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Schuyler County

Coordinated Public

Transit Human Services

Transportation Plan December, 2014

Reviewed by Schuyler County Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Transportation Planning

Committee January, 2015

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I. Current Members: Schuyler County Administrator, Schuyler County Legislator, The Arc of

Schuyler-operator of Schuyler County Transit, Self-Advocates, Department of Social Services, Office

For the Aging, Veterans Services, Head Start, Public Health, RSVP(Retired and Senior Volunteer

Program), Catholic Charities, Schuyler County School Districts, Chamber of Commerce, Workforce

NY, Finger Lakes Medical Transportation, Schuyler Hospital, Seneca View Skilled Nursing, Chemung

County Transit Specialist, Mobility Managers representing Schuyler, Chemung and Steuben counties,

NYS Department of Transportation, MAS (Medical Answering Service).

II. Introduction

The Schuyler County Coordinated Human Services Transportation Committee has prepared the

following plan to provide a summary of its previous public transit-human services transportation

coordination efforts, to document current efforts, and to provide an outline for future efforts to improve

coordination of transportation trips provided to the citizens of Schuyler County. This Schuyler County

Coordinated Human Services Transportation Committee Plan, hereafter referred to as The Plan, is

specifically prepared to comply with the regulations of the Federal Transportation Administration,

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). This bill replaces the former Safe,

Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act-A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LUs)

mandate. MAP-21 mandates that projects for specific Federal Transit Administration (FTA) programs

be derived from a "locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan".

The FTA programs the plan applies to are:

Section 5310 –Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities

Section 5316 -Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC)- As part of Map-21 5316 eligible

expenses are now part of 5311- Formula Grant Rural Areas

Section 5317 -New Freedom-As part of Map-21 5317 eligible expenses have been combined

with 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities.

See item II below, “Background Information on Federal Transit Programs and Recipients of Federal

Program Funds”, for descriptions of these programs.

Schuyler County also utilizes the FTA Section 5311 program. This program provides capital, planning

and operating assistance to support public transportation in rural areas with populations less than 50,000.

Also, in 2011 the County applied for funds through the FTA Section 5309 Bus and Bus facilities

program. The 5309 program could be an important source for funding public transit capital

improvements or other new starts programs going forward.

This Plan identifies decisions Schuyler County government and the stakeholders continue to make to

improve transportation to its residents and coordinate efforts among current transportation providers. It

also indicates additional actions that would improve coordination of services if the actions can be

coordinated and funded. While The Plan has been formalized and updated at this point in time to meet

the Federal requirements, in order for it to be effective it must be flexible in its implementation as new

needs are identified, unanticipated coordination opportunities are identified or planned efforts need to be

refocused.

It is important to note that the 2007 Plan was developed using information gathered from two previous

planning efforts. The Schuyler-Steuben Transportation Committee performed the ground work for this

Plan in the transit portions of its "Final Report --Schuyler-Steuben Rural Transportation Needs Study"

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(October, 2002). The Schuyler-Steuben "Needs Study” included the establishment of a transit

subcommittee to consider unmet needs, which played an active part in formalizing the 2007 version of

this Plan.

In 2006, Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates was hired by Schuyler County to complete a Schuyler

County Transit Needs Assessment. The “Schuyler County Transit Needs Assessment- Final Report –

July 2007” went into greater detail than the Schuyler-Steuben study and included a detailed inventory of

services and resources, and a Schuyler-specific needs analysis completed with significant public

outreach. An outcome of the process used to complete that study were new partnerships among possible

stakeholders and a commitment to work toward better utilization of transportation resources. The 2007

study detailed decisions and actions the County could take to increase public transit services to its

residents through both service additions and better coordination and utilization of existing human

service transportation already provided.

During the period between 2007 and 2010 major efforts were put into the development of a public

transit system operated by The Arc of Schuyler through a contract with Schuyler County. This system

required tremendous effort and support by all parties including the NYS Department of Transportation.

In 2010, FTA Section 5316 and Section 5317 grant funds were used to support the hiring of a Schuyler

County Mobility Manager. With the support of the Mobility Manager, the Schuyler County Coordinated

Human Services Transportation Committee meets regularly to discuss transportation needs and

coordination opportunities as reflected in this Plan.

II. Historical Information on Federal Transit Programs and Recipients of Federal Program

Funds

The following is a brief description of the three Federal funding programs that were covered by the

SAFETEA-LU mandate that required a coordination plan such as the one presented here.

A. FTA Section 5310 made funds available to meet the special transportation needs of elderly

persons and persons with disabilities. The funds were apportioned to the states annually by a

formula that was based on the number of elderly persons and persons with disabilities in each

state. The program is still administered in New York State by the New York State Department of

Transportation (NYSDOT). Capital assistance is provided on an 80 percent Federal, 20 percent

local matching basis. Examples of capital expenses include but are not limited to buses and vans.

In New York State, private nonprofit agencies are eligible to receive program funding, and must

demonstrate that they are a participant in local transportation coordination efforts. The Arc of

Schuyler currently utilizes vehicles funded by the Section 5310 program. It was determined that

project applications for the continued replacement of those vehicles to provide services for these

populations are important to the County and needs to be part of this Plan. Although 5310

funding has changed under Map-21, the capital vehicle replacement for non-profits has not and

The Arc of Schuyler intends to continue to use the program to replace vehicles funded through

5310.

B. FTA Section 5316 Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) was a formula grant that

provided funding for local governmental authorities and agencies, and non-profit entities that

offered job access and reverse commute services to transport low income individuals to and from

job training, for child care, and to develop transportation services for residents of urban centers

and rural and suburban areas to suburban employment opportunities. Job Access grants also

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financed capital projects and operating costs of equipment, facilities, and associated, capital

maintenance items related to providing access to jobs; promoted use of transit by workers with

nontraditional work schedules; promoted use by appropriate agencies of transit vouchers for

TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) recipients and eligible low income

individuals; and promoted use of employer-provided transportation. For Reverse Commute

grants, the following activities were eligible -operating costs, capital costs and other costs

associated with reverse commute by bus, train, carpool, vans or other transit service. Eligible

activities for JARC funding included late-night and weekend service, guaranteed ride home

service, shuttle service; expanded fixed-route public transit routes; demand-responsive service;

ridesharing and carpooling activities; transit related aspects of bicycling; local car loan programs

that assisted individuals in purchasing and maintaining vehicles for shared rides; marketed

promotions for JARC activities; supported the administration and expenses related to voucher

programs; used Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and/or implemented Intelligent

Transportation Systems (ITS); integrated automated regional public transit and human service

transportation information, schedule and dispatch functions; deployed vehicle position-

monitoring systems; and established regional mobility managers or transportation brokerage

activities. The Federal/local share is 80/20 for capital projects which had included mobility

management and 50/50 for operating projects. In New York State, NYSDOT was responsible for

the JARC program administration to rural areas such as Schuyler County. NYSDOT used a

competitive selection process that awarded grantees.

