Mobility Management Program Lead

Scope of Work

Mobility Management Program Lead

Pima Association of Governments (PAG) seeks proposals from qualified professional firms or individuals (CONSULTANT), either singly or through a joint venture with a single point of contact, to provide human-services transportation and transit planning and operational support as a Mobility Management Program Lead in Pima County. PAG prefers a proposal submitted singly or if submitted jointly that there be one main team member who interacts with PAG staff and providers in Pima County.

PAG Coordinated Mobility Program

Human-service transportation is, broadly speaking, the network of transportation services provided for people who, due to disability or age, are unable to use or access other forms of transportation, such as private automobiles or public fixed-route transit systems. Human-service transportation includes publicly operated paratransit services, volunteer driver and other transportation programs, and transportation services provided by non-profit social service organizations, either as the agency’s sole mission or as a critical complement to the agency’s activities.

Through the PAG Coordinated Mobility Program, PAG currently works with over 20 public and private providers of human-services transportation in Pima County, ranging in size from small organizations with fleets of one or two vehicles to large public agencies.

Most agencies that participate in the Coordinated Mobility program are current or former sub-recipients of Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310 grants, known as the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Persons with Disabilities program. The Section 5310 program provides capital and operating grants for non-profit and public agencies for the provision of human-services transportation.

Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is the Designated Recipient for the Section 5310 program in the Tucson Urbanized Area and rural Pima County and is therefore responsible for administering the program and ensuring compliance with federal regulations. PAG, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Pima County, acts as a planning partner to ADOT by working with provider agencies to create the federally-required, locally-developed Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan. PAG also convenes the quarterly coordination meetings of human-service transit providers, where PAG staff share relevant information about and changes to the 5310 program, program sub-recipients discuss opportunities and barriers to coordination, and agencies share information amongst themselves.

Mobility Management and Coordination of Services

Since at least 2004, when President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13330 requiring enhanced coordination of human-service transit agencies, coordination of transit services, and the related concept of Mobility Management, has been a focus of federally-funded human-service transit programs. ADOT and PAG have continued to work with program sub-recipients over the years to encourage coordination and ensure that the structures are in place to allow for expanded coordination of transit services. However, many barriers and challenges persist with establishing better coordination, and PAG has recognized the need to expand the MPO’s role in Mobility Management activities. To date, PAG has largely restricted its activities to providing technical assistance to program sub-recipients, conducting planning activities and implementation of plan recommendations, and convening the quarterly coordination committee meetings. PAG has not been engaged in Mobility Management activities on a day-to-day basis. The ultimate goal of this contract is to expand Mobility Management activities in the region to improve service delivery and coordination while also providing support and guidance for participant agencies.

Pima Association of Governments’ (PAG) objective in undertaking the development of a regional mobility management program is to maximize the effective use of 5310 funding. Specific goals for the program include:

Improving operational effectiveness of non-profit organizations in human-services transit delivery
Assisting with improving program compliance among participant agencies
Identifying barriers and opportunities in improving service coordination
Expanding technical capacity of program participants
Improving regional understanding of different human-services transit models
Implementing recommended strategies from the Mobility Management Plan for establishing an effective Mobility Management program in the PAG region

One of the requirements of the grant program is that agencies receiving these funds coordinate to provide transportation services. The suite of strategies to achieve this coordination has come to be known as Mobility Management.

The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center defines Mobility Management as:

•One-on-one counseling or group education and counseling on transportation options and alternatives to driving

•Coordination among transportation and human services providers to ensure the availability of a range of transportation options and modes to support older adult mobility

Human-service transportation include publicly operated paratransit services, volunteer driver and other transportation programs, and transportation services provided by non-profit social service organizations, either as the agency’s sole mission or as a critical complement to the agency’s activities.

The CONSULTANT shall 1) provide technical assistance to human-services transportation providers in Pima County, 2) conduct site visits to human-service transit agencies, and 3) implement recommended strategies outlined in the Mobility Management Plan addressing critical needs in human-services transportation and improving inter-agency coordination and enhanced operational performance for agencies in Pima County. Additionally, the CONSULTANT may be asked to provide regional driver trainings and other capacity building workshops or seminars.

The contract will be managed by PAG, with the CONSULTANT working closely with PAG staff to implement the work plan. Final deliverables will be submitted to PAG for verification of completion and approval or acceptance by PAG Regional Council.

The contract is funded by a grant through the Federal Transit Administration with Arizona Department of Transportation serving as designated recipient and the PAG providing local matching dollars.

