TRANSPORATION/LAND USE COMMITTEE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS - Loudoun … · Transportation Needs of the...

Date of Meeting: March 16, 2012

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

TRANSPORATION/LAND USE COMMITTEE

INFORMATION ITEM

SUBJECT: Transportation Needs of Individuals with Disabilities

ELECTION DISTRICT: Countywide

STAFF CONTACTS: Candice deButts, Julie Grandfield and Catherine Motivans

Office of the County Administrator

BACKGROUND:

In February, 2011 the Transportation/Land Use Committee (TLUC) directed staff to work with

the Disability Services Board (DSB) and County human service agencies to develop a scope for

an assessment of the transportation needs of people with disabilities in Loudoun County. A

workgroup was formed to include County staff, DSB members, local non-profit agencies and

Virginia Regional Transit (VRT). Last summer the workgroup gathered and reviewed related

information on this topic, including the 2010 Countywide Transportation Plan, the draft six-year

Transit Development Plan, 2010 Community Needs Assessment, DSB Triennial Needs

Assessment, and American Community Survey data. In addition, the group developed three (3)

online surveys to poll nonprofit agencies, residents with disabilities that use existing

transportation (VRT fixed-route and curb-to-curb service), and the general population about

transportation use and needs. This effort resulted in a report titled Transportation Needs of the

Disabled Population (Attachment 1) that was provided to the Transportation/Land Use

Committee on October 19, 2011. The Committee voted to recommend to the full Board to:

1) Appropriate $60,000 from FY12 unallocated funds to procure professional services from

a firm with expertise in transportation and accessibility issues to assist the County in

prioritizing improvements to existing transit services and recommending alternative or

expanded transit and mobility services, to meet the needs of people with disabilities;

2) Conduct a feasibility analysis of regulation, licensing and accessibility of taxicabs in

Loudoun County; and

3) Initiate formal communication with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)

to request a review of key intersections and pedestrian walkways for safety and

accessibility.

# 2

On November 2, 2011 the Board of Supervisors voted 8-1 to approve the Committee’s

recommendation. It is intended that the professional study will result in specific

recommendations that will improve transit services for individuals with disabilities, to include

evaluation of current curb-to curb service provided by Virginia Regional Transit and

recommendation how to enhance these services, implementation of limited fixed route

deviations, particularly on evenings and weekends, and improvements to bus stops and transfer

points, to include audible signals at pedestrian crossings. At the March 16 committee meeting

staff will be providing a PowerPoint presentation that provides background and current status of

this project. A copy of the presentation is provided in Attachment 2

ISSUES:

Before proceeding further, staff is informing the current TLUC of the project, work already

completed, and next steps. At present, $60,000 in FY12 unallocated funds has been appropriated

for this work. Staff and representatives of the DSB have developed the Request for Proposal

(RFP) for the study. The anticipated next step is for the RFP to be sent out to vendors with

experience in accessible transportation. The selected vendor will be expected to provide the

County with a report that includes suggested improvements and alternatives to transit and

mobility services for people with disabilities. This report, when complete, will be shared with the

TLUC for further consideration. A letter to VDOT has been drafted, requesting them to report

on the accessibility of major intersections and pedestrian crosswalks in the County.

Additionally, the Office of Transportation is conducting an analysis of the feasibility of taxicab

regulations in Loudoun County.

ATTACHMENT:

1. Transportation Needs of the Disabled Population Report, October 19, 2011

2. March 16, 2012 PowerPoint Presentation for Transportation and Land Use Committee

Transportation Needs of the Disabled Population Loudoun County, VA Early in 2011, The Board of Supervisors’ Transportation and Land Use Committee and the Disability Services Board (DSB) initiated discussions regarding transportation needs of the disabled population in Loudoun County. Representatives of the DSB, along with partners from Loudoun’s community and human service non-profit agencies and Virginia Regional Transit, worked with County government staff to study the issue. This report is the product of that group’s efforts. It is hoped that the Transportation and Land Use Committee and the full Board of Supervisors will use the information contained herein to address identified issues and improve transportation services to the disabled population of Loudoun County.

2011

TLUC Attachment 1-1

Introduction……………………………………………………………………… 3

Background……………………………………………………………………… 3

Workgroup to Study Transportation Needs for Persons with Disabilities…… 3

Existing Studies and Reports Related to Transportation Needs……………… 4

Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP) and Transit Development Plan (TDP)….. 4