In January 2010, a JARC grant to develop a Mobility Management program for Schuyler County

was awarded to The Arc of Schuyler. The initial grant period covered calendar years 2010-2011

and the mobility management project is funded through December, 2015. Section 5316 no

longer exists under MAP-21 and funding has been combined for rural areas under Section 5311

Rural formula grants.

C. Section 5317 New Freedom was a Federal transit formula grant program that encouraged

services and facility improvements to address the transportation needs of persons with

disabilities that went beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Funds could

be used for capital and operating costs to provide the new services. Examples of projects and

activities that could be funded under the program included, but were not limited to: the purchase

of vehicles and supporting accessible taxi, ride-sharing, and vanpooling programs; it provided

paratransit services beyond minimum requirements (3/4 mile to either side of a fixed route), that

included seasonal routes; accessibility improvements to transit and intermodal stations;

supported voucher programs for transportation services offered by human service providers; and

supported mobility management and coordination programs among public transportation

providers and other human service agencies that provide transportation. The Federal share for the

net project capital cost of a project was up to 80 percent, and not more than 50 percent of the net

operating cost of a project.

In conjunction with the JARC grant noted above, in January 2010 a New Freedom grant to

develop a Mobility Management program for Schuyler County was awarded to The Arc of

Schuyler. The initial grant period covered calendar years 2010-2011.

Beginning with calendar year 2012 the application process for funding both Sections 5316 JARC

and 5317 New Freedom is a combined application. An application was submitted by The Arc of

Schuyler to continue the Mobility Management program for calendar years 2012 -2013. It is

important that these funds be applied for in subsequent years in order to ensure the continued

availability of Mobility Management services and is currently funded through December, 2015.

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Section 5317 no longer exists under MAP-21 and funding was been combined for rural areas

under Section 5310.

Current Federal Transit Administration Programs

A. Section 5310: Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities

Purpose This program is intended to enhance mobility for seniors and persons with disabilities by

providing funds for programs to serve the special needs of transit-dependent populations

beyond traditional public transportation services and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

complementary paratransit services. Administration of this program has been through NYS

Department of Transportation and for rural areas will continue to be administered through

NY Department of Transportation under the current MAP-21 transportation law. This

program was historically utilized to purchase busses for non-profit organizations. The Arc of

Schuyler has and looks to continue to utilize this source for the funding of busses. It is

important to note that Mobility Management has been combined on the federal level as an

eligible expense, however at the current date it appears NY will continue to utilize this

program as a bus purchase program and Mobility Management activities will be eligible

under the 5311 program. Should the State reconsider and allow Mobility Management

activities under 5310, it is of interest to consider 5310 as a funding source for the Mobility

Management program.

III. Inventory of Services and Resources

Transportation services for Schuyler County residents are provided by one primary public transit

operator, various human service agencies, private taxi, a private medical transport company and

contract/limousine private operators.

A. Public Transit Schuyler County Transit is the primary public transportation service in Schuyler County. The

Schuyler County Transit vehicle fleet currently consists of 5 vehicles, each with seating capacity

for ambulatory passengers of 18, with wheelchair capacity. Additional vehicles, as replacements

will continue to be requested through the 5311 capital program. Public transit services are

provided, using the D/B/A Schuyler County Transit, through a contract between Schuyler

County and The Arc of Schuyler, a private not for profit organization which provides services for

individuals with developmental disabilities. In addition, The Arc of Schuyler provides preschool

transportation services for children with disabilities and non-emergency medical transportation

for Schuyler County residents through County contracts. Schuyler County Transit offers both

fixed route and Dial- A-Ride services within the County. The planned expansion of Schuyler

County Transit’s services to Corning now connects residents with the college and other transit

services at the Corning Transportation Center. A planned expansion to the City of Elmira is still

under consideration pending possible funding opportunities and provided cost sharing partners

are found.

In August of 2013, Department of Health changed the way Non-emergency medical

transportation was brokered and all transportation is centralized through a Transportation

Manager on a state-wide basis. The Transportation Manager is a private company, Medical

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Answering Service (MAS) based in Syracuse, NY. As a result of this change, many rural

systems across NY have either eliminated or greatly reduced transit service that was previously

cost shared through Department of Social Services and is now primarily distributed to private

taxis and other companies. Schuyler County has been greatly impacted by this change and has

pro-actively sought new cost-share partners, but has reduced Dial-A-Ride service and eliminated

all out of county Dial-A-Ride services.

An ancillary bus service that had been operating in Schuyler County was provided by T-CAT.

Prior to T-CAT’s operation of the system the service was provided by Chemung County Transit,

operated as First Transit (now known as C-Tran). It was designed primarily around Cornell

University employee start/quit times. Four schedules were designed to make the service

attractive to employees arriving to the campus between 7:30 am to 8:00 am, and departing from

the campus between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm. The system served only one particular market and

became cost prohibitive for the County to continue to fund. The service was terminated in 2010.

B. Private Transportation Providers

There are some bus companies, limousine companies, and taxi companies serving counties

surrounding Schuyler.

1) Bernie Bus Service through a contract with the Schuyler County Health Services provides

some transportation for children with disabilities to/from a pre-school educational setting and

is also contracted by Head Start to provide transportation for 3-5 year olds;

2) Durham (formally A & E busing) provides some preschool transportation for Schuyler

County Health Services.

3) Totem Taxi provides some services under contract to Schuyler County Department of Social

Services (DSS);

4) Terps, is a private bus company that can be contracted with for specialized event

transportation.

5) Finger Lakes Medical Transportation (Lundy) provides ambulette transportation and livery

type service for ambulatory Medicaid enrollees and private pay riders.

6) A.S.A.P. taxi company is a new taxi service (July 2014) operating within Watkins Glen and

Montour Falls.

7) The Watkins Glen State Park contracts on an annual basis to provide a shuttle bus to take

visitors between the upper and lower portions of the park.

C. Human Service Agency Transportation Providers and Purchasers

The 2007 Schuyler County Transit Needs Assessment Final Report cataloged more than twelve

human service agencies and units of local government that offered some form of transportation

assistance to their clients in Schuyler County. The programs and services they administered

primarily targeted individuals and families in population segments with mobility challenges

caused by developmental, mental and physical disabilities, aging, low income and/or lack of a

personal automobile. The Schuyler Needs Assessment found that access to transportation is a

major issue for these groups, especially to travel for purposes other than those as an agency

client.

