicle; the provider (the company that owns the vehicle) the scheduler/dispatcher; the Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC); the CTC' s ooard of directors; funding agencies; other agencies; government offices; designated official planning agency; meetings of the Local Coordinating Board; the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged (through their ombudsman hotline) Each 'doorway' should be aware of the Local Coordinating Board's transportation service complaint procedures and should work cooperatively to get complaints resolved by the most appropriate agency, as soon as possible. The Local Coordinating Board service complaint procedure utilizes the attached D 3
Commission for the Tl-ansportatlon Disadvantaged's Uniform Service Reporting (for Se r vice Complaints! 1996 as a guide to the proper method to resolve complaints. DEVELOPMENT OF A "LOCAL NEUTRAL ZONE" FOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICE COMPLAINTS : The Local Coordinating Board recognizes that there are times when a person may not feel comfortable complaining to the entity that provides them transportation serviees, for fear of being 'cut otr from service. To a ddress this concern the Designated Official Planning Agency shall serve as the neutral zone. {In order to assist in resolving a complaint, the DOPA may need to call the CTC to discuss/he incident. If the Customer is retaliaJed against, they should call the DOPA/} CONTACTS FOR SERVICE COMPLAINTS Entity Contact Name & Address Phone Community Transportation Collier County Govemmem (941} Coordinator ----------------------------------------Jim Van Pelt (941) 649-4439 customer service General Manager (941) 649-0228 reservations ATC (800) Designated Official CoUier Metropolitan Planning (941) 659-5775 Pl a nning Agency (DOPA} Organization Bob Herrington Local Coordinating Board Hon Donna Fiala Commission for the Ombudsman Hotline Phone: (800) 983-2435 Transportation TDD (800} 648-4084 Disadvantaged D-4
SER.'VIO: iu:PORT County __ Log# __ Date of ___ Time: ---Received by: -----------Commendation [ 1 Suggestion [ 1 Complaint [ 1 Valid?: Yes [ 1 No [ 1 Name: Phone:---------Admess: ______________________________ Contact:---------------------------WHERE? Fixed Route: __ ADA Paratransit: Operator: ___ Vehicle Number Other (ll;fedicaid, dispatcher, scheduler, etc.): ____ WHAT? _ Service (ride time, schedules timeliness, attitude/conduct, drivers skill) ___ Policy (fares, co-payments, operation hours, prioritiza tion, denied services) ___ Vehicle (safety, equipment, cleanl iness) Date of Occurrence: _______ Time: ____ Location:--------Statement of Reported Circumstances:------------------Resolution: No [] Yes [](If yes, complete section on Back.) Intake Signature: ____________ ; Date:-------Critical Issue? No [ ] Yes [ ] & REFER TO SUPERVISOR IMMEDIATELY critical issues in clude: physical, verbal, or substance abuse; any life threatening situation (reckless driving, passenger abandonment, accidents/incidents.) Has this person reported this same problem before? No [ ]. Yes [ ] When? Log# Details _______________ ____ ___ Log# Details-----------------------DS
SERVICE REPORT-PAGE 2 Log # --continued Follow up Date:-------Comments:--------------Signature:--------------Date:------------Findings: (attach sta tements of all panies involved.)--------------Signature: ______________ Date:----------Resolution Action Taken/Date:-------------------------Was Corrective action necessary? No [ 1 Yes [ 1 Explain: -----------Is customer satisfied with resolution? Yes [ 1 No [ ] Unknown ( 1 If NO inform the customer of Local Coordinating Board's Fonnal Grievance Procedures. Did customer file a formal grievance? Yes [ I No [ I Unknown [ I Signature: ___ ____________ Date:----------Carriers are to use these forms to record complaints. Please use one form per complaint, do not group complaints onto one form. Use the Log# when responding to inquiries about each complaint.
