Arizona Rides annual report / Governor's Executive Order 2005-16

              2006 Arizona Rides Annual Report Governor's Executive Order 2005-16 January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2006



Arizona Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division



Arizona Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division 2006 Arizona Rides Annual Report



Contact: Name: Title: Location: Phone: Fax: Email: Steven J. Rost Arizona Rides Coordinator Arizona Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division 206 S. 17th Avenue, MD340B Phoenix, AZ 85007-3046 (602) 712-8018 (602) 712-3046 srost@azdot.gov



Prepared December 21, 2006



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Arizona Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division 2006 Arizona Rides Annual Report

Table of Contents Executive Summary................................................................................. 3 Introduction............................................................................................. 4 Program Background................................................................................ 4 Membership............................................................................................ 5 Meetings................................................................................................ 6 Implementation Grant Award...................................................................... 8 Implementation Grant Status....................................................................... 9 Insurance Report..................................................................................... 9 Pinal Rides Coordination Pilot Status.......................................................... 10 GOHS Grant Award.................................................................................. 12 Funding................................................................................................. 12 Strategic Plan.......................................................................................... 13 Looking Ahead......................................................................................... 16 Attachment A   Meeting Minutes.................................................................. 18



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Arizona Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division 2006 Arizona Rides Annual Report

Executive Summary In the second year of the Arizona Rides initiative, coordinated transportation efforts are increasing in Arizona. The Pinal Rides pilot project has launched two new coordinated routes for human services coordinated transportation and supported the collaboration between partnering agencies to host local training events. Regions are working to develop their local coordination plans. ADOT has recently presented workshops throughout the State with RAE Consultants, Inc. to assist regional human services providers with a template to help them focus on the development of their coordinated transportation plans as required by new federal transportation legislation. The workshops have been well attended and, in numerous cases, resulted in the immediate coordination of efforts between providers. The Arizona Rides Council has a draft strategic plan for increased effectiveness. Council members and staff have been actively involved in various transportation conferences and seminars throughout the State providing current program status and information to participants. The Council has been active on the Pinal Rides Demonstration Project by providing technical support in the initiation of new corridor services. The Council has also investigated both the cost of insurance for human services transportation and other issues which make coordination between and among agencies/organizations difficult. The Council requested that ADOT pursue a grant through the Governor's Office of Highway Safety to increase safety training for human services providers. While the Department did not receive the grant award, it was still able to support some additional Passenger Service and Safety (PASS) and Defensive Driving training, along with training "tool boxes" to rural human services providers. The training materials and courses have been highly requested and the number of statewide trained facilitators has grown. With the advent of new federal transit grant programs, the Arizona Rides program looks forward to increased coordinated efforts between a variety of programs. A non-inclusive list includes ADOT's Section 5310 (Elderly and Disabled), 5311 (Rural Public), 5316 (Job Access and Reverse Commute) and 5317 (New Freedom) transportation programs as well as partnering with the Section 5307 (urban) programs. The programs provide assistance to the state's rural and special needs transit providers in their locally developed, coordinated public transit   human services transportation plans. Arizona Rides will provide the framework for these plans that will be developed through a process that includes representatives of public, private, and non-profit transportation and human services providers and participation by members of the public.



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Arizona Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division 2006 Arizona Rides Annual Report

Introduction Arizona Rides is moving ahead! In December 2005, on the heels of the Action Plan & Statewide Assessment, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) submitted a grant application on behalf of Arizona Rides to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for a second round of United We Ride (UWR) grants. The intent of FTA's 2006 UWR follow-up grant program is to assist states with the implementation of their action plans. February brought the good news of preliminary approvals for funding Arizona's proposal, but due to the number of proposals submitted nationwide, FTA's initial budgeting limited maximum awards. However, the high demand resulted in later adjustments that put ADOT on top again   to its requested level. ADOT's proposal focuses on assisting regions, through their Council of Governments (COGs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), to form regional and sub-regional coordination committees to reinforce implementation of the Arizona Rides Action Plan at the local level; in other words "where the rubber meets the road." In the March 2nd Arizona Rides Council meeting (See Attachment A for minutes), Rick Evans of RAE Consultants, Inc. presented three white papers that kicked-off discussion on three areas which were identified in the 2005 Statewide Assessment effort and subsequent Council discussions as major building (and often stumbling) blocks for coordination: training, maintenance, and insurance. Each of these issues have complex undertones with broad implications for different levels of coordination   with insurance in particular warranting further investigation. As Council minutes note, Mr. Evans' initial reports suggested that, at this time, little would be gained by revamping the existing insurance structures used by human service providers. However, there should be an ongoing dialogue and continued research in identifying opportunities for removing barriers to inter-agency flexibility and reducing costs. The Council will be addressing this important topic in greater detail in future sessions. Program Background United We Ride On February 24, 2004, President Bush issued Executive Order #13330 termed "United We Ride" (UWR), which was the culmination of several years of work at the federal and other governmental levels nationwide to develop a concept to improve coordination in human services transportation. A UWR Framework for Action plan was drafted by the Interagency Transportation Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM), a coalition of the US Departments of Transportation, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Labor and others. These guiding principles provided the foundation for state and local government to develop their own action plans for coordination among and between departments and regional and local agencies.



