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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>Thanks for the update, Curtis.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>Do you have information on which committee members denied the recommendation?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>That might help us better direct our advocacy. Usually, it’s tough to change someone’s mind on things like this, but you never know! </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif'>😊</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>Tim<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'> Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Curtis Chong via Colorado-Talk<br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, February 23, 2025 10:16 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'NFB of Colorado Discussion List' <colorado-talk@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> Curtis Chong <chong.curtis@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> [Colorado-Talk] Access-on-Demand Discussion at the RTD Board Meeting Tuesday Night<br><b>Importance:</b> High<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The agenda for Tuesday night's RTD Board of Directors meeting can be found here:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://rtd.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=3761">https://rtd.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=3761</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>People who wish to attend this meeting via Zoom should <a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ddolet4XRwGYVueu9SS7kg#/registration">Register Here</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>What is being recommended to the Board is shown here below.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><Begin Excerpt><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RECOMMENDED ACTION<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For the Board of Directors to authorize the General Manager and CEO or her designee to provide additional funding of $ 15,814,441 for the Access- on- Demand program, raising the not- to- exceed amount from $ 21.9 to $ 37.8 million, and delegating authority to amend the contracts with existing providers to increase the current amount of program funding for the remainder of the term of the contracts, which expire December 31, 2025.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>STAFF REPRESENTATIVE <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fred Worthen, Assistant General Manager, Bus Operations <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Paul Hamilton, Director, Paratransit Services <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>PRESENTATION LENGTH 5 minutes <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BACKGROUND <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RTD and its contractor partners deliver multimodal transit services across a 2,345 square- mile service area, which services include bus, light rail, commuter rail, and micro transit services, as well as Access-a- Ride complementary paratransit services in accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( ADA).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In November 2020, RTD launched its Access- on- Demand service as part of an expanded premium to Access- a- Ride paratransit service. Access- on- Demand began as a supplemental demand- response pilot program in partnership with Uber, a private transportation network company ( TNC). The program’s goal was to provide a responsive, on- demand platform for paratransit customers, which was similar to the agency’s Access- a- Cab program as it existed at that time. The Access- a- Cab program provided alternative on- demand service to paratransit customers through private taxicab providers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Access- on- Demand pilot program provided eligible customers a per- trip subsidy of up to $ 20, and those customers were required to pay the first $ 2 in fare for each trip. Access- a- Ride customers within four ZIP codes, selected for their density of existing paratransit customers, were eligible to participate in this pilot. The program hours were between 6 and 9 a. m. and between 2 and 5 p. m. The program was later expanded to an additional three ZIP codes and was expanded again to serve customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During the pilot period, RTD continued to offer its Access- a- Cab demand-response service, for which a $ 12 subsidy was offered, and customers were required to pay $ 2 in fare for each trip.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Following the Board’s approval of funding in November 2022 in the amount of approximately $ 9.3 million, in January 2023, RTD merged the Access- on- Demand and Access- a- Cab programs. Since then, RTD has partnered with four contracted private providers, Uber, Lyft, Metro Taxi, and zTrip, to provide Access- on- Demand service. Customers travel using their choice of these providers, receive a subsidy of up to $ 25 per trip, and pay no upfront fare. Additionally, customers schedule trips through the four providers’ mobile apps or the RTD Access- a- Ride call center for Metro Taxi or zTrip. Customers are limited to 60 one- way trips per month across all providers and are responsible for monitoring their trip usage.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Due to the popularity of Access- on- Demand as an alternative to traditional paratransit services, demand for service quickly exceeded expectations following the expansion beyond the pilot program in January 2023. Key factors driving the increase in demand likely include the same- day convenience when booking an Access- on- Demand trip, expanded service times and service area when compared with Access- a-Ride, and no out- of- pocket cost to customers. As a result, RTD anticipates that Access- on- Demand trip cost subsidies for calendar year 2024 will reach $ 11.1 million, a 77 percent increase over subsidy costs in 2023 ( at the time of this report development all third- party costs for 2024 have yet to be reconciled).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To ensure customers continue to have equitable and sustainable access to the agency’s services, RTD commissioned a peer review of the agency’s paratransit service delivery. This on- site review was conducted by industry subject- matter experts ( SMEs) in May 2024. These SMEs engaged in a holistic review of the paratransit program, including both the Access- on- Demand program and the Access- a- Ride program. Peer review recommendations, coupled with paratransit customer feedback, will assist RTD in adopting industry best practices, understanding the agency’s strengths and opportunities concerning paratransit service delivery, and determining options for potential improvements, sustainability, and fiscal responsibility.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>DISCUSSION <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In considering this recommended action, the agency seeks to meet the Strategic Priority of Customer Excellence.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Board approved an additional $ 8,600,000 in June 2024 to fund Access- on- Demand, and the GM/ CEO approved an additional $ 2,000,000 in December 2024, which sustains the program through February 2025. Based on projected continual growth in demand for Access- on- Demand services, and until sustainability recommendations of the peer review committee may be vetted and adopted, an additional $ 15,814,441 is requested to continue to provide Access- on- Demand services through December 2025 when the third- party contracts expire.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>FINANCIAL IMPACT <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Additional funding for the Access- on- Demand program in the amount of $ 13,814,440 will be derived from existing funds in the 2025 budget, and the remaining $ 2,000,000 will be made available through the unrestricted reserve. Future funding for this program will be allocated through the annual budget process.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Prepared by: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Paul Hamilton, Senior Manager, Paratransit Services <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Gretchen Vidergar, Acting Manager, Paratransit Services<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><End Excerpt><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This recommendation mirrors that which was approved by the RTD Operations, Safety, and Security Committee at its meeting on Tuesday, February 18. This would seem to indicate that Access-on-Demand will not be significantly reduced--at least until the end of 2025.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It should be recognized, however, that the staff recommendation was not approved unanimously by the committee. I am guessing that while it will probably be approved at Tuesday night's Board meeting, that approval will not be unanimous.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cordially,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Curtis Chong<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>