Monthly Summary of Service Complaints re.:eived by the CTC [or otber Doorways] and how they were resolved. Senic:e ( ride rime schedules, time l iness attitude/ conduct) Policy (fares, co-payments, operation hours, prioritization, "won't go to ... ") Vehicle (safety, equipment, cleanliness) Log# date of involved wbat: wbich status of resolution contact Service contracted Policy operator Vehicle totll compla.ints D-7
FORMAL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES COLLIER COUNTY LOCAL COORDINATING BOARD FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED Introduction The Collier County Local Coordinating Board for the Transportation Disadvantaged has established the following rules and procedures to address grievances from agencies, users, potential users, subcontractors, and other interested parties. Authority According to Rule 41-2.012(5)(c) Florida Administrative Code, the Local Coordinating Board shall "appoint a Grievance Committee to serve as a mediator to process and investigate complaints, from agencies users, potential users of the system and the Community Transportation Coordinator in the designated service area, and make recommendations to the Coordinating Board for improvement of service. The Coordinating Board shall establish procedures to provide ... opportunities for issues to be brought before such committee and to address them in a tim ely manner . It should be noted that there is a difference between "hearing" a grievance and "hearing and determining" a grievance. Neither the Grievance Resolution Cornrnittee nor the Local Coordinating Board has the authority to "hear and determine" a grievance. They only have the authority to "Hear" and advise. When an entity makes a determination of the rights, duties, privileges, benefits or legal relationships of a specified p erson or persons, it is exercising "adjudicative '' or "determinative" powers. Deciding a grievance between two independent parties may fall within these parameters, depending on the nature of the grievance. Chapter 427, Florida Statutes, grants no adjudicativ e powers to anyone. Even though the Local Coordinating Board does not have determinative authority, the recognition of problems by the various members of the Local Coordinating Board i s a very u sefu l method to resolve many issues. In addition, it should be noted that since the Local Coordinating Board is involved in the development and approval of the Community Transportation Coordinator's Service Plan, and since the Local Coordinating Board also conducts the annual evaluation of the Community Transportation Coordinator, there are significant opportunities for the Local Coordinating Board to make changes where needed. Formal Grievance Policy and Procedures: Section 1 : Creation 1.1 There is hereby created a formal grievance procedure for the Collier County transportation disadvantaged program as specified by the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged pursuant to Chapter 427, Florida Statures. and Rule 41-2.012, Florida Administrative Code, hereinafter refereed to as the Grievance Process. The following rules and procedures shall constitute the grievance process to be utilized in the Coordinated Community Transportation System in Collier County. 1.2 Section 2: Defmitions 2.1 As used in these rul es and procedures the following words and tenus shall have tbe meanings assigned therein. Additional transportation disadvantaged program definitions can be found in Chapter 427, Florida Statutes and Rule 41-2, Florida Administrative Code D-8
A) Community Transp<>rtatloo Coordinator: (CfC) Means a ttansponation entity recommended by a Metropolitan Planning Organization or by the appropriate designated official planning agency a s provided for in Chapter 427 Florida Statutes, in an area outside the purview of a Metropolitan Planning Organization and approved by the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, to ensure that coordinated transportation services are provided to serve the wmsportation disadvantaged population in a designated service area. B) Designated Official Planning Agency (DOPA) means the official body or agency designated by the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged to fulfill the functions of transportation disadvantaged planning in areas not covered by a MetropOlitan Planning Organization. Tbe Metropolitan Planning Organization shall serve as the designated official planning agency in areas covered by such organizations. C) Transp<>rtatlon Disadvantaged (TD) user of the system, means, 427 011( I) "Those persons who because