CalACT Spring Conference San Diego April 2004 Innovations in Transportation for Welfare-to-Work Metropolitan Transportation Commission Metropolitan Transportation Commission
MTC Overview � MTC is the Transportation Planning, Coordinating, and Financing Agency for the 9 county S.F. Bay Area � Created in 1970 � MTC is the regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) Population � MTC is the Metropolitan Bay Area 6,783,760 Planning Organization San Jose 894,943 (MPO) San Francisco 776,733 Oakland 399,484
What is an MPO? � Transportation Funding: allocation of state funds, programming of federal funds � Planning: Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) identifies long-range transportation investments � Coordination of services and programs � Advocacy/Legislative Role
MTC’s Welfare-to-Work Activities to Date: Nine countywide Welfare-to-Work plans � Regional Welfare-to-Work Plan, adopted by MTC in � 2001 Regional “Lifeline Transit Network” in the 2001 RTP � Initiated study on affordability of transportation � Initiated Community-Based Transportation Plans � Sponsorship of Low Income Flexible Transportation � (LIFT) Program
Countywide Welfare-to-Work Plans: Key Findings � Gaps exist in the public transit network � Not all transportation needs are best met by public transit � Issue: Transportation for children to school and day care � Cost of Transportation is a barrier � Strategies for auto ownership: viable solution
Lifeline Transportation Network: What did we learn? � Where are the disadvantaged communities located? � Where do people living in low-income communities need to go? � How well does the existing public transit network serve the needs of low-income communities?
Lifeline Transportation Network: Methodology � Mapped CalWORKs home addresses � Identified and mapped key destinations for transit dependent people � Includes schools or day care centers, employment sites, hospitals or other medical facilities, grocery stores, community and recreational centers, etc. � Identified and mapped existing transit routes
Lifeline Transit Route � Serves high concentrations of key destinations; or � Serves low-income communities as defined by high concentrations of CalWORKs households; or � Is part of the transit operator’s core service network as defined by that operator; or � Is a key regional link
Identifying Gaps � Spatial gaps: No transit service exists to serve low-income communities or key destinations. � Temporal gaps: Times of day or frequencies do not match desired Lifeline Transit Network Standards.
Lifeline Analysis: Key Findings 43% of region’s public transit routes considered � “Lifeline” 83% of Lifeline routes directly serve � neighborhoods with high concentrations of CalWORKs residents Very limited or no late night or weekend service � available outside urban core Not all gaps are best met by adding more bus � service: need for solutions developed at the neighborhood level
LIFT Program � Established in 2000: 32 Projects funded to date through 2006 � Projects address gaps identified in welfare- to-work plans and Lifeline analysis � Goal: Promote collaboration between social service and transportation agencies
MTC’s Role � Recipient of JARC grants/provides additional funding � Solicits projects consistent with previous planning efforts � Contracts with sponsors � Disburses funding � Administrative oversight � Evaluation/Information Sharing
Types of LIFT Projects: Total 32 Projects M obi l i ty M anager 9% Fi xed-R oute A uto P rogram s 34% 6% Fare A ssi stance 6% G R H 13% C hi l drens' shuttl es Shuttl es/D 16% R esponse 16%
Projects to Spotlight: � Santa Rosa Route 15: New bus route � OUTREACH Give Kids a Lift: transportation for low-income children in Santa Clara County � San Leandro Shuttle � Auto Programs
Santa Rosa Route 15 � New route initiated in 1999 with JARC earmark received by City � Supplemented with MTC LIFT funds � Route designed in consultation with social service agencies � Ridership has steadily increased: 150,000 trips provided in one year � Successfully transitioned into City’s service
Santa Rosa Route 15
OUTREACH Give Kids A Lift: Santa Clara County � Provides transportation for children after school to day care or other supervised activities � Private-non-profit contracts for service � Included in RFP for paratransit � Service provided in vans or sedans � Attendant rides on every trip � 26,000 trips provided in one year
OUTREACH
San Leandro Shuttle � Operated by City of San Leandro � Shuttle service from BART to local employment centers not well served by local bus � Pilot funded for 2 years � Seeking establishment of Business Improvement District for sustainability
San Leandro Shuttle
Auto Programs: Contra Costa County KEYS Auto Loan � Provides up to $3,000 for 2 year car loan at competitive interest rates � 60 loans per year � Requirements: auto diagnostic test, budget management class � 50% JARC, TANF funding (no public transit dollars)
Auto Programs: San Francisco City Car Share � Expands car-share program in low-income neighborhoods in SF � Allows access to autos for occasional or emergency use � JARC funds subsidize fees for CalWORKs recipients � Extensive outreach/marketing
City CarShare
LIFT Program Sponsors: 20 Sponsors for 32 Projects P ri vate N on -P rofi t P u bl i c Tran si t 10% O perators 40% C ou n ti es 35% C i ti es 15%
LIFT Program Sources/Amounts Of Funds: 2000–2006 T otal : $20, 401, 148 5, 000, 000 4, 500, 000 4, 000, 000 3, 500, 000 3, 000, 000 2, 500, 000 2, 000, 000 1, 500, 000 1, 000, 000 500, 000 0 JA R C C M A Q /ST P T D A /ST A Local Fares T A N F/D O L C i ty/C ounty O ther T ransi t
LIFT Program Funding Sources Tot al : $20, 401, 148 O ther JA R C C i ty/C ounty 6% 15% 4% TA N F/D O L 12% Fares C M A Q /STP 5% 22% Local Transi t TD A /STA 20% 16%
LIFT Program Evaluation: Cycle One Key Findings � 13 projects funded 2000–2003 � $5 million federal transportation + $5 million local match � Combination expanded or new bus routes, emergency ride home, shuttles
Project Sustainability U nknow n C ont/reduced C onti nued 1 1 7 Extended 3 D i sconti nued 1
More Key Findings � More than 50% of projects will continue beyond grant cycle � Difficulty in quantifying direct benefits for CalWORKs recipients � Anecdotally, service well received by passengers, social service and transportation agencies
Key Findings: Challenges � Social service agencies aren’t transportation “experts,” and vice versa � Funding: sustainability will be an issue with decline in economy � Quantifying results of projects: “units of service” inconsistent � Complex funding arrangements
Key Findings: Benefits � LIFT Program provides a wide range of non-traditional transportation solutions � Multiple sources of funding has allowed the program to grow � Projects designed at community level � Baseline of important new data sources
Future Goals � Document “success stories” for future advocacy efforts � Quantify project outcomes � Foster collaboration between transit and social service agencies � Seek creative funding solutions
Advocacy: What can we do? � Maintain or increase current levels of JARC funds in transportation bill’s reauthorization � TANF Reauthorization: support flexibility in use of funds for transportation � Seek flexible interpretation of regulations at the local level � Bring resources to the table � Document needs through planning process
M e t r o p o l i t a n T r a n s p o r t a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n M e t r o p o l i t a n T r a n s p o r t a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n
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