In 2011, only those agencies identified as being a major service provider or service purchaser in

Schuyler County were interviewed and asked to complete an updated survey. There were eight

primary agencies were surveyed. Client transportation programs generally fell into three

categories: major service providers, incidental service providers, and service purchasers.

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Major Service Providers include entities that own or lease vehicles and employ paid drivers

or maintain an organized workforce of volunteers to operate fixed or flexibly scheduled

weekday passenger services as an internal function. The 2007 Coordinated Plan identified

six agencies that would be considered major service providers: The Arc of Schuyler, County

Department of Health Services (DHS), County Department of Social Services (DSS), Head

Start, Office for the Aging (OFA), and Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). A 2011

survey of these providers indicates that the Schuyler County Department of Health Services

(DHS) and Head Start have shifted management of their transportation operations from that

of service provider to service purchaser. This section of this report has therefore been

modified to reflect that the number of major human service transportation service providers

in 2011 has been reduced from 6 to 4.

The Arc of Schuyler

The Arc is the largest direct provider of client transportation services in Schuyler County

and is approved by NYSDOT as a Contract Carrier. The current fleet consists of 8 buses

with varying capacities ranging from 14-18 ambulatory passengers, each with wheelchair

capacity, and 5 minivans running contract services sponsored by Department of Social

Services for fixed low-income and Medicaid-eligible persons, Department of Health

Non-emergency Medicaid transportation and Schuyler County for transportation of pre-

school children with disabilities to their educational programs. The buses have been

purchased through the NYS Department of Transportation 5310 program and plan to

continue this procurement process. The Arc provides advocacy and support services to

approximately 300 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Key

internal programs, notably Day Habilitation and Glen Industries (vocational training) are

centrally located within The Arc’s administrative offices at 203 and 210 Twelfth Streets

in Watkins Glen and are open Monday – Friday from 8:30AM -4:30 PM. With the advent

of Schuyler County Transit, The Arc of Schuyler is now able to purchase bus passes for

some individuals and was thereby able to reduce its overall fleet of buses by one. See

Appendix A for Vehicle Inventory.

The Arc of Schuyler also has residential programs that operate 24 hours/7 days a week at

various locations throughout the County and provide supportive living situations.

Transportation for those residents is incidental and closely related to client program

activities. Therefore vehicles assigned to the residential programs are not considered

available for public transit coordination and are not included in this report.

Schuyler County Department of Social Services (DSS)

Schuyler County Department of Social Services provides a range of services targeting

low-income adults and children residing in Schuyler County. The Department of Social

Services offers limited personal transportation assistance using a combination of direct

service delivery as a service purchaser and distribution of cash and vouchers. Priority trip

purposes include medical and dental appointments, hospital outpatient services, required

appointments not covered by Medicaid, job search activities and interviews. In 2010, the

Department of Social Services through a cost sharing agreement with Schuyler County

Transit, allowed for non-emergency medical transportation runs to be open to the public.

This resulted in savings to the Department of Social Services as well as served as a major

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impetus for the initiation of public transit services for all Schuyler County residents. In

August of 2013, Department of Health changed the way Non- emergency medical

transportation was brokered and it is now centralized through a Transportation Manager

on a state-wide basis. The Transportation Manager is a private company, Medical

Answering Service (MAS) based in Syracuse, NY. As a result of this change, many rural

systems across NY have either eliminated or greatly reduced transit service that was once

cost shared through Department of Social Services and is now primarily distributed to

private taxis and other companies. See Appendix A for Vehicle inventory.

Schuyler County Office For the Aging (OFA)

The Office For the Aging provides services for Schuyler County residents 60 years of age

and older, ranging from nutrition and in-home services to benefits assistance, referrals

and advocacy. Office For the Aging receives federal funding under the Older Americans

Act and state funding through the New York State Office For the Aging. Local matching

funds are provided by Schuyler County. Additional funding is provided through program

donations and by participant contributions. Transportation assistance is provided either

directly or through volunteers and use of vouchers. OFA identified a county wide

centrally coordinated transportation request process, integrated with a full array of

transportation choices that could result in increased services for seniors and more

efficient operations. For this endeavor to be successful, strong educational outreach to the

senior population along with addressing the shortage of volunteer drivers would be

needed. In July of 2014, a centralized transportation call center became possible through

a combination of grants: Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative

(VTCLI) which allowed for scheduling and routing software, marketing and outreach

efforts and JARC / New Freedom grants that assisted with a part-time position with local

cost-share from The Office For the Aging and The Arc of Schuyler. In July 2014

transportation arrangements transferred to the new transportation call center in order to

more effectively coordinate transportation and direct seniors to the most appropriate, cost

effective mode of transportation. A decline in available volunteer drivers has been

identified as an area of concern. There has been some success noted, with travel training

assistance, in encouraging seniors to use the new public transit system. See Appendix A

for Vehicle Inventory.

Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) RSVP is a coordinated volunteer program sponsored by the Corporation for National and

Community Service and Catholic Charities of Schuyler County. The RSVP program is

intended to engage people 55 years of age and older in volunteer activities designed to

meet community needs while enriching the life of the volunteers. RSVP volunteers

provide transportation as a major function of the program. The RSVP, RIDE program

involves volunteers using their personal automobiles to transport older adults primarily to

medical appointments in Schuyler, Chemung, Steuben and Tompkins County. RSVP has

referral and reimbursement agreements with a number of agencies, including Office for

the Aging and the Veterans Service Agency.

Service Purchasers are agencies that supplement their internal operations by contracting

transportation services or reimbursing mileage expenses to individuals. These agencies may

contract directly with other entities and/or offer cash or vouchers to clients to purchase

transportation service, or provide mileage reimbursement to family members, guardians and

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individual volunteers to provide client transportation. In 2010, Schuyler County Transit

provided a new option, which is for agencies to purchase bus passes to meet client needs.

The number of agencies that purchase transportation services has increased from five in

2007 to six in 2011. Service purchasers using one or more of the methods described above

are the Department of Health Services, Department of Social Services (DSS), Office for the

Aging (OFA), The Arc of Schuyler (ARC), Veterans Service Agency, and Head Start. (The

previous report indicated that the Schuyler County Child Care Coordinating Council offered

a mileage reimbursement program. When surveyed this year, they indicated they do not

provide this service.) Schuyler County Department of Social Services continues to purchase

service on a contractual basis from other entities including The Arc of Schuyler and taxies

when transportation needs are outside of the scope of the public transit fixed route and Dial

A Ride service times/areas. Schuyler County purchases services through contracts with

Durham (formerly A&E bussing), The Arc of Schuyler and Birnie Bus Transportation to

operate six routes transporting pre-school children with disabilities to special education

programs in surrounding counties. The Head Start program, which serves children ages 3-5,

discontinued direct operation of bus services and now contracts with Birnie Bus and the

Watkins Glen and Odessa Montour Central School District for these services.

