HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-263AUGUST 24, 2010 10 -263 RESOLUTION
(CARRIED 7 -0 LOST LAID OVER WITHDRAWN )
PURPOSE: AWARD CONTRACT TO CABULANCE, INC. FOR
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR NON - AMBULATORY
PERSONS
INITIATED BY: TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
WHEREAS, the City of Oshkosh has heretofore advertised for bids to provide door -
to -door transportation for non - ambulatory persons within the city limits; and
WHEREAS, upon the opening and tabulation of bids, it appears that the following is
the most advantageous bid:
CABULANCE, INC.
2723 HARRISON STREET
OSHKOSH, WI 54901
One -Way Trip Cost: $16.25 (2011)
One -Way Trip Cost. $16.50 (2012 -2015)
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of
Oshkosh that the said bid is hereby accepted and the proper City officials are hereby
authorized and directed to enter into an appropriate agreement for the purpose of
same, all according to plans, specifications and bid on file.
Money for this purpose is hereby appropriated from:
Acct. No. 511- 1728- 6449 -00000 -- Purchased Transportation
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City of Oshkosh - Transportation Department O ON THWATER n
926 Dempsey Trail, Oshkosh, WI 54902 (920) 232 -5342 (920)232 -5343 fax
MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council
FROM: Christopher Strong, Transportation Director
DATE: August 19, 2010
RE: Transportation Services for Non - Ambulatory Persons
Background
As a Federal Transit Administration grantee, the City is required to provide complementary
paratransit service for ADA- eligible passengers who are not able to use the City bus system. The
City also offers this service beyond the required hours, so that eligible passengers have 24/7
service available to them. The City has historically contracted out for this service, and the current
contract expires at the end of 2010.
Analysis
Working in conjunction with the Purchasing Division, we developed a request for proposals
(RFP) to prospective bidders. This RFP was distributed to a list of potential bidders who received
a similar RFP from Valley Transit recently, was advertised in the local paper, was and posted
online on NovusVendor and through the state's VendorNet. Proposals were received on July 28,
2010. Four proposals were received and were quantitatively ranked by a review committee, with
70 percent being assigned to the proposer's qualifications and 30 percent assigned to the
proposer's cost of service.
The scores assigned to the different proposals resulted in very close rankings between the top
three proposals, with Cabulance, Inc. rating narrowly as the best. Based on our analysis of the
cost proposals submitted, Cabulance, Inc. was the lowest price bidder by approximately $50,000
per year.
Cabulance, Inc. is the current provider of this service. Please find attached our most recent survey
of Cabulance users regarding their satisfaction with the service.
The contract is a five -year contract, which would go into effect January 1, 2011. The lead time
allows the City to work with the contractor before implementation to address different
requirements in the new RFP. This contract may be terminated by either party with a 30 -day
written notice.
City of Oshkosh — Transportation Department
Transportation Services for Non - Ambulatory Persons / August 19, 2010
Fiscal Impact
Cabulance's rate for 2011 is $16.25 per one -way trip, and is $16.50 per one -way trip for 2012-
2015. These rates are irrespective of changes in fuel prices or general inflation. The $16.25 rate is
the same as our current contracted rate. A net increase of 1.5 percent over the duration of the
contract compares favorably to a 5 percent increase over the duration of the previous contract.
The cost of Cabulance service is offset by Federal and State aid, County aid, as well as passenger
fares. The following table demonstrates the cost recovery for each of our ADA Cabulance fare
programs based on the 2011 fare.
By law, the City cannot charge more than double the regular bus fare for complementary ADA
service. Since our regular bus fare is $1.00, this means the maximum that can be charged for a
basic ADA ( "door -to- door ") trip would be $2.00.
Based on 2009 ridership estimates of approximately 24,500 trips per year, the cost of providing
this service will be $399,000 in 2011, increasing to $405,000 per year from 2012 -2015. The local
share of this would be approximately $63,000 per year, depending on actual ridership levels.
Recommendation
The Transportation Department recommends the Common Council award the contract for
transportation services for non - ambulatory individuals to Cabulance, Inc. Please contact myself
or Director of General Services Jon Urben if you have any questions.