Loudoun County Community Needs Assessment…………………………………… 5

Disability Services Board (DSB) Triennial Needs Assessment……………………… 5

Public and Private Transportation Providers in Loudoun County………………… 6

Surveys/Use of Existing Tools to Gather Information……………………………… 6

Survey of Department of Family Services Clients………………………………….. 6

Survey of Virginia Regional Transit (VRT) Riders and LEND Consumers……… 7

Survey of Local Non-Profit Agencies……………………………………………….. 7

Survey of General Population………………………………………………………. 9

Specialized Needs Population………………………………………………………. 10

Survey of Limited English Proficient (LEP) Community………………………… 12

Future Assessment and Action…………………………………………………………. 13

Transportation Needs of the Disabled Population

October 12, 2011

Table of Contents

TLUC Attachment 1-2

Introduction

This report is the product of collaborative study conducted by representatives from the Disability Services Board, local non-profit agencies, Virginia Regional Transit, County human service agencies, County Administration and the Office of Transportation. Through review of extensive existing information, ongoing dialogue and survey of targeted and the general population, the criticality of transportation services has been highlighted. Needs specific to the expansion of transit hours into the evenings and weekends, additional on-demand, curb-to-curb service, personal assistance and related transportation needs have been identified.

Many of the ideas offered towards the end of this report relate to transportation services for the general population. There are also some suggestions specific to those with specialized needs. It is recommended that these ideas and suggestions serve as the foundation for future study and action towards the improvement of transportation services in Loudoun County.

Background

In the fall of 2010, staff from the Office of Transportation Services attended a Disability Services Board (DSB) meeting to discuss transportation needs of the disabled population in Loudoun. In a December, 2010 meeting, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to prepare a report describing current policies and regulations regarding pedestrian access and transit opportunities for disabled persons and to present findings and recommendations for review to the Transportation and Land Use Committee (TLUC) in February. On February 16, 2011, the TLUC discussed with staff some actions that might be taken to begin to address these transportation needs. The Committee voted 5-0 to direct staff to work with the Disability Services Board and County human services agencies to assess resource requirements and funding options to conduct an assessment of transit needs of disabled persons in the County.

On February 17th, staff met with the Disability Services Board to discuss the needs assessment. At the end of that discussion, certain DSB members volunteered to form a workgroup with staff and Virginia Regional Transit (VRT) to work on the project. It was agreed that identifying and collecting related existing information was a key first step.

In order to keep the Transportation and Land Use Committee informed about the workgroup’s progress, updates were provided to the Committee on April 25th and again on July 20th.

Workgroup to Study Transportation Needs for Persons with Disabilities

At the first meeting, representatives of the Disability Services Board, Virginia Regional Transit, and County staff met to discuss the needs assessment and to identify specific short and long-term action steps that could be taken. Very early in this process, it was agreed that the addition of representatives from the non-profit community would enhance the discussion, process and outcome of the workgroup. Bill Ward and Tracee Garner of Loudoun ENDependence (LEND) and Andy Johnston, Executive Director of Loudoun Cares and

TLUC Attachment 1-3

Chairperson of the Loudoun Human Services Network, were invited to join the group (complete list of members is provided in Attachment 1).

Existing Studies and Reports Related to Transportation Needs

Staff collected, reviewed and summarized existing related information. These documents included the:

• 2010 Countywide Transportation Plan and draft six-year Transit Development Plan

• 2010 Community Needs Assessment

• DSB Triennial Needs Assessment

• Loudoun County Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Master Plan

• DSB Transportation Report / Gaps in Services and Recommendations

• Loudoun Human Services Network Transportation Focus Group Report on Transportation Services for Citizens with Special Needs

• American Community Survey data

Some of these studies detailed existing transportation services, while others identify general or specific transit needs. However, none serve as a comprehensive community-wide needs assessment on the issue of transportation needs of the disabled population in Loudoun. Several of these reports are briefly discussed below as further background information to this report.

Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP) and Transit Development Plan (TDP)

The 2010 Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP) is the twenty year policy and vision plan for transportation, adopted by the Board of Supervisors in June, 2010. An extensive public process was used in the development of the CTP, which also involved the use of modeling to determine roadway capacity, transit needs and projected ridership. In Loudoun there are currently three types of transit options. The first option is the County-managed commuter bus system called Loudoun County Transit, or LC Transit. The second transit option is a network of local fixed route buses that traverse roadways within Loudoun County. There are currently nine fixed bus routes, three of which run exclusively within the Town of Leesburg. Residents can also use the on-demand or curb to curb service provided by VRT in Loudoun County as a means of using public transit where fixed route service is not available and/or when extra assistance is needed to access transit vehicles

The Transit Development Plan (TDP) is a six-year service and funding plan that is mandated by the Commonwealth’s Department of Rail and Public Transit (DRPT) for funding consideration and serves to implement the vision of the CTP for public transit. While the TDP reflects a prioritization of transit recommendations for the next six years, it does not commit the County to implement the recommendations/proposals; further action by the Board of Supervisors is required to initiate service(s). Included in the current six-year TDP are improvements to commuter services, such as additional park and ride lots, additional buses and redirection of certain routes. The TDP also includes local route service changes (to complement the planned

TLUC Attachment 1-4

Metrorail extension), such as Sterling to Fairfax service, circulator and feeder services, evening and weekend service on selected routes and earlier start times on certain routes.