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During the course of planning for United We Ride, CCAM discovered that 62 federal programs provide some form of funding for state, regional and local transportation for human services, with the FTA being only a few of these. With this surprising revelation, a variety of recommendations were presented that formed the foundation for UWR. A premise was developed by CCAM that by reducing redundancy and other inefficiencies in federally funded human services transportation, the end-use customer would benefit by enjoying improved time, cost, and convenience in transportation services. Arizona Rides Background Soon after the issuance of the President's UWR Executive Order, Governor Napolitano called for a Working Group to begin to build a framework for Arizona. In the fall of 2004, the Working Group submitted a grant proposal to the FTA to assist with UWR planning, and in January of 2005 the grant was awarded. Public Consulting Group (PCG) was selected to carry out the two primary components for this work: conducting a statewide assessment of funding sources, streams, and coordination conditions, and developing an action plan for State agencies, including recommendations for further regional implementation. Lending further commitment to improved coordination in Arizona, on July 6, 2005, the Governor signed Executive Order 2005-16, formalizing the "Arizona Rides" initiative. This instituted the Arizona Rides Council with membership that includes State departments, Councils of Governments (COGs), Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and the Governor's Office itself. In December 2005, the Council submitted the Arizona Rides Action Plan to the Governor's Office. This comprised four activity areas: Information and Awareness; Identify Barriers and Opportunities; Building Capacity for Coordination; and Coordination Plans, and three primary groups: ADOT--representing transportation expertise with a significant program of federal transit grantees serving human services needs statewide; DES/AHCCCS/DHS--representing "human service agencies" managing a significant budget and comprising a complex array of state and federal assistance programs within Arizona's communities; and COGs and MPOs--as the core local and regional organizing and implementing mechanisms. Membership Arizona Rides Council The Arizona Rides Council membership consists of:   John Anderson, Arizona Transit Association   Brian Babiars, Western Arizona Council of Governments   Cherie Campbell, Pima Association of Governments   Anna Maria Chavez, Governor's Office, Intergovernmental Affairs   Rex Critchfield, Arizona Department of Economic Security   Jim Dickey, Arizona Department of Transportation, Chair   Ann Froio, Arizona Department of Health Services   Richard Gaar, SouthEastern Arizona Governments Organization   Olivia Guerrero, Pinal-Gila Council for Senior Citizens 5



                   



Michael Hegarty, Governor's Office on Highway Safety Martin Ince, Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization Maxine Leather, Central Arizona Association of Governments Marie Lopez-Rogers, City of Avondale Mack Luckie, Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization Linda Martin, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System Michael Medoro, Easter Seals Jim Murphy, Pima Council on Aging Amy St. Peter, Maricopa Association of Governments Ken Sweet, Northern Arizona Council of Governments



The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) has a pending nomination for Warren Kontz, which would fill that membership vacancy. The following Council memberships are still vacant:   Arizona Department of Corrections   Navajo Transit System Arizona Rides Working Group With the creation of the Council, the original Working Group meetings have slowed down. Mid-year, it was determined that future make-up of the Working Group could be modified for working on specific Action Plan items needing further study. This discussion included the possibility of breaking-out Council members and/or existing Working Group members into a few to several smaller groups for reporting to the Council on specific topic areas at its quarterly meetings. The first of these was a Strategic Planning subcommittee. ADOT This year saw the addition of an Arizona Rides Coordinator. This position is responsible for organizing and implementing the Arizona Rides (United We Ride) effort at the department level and staffs the Arizona Rides Council and any Working Group meetings. It also assists the regional and statewide partners by researching, strategizing, and implementing the action plan. Meetings Arizona Rides Council The Council meets at: Arizona Department of Transportation 1st Floor Board Room 206 S. 17th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85007-3213 10:30-12:30pm Meetings were held (See Attachment A for minutes):   March 2, 2006 6



   



June 1, 2006 November 30, 2006



Council attendance Attendance at the Council meetings is required for a voting quorum (50% + 1). A quorum has been established at each meeting. Attendance at the meetings is illustrated on the following table. A dashed line in a column indicates noninvolvement with the Council at that time.

Arizona Rides Council Attendance

Council Member John Anderson Brian Babiars Cheri Campbell Anna Maria Chavez Rex Critchfield Jim Dickey Ann Froio (for Susan Gerard) Richard Gaar Susan Gerard Olivia Guerrero Michael Hegarty Martin Ince Maxine Leather Marie Lopez-Rogers Mack Luckie Linda Martin (for Anna Shane) Michael Medoro Jim Murphy Jack Shambaugh Anna Shane Amy St. Peter Ken Sweet Warren Kontz (pending nomination) Affiliation Arizona Transit Association WACOG PAG GOIA AzDES AzDOT AzDHS SEAGO AzDHS Pinal-Gila Council for Senior Citizens GOHS FMPO CAAG City of Avondale YMPO AHCCCS Easter Seals Pima Council on Aging CYMPO AHCCCS MAG NACOG Inter Tribal Council of Arizona Navajo Transit System Arizona Department of Corrections Attend/Absent Quorum=Y/N 12/05/2005 Absent X X Absent X X --X X X X Absent X Vacant Vacant --Absent X Absent X Absent X Vacant Vacant Vacant 12/6 = Y 12/19/2005 Absent Absent Absent X X X --X X X X Absent X X X --Absent X Absent X Absent X Vacant Vacant Vacant 13/7 = Y 3/02/2006 X Absent X X X X --X Absent X X Absent Absent X X --Absent X Vacant X X X Vacant Vacant Vacant 14/5 = Y 6/01/2006 X X X X X X X Absent --X X Absent X Absent X --Absent Absent Vacant Absent X X Vacant Vacant Vacant 13/6 = Y 11/30/2006 X Absent Absent Absent X X Absent X --X X Absent X X Absent X Absent Absent Vacant --X Absent Vacant Vacant Vacant 10/9 = Y