The CONSULTANT is encouraged to be creative in developing a sound analytical approach which achieves the goals for this project. The CONSULTANT is urged to be as specific as possible when describing the activities and anticipated outcomes for each of the tasks outlined below. The CONSULTANT must provide information on their approach as well as estimated cost breakdowns for each task; however, the CONSULTANT may propose reasonable modifications to tasks and/or additional tasks for possible PAG approval to meet the goals of or improve the value of this project. Ideally all work tasks will be completed by the CONSULTANT within the firm-fixed price amount. PAG will evaluate all proposals as submitted and reserves the right to modify, add or delete tasks based upon considerations that may include CONSULTANT approach, timeline, cost and budget availability.

Task 1: Site visits with 5310 sub-recipients and other interested agencies

This Task Includes:

Scheduling and conducting site visits with coordination program participants
Developing a descriptive inventory of human-service transit delivery systems
Identifying individual provider needs
Identifying potential duplication of services

The CONSULTANT will work with PAG staff and program participants to schedule site visits with at least 15 of the region’s current non-profit human-service transit providers. The CONSULTANT shall develop a checklist or other approach for the type of information to request from the site visits. At minimum, the CONSULTANT should seek information on how transit services are currently provided by the agency, how trips are scheduled, how ridership is tracked, the agency’s current challenges or concerns in providing transportation services, and be able to offer guidance for improvement.

Deliverables

A report of existing providers, including a description of their current practice, challenges, deficiencies and inefficiencies, and recommended improvements in service delivery and efficiency.

Task 2: Agency capacity building

This Task Includes:

Developing a regional template for reporting trips and related performance measures
Supporting program participants with accurate trip reporting
Supporting program participants with compliance with all relevant ADOT and FTA requirements
Identifying training needs
Providing regional trainings
Developing templates and methods for transit asset management plans and transit safety plans

The CONSULTANT will provide capacity building support for the agencies currently participating in the coordinated mobility program. At minimum, the CONSULTANT shall provide one of the deliverables identified below, and may identify other critical needs based on site visits.

Deliverables

Depending on findings from site visits the CONSULTANT will provide technical support and trainings in some or all of the following:

Develop a regional human-services transit performance monitoring system, including standardizing trip reporting, developing driver logs, and improving financial calculations. Performance monitoring should work with existing reporting systems for the sub-recipients and should not create an undue burden. PAG has already initiated this work.
Driver and/or organizational trainings. The CONSULTANT should identify deficiencies and schedule and convene regional trainings for drivers, or to train the trainers. The CONSULTANT can coordinate with already certified trainers to ensure that all drivers and agencies in the region are trained in defensive driving, Passenger Assistance Safety and Sensitivity (PASS), safety, Safety Training and Rural Transit (START), pre and post-trip inspections, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and others.
The CONSULTANT should prepare to assist in developing a plan template and provide technical support to sub-recipients in achieving compliance with the new federal rules of transit asset management.

Task 3: Implementation of recommended strategies from the PAG Mobility Management Plan

This Task Includes:

The CONSULTANT would work to establish and strengthen a Mobility Management program for the PAG region, and to implement consultant recommendations from the Mobility Management Plan.

Recommended mobility management strategies include the following:

1)Short-term strategies:

Establish a regional coordination advisory group
Tap into the developing statewide Mobility Manager training program
Facilitate peer sharing among 5310 sub recipients
Provide volunteer driver program support
Modify Pima Find-A-Ride and enhance other transportation service marketingefforts

2)Strategies with a longer lead time for start-up and time required for ongoing management:

Explore opportunities for contracting for service, both within and outside of the 5310provider group
Establish a vehicle sharing program and/or pool
Develop a flex voucher program
Strategies requiring further evaluation at a later date
One-call/One-Click system covering all transportation options available in Pima

County, but offering reservations and scheduling options only for public paratransit

Services

Transportation brokerage for public paratransit services

The CONSULTANT will perform regional mobility management activities, with a focus on eastern Pima County. Overall responsibilities include assisting 5310 sub-recipients and ADOT in program administration; coordination planning with 5310 program providers in the PAG region; strengthening partnerships; implementing coordination actions, and monitoring performance to achieve the regional and state priorities for mobility management. Other functions of the CONSULTANT will include:

Coordinates and develops the required annual updates for the PAG Regional Transportation Coordination Plan, which identifies overall regional transit needs, with an emphasis on the elderly, disabled, and low income households
Develops and maintains the network of human and social transportation related services, by bringing together non-profit and public agency transportation providers within the region.
Gathers and analyzes data to evaluate transportation service options for the elderly, disabled, and low income households, and develops strategies based on that data and attempts to secure funding to address those strategies.
Gathers all quarterly reports from sub-recipients
Supports state, regional and local coordination planning and policy committees.
Promotes the enhancement and facilitation of access to transportation services, including the integration and oversight of transportation coordinated services.
Provides technical assistance in the annual Section 5310 and Section 5311 program application processes.
Develops strategies for seeking other funding sources and leveraging existing funds with other non-FTA Federal programs to implement those strategies.
Maintains the regional program recipients’ inventory of vehicles used for passenger transportation.