Both the Countywide Transportation Plan and the Transit Development Plan address transportation needs in Loudoun but did not involve the study of, or recommendations to, specifically address transportation needs of the disabled population. However, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Master Plan states, as one of its design principles under Chapter 2, that “the pedestrian network should be accessible to all. Sidewalks, pathways and street crossings should ensure access for all people, regardless of their physical abilities. Accessible design is, therefore, the foundation for all pedestrian design.”

Loudoun County Community Needs Assessment

The Department of Family Services contracted with University of Virginia’s Center for Survey Research in 2009 to conduct an assessment of human services availability and needs in Loudoun County. The study focused on six human services’ topics – basic needs, health, housing services, immigrant services, transportation and youth services. This study involved three survey components, including a web-based community assets survey of human service agencies and programs, a survey mailed to a random sample of households in the general population and a “lobby survey” of human services clients.

Several findings from this study are relevant to this report. In identifying the four most important services for the County to offer, “Transportation for those who do not own or cannot operate a vehicle” was targeted. On a tangential note, 64% of the respondents strongly agreed that “living close to work” was important. The needs assessment instrument contained one question exclusively focused on transportation, specifically bus ridership and usage, including Virginia Regional Transit (VRT) and commuter bus service. Answers to the question indicated that the vast majority (85.5%) of respondents had not ridden a bus at all in the previous 12 months with only 5.6% riding buses daily to a few times per week. Transportation issues were also covered in other aspects of the survey instrument. In totality, the community needs assessment report clearly points out that transportation is an important issue in the county that relates to human services needs.

Disability Services Board Triennial Needs Assessments

Every three years the Loudoun County Disability Services Board (DSB) assesses the needs and priorities of persons with disabilities who live in Loudoun County. The most recent assessment, conducted in 2009, surveyed government and non-profit agencies that serves persons with disabilities since those agencies are likely the most qualified to identify the collective needs of their clients. A copy of the assessment report is provided in Attachment 2. The survey was developed around 14 core areas (such as housing, education, personal assistance, transportation, etc.) that describe activities associated with providing comprehensive services to persons with disabilities.

A total of 27 agencies (six governmental and 21 non-profits) responded to the 2009 needs assessment. In this study, the core area of “Transportation” was ranked as the number one priority of all 14 core areas. This reinforced results of the previous 2005 DSB triennial needs assessment, in which “transportation” was cited as an area of need by 40% or more of the respondents that year. This finding was also supported by a study conducted in 2006,

TLUC Attachment 1-5

Transportation Needs of Elderly and Disabled in the Rappahanock-Rapidan Region, in which approximately 1,500 citizens in that area identified transportation as one of the most serious unmet needs as a top priority for regional action.

Public and Private Transportation Providers in Loudoun County

In March, the workgroup identified short-term action steps that would lay the foundation for a comprehensive needs assessment. One of these original steps was to research and collect information regarding available public and private transportation services, including those offered through County human service agencies and to make this information widely available to the public. Staff has conducted considerable research and has compiled “Public and Private Transportation Providers Serving in Loudoun County” (Attachment 3). This document serves as a centralized resource detailing specific transportation services available in Loudoun County and contains service information, rate information, eligibility criteria and how to access each specific service. This document has been posted on the County’s website, with links to the document on other relevant pages, e.g. the Disability Services Board (DSB) and Office of Transportation Services (OTS) web pages. The OTS webpages also contains extensive information about transportation options.

Surveys / Use of Existing Tools to Gather Information

At one of its’ earlier meetings, the workgroup decided to develop and refine survey

instruments to gather information. Three targeted audiences were identified: 1) the local non-profit community 2) individuals who use VRT on-demand transportation and 3) the general population. Additionally, the Department of Family Services staff offered to survey clients to gauge their on-demand service needs for a 30-day period. Survey of Department of Family Services Clients

The Department of Family Services administers an on-demand transportation program, in which clients receive transportation assistance for medical reasons. Under this program, the client must meet financial requirements and be referred through another agency, such as the Area Agency on Aging. The on-demand transportation program can only be used when all other avenues have been exhausted and when there are no other alternatives remaining.

From April 1 through April 30th, staff from the Department of Family Services surveyed clients who stated that they were physically disabled and were requesting transportation services for medical purposes. A total of 28 requests for transportation for these reasons were received and surveyed during this period. Barriers to accessing transportation services on their own included lack of financial resources, distance from the bus stop and fragility of the client.

In terms of the requested special accommodations, the vast majority (22) needed door-to-

door assistance, one needed wheelchair transportation and one client stated that, due to frail health, he/she was unable to stay mobile long enough to wait on the bus. While most (24) of these clients were asking for transportation directly to medical appointments, some also needed transport for tangentially-related reasons, such as trips to the pharmacy. In 26 of these cases, the transportation need was fulfilled through the On-Demand transportation program; in the other two cases, alternative transportation was found prior to the appointments.

