The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My Public Portal About07 July 24, 1989 Citizens Advisory Committee/Social Service Transportation Advisory Councili 111 RIVERSIDE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION 040266 AGENDA CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE/ SOCIAL SERVICES TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COUNCIL 1:30 P.M., MONDAY, JULY 24, 1989 SCAG RIVERSIDE COUNTY Sw'EmCE OFFICE 3600 LIME STREET, SUITE 216 RIVERSIDE, CA 92501 1. Call to Order. 2. Approval of Minutes (June 26, 1989). ACTION 3 SunLine FY 1990-94 Short Range Transit Plan. ACTION 4. Meeting Attendance/Meeting Places/Discussion on Increasing Coachella Valley Representation. DISC/ACTION 5. Other Items. 6. Adjournment J ,z .. rte Y DATE July 24, 1989 Citizens Advisory Committee/Social Services Advisory Council NAME Loci motet , REPRESENTING PHONE -70 &Ai 46/4/1' (.1 (A) (A)z_ rr ETA -- -4-(-1 ,4 . eP X44 -39y3 370 69O., 78/-0 ? a,.2- " RIVERSIDE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION Minutes of the Citizens Advisory Committee/ Social Service Advisory Council June 26, 1989 1. Call to Order. The meeting of the Citizens Advisory Committee/Social Service Advisory Council was called to order by Chairman Chuck Schmitt at 1:47 p.m., at the SCAG Riverside County Service Office, 3600 Lime Street, Riverside, CA. Members present were: Terry Allen Ace Atkinson Ray Baca Cathy Bechtel Arnold Dickson Rose Eldridge Herb Krauch Members absent were: Mike Beggins Jim Judge Jim Kenna Joanne Moore Others present: Don Kurz Lori Nickel Leon Overton Rena Parker Chuck Schmitt Dick Weeks Don High Don Senger *Tom Paradise Pat Piras, RCTC Consultant Ron Reese, Riverside City Parks & Rec. Dept. Jim Stoffer, RTA Helen Wariner, Riverside Special Services Hideo Sugita, RCTC/SAFE Self introductions followed. 2. Approval of Minutes. 3 M/S/C (KURZ/KRAUCH) to approve the May 30, 1989 minutes as submitted. Rena Parker abstained. SunLine FY 1990-94 Short Range Transit Plan. Hideo Sugita distributed a letter from SunLine requesting inclusion of several amendments to the FY 1990-94 SunLine SRTP. Due to the letter being faxed to the RCTC offices on the Friday before the CAC meeting, he had not had time t.;:, do a thorough review of the amendments prior to the meeting. " " Page 2 Chairman Schmitt, noting that SunLine staff was not in attendance, requested Hideo Sugita to outline alternative actions that the Committee could take on the SunLine SRTP. Hideo Sugita stated that he contacted SunLine the Monday prior to the CAC meeting and later that week spoke with SunLine staff and requested their presence at the CAC meeting. He was told that due to scheduling problems, SunLine staff would not be in attendance. He then stated the Committees options: 1) The Committee could approve the SunLine FY 1990-94 Short Range Transit Plan and forward the Plan with a recommendation to approve to the RCTC; 2) Not taking any action; and, 3) Request SunLine to present its Plan to the Committee at its July meeting, and recommend to RCTC provide interim operating assistance for SunLine in order not to disrupt service. Ace Atkinson stated that in his review of the Plan, he does not see anything that addresses the questions raised at the May CAC meeting on the financial commitment to the Intervalley service nor the issue of the lack of a lift equipped back-up vehicle for the SunLine dial -a -ride services. Ace Atkinson recommended that the Committee recommend to the RCTC that interim operating assistance be provided to SunLine until such time that the noted issues are adequately addressed. Hideo Sugita stated that in reviewing what was discussed at the Committee's May meeting what was included in the SunLine SRTP is a line item of $340,000 budgeted for contract services for FY 1989-90. It is a lump sum amount which is an increase of approximately a $250,000 over last years contracted services funding level. This fund would be used, subject to the completion of the Social Service Transportation Delivery Study, for addressing the study recommendations. Ace Atkinson stated that the Committee does not have a list which identifies who SunLine contracts with to provide particular services. We do not have any information that would demonstrate how a financial commitment will be maintained for at least, those folks with developmental disabilities. We do not have any information as to why SunLine has decided not to add any passengers to the intervalley service as provided through contract by Shoreline. Those folks that may be stuck out in the countryside in a lift equipped vehicle, should it break down, are at the mercy of SunLine who has apparently decided to do nothing. Terry Allen