City of Oshkosh — Transportation Department
Basic ADA
Premium ADA
Trip Cost
$16.25
$16.25
Federal /State Aid (Assumed 57.3 %)
$9.31
$9.31
County Aid (Assumed 16 %)
$2.60
$2.60
Fare
$1.50
$2.50
Net Cost to City
$2.84
$1.84
By law, the City cannot charge more than double the regular bus fare for complementary ADA
service. Since our regular bus fare is $1.00, this means the maximum that can be charged for a
basic ADA ( "door -to- door ") trip would be $2.00.
Based on 2009 ridership estimates of approximately 24,500 trips per year, the cost of providing
this service will be $399,000 in 2011, increasing to $405,000 per year from 2012 -2015. The local
share of this would be approximately $63,000 per year, depending on actual ridership levels.
Recommendation
The Transportation Department recommends the Common Council award the contract for
transportation services for non - ambulatory individuals to Cabulance, Inc. Please contact myself
or Director of General Services Jon Urben if you have any questions.
City of Oshkosh — Transportation Department
PARATRANSIT USER SURVEY
2010
Oshkosh Transit System
926 Dempsey Trail
Oshkosh, WI 54902
(920) 232 -5341
www.oshkoshtransit.com
2010 PARATRANSIT USER SURVEY
OVERVIEW:
The Oshkosh Transit System (OTS) contracts with Cabulance, Inc. and City Cab to
provide paratransit service to Oshkosh residents eligible Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA). The service is provided 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. Users are asked
to schedule trips at least 1 day in advance, but same day service is provided.
Paratransit users are covered by two separate programs. Eligible ambulatory users
receive green cards and are served with sedans and vans under the Dial -a -Ride ADA
program. Eligible non - ambulatory users receive yellow cards and are served with lift -
equipped vans under the Cabulance program.
OTS receives and tracks paratransit user complaints via phone and written
correspondence. Most direct user complaints regard service tardiness and
driver /dispatcher attitudes.
Many users are hesitant to provide direct input to OTS about specific drivers or
dispatchers for fear of retaliation or loss of service. A mail survey was selected to allow
recent users of the system the opportunity to anonymously and candidly express their
opinions of the quality of the service. Respondents were not asked to provide their
name to the survey, unless they chose to do so.
The 2010 paratransit user survey was designed to measure customer satisfaction and
to get a sense of compliance with regulatory requirements. The survey was prepared by
OTS. All responses were sent directly to Oshkosh Transit and results were tabulated by
OTS. See Appendix A for a copy of the 2010 survey.
The last survey of users for customer satisfaction was conducted in 2001. This survey
focused on Cabulance (non - ambulatory) users.
METHODOLOGY:
Surveys with stamped self- addressed envelopes were mailed out to the 232 users of
Cabulance services on April 21, 2010. Eleven surveys were returned due to incorrect
address information. Of the 221 surveys that reached the users of the services, 74
responses were received by the May 15, 2010 deadline. This is a response rate of 33 %.
Total Surveys = 221 _ 33%
Total Responses 74
There are over 2,000 certified users of OTS's paratransit system. This survey targeted
new applicants and recently recertified applicants. The survey was mailed to users that
applied for the service or recertified between 12/1/2008 and 5/1/2009. Any responses
postmarked and received after the May 15 deadline were not included in the results
cited.
This survey was similar in design, scope, and timeframe used in the 2001 survey of
Cabulance users. The response rate for that survey was 49.7 %. Some of the results of
the 2001 survey are cited below. However, it should be noted that many Cabulance
riders may require a higher level of transportation service (driver needs to secure the
passenger and can be asked to assistance passengers in or out of residences and
facilities). This difference should be noted when comparisons between the results of the
2001 survey and this survey, which included both ambulatory and non - ambulatory
riders.
SUMMARY
Below is a summary of survey results by topic. All responses to all questions are
documented in Appendix B.
PARATRANSIT PROGRAM
Surveys were provided to users of both paratransit programs. In 2009, 62,825 trips were
provided by these programs. Cabulance users accounted for 39% of rides taken in
2009, while 61% were Dial -a -Ride ADA users.
