Agenda #: 5.6
Meeting Date: June 18, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Daniel Fox, City Manager
TITLE: EIGHTH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSULTANT SERVICES
AGREEMENT WITH OPCO TRANSIT, INC. FOR SENIOR AND
DISABLED TRANSPORTATION SERVICES THROUGH JUNE 30,
2025.
STRATEGIC
GOAL: Safe, Sustainable & Healthy Community
RECOMMENDATION:
A. Approve, and authorize the City Manager to sign, the Eighth Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement with OpCo Transit, Inc. for senior transportation services through June 30, 2025; and
B. Approve updates to the Diamond Ride Program Rules.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Sufficient funds are included in the FY 2024-2025 Budget to cover the cost of such services in the amount of $350,000, which is funded exclusively through Proposition A Local Return Funds.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s Diamond Ride (or "dial-a-cab") program, established in April 1995, provides supplemental transportation for residents aged 60 and older ("seniors") and disabled adults aged 18 and older. Over the years, the program has undergone various modifications to enhance service quality and ensure fiscal sustainability, with the most recent changes implemented in December 2014. The most recent contract service provider, Network Paratransit Systems Inc., underwent a name change to OpCo Transit, Inc. in March 2024.
Currently, the Diamond Ride program serves approximately 3,000 active cardholders and facilitates over 9,000 trips annually. Operating daily from 7 am to 8 pm, the program allows riders to use 30 one-way trips or 15 round trips per month. The City’s existing service boundaries include:
• City Service Area 1: Fare $0.50 one-way - within Diamond Bar city limits • Medical Facilities Service Area 2: Fare $1.50 one-way. Trips to medical facilities within an approximately 5-mile radius beyond city limits bounded by the San Bernardino Freeway (10) to the north, Ramona Avenue/Mills Avenue to the east, Imperial Highway/Carbon Canyon Road to the south, and Azusa Avenue to the west. This service area extends coverage for trips to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center and St. Jude Hospital/Medical Center in Fullerton. • Conversion Trips - Trips that extend beyond Service Areas Number 1 and Number 2 are treated as conversion trips, where riders pay a standard per mile rate of $3.15 after the cab leaves the designated boundaries.
ANALYSIS:
To ensure a thorough review and evaluation of the existing Diamond Ride Program, it is necessary to extend the current contract with the service provider OpCo Transit, Inc. (OpCo) by one (1) year, through June 30, 2025. This extension will provide the City with sufficient time to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the program, including a detailed analysis of service delivery, user needs, and financial sustainability.
Maintaining continuity of service during this evaluation period is crucial to prevent any disruption for the approximately 3,000 active cardholders who rely on the Diamond Ride Program for their transportation needs. In the meantime, a few updates are recommended.
Increase of Per Mile Rate
The proposed amendment (Attachment 1) includes an increase to the “Per Mile” rate as outlined in Exhibit “B” of the Eighth Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement.
Due to rising operational costs, OpCo has requested a 3% rate increase adjusting the per mile rate from $3.15 to $3.25 (shown in the below table). All other rates remain unchanged.
Rate Type Current Rate Proposed Rate
Flag Drop Per Trip $3.00 $3.00
Per Mile $3.15 $3.25
Wheelchairs Additional $5.00
per trip
Additional $5.00
per trip
Admin/Vehicle Sanitization $2,500 per month $2,500 per month Updates to Diamond Ride Program Rules (Attachment 2)
Inclusion of Baldwin Park Kaiser in Medical Service Area 2 Including Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center in Medical Service Area 2 addresses a critical need for comprehensive healthcare access. While there are Kaiser Medical Offices in Diamond Bar, many specialty care and surgical services are located at the Baldwin Park facility. By incorporating Baldwin Park Kaiser in Medical Service Area 2, the City ensures that residents can conveniently access the full spectrum of medical care they require without the additional financial burden of conversion fares.
The proposed services boundaries include:
• Service Area 1: Fare $0.50 one-way - Trips to/from any destination within Diamond Bar city limits.
• Service Area 2: Fare $1.50 one-way - Trips to/from approved medical facilities beyond Diamond Bar city limits in the area bound by the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10) to the north, Ramona Ave. to the east, Imperial Hwy./Carbon Canyon Rd./Chino Hills Pkwy. to the south, and Harbor Blvd./Azusa Ave. to the west. Trips to/from the following medical facilities are included in Service Area 2:
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center in Pomona, Providence St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, and Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center in Baldwin Park. Additionally, this includes associated medical facilities located within a half-mile radius of the campuses of these hospitals. • Conversion Trips: Trips that extend beyond Service Area 1 that are nonmedical in nature are treated as conversion trips. Riders will be charged a standard per mile rate of $3.25, in addition to the $0.50 base fare set for Service Area 1, after the Diamond Ride vehicle leaves the designated Service Area boundary. In addition, trips that extend beyond Service Area 2 that are medical in nature are treated as conversion trips. Riders will be charged a standard per mile rate of $3.25, in addition to the $1.50 base fare set for Service Area 2, after the Diamond Ride vehicle leaves the designated Service Area boundary.
Miscellaneous Updates to the Diamond Ride Program Rules Further updates to the Diamond Ride Program Rules aim to simplify and clarify the guidelines for users and are outlined in the attached red-lined version. This commitment to user-friendly programs underscores the City’s dedication to maintaining a supplemental transportation service that supports the independence and well-being of senior and disabled residents.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the amended Agreement as to form.
PREPARED BY:
REVIEWED BY:
Attachments:
1. 5.6.a Eighth Amendment to Consultant Services Agreement with OpCo Transit, Inc.
2. 5.6.b REDLINED - Diamond Ride Program Rules - 06.18.2024