of physical or mental disability income status, or age, o r who for other reasons are unable to transp<>rt themselves or t o purchase transportation, and are therefore, dependent upon others to obtain access to health care employment education, shopping, social activities, or other life sustaining act ivities, or children who are disabled or high risk or at r isk as defined in Chapter 411.202, Florida Statutes. D) Agency: Means an official officer, commission, authority, council, committee, department, division, bureau, board, section, or any other unit or entity of the state o r o f a city, town, municipality county, or other local governing body or a private nonprofit entity providin g transportation services as all or pan of its charter. E) Transp<>rtatlon Oper ator: Means one or more public private f or-profit or private non-profit entities engaged by the community transportation coordinator to provide service to transportation disadvantaged persons pursuant to a Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan, (TDSP). F) Service Complaint: events that may occur on a daily basis and are reported to tbe driver or dispatcher or other individuals involved with the daily operations and are resolved within the course of a reasonable time period suitable to the For more information, see the Local Coordinating Board's policy on Complaints, [elsewhere in the TDSP]. G) Formal Grievance documents any concerns regarding the operation or administration of Transportation Disadvantaged services by the transportation operator the Community Transportation Coordinator, the Designated Official Planning Agency, or the Local Coordinating Board. A formal grievance may also he a service complaint tha t bas be e n left unresolved for more than 45 days. The formal grievance should demonstrate or establish their concerns as clear l y as possible. Formal Grievances may include but are not limited to: Recurring or unresolved Service Complaints. (see above definition;) Violations of spec ific laws governing the provision ofTD services i.e. Chapter 427 F.S., Rule 41-2 F .A. C. and accompanying documents, Sunshine Law, Americans with Disabilities Act, (ADA;) Coordination disputes; Agency compliance; D-9
Conflicts of inte rest; Supplanting of funds; Billing and/or accounting procedur es ; Policies of the Local Coordinating Board (LCB) particularly the Prioritizat ion Policy . H.) Administrative Hearing process; Chapter 120, Florida Statutes. 1.) Ombudsman Program means a toll free phone number established and administered by the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged to enable persons to access infonnation and /or file complaints or grievances regarding transportation services provided under the coordinated effort of the community transportation coord inato r See contact infonnation for phone numbers. Section 3: Objectives 3.1 The objective of the local coordinating boa rd's grievance process shall be to process, investigate and make r e commend a tions in a timely manner on formal grievances that are not resolved between the grievant and the other party (or parties.) It is not the objective of the grievance process to have "adjudicative" or "determinative" powers. 3 2 The community transportation coordinator an d its service operators and other transportat i on subcontractors must post the contact person's name and telephone number regarding the reporting of complaints [and the reporting of grievances] in each vehicle. 3.3 The grievance procedures and all documents pertaining to the grievance process will be made ava.ilable to the grieving party 3.4 The grievance procedures and all documents pertaining to the grievance process will be made available, upon request, in a fonnat accessible to persons with disabiliti es 3.5 Other than this grievance process, aggrieved parties with proper standing may also have r ecourse through Chapter 120 Florida Statutes, the Admi nistra tive Hearing Process, or through the judi c ial court system Section 4: Membership 4 1 The local coordinating board's ad hoc grievance resolution committee shall be composed of a minimum of three (3) voting members or alternates of the loca l coordinating board. Members shall be appointed to the Ad hoc grievance resolution committee by the LCB chairperson or his/her designee . T he Ad hoc grievance resolution committee membership shall include a representative of users of the coordinated transponation system. The LCB chairperson or his/her designee reserves the right to make reappointments to the Ad hoc grievance resolution committee should any confl icts of interest arise. 4.2 The LCB chairperson or his/her designee shall appoint one member of the Ad hoc grievance resolution committee to serve as its chairpe rson 4 3 The LCB chairperso n's designee shall be a member of the TD planning staff from the designated officia l p lann ing agency. The TD planning staff serve as facilitators to the grievance process. Every effort sh a ll be made by the participants of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee to conduct the process as diplomatically as possible. D -10
