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

Thu May 29 00:02:02 UTC 2025

Hi everybody, sorry, I was in a work related meeting. Do we have a link for tonight? Thanks.
Sent from a mobile device

On May 28, 2025, at 5:46 PM, Cody Bair via Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

 Thanks for the update Claudia.
Sent from my iPhone

On May 28, 2025, at 5:16 PM, Claudia Folska, PhD via Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Hello friends, I’m just got out of a special board meeting with RTD regarding the Northwest rail and beyond. They are now moving into an executive session and do not plan to begin the regularly scheduled board meeting until actually, 6:30 PM or shortly there after. Kind regards, Claudia.

On May 28, 2025, at 10:32 AM, Tim Keenan via Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Hi Curtis,
I tried to have Claude analyze that Access on Demand presentation PowerPoint document, only to find that it’s corrupted somehow. Do you have the original that you can send me?

Thanks,
Tim

From: Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Curtis Chong via Colorado-Talk
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2025 3:53 PM
To: 'NFB of Colorado Discussion List' <colorado-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Curtis Chong <chong.curtis at gmail.com>
Subject: [Colorado-Talk] Access-on-Demand: Staff Recommendations

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.

<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

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