A presentation by MassDOT Massachusetts Department of TransportationRail and Transit Division
MBTA Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Leading the Nation in Transportation Excellence
COVER PAGE
IN-PERSON ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENTS FOR THE RIDE PROGRAM OCTOBER 3, 2011
SLIDE 1
AGENDA: IN-PERSON ASSESSMENT INITIATIVE
-INTRODUCTION / WELCOME
-PRESENTATION:
ADA PARATRANSIT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
NATIONAL EXAMPLES
WHY DO WE PROPOSE CHANGES:
BUDGET PRESSURES
LIMITATIONS OF CURRENT PROCESS
PROPOSED NEW PROCESS
-SHORT BREAK
-SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS
SLIDE 2
ADA PARATRANSIT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
-MUST ESTABLISH A PROCESS
-MUST ‘STRICTLY LIMIT’ ADA PARATRANSIT TO PERSONS MEETING THE REGULATORY CRITERIA
CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBILITY
-INDIVIDUALS WHO, BEACAUSE OF A DISABILITY, CANNOT:
GET TO AND FROM FIXED-ROUTE STOPS OR STATIONS WITHIN THE SERVICE AREA
USE THE FIXED-ROUTE SYSTEM BECAUSE THE BUS ROUTE OR RAIL STATION IS NOT ACCESSIBLE
INDEPENDENTLY NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM
SLIDE 3
TYPES OF ELIGIBILITY
-INDIVIDUAL ELIGIBILITY
UNCONDITIONAL (ALL TRIPS)
CONDITIONAL (SOME TRIPS)
TEMPORARY (CONDITIONAL/UNCONDITIONAL)
-TRIP ELIGIBILITY
SLIDE 4
KEY ISSUES
-ELIGIBILITY IS BASED ON ‘FUNCTIONAL’ CRITERIA
NOT BASED ON TYPE OF DISABILITY OR MOBILITY AID(S) USED
NOT BASED ON AGE
-INDIVIDUAL’S OVERALL ELIGIBILITY BASED ON ‘MOST LIMITING CONDITIONS’
-ELIGIBILITY BASED ON APPLICANT BEING ‘PREVENTED’ FROM USING THE FIXED-ROUTE SYSTEM
SLIDE 5
EXPERIENCE IN OTHER CITIES
-PAPER APPLICATION WITH PROFFESSIONAL VERIFICATION (AS NEEDED)
-PAPER, INCLUDING PROFESSIONAL VERIFICATION
-PAPER APPLICATION WITH IN-PERSON ASSESSMENT (AS NEEDED)
-IN-PERSON INTERVIEW
-IN-PERSON INTERVIEW PLUS FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT (AS NEEDED)
SLIDE 6
IN-PERSON: NATIONAL EXPERIENCE
THIS SLIDE SHOWS A FIVE COLUMN TABLE WITH DATA UNDER THE FOLLOWING HEADERS BY CITY:
SYSTEM/CITY, REGISTRANTS , POPULATION, REGISTRANTS PER CAPITA % ,IN-PERSON ASSESSMENT?
BOSTON, 61000*,2.5MILLION,2.4%,NO
BROWARD COUNTY,14288,1.8MILLION,0.8%,PARTIAL
DALLAS,10626,1.8MILLION,0.6%,YES
HOUSTON,17412,3.2MILLION,0.5%,PARTIAL
LAS VEGAS,13199,1.9MILLION,0.7%,YES
LOS ANGELES,77647,9.8MILLION,0.8%,YES
NEW JERSEY,17760,5.4MILLION,0.3%,YES
NEW YORK CITY,123,027,8.2MILLION,1.5%,YES
PHILADELPHIA,15534,1.75MILLION,0.9%,PARTIAL
SEATTLE,30000,1.9MILLION,1.6%,YES
WASHINGTON DC,20716,3.4MILLION,0.6%,YES
CHICAGO,45000,8.5MILLION,0.5%,YES
SOURCE: NELSON/NYGAARD 2008 FIGURES
SLIDE 7
EXPERIENCE IN OTHER CITIES (CONTINUED)
-OUTCOMES OF PAPER APPLICATION-MAJORITY FULLY ELIGIBLE
-BOSTON ONE OF THE LAST LARGE CITIES
-FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENTS AS NEEDED IN LA, SEATTLE, NEW YORK CITY, PITTSBURGH, CHICAGO
SLIDE 8
OUTCOMES OF IN-PERSON ASSESSMENTS
-LOWER VOLUME OF APPLICANTS
-NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN ELIGIBILITY DENIALS
-HIGHER PROPORTION OF CONDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY
-GREATER ABILITY TO DO TRIP SCREENING
-SLOWING DOWN OF PARATRANSIT RIDERSHIP GROWTH
SLIDES 9-16
THESE SLIDES CONTAIN PICTURES AND VIDEO OF WHAT AN IN-PERSON ASSESSMENT LOOKS LIKE. I.E. AN INTERVIEW, CLIMBING STAIRS, WALKING ON PAVEMENT, SEATING AREA, A SAMPLE FACILITY
SLIDE 17
WHY DO WE PROPOSE CHANGES:
FINANCIAL PRESSURES
THIS SLIDE SHOWS A GRAPH THAT INDICATES THE RIDE ANNUAL GROSS COST OF 16.2% ANNUALLY BY FISCAL YEAR-FY07 AT $50M THROUGH THE PROJECTED FY12 COST OF $114M
-IN PERSON ASSESSMENTS WILL HELP SUSTAIN AND PRESERVE THE RIDE FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST
SLIDE 18
LIMITATION OF PAPER APPLICATION PROCESS
-INFORMATION NOT VERY DETAILED
-INCONSISTENT OR INCOMPLETE RESPONSES
-HARD TO IDENTIFY CONDITIONALLY ELIGIBLE RIDERS
-LIMITED INCENTIVE TO USE FIXED ROUTE
-MANY HUMAN SERVICE/HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS DO NOT UNDERSTAND ADA ELIGIBILITY
-VERY LARGE RIDERSHIP BASE
-BOSTON ONE OF THE LAST IN THE U.S.
