Steering Committee Meeting United We Ride Plan Update Coordinated

1. Steering Committee Meeting United We Ride Plan Update Coordinated Public Transit / Human Services Transportation Planning In Collaboration with: Thursday, Sept. 20, 2011

2. Today’s Agenda Welcome and Project Purposes Presentations Report of Findings from Agency Survey, including Themes from two prior meetings Preliminary Findings of Outreach Overview of RVTD ‘s Tiered Service Improvements Steering Group Discussion Prioritizing Transportation Gaps/Needs of Three Target Groups Identifying strategies to meet needs Projects and Partners

3. 2012 United We Ride Coordinated Plan • Study area -- • Jackson County • Considers region – given regional trips and two-county impacts, given RVCOG two-county focus • Working and not working? • Unmet mobility needs of 3 target groups? • What coordinated transportation exists ? • What strategies and projects can meet needs? Shelf-ready project list….prioritized for future funding opportunities

4. Themes from: Prior Steering Group Meetings and UWR Plan Existing Conditions Drawn From Secondary Sources

5. Themes • Overall population growth – • 12% over past decade; more growth anticipated • Region clearly impacted by Great Recession – • Jackson Co. – 21,000 persons/ 150% poverty level • Increased poverty levels for: • Children • Working and non-working adults • Hispanic persons • Persons with disabilities • Older persons • Additional target group – veterans • Older vets aging in place/ caregiver needs too • Interest in rural areas for newly returning vets

6. Themes • Trip type needs – • Medical trips, for those on Medicaid - covered • Work trips and job seeking trips - needed • Living wage employment • Sundays • New Saturday service a boon • Before 5 or 6 a.m. and after 8 p.m.? • Trip needs outside RVTD district boundaries: • Shady Cove, Upper Rogue • Gold Hill, Rogue River • Grants Pass • Trip needs within district; not on existing RVTD service footprint or beyond Valley Lift ¾ mile • Individualized trips – trip chaining ,door thru door

7. Themes • Other areas of need – • Affordability of transit • Information tools • 2-1-1 Centralized Information • Agency staff limited transit understanding • Travel training opportunities • Other connections • Opportunities – • TransLink and URCC brokered service • RSVP volunteer driver program • Living Opportunities vehicle loaner program

8. Highlights of Agency Survey

9. Agency Survey – Respondents Survey distributed July and August 54 total agencies (49 unduplicated) Reporting total caseload almost 70,000

10. Agency Survey – Respondents CHILDREN, YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS Family Nurturing Center Magdalene Home CASA of Jackson County Boys & Girls Club of the Rogue Valley Maslow Project Mediation Works Southern Oregon Child & Family Council Headstart Rogue Retreat Rogue Valley Family YMCA United Way of Jackson County DISABILITIES DSAC Easter Seals Oregon Jackson County DD Services Living Opportunities, Inc. Phoenix Counseling RVCOG – Senior & Disability Services Rogue Retreat Southern Oregon GOODWILL The ARC Jackson County SENIORS AARP Central Point Senior Center RVCOG – Senior & Disability Services Medford Senior Center Food & Friends, RVCOG Ridgeview Assisted Living Rogue Valley Manor Community Services Wynwood Rogue Valley Upper Rogue Community Center VETERANS Veterans Administration VA SORCC – Voc Rehabilitation Program Veterans Administration/ DAV VA SORCC CNH Program LOW-INCOME Ashland Emergency Food Bank Community Works Hearts with a Mission Housing Authority of Jackson County Salvation Army

11. Agency Survey - Clientele Varying clientele groups well-represented

12. Agency Survey – Transportation Role Multiple roles - 28 respondents reporting some transportation function

13. Agency Survey – Transportation Role Transportation information/ arranging role most common

14. Agency Survey – Transportation Role Respondents are spending $s on transportation – operating or contracting

15. Agency Survey – Role by Type Providers split between public and non-profits -more non-profit, non-provider agencies

16. Agency Survey - Providers Services directly operated – 12 Agencies directly operating; significant reliance upon volunteers

17. Agency Survey - Providers Subsidizing bus passes – In addition to RVTD’s bus pass program with United Way and ACCESS, 8 other agencies are distributing RVTD bus pass or tokens.

18. Agency Survey - Providers Contracting for transportation – 8 organizations procuring needed transportation via contract.

19. Agency Survey – Themes in Unmet Needs Breadth of unmet needs reported.

20. Agency Survey – Themes in Unmet Needs Top-rated needs are individualized or beyond existing RVTD network.

21. Agency Survey – Themes in Unmet Needs Reported needs differ somewhat by transportation role

22. Agency Survey – Themes in Unmet Needs Other reported needs – Sunday service in White City and for vets in residence at SCORCC (325) Appointments and groups ending after 8 p.m. Some dialysis trips Route to Amy’s Kitchen and at shift changes Consistent service to east end of Ashland Groceries: twice monthly to Winco & Food 4 Less Regional trips: Josephine County, Cave City, Gold Hill, Grants Pass and Upper Rogue

23. Agency Survey – Barriers to Mobility For Vets At VA, no lift-equipped vehicles Not all can get to DAV pick-up points Other Barriers Affordability – costs to riders; agencies limited budgets for tokens & passes Physical infrastructure and pedestrian safety in getting to bus – crossing 4+ lanes of traffic Inconvenience – time traveling, waiting for bus, Valley Lift window of 15/30/45 minutes RVTD schedules – early a.m., eves, Sundays

24. Agency Survey – Coordination Interests Bus passes & information needs highest rated

25. Agency Survey – Coordination Interests Second tier interests are also opportunities.

26. Agency Survey – Coordination Interests Collaborative county Multiple informal relationships and arrangements around transportation Several formal contracts Second tier interests are also opportunities.