Incidental Service providers includes entities that own or lease vehicles, typically use

program staff and volunteers to drive clients, and operate mainly demand responsive service

for individuals and groups of clients. Most trips are closely related to client program

activities. In 2007, 4 agencies/programs were identified as owning or leasing one or more

vehicles allocated at least part of the time to provide passenger transportation. The agencies

were Catholic Charities, Economic Opportunity Program (EOP), Finger Lakes DDSO and

Rainbow Chasers, a program sponsored by the Elmira Psychiatric Center. The 2011 survey

identified the number of incidental service providers as 3, with the Economic Opportunity

Program (EOP) no longer providing these services in Schuyler County. The remaining 3

agencies/programs have vehicles serving resident’s needs that do not fit into the categories

of major service provider or service purchaser noted above. These agencies and the

transportation services they provide were discussed in detail in Appendix A of the 2007

Schuyler County Transit Needs Assessment. Since their services continue to be incidental in

nature, inventory of their vehicle fleets was determined not to be of consequence to note

again here. However, as it seems all agencies have been experiencing cuts in funding,

alternate transportation methods for clients served through these programs may need to be

found. The Mobility Manager will continue to be a critical link between the service

providers and consumers and assist agencies with travel training as well as offer the new

transportation call center as a possible solution or point of contact to monitor unmet needs

and possible alternative transportation.

Other local agencies/businesses providing transportation services that may realize benefits

from additional coordination efforts are Seneca View, the Skilled Nursing Facility operated

by Schuyler Hospital and The Falls Home, a privately operated assisted living program.

More information should be obtained on their transportation needs to determine what

assistance the Mobility Manager and the coordination committee might be able to provide.

It should also be noted for purpose of inventory, that the Watkins Glen State Park purchases

seasonal shuttle service running entirely within the park. This is a very limited route geared

to a specific targeted population.

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D. Schuyler County Transportation Call Center:

The Schuyler County Transportation Call Center is a result of several grants and agreements. The

scheduling and routing software is a result of the Veterans Transportation and Community Living

Initiative (VTCLI) grant. This grant had a second round of funding that will be used to market and

promote the call center through a variety of means including promotional items for outreach events,

online, print, radio, television and a website redesign for transit and the call center. The part time

position created for the call center is provided by a combination of JARC (Job Access Reverse

Commute) and New Freedom grants with local match by Office For the Aging. JARC and New

Freedom grants provide the funding for both the Mobility Manager and the Mobility Management

Coordinator who is part time with local match provided by Office For the Aging. It has been identified

as a priority to continue these positions and program to effectively and efficiently coordinate

transportation within Schuyler County. JARC and New Freedom funding were results of the SAFETY-

LU transportation law that expired in October of 2012. MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for progress in the 21st

Century Act) is the transportation law which replaces SAFETY-LU and was a two year transportation

program for years 2013-2014 with possible extensions. Currently MAP-21 has been extended through

March, 2015. Under the new law JARC and New Freedom programs have been combined into other

transportation funding programs. JARC has been combined into 5311 for rural areas and 5307 for urban

areas. Mobility Management is still considered a capital expense and eligible for 80/20 (Federal/local)

funding split. New Freedom has been combined into the 5310 program and for rural areas such as

Schuyler and will be administered by the State. Although Mobility Management is considered an

eligible expense through 5310, it appears the State is leaning toward maintaining 5310 as a vehicle

acquisition program for transit dependent populations beyond transportation services covered by the

Americans with Disabilities Act. 5310 is now called the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals

with Disabilities. However, should the State reconsider and allow Mobility Management as an

allowable activity, this option will be considered for sustained funding.

IV. Assessment of Community Needs

According to 2010 Census data, Schuyler County has a population of approximately 18,343 and covers

an area of 329 square miles. When addressing transportation needs Schuyler County faces the challenges

of scattered populations and destinations, rugged terrain, limited availability of direct routes and weather

conditions. On the other hand, such limiting conditions make coordination of existing transportation

services all the more logical.

A 2007 Transportation Needs Study commissioned by Schuyler County involved considerable outreach

to the public, human service agency officials, transportation services users\riders, the business

community, government agencies, and elected officials. A Schuyler County Coordinated Public Transit

Human Services Transportation Committee was later formed and has been meeting regularly since that

report was issued. The Committee discusses areas of unmet needs and identifies and tracks progress

where transportation coordination can be improved.

A summary statement of current services and unmet needs contained in the 2007 Schuyler County

Transportation Needs Study (Chapter 5) noted three themes that reflect current sentiments regarding the

provision of transportation services for area residents.

“… (a) basic transit system is critically needed for a growing segment of the population making

longer distance trips to Chemung and Steuben County. These trips respond to the prevailing

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location of commercial and retail facilities in and around the Arnot Mall in Horseheads, as well

as, downtown Elmira and Corning. The second item identified was that lower income households

in the rural townships of Schuyler County need a reliable, affordable means to getting to Watkins

Glen and Montour Falls for access to locally-based programs and services, as well as transfer

access to the public transit systems in contiguous counties”. The third item on which local

officials and taxpayers agree is that the public transportation system created must be affordable

to local governments. “… the transit system that was implemented must be sustainable over time

within the combination of available federal, state, local subsidies and user fees."

The following outlines current populations served and unmet needs:

1. Fixed Route Service: In August 2010, Schuyler County initiated a pilot program connecting

the villages of Burdett, Watkins Glen, Montour Falls and Odessa. These public transit runs

are open to the general public, but also meet needs of low income, seniors and people with

disabilities who live within ¾ miles of fixed routes. The new Public Transit service also

includes a Dial-A- Ride component servicing outlying areas of the County on certain days

during specified times, in conjunction with non-emergency medical transportation services

required to be provided by the Department of Social Services. First year operational data

demonstrated slow and steady increased utilization of the public transit system. Continued

outreach and education is needed for residents to learn how to use public transit. Mobility

management and travel training programs are critical to assist in the continued success of

the system. Through changes implemented by the State Department of Health, the non-

emergency medical transportation which was a significant cost sharing partner in transit,

changed from local administration to a consolidated statewide call center. This

significantly cut revenues beginning in August 2013 through current date and transit has

been forced to make service changes in order to maintain the most feasible service possible.

Partnerships with Arc of Schuyler opening some routes to the public has increased public

access to areas such as Corning and some additional opportunities in portions of rural

Eastern Schuyler County.

2. Regional Transportation: A previously identified unmet need is better transit connections

regionally between Schuyler, Steuben and Chemung Counties. This need was further

defined in the 2007 study as a need for regional services throughout the business day for

access to medical services, employment, educational opportunities, and retail businesses.

