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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12121995 - C56 Contra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Costa - County FROM: TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE DATE: December 4, 1995 SUBJECT: Coordination of Health Services Shuttle and WestCAT 30Z Services SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS 1 . Accept report on efforts to improve coordination of the Health Services Department shuttle service between Richmond and Martinez and the Western Contra Costa Transit Authority's (WestCAT) 30Z service. 2. Refer this matter to the Board's 1996 Transportation Committee and request the Committee to report back to the Board on the outcome of the coordination efforts. FISCAL IMPACT Coordination of the two services could result in a potential cost savings to the County, estimated at between $25,000 and $50,000. BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS On October 3, 1995, the Board referred to the Transportation Committee, correspondence from the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC) requesting information on the Health Service Department's shuttle service CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR X RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): Je Smith Tom Torlakson ACTION OF BOARD ON December12, APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED x OTHER 1995 VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A X— UNANIMOUS (ABSENT none TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Orig Dept: Community Development ATTESTED ilarPmhar 12, 1995 Contact: Ernest Vovakis, 646-2355 PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF cc: Frank Puglisi, Health Services THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Charlie Anderson, Westcat (via CDD) Summer Brenner, WCCTAC (via CDD) AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY EPUTY :x Coordination of West County Shuttle December 4, 1995 Page 2 between Richmond and Martinez and suggesting that improved coordination of service would make the best use of public funds. The Transportation Committee discussed this issue at its meeting of November 6 and requested the representatives of Health Services and WestCAT to explore the feasibility of coordination and report back to the Transportation Committee. To this end, a meeting was held on November 20. This report summarizes the information generated to date on the two services. WestCAT's 30Z service currently operates five round trips each weekday between Richmond BART and Martinez, with intermediate stops in San Pablo, Hilltop Mall, Pinole and Hercules. In Martinez, the buses stop at Merrithew Hospital, the Amtrak station and the VA Hospital. The trip takes about an hour and costs 51 .00. The annual operating cost of this service is $130,000 and it has an annual ridership of 19,700. The operating cost per passenger is $6.62. The Health Services Department contracts with the United Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations (UCSSO) to provide shuttle service between the Richmond and Pittsburg clinics and Merrithew Hospital in Martinez. In October 1994, the UCSSO service was doubled and currently provides ten round trips per weekday using two 17-passenger vans on each route. The trip from Richmond takes 30 minutes, has no intermediate stops, and is free of charge to clients. The service costs $210,000, carries 8,700 passengers and has an operating cost per passenger of $24.22 (note: this data includes both the Richmond and Pittsburg routes.) WCCTAC's concern is that the two services overlap to some extent and that this is not an efficient use of public funds. WestCAT is concerned that the UCSSO shuttle has eroded its ridership to medical facilities on the 30Z route from 30% of total ridership in September 1994 to 16% today. Health Services wants to maintain the current level of service to its clients, including travel time, accommodation of wheel chairs, and convenient stops. WestCAT recently secured funding to more than double its 30Z service to 13 round trips per day. Continued funding for this service relies on its ability to attract more passengers. To better serve Merrithew Hospital and attract more hospital passengers, WestCAT is proposing to rearrange the route to serve the Richmond clinic and reduce the travel time to Merrithew to 34 minutes. WestCAT's vehicles can accommodate two wheel chairs, and it is evaluating how to stop on the westerly side of Alhambra Avenue next to the hospital. WestCAT and Health Services are involved in ongoing discussions on improving coordination between the two services. Accordingly the Transportation Committee recommends that the Board refer this matter to next year's Transportation Committee.