stated that since the Committee does not have the appropriate information from SunLine, that the Committee recommend to the RCTC that SunLine be provided with interim " Page 3 operating assistance until such time that SunLine provides the Committee with more information so that the Committee can make a better recommendation to the RCTC. Arnold Dickson asked what is the position of RCTC regarding recommendations that come from this committee as it applies to pressure on SunLine to do anything. Hideo Sugita stated that RCTC tries to stay out of the day- to-day operations of SunLine as it applies to the delivery of public transit services. However, RCTC is the Regional Transportation Planning Agency and is responsible for approving the SRTP. This Committee is an advisory committee that has direct input to the ROTC. ROTC looks to this Committee, particularly for public input and comments on unmet needs, and the review of the SRTP. Arnold Dickson then stated that it appears that the recommendation, as previously stated, fits the role of the Committee. Chairman Schmitt stated that the lump sum seems credible but the Committee needs additional specificity from SunLine staff addressing the questions again raised at this meeting. Lori Nickel stated that it seems that we come down to this every year with SunLine, with these little delays and now this year we are forced to recommend an interim funding arrangement. SunLine is well aware of the role and what is expected by this Advisory Committee, yet every year SunLine tries to dodge the process. Leon Overton stated that the Committee should make a recommendation for interim funding for SunLine, contingent upon SunLine making the necessary information available. Hideo Sugita stated that the recommendation to the ROTC should not be contingent upon SunLine providing the necessary information to the Committee because of the timing of meetings. The next CAC meeting where this information could be considered would be toward the end of July and SunLine could potentially have a cash flow problem by then. M/S/C (ATKINSON/ALLEN) to recommend to the Commission that interim operating assistance be provided to SunLine and request SunLine to address the Citizens Advisory Committee/Social Service Transportation Advisory Committee concerns at its July meeting. 4. Riverside Special Services Chairman Schmitt introduced Helen Wariner of Riverside Special Services (RSS), who then introduced her Supervisor, Ron Reese of the Riverside Parks and Recreation Department. " " Page 4 A package of information, including charts depicting the RSS ridership and vehicle seats available during a typical operating day and the RSS budget for FY 1989-90. Hideo Sugita said that the reason RSS was requested to talk to the Committee was due to the members hearing complaints of RSS turning down requests for service. The charts show that except for 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (trip times for workshops) there is seating availability. The maximum vehicle deployment (11 vehicles) during the day is at 10:00 a.m. and the RSS fleet size is 17 vehicles. There is additional service capacity in the existing system and it appears that the only limiting factor is the operating cost associated with deploying another vehicle and whether or not it would be productive to do so. The service is available on a 24 hour advance reservation basis, however, at 7:00-8:00 a.m. and at 3:00-4:00 p.m. the service is full with work shop riders. Yet, during the course of the day RSS will, when possible provide rides on an on demand basis. Terry Allen asked what the part time driver minimum shift requirement is for RSS and was told that it is 4 hours. Hideo Sugita stated that one of the options the Commission would be pursuing, in the near future is the development of a program using Measure A funds for the purpose of providing a service such as a subsidized cab service. This type of program would be controlled by the transit operator and the intent would be to provide additional service capacity at those times when the service is full. Helen Wariner stated that at those times when the service is full, the dispatchers inform the callers the times during the day when service is available. Leon Overton asked who owned and maintained the RSS vehicles. Helen Wariner responded saying that the City of Riverside owned the vehicles and previously the City provided maintenance for the fleet. However, significant cost savings were realized by RSS when it contracted the maintenance of the vehicles to a private vendor, S&S Garage. In fact, RSS was considering a joint maintenance contract with Meditrans in order to get a better price on maintenance. Leon Overton said that in the future he