New cost sharing arrangements with the Department of Social Services and The Arc of

Schuyler, with State Transportation Operating Assistance through NYS DOT, are under

consideration as a means to address this need. In January 2014, The Arc of Schuyler

partnered with transit and the State Department of Transportation and opened an existing

route to Corning. The service has been well received and continued outreach will be

needed to grow ridership. Chemung County had been served through a limited Dial-A-

Ride service, but this service was discontinued as a direct result of the changes made by

Department of Health and the Non-emergency Medical transportation program. For

additional employment opportunity, the opening of a new casino in Seneca County in 2016

offers new employment opportunities for Schuyler County and a transit related run should

be considered.

3. Transit Hours of Operation: Once public transit had been operational for a year, extending

public transit hours, perhaps starting at 7:00 AM and running some evenings until 8:00PM

to be compatible with recreational events and after hour clinics has been identified by

agencies surveyed as needed for some populations. In 2014 it was identified this would be

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advantageous and transit service now starts at 7:30AM, but to accommodate the earlier

hour, a larger gap in mid-day service was necessary. Evening service is still listed as a

need and as funding opportunities present, the opportunities will be revisited.

4. Rural Transportation: The need for transportation services is within all areas of the County,

but is especially acute for rural residents who do not have access to personal transportation

to use from and to their homes for access to medical, employment, educational,

recreational, and retail business in the County. The current Dial-A- Ride service provides

some assistance to the rural areas on a limited basis but expansion is needed. In August of

2014 due to the funding gap caused by Department of Health and the non-emergency

transportation program Dial-A-Ride was reduced to limited times and service reduced to

two days a week, and out-of-county service was discontinued in August of 2014.

5. Hospital Affiliations: Schuyler Hospital’s recent affiliation agreement with Cayuga

Medical Center in Tompkins County was noted. This possibly could affect traffic patterns

for those that need medical services in the future.

6. Human Service Transportation Coordination Opportunities: It was noted in the 2007 Plan

that client transportation provided by human service agencies and private transportation

providers under contract to government, and funded by government is just that,

transportation limited to clients. The purpose of detailing the transportation providers and

funding agencies in this Plan, the populations they serve, and where they provide services

helps to identify future areas for possible transportation coordination. The Schuyler County

Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Committee will continue to discuss

opportunities for better coordination of transportation services among the human service

agencies which could also result in meeting some of the unmet general public's

transportation needs. In July, 2014 the Transportation Call Center began receiving calls for

Office For the Aging and in August, Veterans Service Agency. This coordination allows

for the most appropriate, cost effective mode of transportation to be assigned. With the

assistance of new scheduling and routing software, new reports are able to be produced to

accurately portray current need and seek additional future coordination projects.

7. School Transportation: Transportation services for school aged children was noted as an

area for future study. The Watkins Glen School District will be initiating a single bus run,

starting with the 2012-2013 school year, with First Student as the contractor. Other

opportunities for savings on school bus transportation costs are an area of interest. It was

also noted that addressing transportation needs of students for afterschool, summer school

and other activities should be looked into. 2013 brought the consolidation of bussing to a

one route system and First Student is no longer the contractor. Drivers are now direct

employees of the school district. 2014 consolidated the school bus services for both

Watkins Glen and the Odessa-Montour districts.

8. Tourist Transportation: The need for transportation related to the significant tourism

industry in the County has been discussed. Regular routes to popular tourist destinations

within the region has been addressed as a need. Examples include wineries, parks and the

new proposed casino slated for development in 2016 within Seneca County.

9. “One Stop” Transportation Information Center: An unmet need identified in past studies

was the development of a “One Stop" Transit Information service center and website. A

mobility management program was started in January 2010 with assistance through Federal

JARC/New Freedom grants. The Mobility Manager is able to provide residents with

transportation information and collect data for a central data base on unmet needs. The

“one stop” concept was able to be tested as a result of the cost sharing arrangement

between the Department of Social Services and the public transit system. The Mobility

13

Manager took on the role of coordinating transportation for Department of Social Services

non-emergency medical transportation in September 2010. A successful model that

combines education regarding transportation options, travel training for those needing

instruction on how to use public transit, and a more coordinated system for dispatching

vehicles was developed that could be replicated for other populations. However the systems

in use today are labor intensive and therefore limited. In 2014 software technology was

purchased as a result of the VTCLI grant that has allowed for additional coordination

between transit, Office For the Aging and Veterans Service Agency with various modes of

transportation being dispatched.

10. Veteran Transportation: In 2011, the Mobility Managers in Schuyler, Chemung and

Steuben Counties began working together to address unmet needs for veterans and their

families. Barriers identified for veterans were that Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

vans to assist veterans with medical appointments do not exist in Schuyler County and that

most veteran health services are located out of county with the nearest veterans and

military support services being Bath Veterans Administration Medical Center, Elmira

Veterans Administration Clinic, Syracuse Veterans Administration Medical Center,

Rochester Veterans Administration Medical Center, and the Buffalo Veterans

Administration Medical Center. It was agreed that the Mobility Managers and providers of

veterans’ services would continue to work together and further study how to best address

the particular transportation challenges faced by veterans. In 2014 through these

coordinated efforts, the Bath VAMC is looking at the development of a new bus to meet

existing transit services of Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties at the Corning

transportation hub. Rideshare is also being considered to bring together Veteran volunteer

drivers with fellow Veterans that need rides to specific grouped appointments.

11. Coordination Software: In conjunction with regional veteran’s services providers, it was

identified that a coordinated transportation data collection and reservation approach would

benefit veterans. In 2011, The Arc of Schuyler and Schuyler County applied for and was

awarded a Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative (VTCLI) grant that

will support the development of mobility management software. The goal of the grant is to

develop a smoother and more efficient process for transportation coordination that will

benefit veterans as well as other populations. This grant will help move the County one

step closer to having a One Stop/One Click transportation center available to all residents. .

In July of 2014 the Transportation Call Center began receiving, scheduling and dispatching

of calls for the transit system as well as for Office For the Aging. August, 2014 saw the

addition of Veterans Service Agency. This Coordination allows for more accurate data

collection and review of services that can be combined with transit and or other rides to

provide overall efficiencies. The ability to coordinate Medicaid transportation trips has

been eliminated by the Department of Health’s non-emergency medical transportation

program.

12. Regional Medical Center Transportation: Collaborative meetings with RSVP, Department

of Social Services, The Arc of Schuyler and Veterans Services, further defined a regional

transportation need. It was determined that veterans, people with disabilities and low

income individuals regularly need transportation to specialty medical centers in

surrounding cities. In addition to the VA centers noted above, Rochester and Sayre were

identified as areas frequented. The Mobility Managers of Schuyler, Chemung and Steuben

are exploring options to better coordinate these trips.

