511 & 211 Working Together San Luis Obispo Regional Rideshare

About San Luis Obispo Rural county – population 246,681 (2000 Census) Located on the Central Coast, between Los Angeles and San Francisco

SLO Regional Rideshare Mission: To decrease vehicle trips/miles Division of the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (MPO) Programs: –Safe Routes to School –Rideshare Employer Program –Senior Transportation Options –Regional Mobility Management (JARC Grant 09) –511 Telephone and Web (Summer 2009)

SLO Regional Rideshare, cont. Services: –Personalized Trip Planning –Online rideshare matching –Online bus trip planning –Summer Break Pass –Lucky Bucks –Emergency Ride Home –Bike Month –Rideshare Week –Campaigns: Low Carbon Diet, Don’t Just Wear Green, Be Green

SLO 211 Since 1970 SLO County's only free comprehensive information, referral, support and crisis intervention service Volunteer staffed, 24 hours/day (English & Spanish) Implemented three-digit number in November 2007 In 2008, received over 19,355 calls – 57% increase from year before

511 Cont. Project began in December of 2007 Projected Go-Live is July 08 (subject to grant funding period) Telephone and web component Telephone menu options –Road conditions –Public transportation –Ridesharing –Roadside assistance –Live Spanish speaking assistance

About 511 SLO First rural 511 service in California –Little focus on “traffic” –Large focus on public transportation, rideshare and bicycle commuting First 511 to be implemented by a TDM Program –Added telephone service: road conditions, roadside assistance –Website with live travel conditions –Rebrand of Rideshare/511 Valuable service –Five fixed route transit operators, numerous Dial-a-Ride phone numbers, Senior Shuttle operators –Opportunity for cohesive, consolidated transportation information source

511 & 211 Working Together Worked together from the beginning Spanish speaking component –Limited Spanish voice recognition technology –211 has Spanish speaking staff 24-hours Same clientele –511 will become unnecessary for a majority of commuters –511 will quickly become a key resource for underprivileged and underrepresented populations –Increased mobility for 211 and increased social services assistants for clients of 511

Why work together, cont. Cohesive messaging –Cooperative marketing to dispel confusion –“For transportation information call 511, for everything else call 211” –Reach same target groups Grant opportunities –New Freedom Grant for ongoing 511 operations –Grant opportunities for 211

Questions? Morgen Marshall Rideshare Manager

211, cont. In July 2000, Federal Communications Commission assigned the three-digit dialing code 211 Currently, 209 active systems operating in all or part of 41 states, reaching roughly 192 million Americans, or approximately 65% of the US population. Implemented three-digit number in November 2007 In 2008, received over 19,355 calls – 57% increase from year before