2010 Survey:
• 38% of respondents utilize Cabulance and 62% utilize Dial -a -Ride ADA
USAGE
The frequency of rides taken by users helps to indicate the importance of the service to
individuals with disabilities. This info can also be used to project future demand if the
number of additional users is known.
2010 Survey:
• 6% used the service daily
• 30% of riders used the service at least once a week
• 49% used the service 2-4 days per month
TRIP PURPOSE:
Under ADA, OTS does not limit trip purpose. Historically, the number one paratransit
trip purpose has been medical. In the 2001 survey, 49% of respondents indicated they
used the service for medical trips.
2010 Survey:
52% used the service for medical purposes, followed by shopping (25 %) and
entertainment (20 %)
• Work (6 %) and school (2 %) trips accounted for only 8% of the trip purposes selected
by respondents
SCHEDULING. TIMELINESS & TRIP DENIALS:
Timeliness is very important to customers, who rely on the service to make medical
appointments and other important trips. On -time performance is also regulated under
ADA. The vehicle must arrive within a 30- minute window in order to be considered on-
time. This window ranges from 15 minutes prior to the scheduled pick -up time to 15
minutes after. Many transit systems require a 24 hour advance notice in order to receive
paratransit services. This policy helps dispatchers ensure timely service. OTS highly
recommends a 1 -day advanced notice, but will accept same day requests if there is
capacity.
2010 Survey:
• 43% of riders scheduled their trip the same day
• 57% requested their trips more than 1 day in advance
Trip denials occur when the dispatcher is unable to schedule a pick -up time within one
hour of the requested time. This does not include requested trips outside of the City
Limits.
The requirements of ADA for on -time performance and trip denials are only applicable
during the fixed -route bus hours of the Oshkosh Transit System. This survey did not
make this distinction.
2010 Survey:
• 84% of respondents said the service was on time
• 3% of respondents said they were denied a trip
• All respondents that usually schedule trips 1 day or more in advance reported that
they had not been denied a trip
DISPATCH, DRIVERS, AND VEHICLES
The survey included a section that allowed respondents to rate several aspects of the
service. This info can be used to focus on areas were improvement is needed.
2010 Survey:
71% of respondents were satisfied with the service arriving on time
• 83% were satisfied with dispatcher courtesy
• 91% were satisfied with driver courtesy
77% were satisfied with the driver's sensitivity to their needs
• 84% were satisfied with the cleanliness of the vehicle
• 81% were satisfied with the maintenance of the vehicle
• 82% were satisfied with the quality of the ride
OVERALL SERVICE
Respondents were asked to evaluate the service over the past 12 months. This info will
help to evaluate the effect of recent ownership and policy changes at City Cab and
Cabulance. Additionally, OTS is in the process of re- bidding all paratransit services.
Cabulance will be rebid for January 1, 2011. The results of the survey and this question
help to indicate the level of service.
2010 Survey:
• 27% of respondents felt the service was improving
• 65% felt the service was about the same
• 8% felt the service was declining
24 HOUR NOTICE:
As noted above, on -time performance can be improved by requiring 24 hour advanced
notice for trip requests. Respondents were asked if they would favor this policy to
increase service timeliness.
2010 Survey:
• 58% of respondents were in favor of requiring 24 hour advance notice
• 74% of respondents that already reserve trips more than 1 day in advance were in
favor of this requirement
• 61% of respondents that usually rely on same day service were not in favor of this
requirement
COMMENTS
Respondents were asked to provide any other comments or input related to service.
Summary of Complaints:
• Long wait for will -calls (will -call is a return trip after medical appointment)
• Drivers are rude
• Dispatchers are rude — 2 occurrences
• Unsafe drivers /speeding - 2
• Long wait times /late — 3
• Too many people in vehicle
• Some drivers don't talk
• Don't like rear loading vehicles
• Drivers should help passengers more
• Problems with specific drivers — 3
• Vehicle interior smells bad
Summary of Compliments:
• Cab is safe
• Valuable /great service - 11
• Drivers are good dealing with traffic
• Drivers are nice - 2
Summary of Other Comments:
• Extend reduced fare to 11 pm and Sundays
• Cab company should call rider when they are going to be late
• Need more night drivers
Need more dispatchers
CONCLUSIONS
The survey shows the overall importance of paratransit program to the disabled
community and that that most respondents are satisfied with the service. For many, it is
their only means of transportation in the City of Oshkosh. The results of the survey also
indicate some areas of concern for Oshkosh Transit. Below are observations and some
activities /procedures that will be implemented to resolve concerns and improve the
service.
