|
|
|
|
  |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
| SFMTA home > About Us > Meetings > Paratransit Coordinating Council (PCC) > April 18, 2007, minutes | |
|
Minutes PCC Executive Committee Members Present: Stu Smith, PCC Chair; Jeanne Lynch, PCC Vice Chair; Laurie Graham, PCC Secretary; Cheryl Damico; Gilda Chico; Iona Lawhorn; Sandra Fancher; Paul Gillespie; Jacy Cohen; Lisa Rosene; Silas Telfor; Griff Humphrey; Genya Ehrlich; Pam Martinez for Hal Mellegard; Tom Stanghellini for John Lazar; Pat Lovelock; Erma Brim; Bruce Oka; Byron Yan; Ruth Lawner; Melecio Torres; Tom Brush; Sam Portnoy; Thomas George-Williams PCC Executive Committee Members Excused: Jewel McGinnis; Dee Ann Hendrix Guests: Erica Hamilton, Adult Day Services Network; Heidi Machen, SF Taxi Commission; Olivia Santiago; Claudia Grubler; Matt Yamashita, MPT; Leon Schmidt, N&SM ADHC; Ursula Steck; Silverio Sanchez, MV Transportation Paratransit Broker: Marc Soto; Kevin McNay Muni: Annette Williams; Kate Toran Read and Approve AgendaStu Smith, PCC Chair, called the meeting to order at 10:40 am. He read the agenda and suggested adding report back on the FTA Taxi Summit in New York. The agenda was motioned/seconded and passed (M/S/P) as amended. Approve minutes of February 28, 2007 meetingThe minutes were M/S/P as presented. Comments from the Chair: Stu stated that there are a lot of important items to discuss today, and he is hoping to move a lot of initiatives forward. The report from the PC&O Systemwide meeting includes a proposal for the advisory structure of the PCC to the SF Taxi Commission. The name of the ADA van service will be discussed during the Lift Van/ADA Access report, and Annette Williams will provide some substantive information about the debit card project. Marc Soto will provide a thorough Broker’s report on the status of the ADA van service quality and the service level statistics, which were included in the agenda packet. Also, there are two vacancies in the Affiliated Disabled caucus, and there has been some recruiting going on, so today there will be elections for those positions. Report from the Taxi Summit Laurie Graham reported that she, Annette Williams, and Paul Gillespie attended a Taxi Summit in New York which was sponsored by Easter Seals/Project Action and The Civil Rights office of the Federal Transit Administration. It was a two day summit which focused on accessible taxi service. Presenters talked about success stories, barriers to service and overcoming the barriers. Paul and Laurie presented on the barriers. There was a car show that included an exhibit of 100 years of taxis. There was a prototype of the Standard Taxi at the car show. Annette added that there are huge issues with accessible taxi service in New York City. There is no dispatching of taxis; they are just hailed, so even though there are a handful of accessible taxis, there is no way to request one. There were many people from cities with successful accessible taxi services at the Taxi Summit and some representatives indicated that the ramp taxi service appears to work best when the vehicle is run at a full service cab company. Paul stated that participating in the Taxi Summit was a wonderful experience and it highlighted that San Francisco has a lot to be proud of. Paul indicated that there is a national movement starting and that the movement has to come from the community, government agencies, taxi companies and taxi drivers all working together. Paul’s goal is to have accessible taxi service anywhere there’s taxi service. Paul feels torn about the Standard Taxi because the mileage per tank of fuel is too low. He was encouraging the Standard Taxi representatives to look at hybrid technology. Stu Smith stated that San Francisco should be a resource and that he would like to build upon the progress of the Taxi Summit. Paul stated that Easter Seals/Project Action should set up a series of regional conferences to get people in the same room working together. Election: Affiliated Disabled caucus Kate Toran reported that since the Annual Meeting, there have been two vacancies in the Affiliated Disabled caucus. Claudia Grubler stated that she has worked for IHSS/Public Authority of the past 6 years, and she has been riding paratransit lift vans and taxis for 10 years. Claudia has submitted a letter from IHSS/PA stating that she is authorized to be their representative on the PCC. Olivia Santiago is a student at City College. For the last 2 years she has been a student worker. Olivia is not authorized to be the City College representative because she is not on faculty/staff there, but she is authorized to represent the students through the Disabled Students Program and Services (DSPS). Olivia has been using TME and MV for the last three years, and she also uses Redi-Wheels. Both Claudia and Olivia were elected in the Affiliated Disabled caucus by acclimation. Olivia’s official participation will be finalized when she submits a letter from City College’s DSPS. (Note: the letter has been received). PC&O Reports: March 7, 2007 PC&O Lift Van/ADA Access: Cheryl Damico provided the following report: o Byron Yan was elected Chair of the PC&O Lift Van/ADA Access subcommittee. o The group discussed renaming the ADA van services (currently comprised of both ADA Access and Lift van) to incorporate both services. Both Lift Van and ADA Access provide pre-scheduled, door-to-door services. Consumers can pre-schedule trips one to seven days in advance. Until September 2006, the Lift Van and ADA Access service had different fares. Now that the fares are the same, from the rider’s perspective there is no difference between the two services. So in order to simplify the program, the group discussed renaming both services to one name. The group brainstormed names and then voted for their top two choices: ADA Van, ADA Paratransit, ADA