13. Volunteer Recruitment: A new area of concern identified by agencies that rely on volunteer

driver programs that serve seniors and veterans is that they are seeing a decrease in the

14

number of available volunteer drivers while the demand for these services is increasing.

The volunteer driver program is an important alternative to public transit when added

flexibility or personal attention is needed. Creative approaches to attract more volunteer

drivers has been identified as a need.

14. Ithaca Transportation: The possibility to connect with the T-CAT public transit system in

Schuyler County should continue to be considered. In particular a commuter service to

Cornell University, a large regional employer, has been identified as a need. Currently two

van pools are operating within Schuyler County to fill the need from the eliminated TCAT

service. One vanpool currently operates in Hector and the other from Montour Falls. The

Mobility Management Office occasionally still receives requests for transportation to/from

Ithaca that is usually medical in nature.

15. Employment Transportation and Partnerships: It was noted that business owners and

corporations sometimes offer incentives to employees to use public or pooled

transportation options. These could include paying a portion of the costs for bus tickets or

offering employee tax benefits through flexible benefit plans. More should be understood

regarding what regional business needs are (i.e. what schedules employees work, parking

limitations) to see if innovative solutions and partnerships could develop.

V. Strategies, Activities and or projects to address identified needs or gaps in service:

Partnerships, Coordination Issues, and Next Steps

The Schuyler-Steuben Transportation Study Advisory Committee performed the original ground

work for this Plan in the transit portions of its "Final Report --Schuyler-Steuben Rural

Transportation Needs Study" (October, 2002). A comprehensive Transit Needs Assessment was

commissioned by Schuyler County and completed in 2007 that further detailed transportation

needs and options. That Study involved a Steering Committee of transit users of the current

commuter service, the private transit provider of the commuter service (First Transit as Chemung

County Transit Services). Schuyler County elected officials and the County Administrator, The

Arc of Schuyler, Schuyler County Office for the Aging, NYSDOT Transit Bureau, and the

Elmira Chemung Transportation Council. The Study involved outreach to the public, county

government agencies, the business community, and human service agencies. The Study

recommended the County government take a lead role in long-term coordination by forming a

permanent committee -the Schuyler Transportation Coordination Committee -to bring together

key stakeholders to partner in coordinating efforts. Ultimately, the County makes the decisions

regarding the public transit services and/or coordination involving funding controlled by the

County.

A Schuyler County Coordinated Human Services Transportation Committee was formed to carry

out the work outlined in the 2007 Plan. The committee represents human service agencies,

governmental departments that provide human services, the public transit provider, and County

officials. To further clarify the committee’s objectives, a purpose statement was developed and

approved by the Committee in April 2011. It states the following:

“Affordable transportation for human service agencies, their clients, and the public at large is

a necessity for people to enjoy a decent quality of life within a community. Some

agencies transport clients with their own vehicles. Others purchase transportation services or

counsel clients on how to use transportation services. We have a number of transportation

services and providers in our community. Further, we have public policy direction to use public

15

funds in a more efficient and productive manner, especially in a time of fiscal distress. We are

all looking to save money, increase productivity, and provide access to critical services. On

August 16, 2010 Schuyler County initiated a public transit system.

The coordinated planning process is not only a good idea, it's a requirement of the Federal

Transit Administration (FTA) to apply for grants through the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of

Seniors and & Individuals with Disabilities and the former Section 5316 Job Access & Reverse

Commute and Section 5317 New Freedom Programs. Further, the Federal and State governments

promote innovative community transportation services through the United-We-Ride initiative.

If your agency purchases transportation (bus passes or taxi rides), transports clients, provides

information, provides services for seniors, low income or individuals with disabilities, or

manages federal funds which could be used to support transportation services, then you should

participate in coordinated transportation planning.

All human service agencies, local governments and providers of transportation services are

invited to participate on the Coordinated Human Services Transportation Committee. Meetings

will be open to the public. We need your ideas, energy and criticism to improve our work.”

In 2011, it was determined that the 2007 Transportation Plan should be updated to reflect the County’s

transportation accomplishments and future objectives. A subcommittee of the Schuyler County

Coordinated Human Services Transportation Committee formed to review and update the 2007 Plan.

Subcommittee members consisted of representatives from Schuyler County Transit, the County’s

Mobility Manager, The Arc of Schuyler, and the Community Development Educator from Cornell

Cooperative Extension. It was agreed that a draft update of the Plan would be presented to the Schuyler

County Coordinated Human Services Transportation Committee and for its review and approval. The

final plan would be approved by Schuyler County and submitted to NYSDOT to assure the plan

addresses requirements of the Federal SAFETEA-LU mandate.

In 2014, it was determined that since the Federal SAFETEA-LU mandate was expired and replaced with

the new transportation law, MAP-21, the plan should again be revised to reflect the changes to

transportation law and policy. MAP-21 consolidated funding streams and changed some requirements.

5316 Job Access Reverse Commute funding was eliminated and its ‘reserved’ funds were consolidated

into the 5311 rural formula funds and 5307 Urban formula funds. 5317 New Freedom has been

eliminated and combined with Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and People with Disabilities, section 5310.

Recipients of 5310 funding which is administered by NYSDOT in rural areas, must certify that projects

selected were included in this Coordinated Transportation Plan. Therefore to allow for flexibility and

changing community transportation needs, The Public Transit, Human Services Coordinated

Transportation Meeting Committee minutes will be included as an Appendix to this plan.

Strategies, Activities and or projects to address unmet needs or services: Coordination Issues and

Opportunities Identified:

1. Fixed Route Service: As of August 2010, public transit services are limited to fixed routes

connecting the villages of Watkins Glen, Montour Falls, Burdett and Odessa, and a limited

schedule Dial-a-Ride service for outlying area rural residents. The coordination of public

transit services with the human service agencies serving County residents is at a starting

point. Coordination efforts on transportation among the human service agencies have

16

commenced. Agencies are continuing to look for ways to achieve efficiencies and cost

savings. The County has stepped up to take a lead role in transportation decisions, although is

also limited in any additional funding it can allocate to meet transportation needs. Additional

services and coordination efforts will have to be economical for the County. Additional cost

sharing partners are needed as new business models are created as a result of the changes in

Department of Health’s change in non-emergency medical transportation.

2. Regional Transportation: A seven county regional transportation study, which includes

Schuyler County, was completed. Results of this study helped identify other possible

regional transportation needs and opportunities. The results of the study made several

recommendations. One of the recommendations was to virtually connect all transportation

resources throughout the seven county area, a focus of making connections and branding a

regional transportation system as well as the development of a Regional Mobility Manager

whose purpose is to champion, drive and facilitate these and other regional projects. In the

spring of 2014, TIGER grant funding, a federal highly competitive funding source was

applied for, but was not awarded. Additional opportunities will be researched as

employment opportunities may exist with the proposed Seneca County casino.