Arizona Rides Working Group The Arizona Rides Working Group consists of fourteen (14) members from Arizona's COGs, MPOs, and government human services agencies. Six (6) members participated in the Spring working group meeting, held on May 23, 2006. The meeting had six (6) members in attendance: Bill Leister (CAAG), Eugene Weeks (SEAGO), Cam Kowal (DES), Eileen Colleran (ADOT), Gregg Kiely (ADOT), and Steve Rost (ADOT). The meeting agenda included: introductions, Council update/focus areas, Grant updates (FTA Implementation, Section 5310 Coordination/SAFETEA-LU, FTA-ITS Pilot Project, and other grant opportunities such as the new 5316, 5317 programs), and an update on the Pinal Pilot Project. There was a roundtable and adjournment. 7



Gregg Kiely presented a state of Arizona map that showed the areas of influence for consideration of one proposed regional coordination council concept. Along with the map, a graphic was presented showing the transportation service connections between federal agencies and grant funding, HHS, education, labor, and transportation. Gregg Kiely presented the grant opportunities that were intended to increase the awareness of two technical assistance grant programs available to agencies that are currently drafting coordinated human services public transit service delivery plans. (1) Mobility for all Americans initiative grants. The USDOT Office of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is administering a grant program to support ITS technology implementation in coordinated service delivery programs and plans. The selected sites will demonstrate how proven and promising ITS technologies can enable coordination and improve accessibility and efficiency of human service transportation delivery. (2) CTAA Institute for Transportation Coordination. The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) is selecting community teams to participate in a forum in Washington, DC. Community teams will be made up of 4-5 individuals from different agencies within a region. All expenses relating to the Institute are covered by CTAA. All participants will receive a toolkit to help them with their coordination programs and small grants may be available in the future. In addition, CTAA will host a local workshop in each team's community within the next 12 months. Gregg Kiely presented a letter from the USDOT (dated May 15, 2006) that congratulated the Arizona Department of Transportation   Public Transportation Division for receiving a full United We Ride (UWR) State Coordination Implementation Grant in the amount of $75K. Implementation Grant Award In November 2005, ADOT-PTD submitted an application to the FTA for a state coordination grant to assist with the implementation of its action plan. Previously, ADOT submitted a state coordination planning grant application for $35,000 (awarded November 2004) to conduct a statewide assessment using the UWR Framework for Action and developed a comprehensive state action plan. This assessment was completed in December 2005. The current state coordination grant focuses on the second stage of coordination: implementing the state action plan. On May 15, 2006, the USDOT informed the Arizona Department of Transportation   Public Transportation Division that they were awarded the full United We Ride (UWR) state coordination implementation grant amount of $75,000. ADOT's proposal and achievements met the objectives of the UWR initiative, which was to enhance the coordination of human service transportation programs for individuals with disabilities, older adults, and lower income populations. These individuals are those who depend on transportation services to access employment, health, and other community services.



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Implementation Grant Status The actual total amount awarded for the implementation grant was $74,250.00 Implementation Grant Distribution*

COG/MPO Media/Public Awareness 2,000.00 2,000.00 4,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 14,000.00 18,000.00 Development of Implementation Projects 2,000.00 2,000.00 4,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 14,000.00 18,000.00 Regional Study Advisory Committee 2,250.00 2,250.00 4,500.00 2,250.00 2,250.00 2,250.00 2,250.00 2,250.00 2,250.00 2,250.00 15,750.00 20,250.00 Regional Stakeholder Meetings 2,000.00 2,000.00 4,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 14,000.00 18,000.00 Sub-total ADOT 5304 Planning Funds 5,555.00 5,555.00 11,110.00 5,555.00 5,555.00 5,555.00 5,555.00 5,555.00 5,555.00 5,555.00 38,885.00 49,995.00 Total



MAG PAG Sub-Total CAAG CYMPO FMPO NACOG SEAGO WACOG YMPO Sub-Total TOTAL G-TOTAL



8,250.00 8,250.00 16,500.00 8,250.00 8,250.00 8,250.00 8,250.00 8,250.00 8,250.00 8,250.00 57,750.00 74,250.00



13,805.00 13,805.00 27,610.00 13,805.00 13,805.00 13,805.00 13,805.00 13,805.00 13,805.00 13,805.00 96,635.00 124,245.00 $124,245.00



*Numbers are approximate and/or rounded



To the implementation grant, ADOT matched $49,995.00. A total amount for plan implementation was $124,245.00. A consultant organization (RAE Consultants, Inc.) was retained for assistance with the development of locally derived coordination action plans. As noted in the table above, total funding is divided equally among all COGs and MPOs. However, since MAG and PAG are undertaking their own planning processes, the core of the consultant assistance for the Implementation Grant is focused on rural COGs and MPOs representing smaller urban areas. Currently, the plan is to provide assistance to the rural COGs and MPOs representing smaller urban areas in developing their regional coordination plans, along with meeting new federal requirements for completing the Section 5310, 5316, and 5317 applications. ADOT-PTD and RAE Consultants, Inc. will be touring the state to visit with local human service providers within the COG and MPO regions during the months of November and December 2006. Section 5310, 5316, and 5317 applications should be arriving at ADOT-PTD in early 2007 for grant determination by competitive selection process. Insurance Report Provided by RAE Consultants, Inc., Rick Evans: What We Know   In the 1990s state insurance pools were created to help moderate fluctuations in insurance availability and cost. Nearly all existing pools are limited to public transit agencies operated by local governments. Insurance underwriters, due to the perception that nonprofit agencies are not managed as well and have weaker loss control procedures, view specialized transportation as a separate, and higher, risk.