TLUC Attachment 1-6

Survey of Virginia Regional Transit (VRT) Ridership and LEND Consumers

Virginia Regional Transit provides curb-to-curb, advance registration, and limited on-demand transportation within Loudoun County, in the Leesburg and Sterling areas, including Sterling, Sterling Park, Sugarland Run, Countryside, and Cascades. This service requires an appointment scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. As a part of this study, VRT agreed to survey a limited number of their on-demand ridership by phone. Loudoun EnDependence (LEND) also agreed to ask some of their consumers the same survey questions LEND consumers are frequent on-demand customers.

In total, 41 responses were collected from on-demand riders (30 through VRT and 11 through LEND). Though this is a very limited sample size, particularly in comparison with overall ridership of on-demand services, it still provides some unique information since it is a sub-set of the general population who are already using or arranging for on-demand transportation. Eighty percent of those surveyed indicated that VRT is their only means of transportation around and out of the county.

The vast majority of individuals (71%) responding to the VRT survey are persons with a disability. In addition to specialized need due to disability, respondents also indicated that they use VRT for on-demand transportation because they are unable/do not drive, have no car and have no other transportation options available. Eighty-eight percent of these individuals were Loudoun County residents, with Leesburg, Ashburn and Sterling being the primary areas of residency. The primary transportation needs of these individuals are work, medical, shopping/errands and recreation/entertainment.

In addition to Monday – Friday daytime, service (which is what is currently offered), 100% of the individuals surveyed indicated that they need public transportation the most in the evenings and/or on the weekends and that this need is occasional/frequent in terms of occurrence. When asked directly how the current service could be improved, almost all respondents suggested adding more on-demand buses and over half suggested adding more fixed routes. I t was also suggested by respondents that extending service areas, adding early morning service and adding cross-county or out of county services would be helpful. Additionally, 71% percent of the individuals indicated that area bus stops were not accessible to them.

These individuals primarily find out about the curb-to-curb on-demand services through the Internet, referral from a human service agency, through friends or relatives and, some, simply by seeing a bus drive by.

Summary of VRT/LEND Survey - As shared by these 41 users of the VRT on-demand, curb-to-curb service, there is a strong reliance on the on-demand service as the only available means of transportation for this population, a large percent of which is disabled. The service is needed, in large part, for critical reasons, such as work and medical purposes, and to a lesser degree for daily needs, such as shopping and recreation. Evening and weekend service was a repeated need, as were improvements to bus stops so that they are accessible to the special needs population.

Survey of Local Non-Profit Agencies

Surveying local non-profit/human service agencies was key since these are the primary agencies that provide services to persons with disabilities. As well this survey approach

TLUC Attachment 1-7

supported the Disability Services Board (DSB) decision to base their most recent (2009) Triennial Needs Assessment on information gained from the human services community.

Questions for the non-profit survey were developed by the workgroup and Survey Monkey was chosen as the survey tool to facilitate response to the non-profit survey. The Loudoun Human Services Network played a very active role in notifying and reminding the non-profits to provide input via the survey. A total of 23 separate local agencies responded to the survey (see list of respondents in Attachment 4). Of those, 7 (30%) provide transportation services to a specific target population, such as the elderly, disabled, victims of domestic violence, youth, etc. The types of situations served by those agencies providing transportation services were (in rank order) transportation to and from the non-profit organizations’ specific facilities (such as clients being transported to and from the Community Health Center), medical appointments, leisure/recreational events/activities and job/worksite. Disability, age and income level were the eligibility criteria required to qualify for the transportation services. On an average day, the majority of agencies transport less than 10 passengers per day.

Over 70% of these agencies do not think their organization is able to meet current

demand for transportation due to increased demand, rising fuel prices, lack of availability of services and limited bus service in rural areas. These agencies stated that work-related transportation within Loudoun County and to neighboring counties were the highest priority unmet needs (this was also cited in the DSB Triennial Needs Assessment as a high priority). Transport to social events/activities and evening and weekend transportation were also cited as priority needs. Availability of transportation services is primarily communicated informally through word of mouth and networking with other organizations.

Summary / Survey of Non-Profit Agencies - In summary, there are a limited number of

local human service non-profit agencies that offer transportation to those with specialized needs. Those that do typically have qualifying criteria, most often provide the transportation to their specific agency for services or for medical appointments and transport fewer than 10 passengers a day. Though most of these agencies do not provide transportation services, these are the human service agencies with the most constant and ongoing interaction with citizens with special needs, i.e. they are very familiar with and collectively represent decades of experience and exposure to thousands of clients on an annual basis. Their opinions regarding need are very valuable ones and the vast majority believes that current transportation demands are not being met. Following are selected comments from a sample of the responding non-profit agencies.

