October 3, 2005

As a member of the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority, San Leandro (CA) Mayor Shelia Young has a special interest in the transportation needs of senior and people with disabilities. Mirroring trends at the national, state and county levels, San Leandro’s population is growing older. There is also a great awareness in the community of the needs of people with disabilities. The city recognizes that transportation access is a critical element in an elderly or disabled individual’s ability to remain independent, healthy and connected to vital support networks and community services.

To meet the transportation needs of seniors and people with disabilities, San Leandro implemented an innovative new paratransit service called the FLEX Shuttle. The FLEX Shuttle exemplifies positive strategies for providing affordable and sustainable paratransit services.

The innovative design is based on the flexroute model, which combines a fixed-schedule service with bus stops at key locations and a demand response service similar to a dial-a-ride. Once shuttle bus serves clients that have made a reservation for a ride. The second bus serves the bus stop, but it also has the ability to deviate off route for a scheduled pick-up or drop-off. To make access easier for this special needs population, the bus stops are located near the front door of the destination point.

The FLEX Shuttle service combines the efficiency and capacity of a fixed-route service with the convenience of a demand response service. The service was designed to operate with the city limits and because it serves a small geographical region, the demand response service can achieve three to four rides per hour, compared with two rides per hour for standard service. The shuttle bus portion of the service has almost unlimited capacity. Although ridership on the FLEX Shuttle started slowly, with consistent tweaking to meet community needs, the number of rides increased and the cost per ride dropped.

The road to a successful paratransit service can be bumpy. Every community has unique traffic patterns and population needs, and no one can predict the variety of challenges that you will run into when starting a new paratransit service. Through our own experience, we know that the FLEX Shuttle is a transferable model that is flexible enough to meet local needs. Following is a summary of important lessons for any community that is planning to start a paratransit service:

1. Plan a service that is sustainable. Remember that demand can only grow.

2. Supplement, don’t replace, existing services.

3. Grow slowly. Yu can always expand a service, but it is difficult to cut it back.

4. Be flexible. Be flexible and willing to make changes as issues come up.

5. Give it time. Make small changes as you go, but allow enough time to grow the service.

6. Community engagement is critical. Partnerships create success.

7. Focus on customer service.

San Leandro’s FLEX Shuttle service is a transferable model that can be used in other communities to provide paratransit services. The shuttle bus offers future capacity and sustainability, and the demand response service provides the convenience of a dial-a-ride. Finally, a paratransit funds can be maximized through the innovative efficiencies of the flexroute model. As a policy make, these are all important considerations. The greatest benefit however is to our riders. They are just happy to have a ride to the doctor, hairdresser or grocery store. Without FLEX, those simple daily tasks would be out of reach.