4.4 In cases where a grievance involves the private or personal or professional interests of a member of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee, such member shall be disqualified from hearing such a grievance. 4.5 Local Coordinating Board members who represent affected agencies will be invited to grievance bearings as advisors. 4.6 No member of the local coordinating board shaU appear before the Grievance Committee as an agent or attorney for any person. Section 5: Terms of Members 5.1 The members of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee shall serve at the pleasure of the LCB chairperson or his/her designee, for the duration of the grievance for which they are appointed. 5.2 The members of the ad hoc gri evance resolution committe e may be removed for cause by the LCB chairperson or his/her designee. 5.3 The quorum shall be a simple majority. Meetings shall be held at such times as the ad hoc grievance resolution committee may determine and/o. r as necessitated by the formally ftled grievance. Seclion 6: Grievance Procedures 6.1 Grievance procedures have been developed by the Local Coordinating Board, based upon guidelines from the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged. 6.2 The Local Coordinating Board's grievance procedures are for the purposes of listening to the grievance, providing advise and making recommendations to the affected parties of the grievance. The Local Coordinating Board may not exercise adjudicative powers. Aggrieved parties with proper standing may also have recourse through Chapter 120, Florida Statutes, Adminislrative Hearing Process, or the judicial court. 6.3 When necessary, the designated official Planning agency's Transportation Disadvantaged Program staff shall provide assistance to individuals to prepare written grievances. 6.4 The formal grievance process shall be open to any person o r agency wishing to address concerns involving: purchasing agencies, users, potential users, private for-profit operators, private non-profit operators, the Coordinator, the Designated Official Planning Agency, elected officials, drivers. 6.5 The administrators of the grievance process shall make every effort to ensure that the grieving party has exercised the other procedures in place, includin g the LCB's Complaint procedures, or the CTC' s internal complaints procedtues for its subcontractors. Note: If it is an unresolved service complaint, the grievant will be asked if they have contacted the community lransportation coordinator for assistance in resolving their complaint. The grievant should have made reasonable effort to have their service complaint resolved by the CTC. The community transportation coordinator is responsible for resolving service comp laints. D-11
If the CTC ltas an internal grievance policy, appropriate grievances will be fonvarded back to the CTCfor resolution, prior to being considered as a formal grievance for the local coordinating board. Section 7: Filing the formal grievance 7 .I The grievant sho uld demonstrate or establish their concems as clearly as possible. The grievance should try to demonstrate or establish a clear violation of a specific Jaw, regulation, or contractual arrangement. Copies of pertinent laws and regulations may be obtained from the Designated Official Planning Organizat ion's Transportation Disadvantaged Program staff. 7.2 The grievance must be filed to the Grievance Committee within ninety (90) days after the occurrence of the event giving rise to the grievance The grievance shall be sent to: Southwest Florida Regional Planning Coun cil T ransportation Disadvantaged Program Loca l Coordinating Board Ad Hoc Grievance Resolution Committee P.O. Box 3455 North Fort Myers FL 33918-3455 (941) 656-7720 7.3 T he grievance shall include: a. the name and address and tel ephone number of the grievant; 11tey do notlwve to have an address or phone in order to file a grievance, but they need a place which will receive mail for them, and a phone where we may contact them. b. a statement of the grounds for the