“Our clients’ greatest unmet need is transportation to medical appointments outside of Loudoun, and repeat weekly treatment appointments such as therapy, dialysis and chemotherapy.” – Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers “Our consumers and those that just finding out about LEND call repeatedly asking how they can get from point A to point B. We have to tell them just as often, and much too frequently that there really is nothing the county has that can currently meet their need and assist them in getting to where they NEED to be.” - LEND “Transportation issues are one of the greatest challenges that our Loudoun county clients face. Increased routes, more disability accessible services and cross-county transportation are imperative to increasing brain injury survivors' opportunities to work, attend to medical needs and decrease the isolation and lack of support that often occur with brain injury.” - Brain Injury Services

TLUC Attachment 1-8

“The low-income immigrant populations we serve/target would have more employment opportunities if more transportation options were available. These populations tend to walk/bike/carpool to nearby low-wage jobs/work-sites since they may not be able to afford to purchase a vehicle, which limits their employment options, especially in such a large County/Metropolitan area.” - La Voz “Some of our clients are unable to keep their jobs due to the lack of public transportation on evenings and weekends. Some of our clients are unable to become employed for the same reasons. Clients who are handicapped have been unable to utilize the available transportation due to the lack of handicap accessible buses.” - LAWS “Friends of Loudoun Mental Health serve consumers of mental health services. Those individuals disabled by mental illness need local services for part-time jobs, medical appointments, food shopping, etc. Many people are not located near public transportation, particularly in western Loudoun. Public transportation is also very limited during evening hours and on weekends. Enhances public transportation services are needed.” - Friends of Loudoun Mental Health

Survey of General Population

County Administration and Office of Transportation staff worked with representatives of the Disability Services Board (DSB) to develop a draft survey document. The document was refined through further discussions with the larger workgroup and, again, Survey Monkey was selected as the survey tool.

The workgroup believed that publicity was critical in order to maximize response to the web survey. Publicity efforts were truly a collaborative partnership. Press releases were developed and distributed through the County’s Public Information Office to their media lists. Availability of the survey was also announced on the Loudoun Alert system, through Twitter and on Face book. A poster (Attachment 5) was designed by members of the non-profit community and both hard and soft copies of the poster were widely distributed in office buildings libraries, community centers and in retail establishments. Additionally, the posters were hung inside all commuter buses. The survey announcement was visible on the homepage of the Loudoun County website and links to the survey were also placed on the Office of Transportation (OTS) and Disability Services Board (DSB) pages. At the TLUC’s request in April an e-mail message went out to all members of the Board of Supervisors requesting that they inform their constituents about the survey. An announcement was also placed in “Biz Buzz”, the TS newsletter that goes out to ridership. Staff from Loudoun ENDependence offered assistance to any citizen who was unable to complete the survey online.

The survey went live on May 3 and was initially planned for a one-month period.

However, in early June, the workgroup agreed to extend the deadline to June 30 in order to try and collect 1000 or more responses. A total of 1087 survey responses were returned. Of these, 41 were completed by those who demonstrated Limited English Proficiency (LEP) – mostly from the Hispanic community (see page X that describes response from the Hispanic community).

TLUC Attachment 1-9

In terms of a few general results from the survey, the vast majority (93%) of respondents reside in Loudoun, with large numbers of respondents from Ashburn, Leesburg and Sterling. There is low use (only 23% of respondents) of public transportation within Loudoun County Usage of the county’s internal bus routes, e.g. Purcellville Connector, Leesburg Sycolin Road, Ashburn Village Connector, 7 to 7 on 7, Sterling/Countryside Connector, was low, generally in the single digits (with some double digits) in terms of # of times the route was used/day/week/month. Interestingly, the frequency of use of each route was generally the same, though the greatest number of people uses these internal routes either on a daily basis or less than once/month. Again, the vast majority of respondents had never ridden a bus route inside Loudoun County.

An important point to note at this stage is that these numbers are not indicative of overall

usage of these services. They reflect ridership of those individuals who chose to answer this question on the survey, those being a subset of those that chose to take the survey to begin with. A far more accurate barometer of overall usage can be seen in Virginia Regional Transit’s monthly passenger totals (see Attachment 6).

A larger number of people (36% of those responding to the question) use public transportation to go to and from Loudoun, i.e. are commuters. The most heavily utilized commuter service is, by far, the Loudoun County Transit Commuter bus, with the next highest frequency of use being the Loudoun County Transit Reverse Commute Service.

When asked why public transportation is not used (those answering may have been doing so in respect to within Loudoun County, to and from Loudoun or both), the top four reasons cited were: no routes serving my location (37%), use other modes of transportation (35%), no routes serving my destination (32%), hours of service do not meet needs (29%) and lack of weekend service (22%). Other reasons were cited as well. When you correlate residency with the reasons for not using public transportation, individuals from the communities of Ashburn, Leesburg, Sterling (and to a much lesser degree Purcellville) expressed the greatest need.

