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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03 17 21 TAB Staff AgendaPlease contact the Transit Advisory Board at TAB@ci.oshkosh.wi.us with any questions or concerns TRANSIT ADVISORY BOARD STAFF AGENDA ITEMS March 17, 2021 PUBLIC COMMENT 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OLD BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS 2. NO COST TRANSPORTATION TO/FROM VACCINE APPOINTMENTS The Winnebago County Health Department asked and Valley Transit and GO Transit agreed to provide rides to and from vaccination clinics at no cost to riders starting 3/1/2021. Due to the short turn around and immediate need, we weren’t able to discuss this more in depth before the implementation however; I wanted to give the board an overview of this program. This program is designed for those which transportation and/or the cost of is an obstacle for vaccination. Service Available Valley Transit and GO Transit’s fixed-route bus services are available to provide rides to/from vaccination clinics within the service area during standard operating hours. Valley Transit and GO Transit’s ADA paratransit programs, VTII and GO Plus, respectively, are available to provide rides to/from vaccination clinics within the service area. The clinic must be located with the applicable transit system’s current ADA paratransit service area. The applicable rider must be certified to use ADA paratransit service. Bus Ride Cost (no cost to the rider, costs will be billed to the funding entities) Valley Transit agrees to charge a reduced $1 per one-way trip to and from the vaccination clinic. This includes free transfer(s) on both legs of the trip for the applicable rider. This amounts to a $2 round trip. GO Transit agreed to a similar structure, except the one-way reduced fare charged is $.75 ($1.50 round trip). TAB AGENDA ITEMS 2 March 17, 2021 Paratransit Ride Cost Valley Transit agreed to charge the current VTII fare for one-way trips provided under this program. $4 (Mon-Sat) or $11 (Sunday). GO Transit agreed to charge the current GO Plus fare for one-way trips under this program. $3 during bus service hours and $6 after bus service hours. *All paratransit rides must be scheduled by the rider or rider’s guardian at least the day before the ride is needed. For VTII, ride must be scheduled by 5PM the day before. For GO Plus, ride must be scheduled by 4:30PM the day before. Tracking & Reporting Valley Transit and GO Transit have the ability to track the bus riders as they board their first bus and then will issue a transfer for any additional routes needed to reach their final destination. For ADA paratransit rides, both transit systems utilize a contractor and will rely on the applicable scheduling & dispatch software to track the rides provided under this program. Both transit systems agree to share ridership data with the project steering committee monthly. If ridership significantly increases, we will do our best to expedite communication to the group to consider adjustments. Given the nature of this program, Valley Transit and GO Transit’s oversight of each bus rider’s trip purpose is limited. Word of mouth between riders could lead to misuse of program over time, i.e., rider obtains the “free” trip and does not intend to get a vaccination. We hope data monitoring will reveal if misuse is considerable. The Oshkosh Community Foundation’s special project fund will support rides provided and the project steering committee will advise both transit systems on program changes, if needed to mitigate misuse. Payment GO Transit and Valley Transit will send monthly invoices to the Oshkosh Community Foundation for rides provided under the program. The invoice will include the number of bus and ADA paratransit rides; per ride cost; and total cost. There is more information available on vaccines and vaccine transportation on the Winnebago County Health Department website COVID-19 Vaccine Information | Winnebago County. STAFF RECOMMENDS SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM TAB AGENDA ITEMS 3 March 17, 2021 STAFF STATEMENTS 3. Misc. Updates - Approximately 50% of transit operators have been vaccinated I-41 Commuter feasibility study update RFP for A&E services for improvements at the downtown transit center Student ridership update Quantum Automatic wheelchair securement system – a prototype has been ordered and should be received this spring. FUTURE AGENDA REQUESTS ADJOURNMENT