would like to see joint efforts between small transit operations, such as senior center vans and RSS to collaborate on maintenance contracts. Helen Wariner, in responding to Committee members questions, stated that there were very few requests for late night service and in fact she could name the few riders who currently use the service. i S Page 5 Ace Atkinson said that the information provided answered the question that was raised at the last meeting when the Committee reviewed RSS's SRTP. Specifically, the question was, in view of the complaints that Committee members had heard, how would RSS be able to provide additional service with their existing vehicle fleet if ridership grew at the rate projected in the SRTP? He went on to say that it appears when the requests for service become large enough to justify the cost of deploying another vehicle RSS has the vehicles to do so. Leon Overton recommended the Commission provide Committee and Commission members be issued free bus passes and make it mandatory for them to ride public transportation and that the provision of transit service (RTA) be coordinated with the closing of the shopping malls. Chairman Schmitt asked whether or not a reorganization of the RSS system would result in additional system capacity being added to the service. Helen Wariner responded that in her judgment a reorganization would not provide additional services. Helen further commented that at another meeting she heard complaints about people having to put up with a ride around the country side. This is due to RSS not restricting trips that can be made within their service area. RSS will be doing a rider survey to obtain input for improving RSS service. Ace Atkinson and Terry Allen questioned the lack of service capacity for those persons who may need service such as trips to Riverside City College for 8:00 a.m. classes and supported the use of a cab voucher service to provide those rides when the service is full. Arnold Dickson noted that the RSS average ridership has wide fluctuations (from the information provided) from 40.3 per hour with a high of 75 rides during the peak. It appears that RSS is maintaining a system that has a very low incidence of problems, relative to the services provided, therefore we should be commending RSS for their efforts. Helen commented that if RSS became open to the public (currently service is restricted to the elderly and handicapped) that the service would be in direct competition with RTA and that the fare recovery ratio would increase from 10% to 20% which would require fares to increase and would make it difficult to determine who (what groups of riders, general public, handicapped, elderly) would get what share of the available service. Dick Weeks thanked Helen for coming and stated that the taxi voucher idea needs to be well thought out because the nature of the beast in Southern California is that people want to drive their own private car and a taxi is not too far " Page 6 removed from that. He also noted that RSS is a Parks and Recreation function and is not directly a City Council function. Helen requested that the Committee invite her back in two or three months so she can complete and compile the survey she is planning to do. At such time she will share the survey results with the Committee. Chairman Schmitt thanked Helen for meeting with the Committee. 5. Social Service Transportation Delivery Study Pat Piras said the consulting team is comprised of Virginia Cerenio, who works for a for-profit company that is coordinating paratransit services for the City of San Francisco, and Dennis Guinaw who was the paratransit coordinator for Santa Clara County. Up to this time the team has been focusing on issues in Coachella Valley area and ultimately the study is intended to look at all of the county -wide issues. Primarily, the consulting team has been contacting all of the major providers of social service transit and major user groups, such as Regional Center, Office on Aging, Senior Centers, the Foundation for the Retarded of the Desert, College of the Desert, Supervisor Corky Larson, Dick Kelly Chairman of the SunLine Board, Les Cleveland, Executive Director of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments. " 1 From discussions she has found that specialized service is an unwanted child, everybody wants someone else to do it and do it better than it is currently being done. The Intervalley service is the only specialized service provided in the Coachella Valley which, up front, allows subscription trips and appears to be an exclusive service to the Foundation for the Retarded. The other tel-a-rides which are run in several of the Cities generally do not cross city boundaries, each has a