Specialized Needs Population

At this point, responses to the survey became more specific. The question was asked “Do you have or are you aware of someone in the community with specialized transportation needs?” Twenty-four percent (262) answered “yes” to this question and were able to answer the remainder of the survey questions. Seventy-six people (825) responded no and were “taken” to the very end of the survey.

Of those who expressed specialized need, 29% were from Leesburg, 22% from Ashburn, 18% from Sterling, 8% from Purcellville/Hamilton and the rest were scattered among other communities. When asked what reasons exist that result in need for of specialized transportation services, the top three reasons selected were: do not drive, mobility challenges and elderly. Again, less frequent reasons were cited as well.

Drilling down even further, the survey asked what type of assistance was needed.

Generally, the respondents need personalized services: door-to-door assistance (52%) , help boarding and getting off the bus (47%), need for wheelchair lift (43%), language assistance (17%) and travel with a personal assistant (16%). When correlating residence with non-use of

TLUC Attachment 1-10

public transportation among those with specialized needs, citizens of Leesburg, Ashburn, Sterling (and again Purcellville to a lesser degree) expressed the strongest needs.

There were multiple reasons why respondents were not using public transportation to

address specialized transportation needs (many of these responses are similar to the general population responses to a similar question). They include: no routes serving the location or destination, lack of weekend service, hours of service do not meet need, length of wait time at bus stop, unable to access bus stop and other reasons. Respondents indicated that family members or friends, human service organizations and taxis are filling in the gaps to meet specialized transportation needs. Forty-two percent of respondents answered that their transportation needs are not being met. A large majority (72%) of those with specialized needs is employed and Loudoun County was the most frequent (66%) location of work, with the remaining 44% of respondents commuting to Washington D.C. and other localities, such as Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, etc.

The survey asked this specialized needs population how they find out about public transportation services. As with the non-profit respondents, “word of mouth” was the top method, with “Internet”, “OTS website”, “VRT website” and “printed schedules” also frequently mentioned. Summary of General Population and Specialized Needs Survey - In summary, the majority of those responding to the survey do not use public transportation. Of those that do, more use it for commuting purposes than for travel within the county. The communities of Ashburn, Leesburg and Sterling expressed the strongest need (which is not surprising since these communities had the largest numbers of respondents to the survey and have the highest density overall population in Loudoun). More than 24% of those responding to the survey either have or know of someone with a specialized need. Both total and specialized need respondents identified the greatest problem areas of need to include no routes serving their locations and destinations, need for longer service hours during the day and evening and the need for weekend services. In terms of both groups, word of mouth seems to be the most frequent method of finding out about services that are available. Citizens with specialized needs generally need some form of personal assistance – door to door service and assistance, help getting to and on the bus, need for wheelchair lift, etc. There was also expressed need for enhanced accessibility and amenities of bus stops. Many with specialized needs are trying to meet their transportation needs through rides from family and friends, transportation services through human service agencies and taxis. A large number simply said their needs are not being met.

Many of the individuals (60%) responding to this survey indicated a willingness to participate n additional efforts related to planning for specialized transportation needs. These respondents could be tapped if further study occurs and/or as a focus group in future planning efforts.

While an abundance of insightful information was collected from the surveys contained

in this report, there are some limitations to the data. Respondents were self-selected respondents, as opposed to a scientific sampling of the population. The survey instruments were designed by staff and members of the workgroup, not by personnel trained in survey design and methodology. Lastly, the sample size of those who had or knew of someone with


disabilities and answered related questions was 262 individuals. A larger sample size might be warranted.

Open Ended Comments Provided on General Population Survey Following are some of the most frequently occurring open-ended comments noted on the general population survey: • Lack of mid-day and weekend hours • Travel time is too long • Routes not convenient or available to Alexandria, Fairfax, Reston , Springfield, Vienna • Need more routes in eastern Loudoun, e.g. Ashburn, Sterling and Broadlands • No bus service in the west • Need more routes and buses

Survey of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Community

In terms of the general population survey, there was specific outreach to the Hispanic community. The survey was translated into Spanish, as was the poster that publicized the instrument. A press release in Spanish was sent out and a translated version of the survey was made available on the County’s website. Staff worked with instructors of English is a Second Language (ESL) class so that the instructors could use completion of the survey instrument as an instructional tool. In total, 41 of the 1087 responses (or 4 %) received from the general population were submitted in Spanish. While staff has provided a summary analysis of this data below, it should be noted that this sample size of survey respondents is very small and smaller than the 10% of LEP in the general population..

