Comments on: Could Para-Transit Work in Los Angeles? http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/29/could-para-transit-work-in-los-angeles/ Covering Los Angeles's livable streets movement Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:23:58 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Umberto Brayj http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/29/could-para-transit-work-in-los-angeles/comment-page-1/#comment-2146 Umberto Brayj Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:56:25 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1089#comment-2146 The only thing I know that these paratransit shuttles do is keep drivers employed. Disability laws require paratransit to be provided along existing transit lines - so every new bus line in Orange County means the OCTA has to pay through the nose for paratransit too. People who are frail or disabled in some way have a hard time making it to the curb to be picked up - and they need to make arrangements days in advance just to be driven to the local supermarket off of their local expressway exit. The way we occupy the landscape isolates people who are not able to drive a private automobile. Perhaps there should be a way to address that issue, instead of techno-utopian pap like "Smart" handicap buses. The only thing I know that these paratransit shuttles do is keep drivers employed. Disability laws require paratransit to be provided along existing transit lines - so every new bus line in Orange County means the OCTA has to pay through the nose for paratransit too.

People who are frail or disabled in some way have a hard time making it to the curb to be picked up - and they need to make arrangements days in advance just to be driven to the local supermarket off of their local expressway exit.

The way we occupy the landscape isolates people who are not able to drive a private automobile. Perhaps there should be a way to address that issue, instead of techno-utopian pap like "Smart" handicap buses.

]]> By: Peter McFerrin http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/29/could-para-transit-work-in-los-angeles/comment-page-1/#comment-2144 Peter McFerrin Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:39:27 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1089#comment-2144 The jitney business is far better left to the private sector--which is pretty much how it operates today, anyway. The jitney business is far better left to the private sector--which is pretty much how it operates today, anyway.

]]> By: Dana Gabbard http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/29/could-para-transit-work-in-los-angeles/comment-page-1/#comment-2141 Dana Gabbard Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:35:18 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1089#comment-2141 Metro tried such a service in the wee hours some years ago in the San Pedro area, line 646 City NightLine--the driver in a cutaway bus had a cell phone and would deviate from the route to pick up or drop off in the service area: http://www.metro.net/press/pressroom/images/service_changes_maps/646.pdf. It had a timed transfer with Metro's route 446. For those who are curious what riding it was like, here is a link to a trip report from when I rode it in Dec. 1999: http://www.socata.net/x646.html. Never could get the agency to give me any figures as to ridership, cost per route mile, etc. It was supposed to be testing the concept, but without any numbers to evaluate how it was doing, what was learned from running it? The 646 was terminated in Dec. 2003. And today L.A. County has one of the largest paratransit systems in the country. It is Access Services, Inc. the complimentary service mandated under the ADA for those who can't use fixed route buses for various reasons. You can see their statistics by reading the board box: http://asila.org/calendar/agenda_display.cfm?agendatype=1 Note cost per trip is $32.42. By having some shared rides cost per passenger is reduced to $25. This subsidized unfunded federal mandate may not be a full test of the concept, but it does show just how pricey deviated circulator services can cost. This is why dial-a-ride type services usually are supplanted by fixed routes once corridors are dense enough to support them. Metro tried such a service in the wee hours some years ago in the San Pedro area, line 646 City NightLine--the driver in a cutaway bus had a cell phone and would deviate from the route to pick up or drop off in the service area: http://www.metro.net/press/pressroom/images/service_changes_maps/646.pdf. It had a timed transfer with Metro's route 446. For those who are curious what riding it was like, here is a link to a trip report from when I rode it in Dec. 1999: http://www.socata.net/x646.html. Never could get the agency to give me any figures as to ridership, cost per route mile, etc. It was supposed to be testing the concept, but without any numbers to evaluate how it was doing, what was learned from running it? The 646 was terminated in Dec. 2003.

And today L.A. County has one of the largest paratransit systems in the country. It is Access Services, Inc. the complimentary service mandated under the ADA for those who can't use fixed route buses for various reasons. You can see their statistics by reading the board box:
http://asila.org/calendar/agenda_display.cfm?agendatype=1

Note cost per trip is $32.42. By having some shared rides cost per passenger is reduced to $25. This subsidized unfunded federal mandate may not be a full test of the concept, but it does show just how pricey deviated circulator services can cost. This is why dial-a-ride type services usually are supplanted by fixed routes once corridors are dense enough to support them.

