Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to sign Task Order No. 3 for Ride-On Tri-City! paratransit related program services for FY 2019-2020, pursuant to the Union City/Fremont Paratransit Joint Powers Authority Agreement.

Since 1997, Union City Paratransit has been providing origin-to-destination transportation to those who are unable to use public fixed-route transit (i.e. Union City Transit and AC Transit) due to a disability.  It is an advanced reservation shared-ride van service provided in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Riders must be certified and enrolled in our program in order to be eligible to use Union City Paratransit.  Operations and maintenance is currently contracted out to a private service provider, MV Transportation (a.k.a. MV Transit).  Funding for Union City Paratransit comes from a variety of sources including Regional Transportation Development Act (TDA) and State Transit Assistance (STA) funds, Alameda County Measures B and BB funds and passenger fares.

In addition to our own ADA Paratransit service, eligible Union City residents have had access to discounted taxi rides through the Tri-City Taxi Voucher program, now branded Ride-On Tri-City!.  This supplemental program has allowed ADA eligible riders and seniors age eighty (80) and older to purchase subsidized taximeter fare vouchers ($16 voucher for only $4, resulting in up to a $20 ride for only $4) or ride-hailing services discount codes ($16 of regular trip credit for only $4, resulting in up to a $20 ride for only $4; $46 of staff-approved medical out-of-area trip credit for only $4, resulting in up to a $50 ride for only $4).  Riders are responsible for fares beyond the voucher subsidy or ride-hailing discount code and there is a current limit of twenty (20) vouchers or ride-hailing discount codes per person per month.  The program provides flexible same-day on-demand transportation.  Traditional paratransit services need to be scheduled at least a day in advance and generally do not have the flexibility to provide same-day rides.

This agenda item is not addressed in the Strategic Plan.

The Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) administers the Measures B and BB sales taxes which provide funding for a variety of transportation projects and programs throughout the County.  In 2006, the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority (a predecessor agency to the ACTC) initiated a pilot program with special Measure B Gap Grant funds to provide a discounted taxi-voucher program to eligible Tri-City (Fremont, Newark and Union City) residents.  The Tri-City Taxi-Voucher pilot program addressed an ongoing need for same-day on-demand transportation, which traditional paratransit programs generally do not provide.  Service was available 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week for rides within the Tri-Cities.  In 2014, the City of Fremont assumed administration of the Tri-City Taxi Voucher pilot program with continued funding from the special Measure B Gap Grants.  Because it has been fully funded with a Gap Grant, Union City has not had to financially contribute to the program since its inception.

Starting in FY 2017-2018, Measure B Gap Grants no longer funded the Tri-City Taxi-Voucher program.  In order to continue this valuable service, the Cities of Fremont and Newark subsidized the program for their respective residents with their regular Direct Local Distribution (DLD) Measures B and BB paratransit allocations.  Fremont administered the program.

Union City can continue participating in the program by approving the Task Order No. 3 and subsidizing it with our own DLD Measures B and BB paratransit funds.  Otherwise, Union City residents will lose access to the Ride-On Tri-City! paratransit related program services.

The existing JPA allows Fremont to perform services in accordance with Task Orders issued by Union City.  Task Order No. 3 is for Ride-On Tri-City! paratransit related program services for FY 2019-2020.  Each subsequent year that Union City desires to continue with the program will require a new Task Order, as was the case with Task Order 1 for FY 2017-2018 and Task Order 2 for FY 2019-20.  The JPA also makes it easier for the City to purchase other types of services (such as Senior Service Case Management) through Task Orders as well.

It is estimated that there will be up to 2,280 taxi-voucher or ride-hailing trips provided to Union City residents in FY 2019-2020.  Each taxi trip will cost $19; the full $16 voucher value to the taxi driver plus a $3 fee to the taxi company.  Each ride-hailing trip made through the ride-hailing app will cost up to $16 per regular trip and $46 per staff-approved medical out-of-area trip through discount codes; each ride-hailing trip made through Life ElderCare will be have a $8 ride coordination fee charged costing up to $24 per regular trip and $54 per staff-approved medical out-of-area trip through discount codes. The City of Fremont will be adding a 13.34% administrative fee to the total trip cost amount; the administrative fee covers the following: Service Eligibility Screening and Program Enrollment, Consumer Education and Service Coordination, Program Monitoring, and Service Documentation and Monthly Invoicing.

City Staff has budgeted up to $49,860 ($43,992 for Paratransit Services and $5,868 for the Administrative Fee) of its DLD Measure B and BB paratransit funds for Union City’s share of the Ride-On Tri-City! paratransit related program services for FY 2019-2020.  This is approximately 84% of Union City Paratransit’s total DLD Measure B and BB paratransit funding allocation and will not have a significant impact to our regular ADA Union City Paratransit budget.  The Union City ADA Paratransit program can backfill with other funding sources including TDA and STA.

Staff recommends that City Council adopt a resolution to authorize the City Manager to sign Task Order No. 3 for Ride-On Tri-City! paratransit related program services for Fiscal Year 2019-2020, pursuant to the Union City/Fremont Paratransit Joint Powers Authority Agreement.