Despite growth, council eyes cutbacks in paratransit service Despite growth, council eyes cutbacks in paratransit service (April 29, 2005)

Rides costing $24 a trip, $892 a year
by Jeb Bing

Concerned about rising costs for its city-owned paratransit service that serves the disabled and those over 60, the City Council is considering raising user fees, trimming operations and making more use of alternative transportation, such as cabs and Wheels buses.

The move comes as a new report shows increased ridership on the Pleasanton Paratransit Service as the city's population ages. With 10.9 percent of the total population, or 6,940 residents, now at least 60 years old and eligible for paratransit service, the report by James Wolfe, Director of Parks and Community Services, projects a 5 percent increase in service demand in the coming year.

Paratransit Dispatcher Michele Tonowski said the city-owned-and-operated vans and minibuses are making from 90 to 125 trips each day, carrying seniors registered for the program and young disabled residents to various destinations from their homes and back. These locations include the Pleasanton Senior Center for noon-day luncheons and activities, Stoneridge Shopping Center, ValleyCare Medical Center, doctor's offices, beauty shops, the IMAX movie theater in Dublin and San Ramon Regional Medical Center.

Pleasanton residents pay $2 for each one-way trip and $2.50 for out-of-town trips to Dublin or Livermore. The service also is available to residents in Sunol and other unincorporated areas, such as Happy Valley, for $2.50 to Pleasanton destinations and $3 each way for trips outside of Pleasanton.

"Pleasanton heavily subsidizes the paratransit service to these unincorporated areas and I have to ask why are we doing this?" Councilman Steve Brozosky asked.

Looking at the proposed Fiscal Year budget for 2005-06 of $541,758, Brozosky noted that the cost per rider will be $892 in the coming year, or $24 for each trip.

"I want the public to know what the cost is to provide this service," he told the City Council. "Our general fund is heavily subsidizing this type of service and I don't think the community is quite aware that's what the subsidy is costing them."

As the council's liaison representative to the board of directors of LAVTA, the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority that operates Wheels' bus and Dial-a-Ride van transit services, Brozosky said that using those services might be less expensive.

"Even at LAVTA, we are looking at the different prices for the service it provides," Brozosky said. "There may be times that LAVTA would find it cheaper to go with taxi service for some of these transportation needs than to supply the (Dial-a-Ride) vans if riders don't need special disability access. If you need to take a local trip in town and don't need these special vans, it would be cheaper to do a tax voucher than to provide van service that is costing us $24 and $30 a trip."

Councilwoman Cindy McGovern also questioned the city's paratransit costs and service eligibility. She noted that fuel costs in the proposed paratransit budget of $26,000 are the same as they were in 2002, although fuel prices have skyrocketed since then.

"I'm wondering if there aren't a few 60 year olds in town who might sign up for this service just so they can save gas money instead of driving their own cars?" she asked.

She also said the budget didn't take into account another 250 new riders the report projects for the year ahead.

"That's another $200,000 that I don't see accounted for," she said.

She asked the paratransit staff to consider ways of combining trips so that the vans are filled, reducing operating costs.

"You might try scheduling dates and times for trips to the Mall for shopping or to the grocery store so that you can have a larger number of people on each of the rides instead of just one or two," she suggested.

Eileen Morley, the city's Community Services Manager, told the council that the purpose of the paratransit service is to reduce isolation for seniors and the disabled, giving them the ability to live independently even if they can't drive. The program provides door-to-door, driver-assisted transportation.

Responding to a question by Councilman Matt Sullivan on how paratransit riders would get around if the service was cancelled, Morley said: "They would probably just stay at home and have a family member or neighbor try to take them to places they needed to go."

"Paratransit ranked No. 1 in our citywide assessment of transportation needs," Morley said. "Most of the riders are women living independently in their own homes or senior apartments. For all seniors, transportation along with affordable housing continues to be their primary concern."

The Pleasanton Junior Women's Club first initiated the Pleasanton Senior Citizens' Transportation Program in 1972. It was developed in response to concerns about the lack of available transportation for senior residents no longer able to drive. The Junior Women's Club donated a 12-passenger mini-bus to the city, and in 1975 donated a second bus. As ridership increased, the city applied for special funding from government agencies

For this year, the city will receive $77,305 from an annual allocation through Measure B funds, the 20-year-long, 1/2-cent sales tax measure for transportation improvements that was approved by Alameda County voters in 2000. Another $54,445 has been allocated for the paratransit program by the county's Transportation Development Act (TDA), using funds available from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Wolfe said those funds result in a 24 percent saving to Pleasanton for the paratransit fiscal year budget of $541,758.

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