grievance. supplemented by supporting documentation, made in a clear and concise manner. This shall include a descri ption of the efforts taken by the grievant to resolve the issue: and c. an explanation by the relief desired by the grievant. If the grievant does not supply the above infonnation to substantiate the grievance(s) no further action will be taken. [See section 6.3 above, about assistance in getting formal grievances reduced to writing,) 7.4 The date the formal grievance containing items a, b. and c, above, is received in writing shall be the date the formal grievance was ftled 7.5 Upon receipt of the fonnal grievance, the designated official planning agency transportation disadvantaged planning staff will have 10 working days to contact the grievant by te l ephone. to discuss the materials received, and ask for additional information which may be necessary in order to file the grievance. when the desigrtated official planning agency makes or attempts to make these telephonic contacts they will enter records of the calls into a log for that grievance 7 6 If the designated official planning agency transportation disadvantaged planning staff is unable to estabtish contact by telephone within the 10 working days; they will write a lener to the grievant, and send it by certified mail to the grievant. The leuer wilt indicate that the formal D-12
grievance has been received, ani! tliiit te1eplloiilc contact was unsuccessful, and that the grievance has either been filed, or tha t additional information is necessary in order to file the grievance. 7.7 The designated official planning agency will have 10 working days from the date the grievance was filed to contact the chairperson of the local coordinating board, telephonically to inform of the receipt of the formal grievance, and proceed with the selection of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee If the chairperson is not available, the DOPA staff may then contact the vice-chairperson. 7.8 The designated official planning agency will have 10 working days from the date the grievance was filed to contact the community transportation coordinator (if the grievance involves the ere,) to inform that a formal grievance has been filed. 7.9 The designated official planning agency will have 10 working days from the date the LCB chair was contacted about the grievance [in Section 7.7] to contact members of the local coordinating board to establish the membership of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee. Pursuant to Section 4.2 of this Process the chairperson of the ad hoc grievance re solution committee will be established at this time. 7.10 After the designated official planning agency has received an agreement to serve as a member of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee from the sufficient amount of local coordinating board members, the designated official planning agency wiU have 10 working days to set up a meeting to mediate the grievance. The grievant, the chairperson of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee the designated official planning agency staff will attend the mediation. [ The CTC will be included in tbis meeting, if the grievance involves the CI'C.] 7.11 After the mediation meeting, the designated official planning agency shall prepare arepoxt regarding the meeting outcome. The report shall be sent to the grievant, the LCB chairperson, and the chairperson (and all members) of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee within 10 working days of the date of the meeting. 7.12 The Chairperson of the AD-hoc Grievance Committee or DOPA staff will check with the grieving party in 10 working days, to determine whether tbey are resolved_ 7.13 If mediation is successful, the grievance is closed. Section 8: If Mediation is not snccessful: 8.1 If the grievance is not resolved through mediation the grievant may request in writing that their grievance be beard by the ad hoc grievance resolution committee. Tbe grievant has 10 days from their receipt of the report (mentioned in Section 7.11) to notify the chairperson of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee through the designated official planning agency . 8.2 Upon receipt of the written notice described in Section 8.1, the designated official planning agency has 15 working days to contact the chairperson and other members of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee the grievant, and the involved parties, to set a grievance meeting date and location. 8.3 The Grievant and all involved parties shall he notified of the meeting date and location at least 7 working days prior to the meeting date by certified mail, return receipt requested. D-13