different contractor, there is very little coordination between the services and there is very little training for the people running them. The current contracts from SunLine to the tel-a-ride services restrict the amount of advance reservation that is allowed and do not allow subscription services but it is not clear to what extent that is or is not being enforced. Pat Piras said that SunLine is obtaining relatively inexpensive services from the tel-a-rides because there is a cap on how much SunLine will subsidize each of the trips. There seems to be a number of inefficiencies on how those services are delivered. As an example, one of the services has a receptionist which also serves as the telephone order taker and dispatcher and she has to literally run from room to room to do her job. " " Page 7 One of the questions that the study is trying to answer is, if SunLine is not willing to continue to be the provider of record for these services, then what are the alternatives. One line of argument is that as the official transit provider for the area, SunLine has some responsibility to provide these services. However, if SunLine is not willing to provide the services, and because of that, may not do a good job doing it, then we probably do not want SunLine providing the services. At this time the consultants are trying to identify what other possibilities exist for providing the services. Pat Piras informed the Committee that one interesting thing they came across is, in most places the issue of coordination is usually driven by a perceived common enemy or with the intention of providing a better quality and quantity of service. Usually this arises out of a perceived lack of resources. What appears to be happening in the Coachella Valley area, at least from a capital stand point, there isn't a lack of resources. What generally happens when people recognize a need for transportation they commonly believe they need a vehicle. So what they do, in some cases in the Coachella Valley is call up the Bob Hope Classic and request a vehicle. The Bob Hope Classic wants to dole out some money that does not go to Eisenhower Medical Center and get its name around the community so they donated all of these vans that have an emblem that says "Donated by the Bob Hope Classic". A lot of these vehicles are just sitting around and not being effectively utilized. So there are resources available to be coordinated but pulling them together after they have their van will be difficult because they will not want to share their vehicle with others. This is an institutional problem which is very different from the standard coordination perspective. They have to find out if agencies such as the United Way or the Bob Hope Classic may be helpful in addressing some of these issues. What are other institutional arrangements? CVAG is one possibility, even though they are not particularly interested. Maybe the RCTC should take an oversight role in brokering services in that area. We need to look further and obtain a clearer view of what are the constraints and what are the opportunities and what will bring together the best collection of both services and funding resources. The timeframe for completion of the study is late summer. Ray Baca stated that the Coachella Valley area governments are not particularly interested in institutionalizing answers to problems in the area. Each local government would rather address their problems in their own way. CVAG would probably not be interested in something of this nature involving the delivery of transit services and is more " " Page 8 interested in highway funds and so forth. He believes that the people involved adequate there are they do RCTC should form a desert committee involved in subjects such as with. Ray firmly believes desert representation on the 2 or 3 desert representatives not attend, the desert area represented. and get more desert the study Pat is that there is not CAC. He knows that on the roster but if is not adequately Dick Weeks said that the CAC ought to meet, at least twice a year, in the Coachella Valley. In revisiting Item 3, the Committee strongly felt that the Minutes should reflect that the Committee was very upset that SunLine was not in attendance at the meeting and had a serious discussion on the possibility of recommending no funding for SunLine. 6. Other Items. There were no other items. 