Transportation Plan
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Human Services Transportation Plan |
One of the new requirements of the current federal transportation act, SAFETEA-LU, is that a Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan (HSTP) be developed. The HSTP addresses the transportation needs of the elderly, people with disabilities and low income populations. The Human Services Transportation Plan for Clark, Skamania and Klickitat Counties was adopted by the RTC Board of Directors on January 2, 2007.
From the needs identified in the HSTP development process, human services transportation providers develop projects to submit to WSDOT for funding consideration through the state’s consolidated grant program.
RTC, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Clark County region and Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) for the three-county region of Clark, Skamania and Klickitat, has worked with local stakeholders and human service transportation providers to develop the HSTP for the region and to identify project priorities. Development of the Human Services Transportation Plan was coordinated through stakeholder groups in each county, and through the Klickitat County Transportation Policy Committee, Skamania County Transportation Policy Committee and the Regional Transportation Advisory Committee in Clark County.
Within Washington State, the Human Services Transportation Plan is the framework for identifying and prioritizing projects to apply for funding under the following Federal and State funding programs as part of the State’s consolidate grant application process:
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310, Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5316, Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC)
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5317, New Freedom
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5311, General Public Transportation for Non-urbanized Areas
- State Transit Funds for Paratransit and Special Needs
- State Rural Mobility Competitive
The intent of the Human Services Transportation Plan is to identify transportation needs and solutions and thereby improve transportation services for people with disabilities, seniors, and individuals with lower incomes. Development of a Human Service Transportation Plan ensures that communities coordinate transportation resources provided through multiple federal programs. A Coordinated plan can help to enhance transportation access, minimize duplication of services, and encourage the most cost-effective transportation possible. Development of the Human Services Transportation Plan brings together service providers, agencies that distribute funds, riders, and the community at-large to improve special needs transportation throughout the region.
The Human Services Transportation Plan for each of the three counties in the region includes the following elements to meet state and federal requirements:
- Description of Stakeholder Groups
- Data and Information
- Identification of Unmet Transportation Needs
- Development of Transportation Alternatives
Plans for each of the three counties are incorporated into the Human Services Transportation Plan for Clark, Skamania and Klickitat Counties.
Following identification of transportation needs in the HSTP, service providers defined projects to meet transportation needs. On December 19, 2006, transportation stakeholders and project sponsors convened to consider project priorities for the three county region for funding consideration through the state’s consolidated grant program. The state’s grant process requires each RTPO region to prioritize projects with the region’s ranking counting for up to one-third of the total possible value of the states competitive process. The state’s ranking process provides for:
A = top 4 projects (50 percentile points)
B = second 4 projects (25 percentile points)
C = third 4 projects (12 percentile points)
D = remaining projects (0 percentile points)Project grant applications: due for submittal to WSDOT by January 5, 2007.
Recommended RTC project priorities are described below:
Project Priority: A
Human Services Council
Employment Transportation – JARCThe Human Services Council provides employment transportation services to low-income individuals residing in Clark County, Washington. Our program enables low-income workers and WorkFirst recipients to access transportation to employment sites, job interviews, training services, education, childcare, and other work-related activities, which ultimately lead to self-sufficiency.
Project Priority A
Human Services Council
U-Ride Clark CountyThis service provides transportation to life-sustaining medical appointments, such as chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer, and dialysis. The program will be expanded to include trips to general destinations, such as grocery stores, nutrition sites, volunteer locations, and to visit friends and family - destinations that assist people in remaining independent in their homes. This demand-response transportation service is intended to serve individuals who are not eligible for Medicaid transportation and who do not have access to local transit. Trips would be coordinated with other transportation programs operated under the HSC transportation brokerage.
Project Priority A
Klickitat Senior Services/Mt. Adams Transit
Continue Existing Dial a Ride and Route Deviated ServiceMount Adams Transportation provides essential transportation services for the disabled, elderly, and low-income within Klickitat County. This service is essential to those that are transit dependent.
