Alameda County resides in the East Bay of California and is the fourth most racially diverse county in the United States (Narula, 2014). It comprises of 14 suburban cities and several unincorporated communities with an overall population of 1,610,921 and more than 12% are seniors aged 65 and older (175,320). Geographic isolation between some cities and an ever aging population makes public transportation a concern for the county and it’s stakeholders, especially in regard to the seniors and the disabled. Due to the quality of life that transportation delivery provides to our most vulnerable population, it is imperative that these problems be addressed. The following pages will analyze the transportation dilemma for this population, the differences between some of the services provided, and three policy options and recommendations will be provided as solutions to these issues. There will be a focus on Hayward, a city which is responsible for handling the transportation needs for the seniors and disabled in Castro Valley. BACKGROUND Enacted in 1990, the Americans Disabilities Act (ADA) required that paratransit be provided for people with a disability. It acts as a supplemental service to regular public transit and operates in the same areas, on the same days, and during the same hours as regular transit but must be reserved at least one day in advance. A completed application must be submitted to become eligible for these services. In Alameda County, they have East Bay Paratransit, which is the largest paratransit and is sponsored by AC transit and BART to meet the requirements of the ADA (Access Alameda, 2014). Many cities provide shuttles that are free and drive within the city limits while others provide a taxi subsidy service which is the only same day service and is offered 24 hours a day. Most cities also offer travel training which provides consumer’s with hands on training to learn how to travel safely within a fixed route on public transit. SOME PROGRAMS OFFERED IN ALAMEDA COUNTY: PROGRAM NAME TIMING DESCRIPTION ADA PARATRANSIT pre-scheduled people w disabilities unable to ride fixed route transit DOOR TO DOOR pre-scheduled same as above, includes seniors TAXI SUBSIDY same day seniors and people with disabilities VOLUNTEER DRIVRS pre-scheduled vulnerable populations with special needs, requiring door to door service SOME OF THE TRAVEL TRAINING ACCORDING TO THE CITY AGENCY DESCRIPTION COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR Indiv/group training for people with disabilities and INDEPENDENT LIVING seniors in Hayward. CITY OF PLEASANTON Indiv training for seniors 70+ and people with disabilities in Pleasanton and Sunol. LIONS CENTER FOR THE BLIND Indiv training for people with visual impairments in the Bay Area. LIVERMORE AMADOR TRANSIT Indiv/group training for people with disabilities and AUTHORITY seniors serving Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton. THOUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Training families with disability issues in Alameda County. UNITED SENIORS OF OAKLAND Group training for seniors 55+ and people with disabilities in Alameda County. PROBLEM “By 2040, Alameda County’s population is
…show more content…
This rapid growth will greatly affect the demand for transportation” (Alameda CTC, 2014). Although there are some wonderful services of transportation in Alameda County such as paratransit, volunteer drivers, and door to door, there is not enough options available on the same day and most require a reservation up to several days in advance. This creates a problem for a consumer who needs to buy groceries or to get to a “next day” doctor’s appointment. Another concern is that not enough services run 24 hours a day so this limits accessibility to emergency hospital visits or other unexpected but important destinations. Finally, barriers still exist for both city and county transit that discourages senior’s such as wait times, county line limitations, and lack of assistance with parcels. These are some of the concerns for the stakeholders which include the consumers, the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC), the taxi companies, East Bay Paratransit, and the individual city councils and their managers. Each city has its own council that votes on decisions for their transportation needs such as how many seniors and people with disabilities are in their jurisdiction along with the geography of the city. There is also a Paratransit Technical Commission that oversees some of the city’s transportation issues and hold monthly meetings to address these
This rapid growth will greatly affect the demand for transportation” (Alameda CTC, 2014). Although there are some wonderful services of transportation in Alameda County such as paratransit, volunteer drivers, and door to door, there is not enough options available on the same day and most require a reservation up to several days in advance. This creates a problem for a consumer who needs to buy groceries or to get to a “next day” doctor’s appointment. Another concern is that not enough services run 24 hours a day so this limits accessibility to emergency hospital visits or other unexpected but important destinations. Finally, barriers still exist for both city and county transit that discourages senior’s such as wait times, county line limitations, and lack of assistance with parcels. These are some of the concerns for the stakeholders which include the consumers, the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC), the taxi companies, East Bay Paratransit, and the individual city councils and their managers. Each city has its own council that votes on decisions for their transportation needs such as how many seniors and people with disabilities are in their jurisdiction along with the geography of the city. There is also a Paratransit Technical Commission that oversees some of the city’s transportation issues and hold monthly meetings to address these