On -time performance is the key to effective paratransit service. The service must obtain
low occurrences of late pick -ups. While 84% of respondents said the vehicle arrives on
time, only 71 % rated the on -time performance as satisfactory under question #7. It
should be noted that both of these numbers are skewed by the high number of
respondents that primarily schedule rides for same day service. Regardless of how trips
are scheduled, achieving higher levels of on -time performance is a constant goal.
To improve service timeliness, OTS will investigate shifting more trips to 1 day or more
in advance scheduling. Given the daily demand for service, it is difficult to provide timely
demand response service without more advanced scheduling. Same day service
requests impact overall service timeliness, which impacts the service requestor and
may lead to late pick -ups for riders that had made advanced reservations. Since a
significant number of users rely on same day service, it may be necessary to maintain
some form of same day service. If advanced scheduling is not required, then incentives
or disincentives may help to encourage more riders to schedule trips in advance.
OTS currently requires the Cabulance contractor to report trip denials. These reports
have indicated very few denials each year. Many months there are no denials. The
2010 survey validates the contractor's reports and indicates that the service is compliant
with this section of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Specifically, there is not a pattern
of practice for trip denials.
Other actions resulting from the 2010 survey:
• Oshkosh Transit personnel will meet with Cabulance /City Cab management to
discuss the results of the survey and areas where improvements are warranted.
• Oshkosh Transit will require better data from paratransit contractor to monitor on-
time performance system -wide. This will be done on a monthly basis when
contractor's data reporting is upgraded.
• Oshkosh Transit will continue to post complaint procedures in the Cabulance
vehicles. Passengers will be able to immediately report complaints to the appropriate
OTS transit coordinator without fear of retribution.
• All complaints will be handled confidentially and with priority status. OTS will
continue to work with Cabulance to investigate and resolve all complaints
expeditiously.
• Oshkosh Transit will review training procedures of Cabulance for drivers and
dispatchers. Recommendations, if appropriate, will be made to enhance service.
• OTS personnel will update brochures that explain the paratransit programs and
inform riders about service requirements /rider expectations. This will be one avenue
to motivate riders to schedule trips in advance when possible.
APPENDIX A
DIAL -A -RIDE & CABULANCE RIDER SURVEY
Please complete this survey and return it in the enclosed stamped self -
addressed envelope by Saturday, May 15, 2010. Responses will be kept
strictly confidential. Please check only one response unless otherwise
stated.
1. What paratransit service do you use?
0 Cabulance (yellow card) 0 Dial -a -Ride ADA (green card)
2. How often do you use the paratransit service?
0 Daily = 2 -4 days per week 0 2 -4 days per month
Less than 2 days per month Once
3. Why do you use the service? (Check all that apply)
Shopping = Medical purposes 0 Visit family or friends
0 Work 0 School = Entertainment (restaurant, movies, etc.)
4. How far in advance do you usually request your trip?
= Same day 0 1 day in advance 0 2 -4 days in advance
0 More than 4 days in advance
S. If you have scheduled your trip a day or more in advance, does
the vehicle arrive on -time or within 15 minutes before or after
the scheduled pick -up time?
= Yes = No
6. In the past year, have you ever been denied a trip? [Note: A trip
denial occurs when the dispatcher is unable to schedule a pick -up within
one hour before or after your requested pick -up time. Denials do not
include denied trip requests to locations outside of the City.]
0 Yes 0 No
Survey continues on reverse side
7. On a scale of 1 to 5 with: S =Very satisfied
(VS);
4= Satisfied
(S);
3= Neutral or not sure (N); 2= Unsatisfied
(U); and
1 =Very
unsatisfied (VU), rate the following aspects of the
service.