service, ADA Ride, SF Access, ADA Access, and SF ADA Services. The majority voted in favor of SF Access (5 votes), followed by ADA Access (4 votes). o Service Provider Report: Tom Brush reported that the Trans Metro Express name will be changed to Mobility Plus Transportation. He said that they have recruited new road supervisors that are being trained. They are also working with the drivers on 100% compliance with pre-trip inspections. TME has also identified a window dispatcher and a lead dispatcher who is working one on one with the dispatchers in proper protocol and phone and radio etiquette. They are also implementing a policy that when a driver notifies dispatch that he is running 10 minutes late every effort will be made to contact the passenger to advise them. There are still issues that they are dealing with, but he stated that they are moving forward, in the right direction. o The next Lift Van/ADA Access meeting will be held on June 6, 2007. The report was M/S/P as presented, including the name change recommendation. The new name of the ADA van service is now SF Access. Annette Williams added that an educational strategy will be needed to inform the paratransit riders of the new name of the service. March 21, 2007 PC&O Systemwide: Cheryl Damico provided the following report: o The PC&O Systemwide subcommittee met on March 21, 2007. o The group discussed a number of taxi-related issues – specifically the draft incentive plan for ramp taxi drivers, the proposed advisory role of the PCC to the SF Taxi Commission in the distribution of ramp taxi medallions, and increasing the monitoring in the ramp taxi program. The agenda also included an item on the potential taxi meter rate increase, but that item was not discussed because the meeting went over time. o Ramp Taxi Incentives: Kate Toran presented a draft incentive plan for the group to review. The draft incentive plan was three-tiered, and included monetary incentives as well as five free passes to go to the front of the line at SFO. Many thought that the plan was overly bureaucratic and many wanted an incentive program with an immediate impact. Also, there was discussion that the free pass to go to the front of the line at SFO may generate animosity among other drivers waiting in line. o PCC Advisory Role to SF Taxi Commission: The group discussed the role that the PCC will play in how the 25 new ramp taxi medallions are distributed. The PCC’s role will be advisory. The PCC will make a recommendation to the SF Taxi Commission, and the Taxi Commission will make the final decision. o The group also discussed the current level of monitoring, and it was agreed that there should be more monitoring and oversight to ensure that ramp taxi drivers are providing the level of service required (3 wheelchair pick ups per shift, if available). The group voted to recommend to the PCC that a letter be written to the Board of Supervisors Finance Committee to suggest that a second investigator be added back into the SF Taxi Commission budget. After Cheryl presented the report, Kate read the draft plan for the PCC advisory role to the SF Taxi Commission. Kate explained that she drafted the plan based on the comments she received at the PC&O Systemwide meeting. Kate also read the draft letter to the Board of Supervisors’ Finance committee regarding adding the second investigator back into the SF Taxi Commission budget. There was some discussion about the SF Taxi Commission budget. The proposal to add investigators was to be funded through fee increases. Heidi Machen stated that the annual medallion holder fee is approximately $450 and it has not been increased in about 10 years. The Taxi Commission is authorized to increase the fees up to 10% each year. Heidi added that there is extra cushion in the Taxi Commission budget because 1 administrative position was eliminated; so even if an investigator is added back into the budget, the fees would not have to be increased more than the amount already approved. Pat Lovelock stated that there is a problem with drivers not picking up paratransit passengers and that there should be another investigator. The PC&O Systemwide report was M/S/P as presented, including the PCC advisory role plan and the letter to the BoS Finance Committee. April 4, 2007 PC&O Group Van: Jacy Cohen provided the following report
After Jacy provided the report, Pat Lovelock asked if the contracts between the Broker and the transportation providers are available. Marc responded that Veolia Transportation is a private sector company and that they make information available to the MTA. Marc added that the driver standards and operating standards that are included in the contract are available to the public. Marc stated that at the Group Van meeting there was also discussion of agencies having access to rider information. This came up at the meeting with the dialysis centers also. Marc is working with Veolia’s legal department to make this happen. There are concerns over rider privacy rights that need to be worked out. Update on Debit Card: Annette Williams reported that the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) Board authorized the Executive Director to terminate the debit card contract with GPS Data Solutions at their April 17th meeting. The MTA will reconfigure the project and will divide the project into the hardware component and the communication interface that will link the information from the hardware to the Broker’s database. Performance specifications will be developed for the hardware and the cab companies will be offered choice. The communication interface will be added as a deliverable in the Broker RFP. An as-needed contractor will start working on the performance specifications for the hardware. The cab companies have agreed to be responsible for the communication infrastructure between