]]> By: Gary Kavanagh http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/29/could-para-transit-work-in-los-angeles/comment-page-1/#comment-2140 Gary Kavanagh Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:34:14 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1089#comment-2140 I can only see Para-Transit working if it is tightly integrated into a great GUI for users and with a huge marketing push to drive awareness. Sharing programs only work if enough people participate. If it is quietly introduced then I could easily imagine the scenario of empty buses driving around. I can only see Para-Transit working if it is tightly integrated into a great GUI for users and with a huge marketing push to drive awareness. Sharing programs only work if enough people participate. If it is quietly introduced then I could easily imagine the scenario of empty buses driving around.

]]> By: calwatch http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/29/could-para-transit-work-in-los-angeles/comment-page-1/#comment-2138 calwatch Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:19:02 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1089#comment-2138 Damien, since you weren't in the region when this was proposed 15 years ago by the staff at SCAG, read up on "smart shuttles". They were basically the same thing, and they are universally deemed a complete and total failure that wasted taxpayer money while duplicating existing transit service and being extremely unreliable. The current remaining smart shuttle, the Rosewood Smart Shuttle (thank you Supervisor Burke), gets less than one passenger a trip. Operating costs ballooned and people didn't want to wait. You have similar services in Grand Terrace, Yucapia, and Chino Hills that have been scaled back due to atrocious ridership (the Yucaipa Omnilink cost about $15 a passenger to run). In the Mid-Wilshire area, the bus spent too much time deviating to serve people's homes, and drivers found the side trips so annoying that they ended up traveling one minute in front of local bus service just to keep ridership numbers up. Unless the public is happy spending billions of dollars on small buses that will just waste fuel and not serve anyone, I don't see this idea flying. Damien, since you weren't in the region when this was proposed 15 years ago by the staff at SCAG, read up on "smart shuttles". They were basically the same thing, and they are universally deemed a complete and total failure that wasted taxpayer money while duplicating existing transit service and being extremely unreliable. The current remaining smart shuttle, the Rosewood Smart Shuttle (thank you Supervisor Burke), gets less than one passenger a trip. Operating costs ballooned and people didn't want to wait. You have similar services in Grand Terrace, Yucapia, and Chino Hills that have been scaled back due to atrocious ridership (the Yucaipa Omnilink cost about $15 a passenger to run). In the Mid-Wilshire area, the bus spent too much time deviating to serve people's homes, and drivers found the side trips so annoying that they ended up traveling one minute in front of local bus service just to keep ridership numbers up. Unless the public is happy spending billions of dollars on small buses that will just waste fuel and not serve anyone, I don't see this idea flying.

]]> By: Marcotico http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/29/could-para-transit-work-in-los-angeles/comment-page-1/#comment-2136 Marcotico Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:00:12 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1089#comment-2136 One of the hurdles that para-transit faces is public awareness. In addition to creating the system the agency in charge will have to promote it. How many times have you taken transit or ridden your bike somewhere to have people stare at you in disbelief, because they just didn't know it was possible. Para-transit will take a lot to turn into a general application system. Jitneys and shared taxis also face problems in dealing with agencies that don't have the resources to implement or even regulate a market-based solution. These ideas are very strong, but unfortunately they require the same systematic change as other systems to get up and running and widely accepted. One of the hurdles that para-transit faces is public awareness. In addition to creating the system the agency in charge will have to promote it. How many times have you taken transit or ridden your bike somewhere to have people stare at you in disbelief, because they just didn't know it was possible. Para-transit will take a lot to turn into a general application system.

Jitneys and shared taxis also face problems in dealing with agencies that don't have the resources to implement or even regulate a market-based solution. These ideas are very strong, but unfortunately they require the same systematic change as other systems to get up and running and widely accepted.

]]> By: militant angeleno http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/29/could-para-transit-work-in-los-angeles/comment-page-1/#comment-2134 militant angeleno Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:04:57 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1089#comment-2134 Smart Paratransit should work...Think of it as LifeAlert, but with a shuttle van. Smart Paratransit should work...Think of it as LifeAlert, but with a shuttle van.

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