Mountain Empire Older Citizens Inc. Mike Henson, Transit Director MEOC Transit Age Old Values for All Ages Marilyn Maxwell, Executive Director E. Dennis Horton, Deputy Directorwww.meoc.org A Coordination Story

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 2 Mountain Empire Older Citizens Older Americans Act Services Children’s Services (CAC, FGP) Transportation Services (MEOC Transit) – Public Transit – Human Service Transit – Medicaid Transportation Many Other Services

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 3 MEOC Transit FY05 Elderly Undup Riders 432 FY05 Non-Aging Services Undup Riders 2,500+ FY05 Total Trips 101,577

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 4 Our Roads FY05 Revenue Vehicle Miles 819,049 FY05 Revenue Vehicle Hours 48,085 About 3,300 Miles Per Day About 200 Hrs Per Day

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 5 Our Towns and Country 3 Counties + 1 City 1,400 Square Miles 92,000 Population 25% Elderly 25% Poverty 25% with Disability

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 6 Our Fleet & Facility 40 Buses 5 Vans 4 Cars 6 SUV’s 1 Pickup

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 7 Our People

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 8 MEOC Transit History Began Operations 1974 Public Transit Funding 1983 Medicaid Pilot Project # Fixed Route Mgt Contract 1987 MH Transportation Contract 1988 MR Transportation Contract 1990

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 9 Transit History Continued 2-way Comm./Comp. Scheduling 1991 Founding Member CTAV 1992 Virginia Rural Transit System of Year 1995 Medicaid Pilot Project #2 – CAPITATED Brokerage FTA Administrator’s Award 2004 Transit Facility ($1.06M)

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 10 How MEOC Transit Grew Incrementalism in Funding & Geography Be Willing to Take Calculated Risks Apply Standard Business Principles Have an “Anchor” Site or Service Connect People to CORE Services Connect Adjacent Economic Communities

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 11 Growth Diagramed Senior Site Shopping Center MH/MR Day Treatment Transportation Service Area Stages Over Months & Years Stage 1 Stage 3 Stage 2 Stage 4 Connect to Adjacent Economic Center Stage 5

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 12 Coordination Benefits Users Pay Proportionate to Consumption Charge Based upon Actual Unit Costs Economies of Scale Slow Unit Cost Growth Reduce/Eliminate Duplicative Services Appropriate Multi-Agency Staff Training Centralized Tracking / Mgt / Billing

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 13 Coordination Concerns What if It … (insert list of ALL that could go wrong, no matter how ridiculous it sounds, because you have to plan for it) What if You(r) … (goes wrong) What if I … (need / decide to / have to) How will I / We / You …. (since I don’t control all of the process and players anymore)

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 14 Concerned Answers #1 Separate the wheat from the chaff – Not everyone who comes to the meetings wants this to happen. At some point, wrap that meeting up with “…I think A, B, F and I need to meet separately since we seem to be the most ready and able to move quickly on at least some issues. As soon as we finish that we can all get back together again for the next step.”

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 15 Concerned Answers #2 Concentrate on what can reasonably be done, now, with the people who have expressed a genuine desire to cooperate – You may start with an unwritten agreement between You and One Other Agency that you will carry occasional passengers for one another. Be sure this flows with authority.

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 16 Adaptability Coordination Without Adaptability Unsustainable Improvise, Adapt, Overcome (Thanks USMC) Be Willing to Take Calculated Business Risks

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 17 The Puzzle You have to Build Your Puzzle! – Public Transit – Aging – MH/MR/DISAB – Medicaid ½ of All 5311 Human Service Revenues (CTAA)

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 18 Long Term Coordination Effects

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 19 Results

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 20 Current Issues Nationally – HS Transportation Spending $34.79 Per Year Per TD Person – Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Joint Hearing on Coordinating Human Services Transportation Public Transit Deficit Funded Everyone Wants to Pay Fare Not Cost Coordination Seldom Actually Mandated Some Can’t Pay At All – “Gap Funding”

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 21 The Challenge See the Opportunities in What Could Be Overcome Agencies’ Narrow Focus Enact Requirements for Coordination “Fund the Gap” of Transportation Public Transit Deficits HS Regs & Non-Mandated Transport. Florida Model ( Title XXX Chapter 427)

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 22 Summary We thank everyone for this honor and opportunity to share some thoughts and our story with you. Please feel free to contact any of us at MEOC. Visit Us at:

5/26/2006 MEOC Transit RIDE 23 Contact