3. Transit Hours of Operation: Although needs have been identified for additional hours and

days, funding continues to be an issue. It is possible that tourists and local needs could be

met with new cost sharing partners.

4. Rural Transportation: Dial-A-Ride services which were created to meet the needs of the rural

population were reduced in August of 2014. This was a direct result of the removal of Non-

emergency medical transportation from local Department of Social Services and it had a

drastic impact on many transit systems across rural, Upstate NY. Schuyler was no exception

and it was only through additional cooperation and partnerships that transit continues to exist

within Schuyler County. Although the partnership with The Arc of Schuyler and the opening

of some of its previously user exclusive transportation to the public helped to decrease the

transit deficit caused by Department of Health, additional partners and a new cost-sharing

mix must be developed for the system to be sustainable. This partnership did address some

rural needs as the routes created were rural connections within the eastern part of the county.

5. Hospital Affiliations: Although additional transportation projects have been identified, the

group seeks to involve other human service providers in Schuyler County that may provide

client transportation but are not currently involved in the County’s transportation

coordination activities. This may include but not be limited to the Seneca View Skilled

Nursing Facility, Schuyler Hospital, and The Falls Home.

6. Human Service Transportation Coordination Opportunities: It should be noted that active

participation in coordination efforts by The Arc of Schuyler and County Department of Social

Services has been critical to increasing coordination and improving and increasing

transportation services. Additional opportunities for cost sharing between human services

agencies and the public transit system should be pursued where feasible.

7. School Transportation: The Head Start Program Director has ceased direct operation of

transportation services and is now purchasing services from a private carrier and the Watkins

Glen Central School District. Regulatory restrictions on the transport of children to/from

educational settings creates additional challenges to coordination efforts. Coordination efforts

continue to address summer programs and student work programs as well as after school

activities.

8. Tourist Transportation: Activities to address tourist transportation may be involvement in the

Chamber’s Tourist subcommittee. Currently the Arc of Schuyler’s Director of Public

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Relations participates in this committee. As potential projects are identified, they will be

addressed with the Coordinated Committee Meeting minutes.

9. “One Stop” Transportation Information Center: The Veteran’s grant will be used to help the

County’s mobility management program work more efficiently. An improved software

infrastructure could benefit all residents seeking information and referral in the future. The

coordination of transportation will help identify other potential partners as well as areas for

additional coordinated services. Future projects to include data collection identifying if

funding for additional hours and services are needed. These will be identified through

Coordinated Committee meeting minutes. More education and outreach regarding

transportation options is needed to reach those in need who are unfamiliar with what their

transportation choices are. Agencies can work together to identify creative solutions that

would expand available services and educate their respective publics on how to use services

available.

10. Veteran Transportation: Funding for continued outreach to the Veteran population is needed

as well as financial support for the development of a Rideshare program to assist Veterans in

getting to their group appointments at the Bath, VA. The Tri-County Mobility Managers of

Schuyler-Chemung and Steuben counties continue to meet with the Mobility Manager from

the Bath, VAMC and other representatives of the VA to address this need.

11. Coordination Software: This software has proven very valuable in the coordination of rides

and additional opportunities to maximize its usage will be researched. It should be noted that

the use of tablets would increase the efficiency of the software. As future funding

opportunities are presented, tablets for transit service should be considered. Funding to

increase the software’s capacity is needed.

12. Regional Medical Center Transportation: Projects have yet to be identified for this unmet

need, but through Mobility Management efforts, collaborative projects will be investigated.

The Mobility Manager’s role in this endeavor is critical as the Mobility Manager champions

many regional efforts and provides the persistent coordination pieces necessary for

successful project management and completion.

13. Volunteer Recruitment: Although the need has been identified, additional funding has not yet

been identified to assist with these efforts. As specific funding and projects are identified, it

will be added to the Coordinated Transportation Committee meeting minutes.

14. Ithaca Transportation: The employment piece of this need seems best provided by the

existing vanpools administered through TCAT. The Medical needs and recreational trips

may be investigated as funding is available. Specific projects to be identified through the

Coordinated Transportation Committee.

15. Employment Transportation and Partnerships: Local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBS)

have information regarding employment-related transportation issues in their community. They

have regional labor market information; local workforce and business trends, including business

closings, openings, and expansions; worker mobility gaps, such as challenges experienced by

persons with disabilities and those earning low wages; business-identified transportation needs;

and locations of training sites for new and dislocated workers, along with needed transportation

connections. They are in a strategic position to identify cross-jurisdiction commuting patterns

and suggest options for creative transportation solutions. They can also assist in finding regional

partners for various projects as well as provide in-kind support for Federal transportation grants

by facilitating planning efforts on specific projects. Many also have “navigators” for regional

One-Stop Career Centers that could expand capacity to provide transportation linkages for their

customers. The opening of a new casino in Seneca County offers new employment opportunities

for Schuyler County and a transit related route should be considered.

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16. Delivery of Medicaid Services: NYS is reforming the delivery of Medicaid services. DSRIP

(Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program) grants were awarded in 2014 to hospital

based networks of community providers for the purpose of reducing hospital admissions and

readmissions. This requires a more coordinated effort arranging primary care and community

based providers including the need for coordinated transportation services.

VI. Priorities for Implementation

The County has taken an active role in making decisions involving potential increases in public transit

services in conjunction with better coordination of human service agency transportation. The County’s

involvement is necessary due to the nature of public transit funding and human service agency funding

of transportation provided by County agencies (e.g.; Department of Social Services). As noted in the

Partnerships section above, the County through its Legislature and County Administrator acts on

implementation decisions.

The following needs identified in the 2007 Needs Assessment Study have been addressed:

Implement new flexibly scheduled small bus services linking the rural townships of Schuyler

County with destinations and regional transit services available in Watkins Glen and Montour

Falls.

Discontinuation of funding of the Cornell University commuter services due to low ridership and

cost of local share subsidy.

Priority identified in the 2007 Study that need further consideration:

Expand and improve regional transit connectivity between Schuyler, Chemung and Steuben

County

The Plan update identified other priority transportation needs:

As resources are identified, Park and Ride sites would address both future regional transit

connectivity and/or seasonal in town tourist focused transportation routes.

Outreach to and better coordination of transportation services for Veterans and their families for

purposes of access to medical appointments, facilities in the community to enhance community

living alternatives, and for employment.

As new business models are developed due to the changes from the Department of Health non-

emergency medical transportation, research into regional transportation options for access to

specialty/ regional medical centers located in surrounding cities should be considered a priority.

