1. Richard H. Farr
Executive Director
York Adams
Transportation
Authority
July 19, 2012
Public Shared-Ride
Transportation for Senior Citizens, Persons with
Disabilities and Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
2. • Defining Shared-Ride
• Understanding the Infrastructure Behind the Scenes
• Human Services Transportation (HST or Shared-
Ride) Trends
• Adapting to Changes
• Expectations
• Conclusion
Agenda
3. Why Does it Exist?
• Help people with no other means to travel to critical life-
sustaining destinations (doctors, grocery, jobs)
• Alternatives are too expensive or the traveler is incapable of
traveling unassisted
• Allow seniors to age in place
Who Uses it?
• Senior citizens
• Pregnant mothers
• Adults & children with disabilities
• MH/MR workshops
• Medicaid recipients
• All riders receiving discount trips must be
pre-screened for eligibility
Defining Shared-Ride
4. What Does It Do?
• Provides
consolidated trips
(shared ride) between
origins and
destinations that are
not well-served by
fixed-route transit
service
• Operates during
limited hours, 6 am to
6 pm, with prior day
reservations required
Defining Shared-Ride
5. What Doesn’t it Do?
Provide “taxi” service (prior day reservation required)
Provide one-person, non-stop ride (too costly)
Provide Emergency Medical Transportation
6. Commonwealth History
• State Lottery – 1972
• Free Transit Program for Senior Citizens – Fixed Route - 1973
• Shared-Ride Program for Senior Citizens – Demand Responsive –
1981
• Welfare to Work - 1997
• Persons with Disabilities Transportation Program – 2001
• Human Service Transportation Study
• Act 44 of 2007
• Delivered to the Governor July 2009
Federal Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
(NEMT) (50% State + 50% Federal Funding) Administered by DPW
There are many programs each with its own Requirements, Funding
Sources and Strict Reporting Standards
PA Shared Ride Overview
9. Cost Trends
• Fuel and Insurance Costs Escalating Much Faster than Inflation
• Labor Costs Increasing Slower than Rate of Inflation
Demand
• Population Aging “In Place”
• Housing Spreading Out (Sprawl)
• Destinations Spreading Out (Sprawl)
• More “one-on-one” transportation
• More complexities requiring greater skilled
skills/management
• Medical providers who accept Medicaid
• Increased demand for independence
Trends
10. Technology
• GPS and Automatic Vehicle Location Provide More
Accurate “Real Time” Information for Customers and
Management
• Computing Power Allows for More Complex Route / Trip
Optimization, BUT Requires Local Customization &
Calibration
Private Sector
• Assuming Roles where it Makes Financial Sense
• Incurring Sizable Cost Increases as Well
Trends
14. State Budget
Cuts on Human
Observations Services
• Fares can not keep up with the Cost of Inflation 2013
Sequestration?
• Private Sector Costs are Much Higher to the Consumer
than the Cost of Providing Shared-Ride Service
• Less Subcontractors - Unable to
perform service at fare structure
• Most Needy Clients are Very
Sensitive to Out-of-Pocket Costs
• HS Programs struggle to fund
transportation
• Today’s Economy isn’t Helping
the Situation
Trends
15. What Are The Expectations of These Programs?
• Provide Low-Cost Trips to the Most Needy in Society
• Provide a Good, Safe, “Reasonable” Trip to Critical
Destinations Such As:
• Persons With Disabilities (PwD) Traveling to Work
• Senior Citizen to a Senior Center For Meals and Social
Interaction
• Low-Income Pregnant Mother Traveling to A Doctor’s Office
• Child of Low Income Parent Traveling to a Dentist’s Office
• Be Fully Funded Between Operating
Subsidies and Passenger Fares
• Meet all State and Federal Reporting
Requirements
Expectations
16. Providers Are Improving Service Efficiency By:
• Continuing to Improve, Evolve and Invest In Cutting
Edge Technology
• Improving Service Coordination
• Other Regional Providers
• Resource Sharing
• Working with HS Providers to Better
Coordinate Program Times
Service Efficiencies are Needed Due To:
• Declining Public Funding
• Customer Base Distributed More Geographically
Improving Efficiency
17. What Are YOUR
Expectations of
These Programs?
Expectations
18. HST Serves as the “Provider of Last Resort” when Other
Options are not Available or are too Expensive
• Family
• Fixed-Route Transit Service
• Carpooling Subsidies
• Taxi or Volunteer Driver Programs
What Can’t Get Lost
• Traveler’s Self-Respect
• Maintaining Health and Quality of Life
• Independent Living For Seniors and Disabled Populations
• Access to Jobs
• Safe Transportation
HST Service Reductions have a Direct Impact on Other
Public Assistance Programs (e.g. PwD can not get to
work/Centers’ Funding)
Always Consider
19. To Maintain Current Service Levels:
• Providers Continue to Seek Greater Efficiencies to Maintain
Similar Service Levels
• Travelers Will Need to Maintain Flexibility as Providers
Continue to Search for New Ways to Improve Efficiency
• Continue to Foster Coordination – at all levels
• Elected Officials Will Need to Find Creative Ways to
Finance What is A Critical Piece of The Commonwealth’s
Transportation Infrastructure in an Era of Declining
Revenues
Service Reduction:
Is an Expensive Option for the State, Federal and Local
Government (increased dependence on Emergency Medical
Care, Job Loss, Expanding Welfare Roles, etc.) and to the
Health, Safety and Welfare of Citizens
Next Steps …