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Four pools are currently operating in Arizona: Arizona Municipal Risk Retention Pool (AMRRP), Arizona Counties Insurance Pool (ACIP), Social Service Contractors Indemnity Pool (SSCIP), and Arizona School Risk Retention Trust (ASRRT). These pools include vehicle (auto) insurance among other coverages, such as: Property, General Liability, Professional Liability, Directors and Officers, etc. Most transit and specialized transportation providers in Arizona belong to one of the first three (non-school) pools. Two insurance issues contribute to local agency concerns in response to coordinating transportation services: (1) vehicle sharing among agencies and (2) carrying other agencies' clients. While challenging, both these issues have the potential to be resolved.



What We Should Do   Continue to support strong loss control procedures by transportation providers. This should be done through technical assistance, program monitoring and contractual requirements, additionally from funding agencies.   Stay current regarding provider concerns with vehicle insurance availability and cost. Relatively speaking, how big is the problem? This could be assessed more fully through ADOT planning and technical assistance and/or through periodic agency surveys.   Promote flexible insurance arrangements that will facilitate vehicle sharing and rider sharing among local agencies. This will require working with the existing pool managers, insurance companies and local providers (a panel at an Arizona transit conference, perhaps?).   Investigate whether the higher level of coverage required of commercial providers, by insurance companies, has the effect of biasing decisions by Health Plan organizations in favor of commercial operators in contract awards for nonemergency medical transportation. What We Should Not Do   At this time, it is recommended not to pursue the creation of a new transportation insurance pool in Arizona. Creating a new, separate pool would not necessarily benefit transportation providers. It would require extensive research to fully evaluate and considerable administrative time to implement, if deemed feasible. However, that option could be evaluated in the future if insurance issues escalate. In the mean time, agencies with special concerns can be referred to the developing national Risk Retention Group being formed through the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA). Pinal Rides Coordination Pilot Status The Pinal Rides Demonstration Project is in its second year. In 2005, the project was formed with a core of regional human service providers and groundwork laid for: 1) Collaboration among agencies within central Pinal County on training resources and activities, including driver and Passenger Safety and Security (PASS) training; 2) formation of a regional Coordination Council, and; 3) Development of pilot routes for



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local connections between Florence, Coolidge and Casa Grande, and Eloy, Casa Grande, and Maricopa. This year the three activities have matured. As intended, the Pinal project has become a test pilot for local human service providers working together, including the capture of important successes as well as lessons learned along the way. The group is now working through some financial constraints that have delayed on-the-road commencement of the routes, as well as recent developments slowing the finalizing of a formal Council structure. However, all participants remain optimistic and enthusiastically committed to the project's success despite some challenges along the way. The project has been particularly impressive in the way its members, representing many diverse interests and client groups, have embraced matters of mutual interest with a consistent collaborative and can-do mindset. Coordinated Driver Training. Approximately 50 people have been trained in Passenger Service and Safety (PASS) and Defensive Driver through coordinated training efforts since it began less than a year ago in the Pinal County region. Dan Harrigan (ADOT Training Coordinator) has assembled training "tool boxes" containing videos and materials. He distributed them at the Rural Transit Conference this summer and to major human service providers. Marsha Ashcroft (Horizon Human Services) has one of the tool boxes and will serve as a training resource center for the Council making it available in the Pinal County region. Marsha Ashcroft and Dean Hanley (Horizon Human Services) anticipated next year goals for setting up a training calendar for 2007, a process to involve new participants in the training program, along with a training costs matrix. Coordinating Council. The Pinal Transportation Coordination Demonstration Project (Pinal Rides) membership is looking for sponsorship as a Pinal Transportation Coordinating Council in the CAAG region. Council membership has been contacting representatives of cities, towns, and Pinal County government regarding the possibility of creating a Coordinating Council through a Memorandum of Understanding developed by RAE Consultants, Inc. Due to the increased coordination effort requirements by SAFETEA-LU for 2007, this project must be included in a Regional Coordination Plan for the CAAG region. Currently, assigned contacts of the cities, towns, and Pinal County government would be placed on hold until the CAAG plan was formed and a determination was made as to how the Council fits and interacts with the regional plan. Corridor Service Demonstration Project. Earlier this year, the start-up of the pilot corridor service was intended to begin October 1st with one day-a-week service in each of two corridors (Florence-Coolidge-Casa Grande and Eloy-Casa Grande-Maricopa) for a trial period of six months and with a preliminary budget of $16,000. The 5310 van has been delivered to Pinal-Gila Council for Senior Citizens (the initial operator) and the routes and stops determined. However, the budget was still being finalized, which included start-up casts, on-going costs, and continued funding. There was anticipation of funding sources from LTAF II, Medicaid, and Ryan White Act. Additionally, the start-