Section 9: A meeting of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee Is held: 9.1 All involved parties have a right to present their v i ews to the Grievance Committee, either orally or in writing. In addition, all parties may present evidence 9.2 The Grievance Committee may at any time during the course of the meeting question the parties and their witnesses on any facts which it deems material to the alleged imp roper action 9 3 The e ntir e meeting shall be r ecorded electronically, on tape. Any party requesting a copy of the transcription shall pay all costs incurred in furnishing the copy of the transcription. 9.4 The Grievance Committee will follow a meeting agenda in accordance with the proced ures herein set forth: A. call to order; B. presentation of grievance; I. presentation of grievance by Grievant, which will also include witnesses, if applicable, and 2 response of concerned parties, which will include witnesses, if applicable. C discussion of grievance, which shall tak e place in accordance w ith Roberts Rules of Order amongst the Grievance Committee, staff, the grievant and other interested parties. Discussion shall focus solely on the grievance as filed by the grievant; D. following discussion of the grievance, the Grievance Committee may submit a recommendation to the Coordinating Board in response to the grievance; and E. close meeting. 9.5 Upon conclusion of the grievance meeting. the ad hoc grievance resolution committee must submit a written report of the meeting proceedings to the chairperson of the local coordinating board within I 0 working days. The r eport must outline the grievance. and provide the findings/recommendations of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee. 9.6 If the grievance is resolved through the Meeting process, the grievance process will end. The fma l report will be forwarded to the members of the local coordinating board. Section 10: If the grievaDte is not resolved through tbe meeting of the ad boc grievance resolntion committee 10.1 If the grievance i s not reso lved through the meeting of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee. the grievant may request in writing that their grievance be beard by the local coord inating board. This r equest shall be sent to the Chairperson of the Local Coordinating Board through the designated official planning agency. and must be made within 10 working days of their receipt of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee's report (in Section 9.5) Immediately following the meeting of the ad hoc grievance resolution committee, the grievant may make their requ es t that their grievance be heard by the Local Coordinating Board. however, the time frame will"wait" until the ad hoc grievance resolution committee's report is prepared and received, as described in 9.5. D-14
10.2 The Local Coordinating Board chairperson shaU have 15 working days to set a meeting date. Members of the Local Coordinating ijoard shall have at least I 0 working days notice of such meeting. The meeting of the loci.i coordinatiiig board shall be advertised appropriately. 10.3 The grievance shall be presented at the m eeting of the local coordinating board. The Local Coordinating Board will follow a meeting agenda in accordance with the procedures herein set forth: A. call to order; B. presentation of grievance; I. presentation of grievance by Grievant, which will also include witnesses, if applicable, and 2. response of concerned parties, which will include witnesses, if applicable. C discussion of grievance, which shall take place in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order amongst the Local Coordinating Board, staff, the grievant and other interested parties. Discussion shall foc.us solely on the grievance as filed by the grievant; D. following discussion of the grievance, the Local Coordinating Board may submit a re<:ommendations to the appropriate parties in response to the grievance; and E. close meeting. 10.4 The resuhs, findings and recommendations of the local coordinating board shall be outlined in a final report to be completed within 10 working days of the meeting. Tbe report shall be forwarded to the grievant, members of the Local Coordinating Board, the Community Transportation Coordinator, and all other persons/agencies directly involved in this grievance process. 