SLIDE 19
GOALS FOR PROPOSED IN-PERSON ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
-CREATE A CONSISTENT, FAIR AND ACCURATE PROCESS
-MATCH APPLICANTS TO MST APPROPRIATE MODE
APPLICANTS UNABLE TO USE BUSES AND SUBWAYS WILL CONTINUE TO BE RIDE ELIGIBLE
SOME APPLICANTS MAY FIND OUT THAT FIXED ROUTE IS AN OPTION
-SLOW THE RATE OF COST GROWTH
-MAKE THE EXPERIENCE RESPECTFUL AND EMPOWERING
SLIDE 20
PROPOSED TIMELINE
-STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS BEGAN AUGUST 2011
-PUBLIC MEETING IN OCTOBER 2011
-BID DOCUMENTS SLATED FOR RELEASE IN FALL 2011, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT PROGRAM DESIGN ELEMENTS FROM PUBLIC PROCESS
-BIDS DUE IN LATE 2011
-CONTRACTOR SELECTION IN EARLY 2012
-START IN-PERSON ASSESSMENTS JULY 2012 FOR NEW APPLICATIONS, SEPTEMEBER 2012 FOR RECERTIFICATION
-ALL EXISTING USERS RECERTIFIED WITHIN THREE YEARS
SLIDE 21
HOW MIGHT THE PROCESS WORK?
STEP 1. PHONE CALL
STEP 2. PAPER APPLICATION
STEP 3. IN-PERSON INTERVIEW AND, IF NEEDED, FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT
SLIDE 22
HOW MIGHT THE PROCESS WORK ?(CONTINUED)
-FREE TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED TO ASSESSMENT FROM WITHIN THE RIDE SERVICE AREA
-ONE CENTRALIZED LOCATION FOR MBTA SERVICE AREA
-IN-PERSON INTERVIEW
-IF WHEELCHAIR USER, DEVICE MEASURED AND WEIGHED
-OBSERVATION OF APPLICANT’S BALANACE, ENDURANCE, AND ABILITY TO TRAVERSE DIFFERENT SURFACES, CROSS STREET, USE LIFTS/RAMPS, ETC.
-DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH COGNITIVE DISABILITIES
-APPLICANTS WITH VISUAL OR PSYCHIATRIC DISABILITIES OR SEIZURES; RELY ON PROFESSIONALS, NOT ASSESSMENTS
SLIDE 23
HOW MIGHT THE PROCESS WORK? (CONTINUED)
-DETERMINATION WITHIN 21 DAYS
-POTENTIAL OUTCOMES:UNCONDITIONAL (FULL); CONDITIONAL: TEMPORARY ELIGIBILITY; SOME ELIGIBILITY DENIALS (USUALLY UNDER 5%)
-60 DAY GRACE PERIOD FOR CURRENT REGISTRANTS FOUND INELIGIBLE
-THREE YEAR ELIGIBILITY TERMS
-SHORTER RECERTIFICATION PROCESS FOR MOST OF THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY DONE IN-PERSON
-APPEALS PROCESS FOR DENIALS AND CHANGE IN ELIGIBILITY STATUS
SLIDE 24
MEETING AGENDA
-SHORT BREAK
-RECOVENE IN SMALLER CONVERSATION GROUPS
INTRODUCTIONS AND HOW DO YOU USE TRANSIT?
IN-PERSON FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENTS
CONDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY
-SUMMARIZE DISCUSSION AS A GROUP
-END OF WORKSHOP