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up goal of $5,600 in coordinated funding through other agency commitment to the project needed to be obtained. Recently, the corridor service began operation the week of December 5th, with the scheduling of trips as early as November 21st. Sub-committees have been working on operations (bus stops within towns and cities and vehicle signage), marketing (flyers, agency and community contacts, advertising and photo opportunities), and data collection and reporting (rider data, trip information, trip scheduling and reporting) in anticipation of the corridor transportation service. A draft Operating Policies and Procedures was produced by RAE Consultants, Inc. for discussion. It contains the following: Chapter 1. Introduction Purpose, Background, Project goals, and Organization Chapter 2. Service Guidelines Pilot Service Overview, Vehicle Schedule, Trip Scheduling, Data Gathering and Project Monitoring, and Vehicle Maintenance Management Chapter 3. Other Information Driver Qualifications, Driver Responsibilities, Driver Training, Passenger rules, Rider Complaint Procedures, Radio Procedures, Emergency Procedures, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Drug-Free Workplace, and Safety and Security. This 50-page document is currently up for review and final acceptance. GOHS Grant Award The Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) requested the submission of proposals related to highway safety issues from state, county, municipal, university, tribal, and non-profit agencies for the 2007 Federal Fiscal Year. Priority program areas eligible for NHTSA funding were: DUI/Alcohol/Drugs Enforcement; Police Traffic Services; Accident Investigation/Reconstruction, Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety; Motorcycle Safety; Emergency Medical Services; Occupant Protection; School Bus Safety; Roadway Safety; Traffic Records; and Training. On March 28, 2006, PTD contacted the GOHS regarding a Training grant proposal for $81,771.00. This proposal was for funding to expand the transit safety training programs for the FTA 5311 Rural Transit Program and the FTA 5310 Elderly and Disabled Transportation Program providers throughout the state through the identification, preparation, and delivery of prescribed safety training program materials. It would additionally offer the training in geographic areas that are accessible to all the 5311/5310 grant recipients emphasizing the Arizona Rides program training coordination goal. While Arizona Rides did not receive a grant this year, the Council will continue pursuing these and other funds to facilitate this initiative. Funding The Arizona Rides program is funded primarily through a federal United We Ride grant provided by the FTA. The FFY 05 year was awarded $35,000 (maximum) for planning



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and accomplished the Arizona Rides Action Plan. The FFY 06 year was awarded $74,250 (maximum). During this year, ADOT-PTD matched $49,995 in other federal transit funds for a FFY 06 total of $124,245 in funding specifically assigned to the program. A portion of the $124,245 will be distributed to the COGs and MPOs. The remainder is set aside for rural COG and MPO human service providers as coordination "seed" money and consultant service in assisting the rural human service providers with the development of their coordinated transportation plans and applications. During the FFY 06 year, full time staff was allocated to the Arizona Rides Program along with the administrative and overhead costs associated with the program to total approximately $80,000. Staff funding, including but not limited to Arizona Rides Coordinator, Division Director and Program Manager contribution, is augmented with additional federal transit funding associated with ongoing ADOT FTA programs. Consultant services to Pinal Transportation Coordination Demonstration Project for FFY 06 were $50,000. This was an extension of 2005's $50,000 award and functioned to assist the Pinal project partners in further development of their implementation plan. Consultant services to investigate and author "white papers" on insurance, driver training, and maintenance during FFY 06 totaled $8,730. Proposed project expenses related to the new Implementation Grant activities are as follows: Regional and local stakeholder planning meeting(s) and outreach activities Seven (7) COGs $5,233.57 x 7= $ 36,635.00 MAG $ 13,805.00 PAG $ 13,805.00 Total $ 64,245.00 Consultant(s) budget (Tasks 1, 2, and 3) Full time staff plus overhead Consultant services for Pinal Rides Coordination Demonstration Project $ 50,000.00 Consultant services for insurance, training, and maintenance white papers Total program $ 8,730.00 $262,975.00 $ 60,000.00 $124,245.00 $ 80,000.00



Strategic Plan At the June 1st Arizona Rides Council meeting, it was determined that the Council needed to have some strategic direction. A sub committee was formed of Rex



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Critchfield (DES), Maxine Leather (CAAG), Cheri Campbell (PAG), Eileen Colleran (ADOT), Gregg Kiely (ADOT), and Steve Rost (ADOT-Chair) to draft a strategic plan over the following 60-90 days. The initial draft plan was derived from the best practices of similar coordinated transportation efforts in the states of Washington, Colorado, and Wisconsin and revised to suit Arizona. The Council has been presented with the draft and will comment on and finalize the plan at its November 30, 2006 meeting. The November meeting determined that agencies did not know or fully understand what others at the table did or could provide at the state and federal levels. This had a direct impact on the Strategic Plan. Recommendations were made for key ADOT, AHCCCS, DES, and DHS members to meet together and describe the premise of their transportation program efforts; guidelines, methods, and funding for their service delivery; contracting issues; and their current state of affairs. It was also determined to re-convene the Strategic Planning committee after the ADOT, AHCCCS, DES, and DHS members meet to revisit the strategic plan. The Strategic Plan and Code of Conduct are in DRAFT form presented below Vision A fully coordinated human services transportation system for the State of Arizona that efficiently and effectively serves all people with special needs transportation, uses all available local, regional, and statewide resources, is easy to access, and contributes to a livable community, a vital economy, and a healthy environment. Mission, Goals, Objectives, and Actions The Arizona Rides Executive Council is a strong network of State agencies, transportation providers, human service professionals, and policy makers who understand the issues involved in coordinated human services transportation with a three-year mission to: (M1) Promote the statewide coordination of special needs transportation (G1) Council is comprised of active members appointed by the Governor from Arizona human service programs (O1) Council membership is in accordance with Arizona Executive Order 2005-16 by November 2006 (G2) Review and update the state action plan annually (O1) Ensure the state action plan reflects current issues (O2) Identify problems and concerns with completing actions (O3) Form sub-committees as necessary (M2) Provide a forum to discuss local, regional, and statewide coordinated transportation issues and initiate solutions (G1) Hold quarterly local public meetings (O1) Minimum of a Council membership quorum in attendance (O2) In accordance with Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (10th ed.) 14