7 Adjournment. There being no other items to be discussed by the Committee, Chairman Schmitt adjourned the meeting at 3:56 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Hideo Sugita Senior Staff Analyst TO: RIVEpSIPCOUN?Y YpAN8PORTAt10NILMMISSION Citizens Advisory Committee/Social Transportation Advisory Council FROM: Hideo Sugita, Staff Analyst SUBJECT: SunLine FY 1990-94 Short Range Transit Plan Service Staff has scheduled a meeting between SunLine staff and RCTC staff to discuss the issues raised by the Citizens Advisory Committee/Social Service Transportation Advisory Council through the public input/unmet needs hearings process. This meeting will take place prior to the CAC meeting but after the mailing of this agenda. SunLine staff will be present at the meeting on July 24 to address the issues raised by the CAC at its last two meetings. RECOMMENDATION: That the Citizens Advisory Committee/Social Service Transportation Advisory Council recommend RCTC approval of the FY 1990-90 Short Range Transit Plan. TO: FROM: SUBJECT: RIVEnSQPCOUNTY TRANSPORTATION OMMISSION 1It Citizens Advisory Committee/Social Transportation Advisory Council (CAC/SSTAC) Hideo Sugita, Staff Analyst Service Committee Attendance, Meeting Places, Discussion on Increasing Coachella Valley Representation At the last meeting, the issue of inadequate participation or representation of the Coachella Valley area on the CAC/SSTAC was discussed. Attached for your review is an attendance record for the CAC/SSTAC per the Committee meeting sign in sheet. I have also taken into consideration any comments made in subsequent meeting minutes for those members who attended but did not sign the sheet, yet noted their presence in corrections to the minutes. The area I have little record of is when members called in or noted at the previous meeting that they would not be able to attend (excused/documented absences). There has been some concern, particularly as it relates to the June 26, 1989 CAC/SSTAC recommendation to the Commission on the SunLine Short Range Transit Plan, that the Coachella Valley area is not adequately represented. Committee Member Ray Baca, Cathedral City, expressed at the June meeting that the Coachella Valley is not adequately represented in the distribution of the Committee's membership. I have, from the best information possible, constructed a Committee attendance record to determine, if it is the Committee's pleasure, what members may be subject to the absence rule in the Committee's Bylaws. Please note that the attendance record, as presented, is only a first cut at determining attendance because I may not have totally accurate records. Additionally, the Committee, to my knowledge, has always met in either the County Administrative Building or the Riverside SCAG Office, both being located in Western Riverside County. The Committee should consider using other meeting places, particularly the Coachella Valley area in order to encourage and develop improved Coachella Valley involvement with the Committee. Mr. Lee Norwine, General Manager of SunLine, has offered the use of the SunLine Board Room for CAC/SSTAC meetings in the Coachella Valley. CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE LIST 1989 * * * MEMBER JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC T. ALLEN X X X A X A. ATKINSON X* X X X R. BACA X X X C. BECHTEL X X X X X M. BEGGINS X X X X R. ELDRIDGE X A X X J. JUDGE J. KENNA A H. KRAUCH X X X D. KURZ X X X X X J. MOORE X X X X A L. NICKEL X X X X X R. PARKER X X X A X C. SCHMITT X X X X X D. SENGER X X X X A D. WEEKS X X X X L. OVERTON X X X X X A. DICKSON X X T. PARADISE** D. HIGH X X=ATTENDED; BLANK=NON ATTENDANCE; A= ABSENT BUT CALLED * ** *** Sent Representative Alternate for Arnold Dickson No Meeting July 18, 1989 " " 14,01,6 Ve.) a.u.oCi " CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE LIST 1989 *** MEMBER JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC T. ALLEN X X X A X A. ATKINSON X* X X X R. BACA X X X C. BECHTEL X X X X X M. BEGGINS X X X X R. ELDRIDGE X A X X J. JUDGE J. KENNA A H. KRAUCH SC A( X X X D. KURZ X X X X X J. MOORE X X X X A L. NICKEL X X X X X R. PARKER X X X A X C. SCHMITT X X X X X D. SENGER X X X X A D. WEEKS X X X X L. OVERTON X X X X X A. DICKSON X X T. PARADISE** D. HIGH X X=ATTENDED; BLANK=NON ATTENDANCE; A= ABSENT BUT CALLED * ** *** Sent Representative Alternate for Arnold Dickson No Meeting July 18, 1989 " 4 " CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE LIST 1989 *** MEMBER JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC T. ALLEN X X X A X A. ATKINSON X* X X X R. BACA X A X A X X C. BECHTEL X X X X X M. BEGGINS X X X X R. ELDRIDGE X A X X J. JUDGE S3. KENNA' A H. KRATJCH X X X D. KURZ X X X X X J. MOORE X X X X A L. NICKEL X X X X X R. PARKER X X X A X C. SCHMITT X X X X X D. SENGER X X X X A D. WEEKS X X X X L. OVERTON X X X X X A. DICKSON X X T. PARADISE** D. HIGH X X=ATTENDED; BLANK=NON ATTENDANCE; A= ABSENT BUT CALLED * ** *** Sent Representative Alternate for Arnold Dickson No Meeting July 18, 1989 m. QL1 i2tt/u ��' a4