The vast majority (85%) of these LEP respondents lived in either Eastern Loudoun (Sterling and Ashburn) or Leesburg. Over half (59%) indicated that they use public transportation in Loudoun County. Of those that answered affirmatively to this question, the most popular fixed routes were the Sterling-Countryside Connector and 7 to 7 on 7. Use of public transportation to and from Loudoun County, i.e. commuter service, was indicated by 47% of Spanish-speaking respondents.

Contrasting this information with the total general population responses, LEP population sample uses fixed routes within Loudoun County more than transportation to and from Loudoun County (as opposed to general population response of only 23% use fixed route and 64% using to and from County transportation). One could speculate from this that the LEP population works more in the County than the general population using public transportation to get to and from work.

The top three responses cited by the LEP population for not using public transportation were: 1) Length of wait times for buses; 2) lack of weekend service and 3) not familiar with


public transportation options. These differ from the reasons cited in general survey: 1) No routes serving my location; 2) Use other modes of transportation and; 3) No routes serving my destination.

In terms of specialized needs, 66% of those who took the Spanish survey indicated that they or someone they knew of had a specialized need, as compared to 24% answering the same in the general survey. The top 3 reasons why specialized transportation need exists mirror the top three general survey responses: 1) Do not drive; 2) Mobility Challenges; 3) Elderly.

Of those with specialized needs in the LEP population, 82% indicated that they or someone they know requiring specialized transportation services required language assistance. The second and third highest requirements among Spanish survey respondents was need for information in Braille and for text telephone (TTY) to be able to schedule transportation services (27.3% of respondents choose both of these reasons). This differs from the general population survey top reasons: requiring door-to-door assistance, requiring help boarding and getting off the bus, and need a wheelchair lift. While the general population’s specialized needs are grounded in personal assistance of some form, those of the LEP respondents are clearly based in language/communication needs.

The same top two reasons as to how specialized transportation needs are being met were revealed by Spanish survey respondents and general survey responses - driven by friends/family members and needs are currently NOT being met. Sixty-eight percent of Spanish survey respondents were employed and most of these worked in Loudoun County, with Fairfax County being second most popular employment location.

Word of mouth appears to be how the majority of Spanish survey respondents find out about public transportation options; this was also the most popular response in the general transportation survey. Once again, a very large percent of the respondents indicated a willingness to participate in additional efforts related to planning for specialized transportation needs in Loudoun County, providing contact information if it would be needed.

Summary of LEP Survey - To summarize, respondents to the Spanish survey live primarily in eastern or central Loudoun and there was a far greater reliance on/ use of public transportation than in the general population survey. The LEP population uses fixed routes in the County more than commuter services (the reverse is true for general population). Wait time, lack of weekend service and unfamiliarity with transit options were reasons cited as to why transportation services were not use. There was a significantly higher percentage of awareness of specialized need among LEP compared to general population (66% compared to 24%) and the specialized need is generally language-related. Once again, word-of mouth is the most popular way of finding out about public transportation options.

Future Assessment and Action

The results of the workgroup’s efforts, from both review of existing studies, as well as the groups’ surveys conducted over the summer, highlight the importance of and need for improvements to transportation services for the general population and the specific needs of citizens with disabilities. There is strong support for additional on-demand, curb-to-curb service


expanded evening and weekend service and personal transportation assistance for those with special needs. Many of the ideas offered below relate to transportation services for the general population since these also would benefit those with disabilities, while some are specific to those with specialized needs.

Most public transportation services require significant investment of public dollars in

order to be initiated and sustained. Changes to service must be considered with a great deal of thought and analysis. Regardless of the funding source, no new services should be initiated without a thorough understanding of constituents' needs. Proper analysis ensures appropriate use of public dollars, and prevents unsustainable and underutilized services from being initiated. The Countywide Transportation Plan and the Transit Development Plan both were produced after comprehensive, detailed studies. Following are suggested aspects recommended for study through a professional assessment.

Staff envisions a scope of work that would require a consultant to: Methodolgy and Review of Existing Materials • Propose/develop a methodology that ensures the inclusion of citizens who responded to the

County’s recent public transportation survey and indicated interest in participating in further study; include a mechanism to gather feedback from representatives of the disabled community, supportive non-profit agencies, and the business community.

• Review Chapter 3, Transit and Other Mobility Options, of the 2010 Revised Countywide Transportation Plan (2010 CTP) and transit-related addenda.

• Review the service plans and funding assumptions of the draft six-year Transit Development Plan (TDP).

• Summarize the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for fixed-route and complementary paratransit service; evaluate Loudoun’s existing and planned transit services against these requirements.

Short-term • Evaluate the effectiveness, specifically of the curb-to-curb service, as provided today by

Virginia Regional Transit (VRT); quantify the cost of the service and make recommendations to enhance the efficacy thereof.

• Make recommendations related to the feasibility and benefit to the disabled community of an ongoing travel training program.