27. Agency Survey - Budgets Almost $300,000 in transportation funds reported by 10 agencies

28. Stakeholder Outreach Effort

29. Who We’ve Talked ToStakeholders • Metro Medical • RV Medical Center • Harry and David • Goodwill • Ashland Senior Center • Call a Ride Program • Maslow Program • United Way • RSVP • La Clinica • STEPS • Ashland Food Bank • VASORCC • Housing Authority • Rogue Community College • ACCESS

30. Who We’ve Talked ToFocus Groups of Constituents • La Clinica Clients • Veterans • DASIL Consumers • WIC Program Participants (Mothers)* • Medford Senior Center*

31. Key Themes from Interviews and Focus Groups

32. Key Themes: What is Working • RVTD providing excellent quality service during the times when they operate • Much appreciation for new Saturday and later evening service • High marks for bus operators, vehicles and reliability • Non-emergency medical transportation • TransLInk • Call a Ride - RSVP • DAV • Services for Developmentally Disabled programs • Highly collaborative social service community working to meet many needs • 211 Program is now live

33. Key Themes: What is Needed • Specific trip segments to increase transit access to employment and education opportunities • TIME: • Early morning (e.g. Harry & David) • Evening (retail, restaurant, Industrial) • Sundays (retail) • PLACE: • Amy’s Kitchen, and other industrial work sites • Eagle Point • Grant’s Pass • Table Rock Campus

34. Key Themes: What is Needed • New services to north portion of RVTD District • Connect Central Point – White City – Eagle Point • Growing affordable housing (New Housing Authority Complex in White City) • RCC Table Rock Campus • Amy’s Kitchen/Industrial Areas • Central Point La Clinica (Hammerick Rd) • Wal-Mart in Eagle Point

36. Key Themes: What is Needed • Eagle Point • Wal-Mart • Growing low income community • Need to get to RCC campuses - Table Rock and Medford • STEPS program

37. Key Themes: What is Needed • Other unserved destinations within Medford area • East Medford (Spring Street/Springbrook Extension area) • Maple Terrace Housing Authority Complex

38. Key Themes: What is Needed • Ashland • Improved access to food bank in Ashland • Mountain Meadows and other retirement communities north-east of freeway • Hospital • East Main and north of there • Better distribution of bus tokens purchased by City of Ashland, availability of free passes provided by RVTD

39. Key Themes: What’s Needed • Unserved Pockets in rural areas • Gold Hill • Shady Cove • Applegate area

40. Key Themes: What’s Needed • Regional Trips • Grant’s Pass for Jobs, Courts and RCC • Lack of information about what is currently available (Greyhound, Amtrak Thruway, other private carriers) • Affordability issues

41. Key Themes: What is Needed • Recreational Trips • Veterans – Saturday evenings, Sundays and Holidays • Disability Population – after 8 pm • Older Adults - Churches, Community Concerts

42. Themes: What’s Needed • Enhanced Communications • Stakeholders not fully aware of services available (e.g. Saturday service) • Eligibility for specialized services not always well understood • Google Transit not well known

43. Key Themes: What’s Needed • Transit Affordability • Transit is a better value for lower income families than owning/maintaining a vehicle. • Lowest income populations struggle to pay fares and often run out of money before end of month. • Free ride program is very appreciated • 22 rides over 3 months is limiting. • Equity of free pass distribution – Medford only. • New one-transfer policy disliked by some riders.

44. Key Themes: What’s Needed • Built Environment • Better Pedestrian/Bicycle Access • Built environment is highly auto oriented • Not pedestrian friendly • Locating of human service and educational destinations relevant to transit • Social Services • Housing Authority • RCC

45. Key Themes • Jobs Access – critical trip segments • Time and Place • Central Point-White City-Eagle Point Connection • Eagle Point • Unserved pockets (within Medford) • Ashland (unserved areas) • Unserved Pockets (rural areas) • Regional Trips • Recreational Trips • Enhanced Communications • Transit Affordability • Built Environment

46. RVTD Services and Tiered Strategic Planning Direction

47. RVTD Transit Services • RVTD Fixed Route • General public riders • RVTD Valley Lift • Persons certified as ADA eligible for complementary paratransit • Trips within ¾ mile of fixed-route • RVTD PLUS • Non-medical trips for DHS eligible riders; 1 ½ mile • RVTD DD53 (new program) • Workshop/ employment trips for eligible riders • Way To Go promoting alternatives to driving

49. RVTD’s Tiered Strategic Plan

50. Available Public Transit