VS
S
N
U
VU
Arriving on time
5
4
3
2
1
Courtesy when calling for service
5
4
3
2
1
Courtesy of drivers
5
4
3
2
1
Drivers sensitivity to your needs
5
4
3
2
1
Cleanliness of the vehicles
5
4
3
2
1
Maintenance of the vehicles
5
4
3
2
1
Quality of the ride
5
4
3
2
1
S. What best describes the overall level of the service over the past
12 months?
0 Improving 0 About the same Declining
9. Would you favor requiring requests for service to be made 24
hours in advance, if it would result in more on -time service?
= Yes 0 No
10. Do you have any other comments or suggestions regarding the
paratransit service? (If needed, feel free to attach additional pages)
APPENDIX B
2010 Paratransit User Survey Responses
Question #1 What paratransit service do you use?
FrP_auenry Percent
Cabulance
Dial -a -Ride
Total
27
38%
44
62%
71
100%
Question #2 How often do you use the paratransit service?
Freauencv Percent
Daily
2 -4 days per week
2 -4 days per month
Less than 2 days per
month
Once
Total
4
6%
16
24%
33
49%
9
13%
6
9%
68
100%
Question #3 Why do you use the service?
Freauencv Percent
Shopping
Medical purposes
Visit family or friends
Work
School
Entertainment
Total
31
25%
63
52%
19
16%
7
6%
2
2%
25
20%
122
100%
Question #4 How far in advance do you usually request your trip?
Freauencv Percent
Same day
1 day in advance
2 -4 days in advance
More than 4 days in
advance
Total
27
43%
20
32%
15
24%
1
2%
63
100%
Question #5 If you have scheduled your trip a day or more in
advance, does the vehicle arrive on -time or within 15 minutes before
or after the scheduled pick -up time?
Freauencv Percent
Yes
No
Total
46
84%
9
16%
55
100%
Question #6 In the past year, have you ever been denied a trip?
Freauencv Percent
Yes
No
Total
2
3%
66
97%
68
100%
Question #7 On a scale of 1 to 5 with: 5 =Very satisfied (VS); 4= Satisfied (S); 3= Neutral or not
sure (N); 2= Unsatisfied (U); and 1 =Very unsatisfied (VU), rate the following aspects of the
service.
Arriving on time
Frequency
Percent
Very Very
Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Unsatisfied Unsatisfied
Total
66
100%
Average Score 3.8
Courtesy when calling for service
Very Very
Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Unsatisfied Unsatisfied
Frequency
Percent
Average Score 4.1
Courtesy of drivers
Frequency
30
10
8
1
26%
Percent
15%
12%
2%
Average Score 4.3
Driver's sensitivity to your needs
Very
Very
Satisfied
Satisfied
Neutral
Unsatisfied
Unsatisfied
Frequency
Percent
Average Score 4.0
Cleanliness of the
vehicle
Frequency
Percent
Average Score 4.1
17
30
10
8
1
26%
45%
15%
12%
2%
26
29
7
2
2
39%
44%
11%
3%
3%
Very Very
Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Unsatisfied Unsatisfied
31
29
5
0
1
47%
44%
8%
0%
2 %
23 28
11
1
3
35% 42%
17%
2%
5%
Very Very
Satisfied Satisfied Neutral tJnsatisfied Unsatisfied
21 34
6
3
1
32% 52%
9%
5%
1 2%
Total
66
100%
Total
66
100%
Total
66
100%
Total
65
100%
Maintenance of vehicles
Frequency
Percent
Very Very
Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Unsatisfied Unsatisfied
19
34
9
2
2
29%
52%
14%
3%
3%
Total
66
100%
Average Score 4.0
Quality of the ride
Frequency
Percent
Very Very
Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Unsatisfied Unsatisfied
25
29
6
3
2
38%
44%
1 9%
1 5%
3%
Average Score 4.1
Question #8 What best describes the overall level of service over the past 12 months?
Frequency Percent
Improving
About the same
Declining
Total
18
27%
43
65%
5
8%
66
100%
Question #9 Would you favor requiring requests for service to be made 24 hours
in advance, if it would result in more on -time service?
Frequency Percent
Yes
No
Total
39
58%
28
42%
67
100%
Total
65
100%