[Colorado-Talk] Access-on-Demand: Staff Recommendations

[Curtis Chong]

Greetings:

 

While Access-on-Demand was not actually discussed during the May 14 meeting
of RTD's Operations, Safety, and Security Committee, there was a PowerPoint
document incorporated into the online agenda which I was able to extract and
have analyzed by perplexity.ai./ The analysis document was somewhat
convoluted in its format, but I was able to extract the following useful
information for those of you interested in knowing what RTD staff is
currently considering for Access-on-Demand. This issue is slated to be
discussed at this evening's meeting of the RTD Board of Directors. What was
distributed in the agenda packet for this meeting is exactly the same as
what was distributed (but not discussed) for the RTD Operations, Safety, and
Security Committee meeting.

 

<Begin Excerpt>

 

 

Current Access-on-Demand Program

*	Subsidized curb-to-curb taxi and ride-share service for certified
paratransit customers.
*	RTD pays the first $25 of each trip; the customer pays any amount
above that.
*	Customers may take up to 60 trips per month.
*	Available within the entire RTD service area, 24/7.
*	No customer fare (i.e., $0 base fare).
*	Annual operating cost: $15.3 million; 685,402 customer trips in
2024.

 

Initial Recommendations (November 2024)

 

Customer Fare
Current Program: $0 (base), $0 (LiVE)
Initial Recommendation: $4.50 (base), $2.25 (LiVE)

Trip Cap
Current Program: 60 per month
Initial Recommendation: 40 per month

Subsidy per Trip
Current Program: $25
Initial Recommendation: $20

Service Area
Current Program: Entire District
Initial Recommendation: Mirrors ADA service area

Service Hours
Current Program: 24/7
Initial Recommendation: Mirrors current service hours

 

Estimated annual cost reduction: $5.86 million (38.2% decrease)

 

 

Revised Recommendations

 

Scenario 1: Increased Trip Cap Approach

 

.            Trip Cap: 50 trips per month (higher than initial
recommendation but lower than current).

.            Fare: $6.50 per trip (base), $3.25 per trip (LiVE discount).

.            Subsidy: $20 per trip.

.            Service Area/Hours: Mirrors current ADA service area and hours.

.            Estimated annual cost reduction: $6.17 million (40.2%
decrease)1.

 

Financial Impacts:

*	Increased fare generates more revenue.
*	Trip cap reduction and subsidy decrease save costs.
*	Projected yearly spend: $9.16 million (down from $15.33 million).

 

Scenario 2: Tiered Approach

 

*	Trip Cap: Up to 60 trips per month.
*	Tiered Fare Structure:

*	Trips 1-30: $4.50 (base), $2.25 (LiVE)
*	Trips 31-50: $5.50 (base), $2.75 (LiVE)
*	Trips 51-60: $6.50 (base), $3.25 (LiVE)

*	Subsidy: $20 per trip.
*	Service Area/Hours: Mirrors current ADA service area and hours.
*	Estimated annual cost reduction: $5.04 million (32.9% decrease)1.

 

Operational Considerations:

*	Requires significant staff oversight and additional headcount (4
FTEs).
*	Customers must track their trips to know their fare each time,
potentially causing confusion.
*	Projected yearly spend: $10.29 million.

 

Summary of Options

 

*	Scenario 1 (Increased Trip Cap): Reduces trip cap to 50/month and
increases fare, maximizing cost savings and revenue while maintaining a
relatively high trip allowance.
*	Scenario 2 (Tiered): Maintains the current 60-trip cap but
introduces a tiered fare structure, increasing the fare as usage rises. This
option preserves flexibility for high-frequency users but adds
administrative complexity and potential customer confusion.

 

<End Excerpt>

 

Cordially,

 

Curtis Chong

 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/colorado-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20250528/bd2a8313/attachment.htm>