TITLE
The Mayor and City Council shall hear a presentation on the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Section 5311 grant, the City's transit program, and the extension of the Total Transit contract.
AGENDA ITEM DESCRIPTION
In the spring of 2008, the City of Maricopa began a Federal Transit Administration two year pilot program of Section 5311. Section 5311 is a formula grant that is administered by the Arizona Department of Transportation as a pass-through from the Federal Transit Administration. Section 5311 is a program that provides funding for the purpose of supporting public transportation in rural areas, with a population of less than 50,000. The goal of the program is to provide the following services to communities with population less than 50,000:
· Enhance the access of people in non-urbanized areas to health care, shopping, education, employment, public services, and recreation.
· Assist in the maintenance, development, improvement, and use of public transportation systems in non-urbanized areas.
· Encourage and facilitate the most efficient use of all transportation funds used to provide passenger transportation in non-urbanized areas through the coordination of programs and services.
· Assist in the development and support of intercity bus transportation.
· Provide for the participation of private transportation providers in non-urbanized transportation.
The City of Maricopa has provided intercity and intracity services to Maricopa residents for 4 ½ years. In 2011, the City implemented a local demand response service to provide transportation to those seeking employment and medical services within the City limits. The service is operated with two city-owned vehicles that were purchased with 2010 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds.
Demand Response is comprised of vehicles operating in response to calls from passengers (or their agents) to a customer service representative. A demand response operation is characterized by the following: (a) the vehicles do not operate over a fixed route or on a fixed schedule except, perhaps, on a temporary basis to satisfy a special need; and (b) typically, the vehicle may be dispatched to pick up several passengers at different pick-up points before taking them to their respective destinations and may even be interrupted en route to these destinations to pick up other passengers. Demand response transit service increases passenger throughput because multiple passengers typically use the service at one time. The reduction in vehicle trips also reduces the demand on a facility.
The City's current contractor, Total Transit, Inc. (based in Glendale, Arizona), provides the City with a driver operator and dispatching services. Staff would like to seek direction from Council regarding staff bringing forth a future agenda item to exercise a one-year extension of the contract with Total Transit. This option would continue to operate the demand response transit service that was approved by the Mayor and City Council in December 2011. The proposed contract amendment is funded through a combination of existing line items from the proposed 2012-2013 Budget that would apply for the first nine months of service. The remaining three months will be funded in the 2013-2014 Budget.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Mayor and City Council hear a presentation on the FTA's Section 5311 grant, the City's transit program, the extension of Total Transit's contract, and alternative options available for transportation programs and funding opportunities.