Project Priority A
Skamania Seniors Service
Maintain Existing Dial-a-ride Service for general public and those with special needs in Skamania CountySenior Services provides essential transportation services for the disabled, elderly, and low-income. This service is essential to those that are transit dependent to access medical and social services, shopping and errand destinations and other activities of daily life.
Project Priority B
Ride Connection
U-Ride Volunteer Program SupportThis is a collaborative effort between Ride Connection and Clark County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). The objective of this project is to expand the capacity of volunteer provided transportation in Clark County. Ride Connection will manage the operation of the transportation program and RSVP will support the program by recruiting volunteers. The project is designed to address the lack of capacity available from existing volunteer transportation programs in Clark County.
Project Priority B
Skamania Senior Services
Maintain the existing deviated fixed route service between Skamania County and Fisher’s Landing Transit Center in Clark CountyThe SR-14 deviated fixed route service makes three round trips per day (morning, midday, evening). The service began in January 2004 and has been very successful and continues to grow in ridership. This service provides access to jobs, schooling, and other trip purposes within the greater Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area.
Project Priority B
Klickitat Senior Services/Mt. Adams Transit
Replace one existing Minibus and purchase one additional ADA Minivan, two additional non-ADA Minivans and one non-ADA 14 passenger vanAll public transit providers have a continual need to replace aging vehicles and add vehicles as services expand. In addition, the need to maintain a fleet of vehicles is essential to public transit service. Mt. Adams Transportation will replace existing mini-bus and expand vehicle fleet with one ADA minivan, and three additional non-ADA minivans.
Project Priority B
Skamania Senior Services
Capital funds to add two vehicles to Skamania County's fleetAdd one ADA mini-van to provide dial-a-ride service to the general public and persons with special needs in Skamania County. This vehicle is necessary to continue the dial-a-ride service with only a modest increase in the number of trips currently being provided. Add one 20-passenger mini-bus to provide deviated fixed route service.
Project Priority C
Ride Connection
Driver Training ProgramDevelop, implement and maintain a viable community transportation driver training program that will include; defensive driver training and mobility awareness and assistance courses. These courses will be offered on a regularly occurring basis in Clark County, and periodically through out the year in Longview and White Salmon to all service providers who contract with the Human Services Council's transportation brokerage.
Project Priority C
Ride Connection
Travel Training ProgramThe Travel Training program will promote independent travel of older adults and people with disabilities by providing free training, support and access to information. The program will be designed to provide mobility support ranging from consumer education to one-on-one travel training. The level of support provided will be based solely on the individual's ability.
Project Priority C
Skamania Senior Services
New deviated Fixed Route Service between Skamania County and Hood River, OregonA transit survey conducted in 2003 identified Hood River as a major destination for additional service. Plan stakeholders recently confirmed that this service would meet many of the current unmet needs. A fixed route service interconnecting with the SR-14 service to Clark County would provide significant mobility to disabled, elderly, and low-income populations. This service would be developed with Gorge TransLink partners.
Project Priority C
Cowlitz Indian Tribe Department of Transportation
Operating: Expansion of Existing Tribal Transit Services to Rural Clark CountyThe service will expand service offered by the Cowlitz Tribe into Clark County. The program is an on-call route deviated service. The service provides on-call pick up for elderly and disabled riders. The service is free to all riders, and is available to Tribal and general community. The service prioritizes life-sustaining medical trips, medical clinic visits, nutritional services, pharmaceutical and grocery shopping, and social and cultural programs.
Project Priority D
Cowlitz Indian Tribe Department of Transportation
Capital: Expansion of Existing Tribal Transit Services to Rural Clark CountyPurchase vehicle for the Cowlitz Tribe transit services into Clark County.
The final report has been prepared for download, as an Adobe PDF (v5) file. It is 105 pages long, and 3.6 Mb in size.
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This report was prepared by:
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