This service should be designed to serve the non-Medicaid as well as the Medicaid populations.

Further study and identification of coordination possibilities with area hospital and skilled

nursing facilities. The Schuyler County Office for the Aging, Seneca View Skilled Nursing

Facility, Schuyler Hospital and The Falls Home as well as the needs of dialysis patients should

be considered for coordinated transportation.

Expanded service, hours and days of transit will require pursuit of cost sharing arrangements

with public transit and area agencies for the purpose of expanding client and public transit

services.

Procurement of replacement busses for The Arc of Schuyler through the 5310 program, using the

available services to supplement/supplant other human services transportation being provided.

As the release of the 5310 applications has been slow, The Arc has had to spend additional funds

19

to maintain an aging fleet and has decided to make some non-grant purchased vehicles in order

to maintain a safe, reliable fleet. Although the additional 5310 vehicles will needed.

Expand the Dial-a-Ride service or seek affordable solutions to the rural transportation needs.

The Arc of Schuyler has requested a waiver from Department of Transportation to utilize

smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles for the use of Dial-A-Ride or other services, primarily in

rural areas that would it would make sense to utilize smaller vehicles. It is understood that any

size vehicle may be purchased through federal 5310 applications.

Open The Arc of Schuyler bus runs to the public, where feasible. – 2014 several bus routes were

opened to the public, including a regional route to Corning.

Procurement of reservation software to be used to coordinate multiple operators to move closer

to a One Stop/One Click Transportation Call Center – 2014 RouteMatch Software was purchased

and in July, 2014 the Transportation Call Center and Mobility Management Program began

accepting calls for multiple agencies and coordinating rides for multiple services.

Develop a pilot program to meet rural resident needs and explore a Ride Share program for

employment. -2014 Mobility Management Services are shared with Chemung County and the

Mobility Manager is promoting the use of a new pilot program, SouthernTierRideshare.com

developed and operated through NYDOT 5-1-1- system. This system will also be accessible to

Schuyler residents.

Continue to involve the Local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) for purposes of information

sharing and to assist with planning regarding projects designed to address employment-related

transportation issues regionally and in their community.

Implement increased mobility services including travel training for seniors and people with

disabilities for employment, medical and other trips.

Introduce the benefits of public transit within the school systems.

Consider possible public transit outreach efforts to assist the local tourist industry. This might

include developing an affordable, seasonal transportation service geared toward meeting the

growing, unmet tourist transportation needs. There are more detailed specific recommendations

for service changes and expansions provided in the 2007 Schuyler County Needs Assessment

Final Report that will not be repeated here related to this area.

Participation in the seven county regional transportation study should occur to provide input and

help identify regional needs and opportunities - This study concluded in 2013, but a regional

group, led in part by Mobility Managers, continues to work toward finding regional solutions to

unmet transportation needs.

Opportunities to partner with Performing Provider Services (PPS’s) that are forming regionally

throughout NY to better coordinate a community based health system through Medicaid

Redesign Efforts.

Continued funding for the Mobility Manager, Mobility Management Coordinator and Mobility

Management program to facilitate and continue the work of all of the above priorities.

Critical to the success of these planning efforts, the 2007 Schuyler County Needs Assessment report, the

2011 Plan update and this 2014 updated Plan recommend the Schuyler County Coordinated Human

Services Transportation Committee continue to meet and include at least the following seven members:

the County Department of Health Services, the County Department of Social Services, the County

Office for Aging, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, The Arc of Schuyler, Head Start, the Veterans

Service Agency and a consumer representative. Mobility Management facilitates this group and acts as

the liaison between many of the individual group needs. Mobility Management is a critical link between

planning, facilitating and completing the coordination of transportation services.

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VII. Achievable Benefits

The potential achievable benefits include, but are not limited to:

Meeting some of the transportation needs for the general population in the County through a

fixed route system.

Increased regional services made possible through cost sharing arrangements between the public

transit system and area agencies and with additional State Transportation Operational Assistance.

Increase public Dial a Ride services to the more rural areas in the County to serve more residents

within a larger area.

Increased services, while limiting County funding increases, by leveraging Federal and State

funding resources.

Through vehicle-coordinated use, service increases can occur with limited need for increasing

vehicles, resulting in savings for human service agencies.

A seasonal service could encourage tourism and increase economic activity, while limiting

overall traffic congestion in downtown Watkins Glen.

Establishment of a regional transit service, with branding and marketing of a public identity with

central communications and dispatching can increase ridership and decrease unmet

transportation needs.

Software to make operation of a One Stop/One Click Transportation Call Center more efficient

and allow more residents and agencies to make use of a coordinated transportation system.

Attachments:

Appendix A- Human Service Agency Client Transportation Revenue Vehicle Inventory

Appendix B - 2015 Coordinated Transportation Meeting Minutes

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APPENDIX A

2014 Human Service Agency Client Transportation Revenue Vehicle Inventory

Agency Operator

Model

Year Vehicle Type

Seating

Capacity

Estimated

Odometer

Miles

Vehicle

Condition

Lift/Ramp

Equipped

Grant

Funded

Arc of Schuyler 2008 Bus 18 89000 Fair Yes Yes

2008 Bus 18 125000 Fair Yes Yes

2009 Bus 18 76000 Good Yes Yes

2009 Bus 18 84000 Good Yes Yes

2005 Bus 18 105000 Fair Yes Yes

2011 Bus 18 25000 Good Yes Yes

2007 Bus 18 96000 Good Yes Yes

2010 Transit Bus 18 92000 Good Yes Yes

2010 Transit Bus 18 85000 Fair Yes Yes

2010 Transit Bus 18 103000 Fair Yes Yes

2013 Transit Bus 18 18000 Good Yes Yes

2013 Transit Bus 18 19000 Good Yes Yes

2010 Mini-Van 6 Good No No

2010 Mini-Van 6 Good No No

2010 Mini-Van 6 Good No No

2006 Mini-Van 6 Fair No No

Department of Social

Services 5 vehicles for Adult/Child Services only

Head Start 2013 Van 7 5000 excellent no yes

2004 Van 7 50,000 good no yes

Office for the Aging 2006 Ford Passenger Van 11 125,500 Good No Yes

2008 Dodge SUV 7 90,000 Excellent No Yes

2009 Dodge Passenger Van 6 36,000 Excellent No Yes

Rainbow Chasers 2005 Dodge 7 Fair No

through

OMH

2005 Ford 12 Fair No

through

OMH

RSVP N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Schuyler County

Mental Health 2002 Chrysler Voyager 6 No No

2004

Chrysler Town and

Country 4 No No

2005 Chrysler Van 6 No No

2008 Ford Taurus 4 No No

Veterans Service

Agency N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A