the in-vehicle equipment and the cab company. Paul Gillespie stated that although a cancelled contract is not an ideal outcome, it avoided a lawsuit and non-cooperation if the MTA had moved forward. Starting over can provide an opportunity to work together, and nobody has given up on the goal of implementing the debit card system. Thomas George Williams added that the United Taxicab Workers (UTW) is very happy about the MTA’s decision. Paratransit Broker Report: ADA Van Service: Marc Soto reported that on March 1, 2007, Trans Metro Express and TecTrans signed a binding purchase agreement. The final close-out of the deal ended on April 5th. This was a rolling close-out, and it took longer than expected. Veolia management met with Nathaniel Ford, MTA Executive Director in February to apprise him of the situation. At that meeting, Mr. Ford stated that the ADA van service needs to be stabilized. Veolia assured Mr. Ford that TecTrans, operating as Mobility Plus Transportation (MPT), would be expected to achieve full contract compliance in 90 days after the purchase agreement was signed. Muni and the Broker also expect that complaints will be reduced and on-time reliability will be improved under MPT. The formal complaints for March were lower than February, and there was a small reduction in the number of missed trips. But there are still specific issues that MPT needs to improve. The dialysis center representatives are still not satisfied with the service, and there are still issues with student transportation at City College. Marc added that there have been some improvements at MPT. MPT managements reports that they have:
Some outstanding issues that MPT is still working to resolve include fleet size and maintenance. MPT is looking for a maintenance manager. Also, MPT purchased 25 vehicles from Outreach in San Jose, and the vehicles have temperamental lifts. MPT has indicated that a solution for the problems with the lifts will be identified within two weeks. Muni and the Broker are also working on a new procurement, which will be for 29 cutaways and 5 minivans. The procurement will take approximately 6 – 12 months. MPT had hired a Saturday supervisor who did not work out, so they are looking to hire somebody new. MPT is working on expanding and improving the space at the current facility. They have identified a new phone system to replace the current phone system. Tom Brush then reported that his role at MPT was to help stabilize the situation during the transition from TME and that he is bringing on a new general manager. Tom introduced Matt Yamashita who is proposed as the new general manager. Tom added that he will spend the next few weeks training Matt and getting him acclimated to the SF service. Now that the acquisition is complete, MPT has the resources needed to meet the challenges. Paratransit Newsletter and Website: Marc also reported that the Broker finalized and distributed the paratransit newsletter. The sfparatransit.com website has been updated. The Broker hired a new IT manager, Terrance Shore, who started on April 2. Service Level Statistics: Marc noted that the service level statistics through February were attached to the agenda packet. Marc noted that February was a tough month in the ADA van service, and although the on-time performance was fairly high, there were a high number of complaints. The complaints in February were mainly regarding service on two days. Paratransit Customer Satisfaction Survey: The survey will take place on schedule at the beginning of May, and hopefully there will be a draft of the results available in June. The PCC had already provided input on the survey at a meeting this past fall with the independent firm that will be conducting the survey. PASS Training: Marc announced that on June 6 – 8 there will be a PASS training held at the Broker’s office for a cost of $375. There will be 5 slots available at no charge for individuals that have been PASS certified already but need to be recertified. Those interested can let Kevin McNay know. Dialysis Service: Cheryl Damico reported that the Dialysis Center meeting was held on Thursday, April 12, 2007 at the San Francisco Paratransit Office. The main issues discussed were:
Public Comment Griff Humphrey asked when there will be choice in the ADA van program. Marc responded that the Broker is making sure that service is on the streets, and allowing Tectrans to acquire TME was in the best interest of the program. Once service is stabilized, Marc will work with the community on the issue of choice. Jacy Cohen stated that dispatch dysfunction undermines the customer service at MPT. It is not helpful to hear repeatedly that the ride will be there in 10 minutes, 10 minutes. Ruth Lawner stated that she has concerns about Dee Ann Hendrix because she has not been attending PCC meeting yet she showed up at a TODCO meeting and gave a report. Since she has not been at the meetings, Ruth stated that she did not give an accurate report. Kate stated that Dee Ann has been having some health issues, and that generally her absences are excused, but that she would work with the Chair on this matter. Pat Lovelock stated that the new scrip books are not as well put together and that the black binder comes off. Jeanne Lynch stated that there are many people in the community that are concerned with the possible increase in the taxi meter rate to cover driver health care. Paul Gillespie responded that there will be meetings in the next few weeks with the Supervisors to gauge their support. Thomas George-Williams announced that Green Cab Company will be launched next week. Kate Toran announced that the San Mateo PCC will be holding regional meeting on May 1st. Please call Kate for more information.
The next PCC meeting will be held on |
|
|
Copyright © 2000-2009 SFMTA. All rights reserved. Updated May 22, 2009 |
|