(G2) Coordinate and resolve locally-identified transportation-related issues (O1) Provide grant funding resources for a minimum of seven annual regional (COG area) coordinated transportation meetings between human service providers and ADOT-PTD (O2) Use UWR: Framework for Action meeting format (O3) Prioritize issues to be addressed (O4) Form sub-committees as necessary (M3) Provide oversight and direction to the State's coordinated transportation effort (G1) Frame policy affecting state, regional, and local actions in the area of coordinated human services transportation (O1) Establish standards for coordinated transportation practices, service/cost performance, and funding (O2) Simplify operating requirements without compromising safety in order to foster coordination (O3) Streamline and standardize the administrative and reporting requirements of each funding source without violating federal requirements (O4) Establish Arizona Rides relationship policy for 5310 elderly and persons with disabilities transportation program, 5311 rural public transit program, 5316 Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) program, and 5317 New Freedom program by December 2006 (G2) Address resource requirements to promote the development of a coordinated human service transportation system (O1) Identify annual resources through regional grant assistance (A1) UWR: Framework for Action consultant/facilitator(s) by September 2006 (A2) FY 07 5310 applications show coordinated transportation efforts by March 2007 (G3) Identify grant resources to implement the state Action Plan adopted in December 2005 (O1) Implementation of the Action Plan complete by December 2006 (G4) Lead and encourage regional councils to develop coordinated 5310 capital assistance applications (O1) Twenty-five (25) percent of Section 5310 (Elderly and Disabled Transportation) applications submitted to ADOT shall include a coordination component. (M4) Provide the State's legislature with Arizona Rides outcomes and propose statutory recommendations (G1) Report annually to the Governor's Office and State legislature and propose statutory recommendations as necessary (O1) Have Council representation at each legislative session for FY07, FY08, and FY09



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The Council will also comment on, revise, and finalize their Code of Conduct. Code of Conduct All Council participants will: 1. Work collaboratively to achieve excellence through building the power of the Council rather than the power of any individual member. 2. Not engage in any activity that may create a conflict of interest for the Council or for themselves. 3. Use consensus decision-making for the promotion of a common understanding. 4. Analyze and solve problems using a "no fault, no blame" problem-solving approach. 5. Will comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Looking Ahead 2007 will see a maturation of the Arizona Rides Council, stability in its membership, and continued regularly scheduled meetings. The Council's Strategic Plan will provide a framework and guidance for its operations and ongoing support of the UWR/Arizona Rides coordination efforts. The issues it faces are sure to be increasing, as the regional plans and coordination (especially between the 5310 and the 5316 and 5317 programs) become major topics. The Pinal Rides project will look forward to dedicated sponsorship. It will also lay groundwork in the area of insurance pools and brokerages, along with coordinated training and vehicle maintenance. The launch of the corridor service will provide increased coverage for a variety of trip needs in that region and will also provide metrics for future expansion, inclusion, or retirement. With the successful award of the Implementation Grant, ADOT-PTD and RAE Consultants, Inc. will be assisting the Section 5310, 5316, and 5317 programs throughout 2007 with the development of their locally derived coordination plans and grant applications. Efforts from this year forward will need to be redoubled for continued funding. As a part of the Regional Coordination Planning project, RAE Consultants, Inc. will be collecting data from the human services providers and providing ADOT-PTD with a report highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the development of a statewide coordinated transportation plan in early 2007. In 2007, the Arizona Rides Council will be providing a quarterly forum to discuss local, regional, and statewide coordinated transportation issues and initiate solutions; promoting the statewide coordination of special needs transportation; providing oversight and direction to the state's coordinated transportation efforts, and providing the state's legislature with Arizona Rides outcomes and propose statutory recommendations. The Working Group will take on action items from the Council and operate as a subcommittee forming and disbanding as necessary.



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Council members will be asked to encourage their regional and local partners to be active participants in the statewide coordination workshops this winter and subsequent local and regional committee structures that are being initiated with the Coordination Plan project. A key element in the success of the planning efforts will be deliberation by the Council on recommendations arising from the regional forums, and linking these back to implementation of the Arizona Rides Action Plan. In all, 2007 looks to be a year of growth and maturity for the Arizona Rides program. It will be a particularly challenging period as the program takes on the additional task of working within--and providing leadership for--the expanded coordination environment posed by new federal requirements which call for enhanced collaboration between Elderly and Disabled (5310), Job Access and Reverse Commute (Section 5316) and New Freedom (Section 5317) human service and other public transportation programs statewide.