• Consider and examine, where appropriate, limited deviation of existing fixed routes, particularly during evenings and on weekends, to meet unmet needs.

• Research feasibility of alternate/complementary options, such as a taxi voucher program, to meet unmet needs.

• Identify options for providing varying levels of personal transportation assistance to those with specialized needs.

Long-Term


• Propose and prioritize improvements to existing transit service(s), and alternative or expanded transit services to meet the needs of the disabled community; provide projected costs for each improvement.

• Evaluate existing bus stops and transfer points, including such elements as location, accessibility, and amenities; identify and recommend options for improvement.

• Evaluate and make recommendations with respect to the amenities provided on buses that serve the disabled community, including, but not limited to: lifts/ramps; priority seating areas; access for wheelchairs/walkers and the securing thereof; stop announcements; hard copy schedules, etc.

Other Recommendations

There are two other important related issues that are recommended for action: County taxi regulations and pedestrian intersections. Staff has been researching establishment of County taxi regulations. It is recommended that this research continue and include rate structure, permitting, safety factors and possible requirement that a certain percentage of vehicles be wheelchair accessible. It is hoped that this study can be concluded by June, 2012.

Though pedestrian intersections are under the auspices and control of the Virginia

Department of Transportation (VDOT), it is believed that expressed Board endorsement of periodic review of key intersections and study of pedestrian walkways to VDOT would be beneficial. It is recommended that the Board formally communicate this endorsement to VDOT, along with expressed need for a collaborative dialogue among VDOT, the DSB, OTS and the Sheriff’s Office regarding pedestrian safety.

Conclusion

It is hoped that the work, information and recommendations contained in this report are used as a springboard by the Transportation and Land Use Committee and the Board of Supervisors for the betterment of transportation services in Loudoun County.


Attachments;

1. Workgroup / Transportation Needs of Disabled Persons in Loudoun County

2. 2009 Disability Services Board Triennial Needs Assessment Report

3. Public and Private Transportation Providers Serving in Loudoun County

4. List of Agencies that Responded to the Non-Profit Survey

5. Poster Used to Publicize Survey

6. VRT Ridership Data


Presentation to the Transportation/Land Use Committee

March 16, 2012

TLUC Attachement 2-1

Project arose from Committee and Board discussions about transportation needs of the disabled population in Loudoun

Direction from TLUC – Work with the DSB and County human service agencies to assess resource requirements and funding options needed to conduct an assessment of transit needs of disabled persons


Multi-functional workgroup was formed with

representatives from the DSB, VRT, LEND, Loudoun Cares, County human service agencies

1) Collect and review related information and studies

2) Inventory public and private transportation providers

3) Use existing tools to gather information


Clients requesting on-demand services were surveyed

All needed transportation for medical reasons

Identified barriers to accessing transportation - lack of financial resources, distance from bus stop and fragile conditions

82% of the clients needed personal assistance while transportation was being provided


Primary transportation needs are work, medical, shopping/errands and recreation

In addition to current Mon-Fri service, 100% indicated the need for transportation services in the evenings and weekends

71% indicated that area bus stops were not accessible to them


30% provide transportation services to a specific targeted population, such as the elderly, victims of domestic violence, youth, etc.

Transportation provided: to and from the specific agency, medical appointments, job/worksite

Over 70% of agencies think that their organization can not meet current transportation demand

Priority Needs: work-related transport, evening and weekend service, social activities


Total of 1087 respondents

93% reside in Loudoun , with largest numbers of respondents from Ashburn, Leesburg and Sterling

23% use public transportation within Loudoun

36% use public transportation to go to and from Loudoun as commuter


326

312 281

251

185

No route serving my location

use other mode of transportation

No routes serving my destination

Hours of service do not meet need

Lack of weekend service


262 (24%) said they had a specialized transportation need or knew someone else who had specialized transportation needs

Specialized needs relate to inability to drive, mobility challenges, use wheelchair, impairment (visual, cognitive or hearing), elderly


Primarily reside in Leesburg, Ashburn, Sterling, Purcellville

72% are employed

66% work in Loudoun

42% stated that transportation needs are not being met


0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 84

76 69

27 26 26

14 12 9


41 of the total 1087 responses were in Spanish

Vast majority (85%) lived in Sterling, Ashburn or Leesburg

59% use public transportation in Loudoun County and 47% use transportation to commute

66% are or know someone with specialized need and expressed needs were: language assistance, information in Braille, text telephones (TTY)


On-demand service provided by VRT

Limited deviations for existing fixed routes, particularly during evenings and weekends

Bus stops and buses

Taxi voucher and personal assistance programs


Staff feasibility analysis of taxicab regulation, licensing and accessibility

Board endorsement of communication to VDOT for periodic review of key intersections and walkways


Presentation to the Transportation/Land Use Committee

March 16, 2012


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