FREEdom and Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) CALACT Conference April 2019 Toan Tran Director of Mobility and Strategic Affairs

About San Joaquin Regional Transit District Service Area: 1,426 square miles Population: 745,424 Annual Revenue Vehicle Hours: 0.2 million Annual Ridership: 3.5 million

Dial-A-Ride At A Glance DAR Statistics Total Passengers Currently Eligible : 1,496 Average Daily Trips in 2015: 170 Average Daily Trips in 2018: 220 Although we have a relatively small client base, on average we provide We have experienced close to a 30% growth in the number of trips in the last 4 years. At this rate it is very difficult to sustain this service considering the finite budget. That’s why we’ve had to implement more lower cost transportation options to help shift demand.

Innovative Options FREEdom Program Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP)

What is the FREEdom Program? Allows ADA-certified passengers to ride fixed-routes free of charge Provides passengers with additional mobility options to travel Started as a one year pilot project Launched March 19, 2017

Conducted an Evaluation After One Year Compared DAR usage before and after receiving a FREEdom Pass Criteria: ADA-certified six months prior to receipt of a FREEdom Pass and active six months after Of 145 individuals with FREEdom passes, 16 met the criteria 34% reduction in DAR trips Recommendation – Extend program Total of 145 FREEdom passes issued from March 2017-March 2018. 16/145 FREEdom card holders met the criteria to provide data. Criteria: FP holders who were ADA-certified at least six months before receiving the FP and certified at least six months after receiving the FP.

What is the Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP)? Mileage reimbursement service that enables ADA-certified passengers to compensate relatives, friends, and neighbors for providing them with transportation assistance To empower person with disabilities to travel to and from medical appointments with freedom and flexibility Available to all ADA-certified passengers Started as a one year pilot project Launched March 19, 2018 This program provides passengers with freedom and flexibility to travel when they want and who they want

How Does it Work? Recruit drivers from relatives, friends, and neighbors Complete and submit waiver forms Track and record mileage for each trip and submit a mileage report at the end of month to receive reimbursement Receive maximum IRS standard mileage rate for reimbursement

How is VIP going? Currently 40 ADA-certified passengers enrolled 614 trips reimbursed since March 2018 175 monthly average miles reimbursed

Lessons Learned Challenges Market programs without generating additional demand on DAR service Establish VIP parameters that offer both flexibility to the customers and safeguards the agency Positives Provide additional mobility options Shift demand from paratransit to fixed-route Cost avoidance – approx. $40K annually for both programs