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ATTACHMENT A ARIZONA RIDES COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES March 2, 2006 Participants: Jim Dickey, Richard Gaar, Ken Sweet, Anna Shane, Olivia Guerrero, Rex Critchfield, Michael Hegarty, Jim Murphy, Mack Luckie, Marie Lopez-Rogers, Anna Maria Chavez, Cherie Campbell, Amy St. Peter, and John Anderson. Absent: Mike Medors, Martin Ince, Brian Babiars, Maxine Leather, and Susan Gerard. Staff present: Shandra Olsson, Gregg Kiely, Eileen Colleran, and Rick Evans. Introductions: The meeting was called to order at 10:35 a.m. and members introduced themselves. Roundtable (Jim Dickey): Olivia Guerrero presented a status on the Pinal Rides project. The coordinated training is now taking place. They are still working on the corridor pilots. Jim Murphy stated that Pima County is including funding for reimbursement of drivers for seniors in their regional transportation plan that is coming up for vote. Rex Critchfield noted that DES has created a new Division of Aging and Adult Services so his division will be split. Community Services will continue to report to the DES Director and a national search is being conducted for the new division Assistant Director. Anna stated that Rex was instrumental in creating the changes in DES to better address the needs of an ever-increasing aging population. Mike Hegarty noted that FY 06 grant proposals for highway safety are being requested. Jim Dickey expressed an interest that ADOT should pursue a training grant for its transit programs and Arizona Rides. (See GOHS grant award below) Gregg Kiely noted that the Section 5310 grant application process was beginning. Jim Dickey said that he expects to hear within one month more about the second United We Ride grant proposal ADOT submitted. The Federal Transit Administration has preliminarily approved grants to the states, with Arizona Rides award expected to be approximately $50K, ranking "better than average" among colleague state DOTs, but less than originally hoped for. Jim said that ADOT is looking to make up for the difference with other ADOT federal transit funds. John Anderson stated that ATA agreed to put up a $50K match to the Federal Transit money that is still available, but communities were not able to come up with a local match.



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Approval of the December 19th minutes: The Council approved the minutes as written. 1-on-1 Meetings: Gregg Kiely, Shandra Olsson, and Jim Dickey met with AHCCCS and DHS, went through ADOT's programs and the Arizona Rides context, and requested information about both agencies' services. DHS requested that Gregg present to the Regional Behavioral Health Authorities which he did early this week. Arrangements are still being made to meet with DES and Rex Critchfield will arrange for ADOT to also meet with the Interagency Council on Long Term Care, which he chairs and which spans several agencies. Arizona Rides Staffing: An offer was made for the new position, but the individual declined. The selection process will continue. White Paper Presentations: Rick Evans reviewed white papers on the following subjects, which represent common issues among human services providers and have implications for inter-agency coordination: Insurance, Vehicle Maintenance, and Training. Arizona Rides Budget Issues: Jim Dickey distributed the budget for running this program. Call to the Public: Jim Dickey made a call to the public. There were no public comments. Agenda Items/Meeting Schedule: Suggested agenda items include: Overview of the LTAF/Description of how the funding is used; Pinal Rides Update; Discuss potential of charitable foundation grants; Begin work on developing coordinated training; Continue discussions on vehicle maintenance; Have someone from the Department of Insurance and SSCIP present to discuss insurance issues. The meeting schedule for 2006 is as follows: May 4th, July 6th, September 7th, and November 2nd. The meetings will be on Thursdays and held between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. June 1, 2006 Participants: Jim Dickey, Rex Critchfield, Ann Froio, Anna Maria Chavez, Brian Babiars, Ken Sweet, Mack Luckie, Cherie Campbell, Amy St. Peter, John Anderson, Olivia Guerrero, Michael Hegarty, Brian Babiars, and Maxine Leather Absent: Anna Shane, Richard Gaar, Martin Ince, Michael Medoro, Jim Murphy, and Marie Lopez-Rogers Staff present: Shandra Olsson, Gregg Kiely, Eileen Colleran, Steve Rost, and Rick Evans Introductions: The meeting was called to order at 10:35 am and members introduced themselves. Approval of the March 2 minutes. The Council approved the minutes as written.



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Pinal Rides Summary Report: Rick Evans provided an overview of the accomplishments of the Pinal Rides Pilot to date. He also reviewed some lessons learned as well as some of the issues that had to be worked through. ADOT and FTA Program Updates: Gregg Kiely reported that 163 applications were received in FFY 2006 under the Highway Safety Grant and they are still in the approval process. Not all 163 applicants will be approved due to funding restrictions. JARC/New Freedom designated recipients are still being decided with a target resolution of the next 30 days. LTAF II funding will be received this year, comparable to what was received in 2005 if not more. We are waiting for the budget to be approved to determine whether there is an impact to LTAF II for this next fiscal year. Council Role Model: Jim Dickey led a discussion on the role of the Council and presented information from the State of Washington's Coordination website http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/acct/ to demonstrate how Washington's Council is functioning. It was suggested that Council members think about how they see the Council moving forward with developing policy recommendations whether that be with the Arizona Rides Working group, subcommittees or staff work. Jim noted that is important that the Council be an active body. Several Council members volunteered (or were appointed) to join and be members of the subcommittee once formed, including: Rex Critchfield, Maxine Leather, Cheri Campbell, and Steve Rost. Further discussion will continue at the next Council meeting. Safety/Training Certification Programs: Discussion of this topic was rescheduled for the September 7, 2006 meeting. Arizona Rides Brochure: Jim Dickey passed out copies of the Arizona Rides brochure for review and written comment. ACTION   Any changes need to be provided to Shandra Olsson at the next Council meeting. Joint Purchasing Programs: Jim Dickey rescheduled discussion on this topic for the September 7, 2006 meeting. Roundtable: Council members were provided an opportunity to share information from their agency/organization. Call to the Public: Jim Dickey made a call to the public. There were no public comments.