10.5 If the grievance has not been resolved through these local coordinating board procedures, the grievant may request that their grievance be heard by the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged Section 11: Prohibition Against Retaliation 11.1 No individual shall be unlawfully denied Transportation Disadvantaged services because such individual has filed a grievance related to the Transportation Disadvantaged Program or has testified or is about to testify in any such proceeding or investigation related to the Transportation Disadvantaged Program. [This shall be monitored by the DOPA.] Appeals to the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged Should a grievant remain dissatisfied wi!h the Local Coordinating Board or Community Transportation Coordinator's recommendation, he or she may contact the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged at the following address: D-15
Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged 605 Suwannee Stteet. MS-49 Tallahassee. Florida 32399 0450 The Commi. ssion for the Transportation Disadvantaged also has an Ombudsman Program to assist individuals with complaints The toll free Ombudsman Hotline is-1800 2435 Chapter 427. F.S. does not expressly confer the power or authority for the Commission for the Transportation Disadv an taged to "'hear and detennine" a grievance between two third parti e s Th e Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged may choose to listen to grievances and it can i nvestigate them from a fact -fmding perspective It cannot be the "judge" or "arbiter" of the grievance in the sense of detennining that one party s version of the facts is righ t and the other is wrong, and order the wrong party to somehow compensate the right party. On the other hand, the grievance may bring to light a prob l em within "the system." However, if the grievance showed that one of the parties w i th whom the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged contracts was acting so aberrantly as to not be in compliance with its contract. the Commission for the T r ansporta tion Disadvantaged could exercise whatever contractual rights it has to correct the problem. Accordingly, the Commission fo r the T r ansportation Disadvantaged may take part in the grievance process if it wants to. for purposes of listening to the grieving parties and gathering the facts of the matter. It may not decide the grievance, where doing so would amount to an exercise of adjudicative powers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------COLLIER COUNTY LOCAL COORDIN ATING BOARD FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED GRIEVANCE RESOLUTION CONTACTS E ntity Cootact Name & Address Phooe Community Transportation Collier County: (941) Coordinator Intelittan: (941) 649-0228 Jim Van Pelt (800) MPO Designated Official Bob Herrington (941) 659-5775 Planning Agency (DOPA) CoUier Metropolitan Planning Organization Local Coordinating Board Hon. Donna Fiala Chaiiperson Commission for the Ombudsman Hotline Phone: (800) 983-2435 Transportation Disadvantaged TDD (800) 648-4084 D-16
MODU'LE7 COST EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF THE COORDINATED SYSTEM Module 7 Table I Module Prepared By: JVP -Based uoon t h e monthlv AORs CTCPreviou s FY 2000 Period Measure 1t99Number of vehicles 22 22 Number of trips 114 012 107,430 1. Total Expense per Pessenger Trip ("Operating Expense 15.99 $16.43 oer Passenaer Trip") 2. Tota l Expense per Vehicle Mile ("Op expense per Vh 1.44 $1.51 mile") 3-. Ope r ating Expense per Driver Hour 26.17 $31.13 4. Administrative Expense as a Percentage of Total Operating Expense 15.6% 19.22'/o 5. Passenger Tr i ps per Vehicle 5182 4,883 6 Passenger Trips per Vehicle Hou r 1.64 1 .69 7. Passenger Trips per Vehicle Mi l e .09 .09 8. Volunteer-provided Trips as a Percentage of Tota l Trips N/A N/A -.,.. ------. -.. . ' ' , 1 1 ,,;;1 : '},; : .Sr ,,:1 :rd:};. ] -----' -- ------- --- 1 I 10.Fixedroute Trans it Trips as a Percent of Tota l Trips N/A N/A E
Module 7, Table II Module Prepared by:..,J:y_V.:.P _ Based upon: 11. In which cost-effectiveness and efficiency areas has the coordinator improved? Overall expenses for 2000 appeared to be lower. However, it was difficult to determine since the review period is for 10/1/99 to 9/30/00 and the OPR [AOR) used to review costs is for 7/1/00.6/30/01 12 In which areas has the coordinator worsened? 13. What changes i n service may account for this change? 14. What areas should be targeted for i mprovement? 