Knowledge of all Federal transit grant administration, reporting, and compliance requirements
Familiarity with ADOT’s Transit Program
Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and its specific applications to public transportation.
Knowledge of the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM), United We Ride (UWR), Mobility Services for All Americans (MSAA) and other federal coordination initiatives with federal programs is desired.
Knowledge of the principles, procedures and strategies of coordinated human services transit planning and coordination strategies. Examples such as online provider directories, one call-one click centers, brokerage systems, voucher less programs, etc.
Knowledge of operations of a transit system

Specific functions included in each category are listed below.

Administration and Outreach

Chair and/or coordinate and staff a Pima County Mobility Management Advisory Committee or Regional Coordinating Council comprising a wide range of entities
Conduct outreach to other organizations in the county that have either clients with transportation needs or resources to bring to a coordinated network
Participate in ADOT’s Mobility Manager Group and networking/educational activities sponsored by the Arizona Transit Association (AzTA)
Ensure that all elements of ADOT’s Mobility Management scope of work are completed

Planning

Coordinate the annual 5310 application process, compile reports for PAG and ADOT
Spearhead coordinated plan updates
Oversee a planning study to evaluate one-call/one-click system and transportation brokerage options

Resources and Technical Assistance

Organize peer sharing sessions
Join the statewide Mobility Manager network and publicize trainings developed by SEAGO and NACOG
Centralize driver training materials, curricula, and other tools for 5310 providers
Provide technical assistance to 5310 providers and volunteer driver programs
Volunteer driver program administrators are particularly interested in techniques for recruiting and retaining volunteers and software tools for managing volunteer records and assignments
Coordinate joint purchases (for fuel or maintenance services, for example)

Contracts and Operations

Coordinate the development and administration of a vehicle sharing program
Administer a flex voucher program
Oversee future coordinated operations
One-Call/One-Click Center
Brokerage pilot

At the end of the contract, the CONSULTANT shall deliver a report summarizing the implementation of these strategies and additional work to be continued. This document will provide critical guidance to PAG in strengthening a Mobility Management program in Pima County. The report shall consider not just non-profit organizations, but also potential partnerships or coordination with current public transit providers and regional human-service transit contractors.

Deliverables

The CONSULTANT will create and submit for PAG approval a report documenting the implementation of recommended strategies from the Mobility Management Plan. The report shall describe specific actions to be taken to strengthen a Mobility Management program in the PAG region and improve service coordination. At a minimum, the report shall include:

PAG program and staffing needs to expand the organization’s role in Mobility Management activities, plan implementation, and in providing technical support to human-service transit providers
Identification of service duplication with strategies for addressing the duplication
Strategies for meeting ADOT mileage requirements
Specific strategies for improving service delivery, service coordination, and compliance, including:
Vehicle rotation strategies
Vehicle leasing strategies through the regional contractor
Trip contracting options
Taxi voucher
Other recommended efficiency improvements
Connections between urban and rural services
Any additional strategies for establishing the following regional transit resources
A regional transit brokerage model
A One-call/One-click center

Duration

The contract is for one year from issuance of the Notice to Proceed, with opportunity for extension at PAG’s.

Cost

Cost for the contract is not to exceed $72,000. Provide a project budget/price sheet that reflects the costs expected to be invoiced. Scope is negotiable contingent upon realistic cost estimates provided by the CONSULTANT.

Meetings

The CONSULTANT shall plan and facilitate the Quarterly Coordination meetings of human-service transit providers.

Meetings with PAG staff can be conducted as needed.

Reporting

Progress Report: In addition to any report or deliverable described in the SCOPE, the Progress Report has four components: the Billing Report, a Vendor Invoice, a table of billable hours, and a progress narrative. The Progress Report is due no more than monthly and no less than quarterly. If there has been no progress on the project for a quarter, the Progress Report must be submitted with zero hours/fees.

The progress narrative is due monthly. For each monthly reporting period, the consultant shall provide a progress report covering its accomplishments. The consultant shall provide progress reports in a Microsoft Word format no later than seven (7) business days after each reporting period. The progress narrative shall contain the following:

A description of the work completed;Tasks expected to be performed for the next reporting period; andExplanation of problems and delays encountered for the current reporting period, and anticipated for the next reporting period.