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Agenda Items/Meeting Schedule. Suggested agenda items include: Safety/Training Certification Program; Joint Purchasing Programs; Council Role Model   continue discussion. The meeting schedule for 2006 is as follows: Thursday, Sept 7 - 10:30 to 12:30. The July 6th meeting was cancelled. November 30, 2006 Participants: John Anderson, Rex Critchfield, Jim Dickey, Rich Gaar, Olivia Guerrero, Michael Hegarty, Maxine Leather, Linda Martin, Amy St. Peter, Marie Lopez-Rogers Tele-conference: Cherie Campbell (connection could not be established) Absent: Brian Babiars, Anna Maria Chavez, Ann Froio, Martin Ince, , Mack Luckie, Michael Medoro, Jim Murphy, Ken Sweet Staff present: Eileen Colleran, Rick Evans, Gregg Kiely, Shandra Olsson, Steve Rost Public present: Kathryn Chandler, Jess Segovia Open Meeting and Introductions: Jim Dickey (Chair): The meeting was called to order at 10:32 am by Jim Dickey. A quorum was established. Members introduced themselves. Approval of June 6th minutes: Jim Dickey: The Council approved the June 6th meeting minutes as written. Vehicle Insurance Program Update: Rick Evans: Rick summarized his findings on insurance. He distributed his Insurance Summary white paper on: What we know; What we should do; and, What we should not do. Comment and discussion followed that focused on Rick's guidance that, at this time, movement of the Council and partners toward adopting a new or different pooling mechanism(s) for providers was not advisable. Based on his investigation, there were no clear-cut indicators that alternatives held significant advantage for success over existing models. GOHS Grant Opportunities: Michael Hegarty: (This item was taken out of sequence and moved up in the agenda.) Michael reported that the GOHS grant funds we applied for last March went to combat alcohol-related crashes and promote motorcycle safety around Arizona. The funds used in that capacity will allow a continuance in providing law enforcement with the tools necessary to remove impaired drivers and to educate both motorcyclists and motorists to share the road. Michael counseled that future requests might better focus on providing new/untried training methodologies. Arizona Rides Strategic Plan and Council Guidance: Steve Rost: Steve presented the draft strategic plan for the Council that was developed during the past months by a subcommittee composed of Council members. There was extended discussion on the future of the Council, its role and responsibilities going into it second year. Good progress was made by the sub-committee on the draft, however, it was decided that the



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sub-committee should reconvene and re-address the locally-identified transportationrelated issues that the Council could review. As the discussion continued, it was determined that agencies did not know or fully understand what others at the table did or could provide at the state and federal levels. Recommendations were made for key ADOT, AHCCCS, DES, and DHS members to describe the premise of their transportation program efforts; guidelines, methods, and funding for their service delivery; contracting issues; and their current state of affairs. ACTION (Steve): Reconvene the sub-committee after the holidays. Deliver a second draft of outcomes of effective missions at the next meeting. ACTION (Jim): Form a sub-committee or working group of key ADOT, AHCCCS, DES, and DHS members. Final Pinal County Rides Update: Rick Evans, Olivia Guerrero: Rick mentioned that his contract in supporting Pinal Rides was coming to a conclusion in December. He would attend the next meeting (12/19), however it would be his last in this capacity. Olivia presented the Pinal Rides portion. They were still looking for a dedicated sponsor, and she would be the sponsor for the 6-month demonstration pilot. Their corridor service will begin Tuesday, December 5th on the Florence, Coolidge, Casa Grande run, and Thursday, December 7th on the Eloy, Casa Grande, Maricopa run. Projected costs for the 6-month pilot are estimated in the $25-30K range. Pilot program Operating Policies and Procedures have been created in booklet form that cover purpose, background, project goals, and organizational structure, along with vehicle schedule, trip scheduling, data gathering and monitoring, vehicle monitoring among other topics. United Way was the first to step up by offering $2K out of the $5.6K for initial costs. Olivia also said that she was able to secure Local Transportation Assistance Funds II (LTAF II) funds from several communities to assist with the project and that this will at least provide some short-term stability the Pinal coordination committee had been very concerned about. Joint Purchasing Programs: Rex Critchfield, Katherine Babonis, Gregg Kiely: Discussion of this topic was postponed and rescheduled for the next meeting. Arizona Rides Annual Report: Steve Rost: Copies of the Annual Report were distributed for review and written comment. Steve briefly covered the main topics of the report and highlighted the accomplishments of the past year. The Looking Ahead section included further implementation of the Arizona Rides Action Plan with assistance from current federal grants, and focused on regional coordination planning efforts. ACTION (Council members): Any changes need to be provided to Steve Rost by December 15th. Arizona Rural Transit Needs Study Update: Jim Dickey: Jim described the study as a joint undertaking by ADOT and the Arizona Transit Association--which is providing the local matching funds. It is designed to provide up-to-date data which will identify and start to fill in some gaps, and provide a more complete picture of capital needs



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statewide. This will better enable the Department and its partners to convey to decisionmakers future funding and other support needs. Roundtable: Council members: Council members were provided an opportunity to share information from their agency/organization. Call to the Public: Jim Dickey: There were no public comments. Agenda Items/Meeting Schedule: Jim Dickey: Suggested agenda items include: Strategic Plan Update (Council role continuation) Next meeting date: TBD Meeting adjourned at 12:10 pm.



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