15a. Date of CTC's last financial (Source: Collier County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) b. Were there crit i cal find i ngs to be reso lved? c. If so. have they been fully resolv ed? Modul e 7 End notes: []Yes[X)No []Yes[]No 1. This Module was built from several different editions of Module 7: Cost Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Coordinated System of the CUTRICTD workbooks & worksheets. 2 Administrative expenses were not always collected for the Annual Operating Report. 3 Peer review of CTC is not conducted. Discussion Notes on Module 7: Evaluation Committee Comments on Module 7: Evaluation Committee Recommendations to tbe LCB on Module 7: "The Evaluation Committee recommends that the LCB recommend that the CTC do the following .... How this Module was scored, based on either '(yes/no)' or 1.00 to 5.00 Go On To The Next Module E-2
CTC's baseli n e info chart. l'h.lmberd Vehicle$ Number o!Tri T .... .,.. F,..bo>< Rownu Mi16S Velidc Ho\1"8 Revenue Hour& Acfnin SeMco ..,,;;; Vehiclt Tot eomntaints CcmfnenOa'ior.s Road tall$ Aldents Vehicles i l'iM 1 2 3 4 s 7 8 10 T;j:-; Purcflesed Troo:sOOfU!Ion rt veilTri Trins n er Rev hour TriM oer Veh'ICI O M i le b c d b c Module 7 Informat ion Modul e 10 I Modula10.!S!!...,I 11401 1 0 7 431 1.42S.oafl $ 1 765 01 153,751 s t4782 1 .26<4 76i 1.1S7.sail 1 1Z1?81 1 ,021.691 ... 63A06l 63,62< 56 69 $ 3S9 1 8 NA 171 1.., 1 2 1 1 6 101 18 I NI'J s .. 221 107A30 1S.Q s 18.4l 1.4 $ Ul1 26 1 $ s u 1 $ 6 5 .1& .... "' 1 1 6 0. 0 NA NA NA Module8a 1 1 4 01 107.43d 1 .823,031: 1.16501 Modu"t s 16.4; ..... $ 1.51 5.18 4.aa:l! 1 7 1.8 1 1 6 "' 0. 0 18 107 1 7 1 .721 NAI I E-3
MODULE9 COSTS OFTRANSJ:>ORTATION OPERATORS This Module compares the rates paid to operators, not what their costs are. Module 9, Table I Module Prepa"'d by:..,PPH:------Based Upon: _TDSP/AOR's, _____ ::-. ,,. __ : : : -'<" .. ---, .: :.EYiluatiOn} :; ... :'' ;, \ : .... i. F ":: : :f;A:.;. ; ;_.; :i-') :;..:'.:<:-: .. .. :r; ..... . : . ,-:.:;.:. :'' ;:-::.: .. !' ..... noa .. .... .. .. ... . : .. . ... . v .... : "r> ... .,."' ., .. ,,.,,.S)(stem : )'< $ 'stefn .< '..r: y .. .... ... ... -. .............. ... ::.: ',. : : : .. . : l'. . ,.... . .;.: : ; '"Fff.Oil:"2.0ll1 ... ,,,,.,.,Wille . . ,. ,)Wide . '. ....... ... '' ....... . v -.,., : ... -: Flat Contract Rate (s) ($ amountlunrt) ind icate unij Detail other rates as needed Urban $12.00 $12.00 Urban Group $9. 50 $9.50 Rural $27.50 $27 50 Rural Group $14.50 $14.50 Charter (Fixed Route) $45.00 $45.00 Service Area (Plus $1.40 per mite $12.50 $12.50 Operatloo Elg1tlnse per Passenoer Trill_ $15.99 $16.43 Ooeratlno Exoense oer Vehicle Mile 1 $1.44 $1.51 Trios oer Vehicle ( vhs.) 5182 4,883 PassenQertripsperDnverHour 1.87 1.89 Passenaer Trips per Vehicle Hour 1.69 1.69 Passenger Trips per Vehicle Mile .09 .09 Special or unique considerations which impact costs? (Y or N) Comments: E-5
Module 9, Table II Modulo Prepared by:. ________ _ Based Upon: 8. Compare each operator to their peers. Ci r cle the areas whe r e each operator excels Which operators compare especially wel l ? This Module compares the rates of service, not the costs of serv i ce. 9. Compare this year to last year. Different operators come and go from FY to FY. Other Reviewer Comment on Module 9: Operati n g expen s es for vehic le mile increased which appeared to be acceptable due to the rise in gas prices per gallon. Other Reviewer Recommendations on Module 9: E 6
Discussion Notes on Module 9: Evaluation Committee Comments on Module 9: Enluatlon Committee Recommendations to the LCB on M odule 9 : "Th e Evaluation Committee recommends that the LCB recommend that the CTC do the following .. .. How this Module was scored, based on either '(yes / no)' or 1.00 to 5 00 Go On To The Next Module E-7
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Collier County transportation disadvantaged service plan
h [electronic resource] /
prepared by Laurel A. Land.
Tampa, Fla. :
b University of South Florida, Center for Urban Transportation Research,
1 online resource (various pagings) :
Title from e-book cover (viewed Aug. 9, 2011).
"September 2002."
Paratransit services
z Florida
Collier County.
People with disabilities
x Transportation
Collier County.
Older people
Collier County.
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Center for Urban Transportation Research.
i Print version:
Land, Laurel.
t Collier County transportation disadvantaged service plan.
d Tampa, Fla. : University of South Florida, Center for Urban Transportation Research, 2002
w (OCoLC)50709863
Center for Urban Transportation Research Publications [USF].
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u http://digital.lib.usf.edu/?c1.186
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