2024 Paratransit (Transportation for Older Adults and People with Disabilities) Discretionary Grant Program Application
Updated: 12/11/2023
A.Summary Information
Agency/Organization Name City of Emeryville
Amount of Funding Requested $1,167,779.19
Program/Project Name Micro Transit Expanded Transportation Program Contact Name Kim Burrowes
Title/Position Recreation Manager
Email [email protected]
Phone 510-596-4308
Additional Contact(s) (name, email) Rebecca Sermeno; [email protected] Address 1333 Park Ave., Emeryville, CA 94608
Website www.ci.emeryville.ca.us
B. General Information
Note that programs/projects that implement a non-traditional trip-provision model and/or that are multijurisdictional in scope (e.g. countywide, cross-planning area, or multi-city) will be prioritized in evaluating applications.
Program/Project Information
1. Lead/Implementing Agency: City of Emeryville Community Services Department
2. Program/Project Name: Micro Transit Expanded Transportation Program
3. Program/Project Category
☐ Door-through-Door/Volunteer Driver Program
☐ Mobility Management/One-Call/One-Click program
☐ Travel Training Service/Trip Planning Assistance
☐ Specialized Accessible Van Service
☐ Group Trips
☒ Same-Day Transportation
☒ Accessible Shuttle
☐ Means-Based Fare Program
☐ Meal Delivery Program
☐ Capital Expenditures
☐ Other:
4. Brief Program/Project Description (2-3 sentences) Expand transportation services to various locations outside of Emeryville (through parts of Alameda County and parts of Contra Costa County). This provides community members the ability to seek specialized medical care practitioners outside the major hospital and medical facilities near Emeryville and provides recreational locations outside the current transportation boundaries, including but not limited to choices in grocery shopping, bulk shopping stores (Costco, Walmart, etc.), mall shopping, farmers markets and regional parks. Additionally, the program provides specialized job training and employment opportunities for members of the community.
5. Provide an expanded program/project description/detailed scope. Include all program/project components and, as applicable, detail the specific limits, length, quantity, etc. of each.
Please provide an attachment to the application (2 pages maximum).
See Attachment #1
6. Has your agency/organization applied for Alameda CTC funding before? ☒ Yes
☐ No
7. Has your agency/organization received Alameda CTC funding before? ☒ Yes
☐ No
Program/Project Location
8. General Program/Project Location
Please highlight the general program/project location in a map and provide the document as an attachment to the application.
See Attachment #2
Schedule and locations subject to change based on the needs of the ridership. 1 Richmond Costco (CoCo county)
2 Richmond Walmart/Hilltop Mall (CoCo county)
3 Downtown Walnut Creek (CoCo county)
4 Bayfair Center
5 Monterey Market
6 Berkeley Bowl
7 Jack London Farmers Market
8 Sprouts Albany/Oakland
9 Whole Foods Oakland/Berkeley
10 East Bay Regional Parks, including Tilden, UC Berkeley Botanic Gardens, Temescal Regional Recreation Area, Wildcat Canyon, Lake Chabot, Lafayette Reservoir, and Joaquin Miller
9. Area of Alameda County (select all that apply a-d, if not Countywide) ☒ North: Cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Albany, Piedmont, and Emeryville ☒ Central: Cities of Hayward and San Leandro, and unincorporated areas including Castro Valley, Ashland, Cherryland and San Lorenzo
☐ South: Cities of Fremont, Newark and Union City
☐ East: Cities of Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton, and unincorporated areas including Sunol ☒ Countywide: Covers North, Central, South, and East County areas C.Need/Benefits/Readiness
Need and Benefits: Existing Conditions and Program/Project Benefits
10. Describe the need for the program/project and the program/project benefits, including how the program/project addresses the identified need, closes gaps in existing services, or otherwise improves the transportation system, network, or services. If applicable, please indicate if the program/project is identified in relevant countywide or regional plans or assessments such as the Alameda Countywide Transportation Plan, the Assessment of Mobility Needs of People with Disabilities and Seniors in Alameda County (Alameda County Needs Assessment), the MTC Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan (Coordinated Plan), Community Based Transportation Plans (CBTPs), or the Countywide Area Plan for Older Adults.
Include data to support/document existing conditions that will be improved/addressed by the program/project.
See attachment #3
Coordination
11. Describe how the proposed program/project coordinates with local jurisdictions, transit agencies, and non-profit organizations serving older adults and people with disabilities. Explain how the proposed program/project complements and does not duplicate existing services.
Non-profit/community-based organizations are required to provide a letter(s) of support from a local agency and/or transit provider to confirm service coordination and program/project support. Please include letter(s) as an attachment to the application.
See attachment #4
12. List any partners (agencies, non-profits, etc.) that will be providing direct service for this program/project. Please include as an attachment to the application.
Attachments: (1) Provide a list of partners, the primary role, contact name, phone number and email, and (2) provide a letter from each partner that acknowledges their roles and responsibilities for this program, including any financial commitment.
See attachment #5
Readiness: Applicant Experience and Qualifications
13. Is the proposed program/project ready to be implemented? What, if any, major issues need to be resolved prior to implementation? When and how are these issues anticipated to be resolved? The program will be ready to implement once a Full-Time staff person is hired for transportation and administration of the program. Additionally, part-time bus drivers will need to be hired, trained, and licensed. The training and licensure of part-time driving staff will need to be allocated within the program, as the training and licensure necessary creates the most significant obstacle to recruiting staff. This is an additional benefit to the proposed program, as it lessens employment barriers by creating access to skilled job training and employment opportunities for interested and qualified individuals with good driving records. Vehicle for transport is already in possession.
14. Explain how the program/project could be sustained and maintained beyond this grant period.
Describe funding that has been committed to the program/project already and/or future funding that could be pursued to continue the program/project beyond the grant period.
Staff will look to the future considering budget revisions, other potential partnerships that are developed through this program, and other grant opportunities.
15. Describe and provide evidence of your organization’s ability to provide/manage the proposed program/project. Identify number of years, type of previous experience in providing/coordinating transportation for older adults and people with disabilities.
Describe key personnel assigned to this program/project including their title, hours, responsibilities in the program/project, and relationships/contacts with the communities to be served.
The current staff have been managing an A-CTC grant funded by Measure B/BB which has funded programs/projects for the City of Emeryville for the past 10+ years. Programs include paratransit shuttle services, subsidized fares and reimbursement programs, capital purchase, and group trips.
Demand and Implementation
16. Describe the estimated level of demand for the program/project through demonstration of community support, ridership trends, etc. Provide an estimate of the number of service units that will be provided (i.e. persons trained, one-way trips, etc.). Illustrate that the planned level of service is realistic and relevant to the community. Provide an explanation of your methodology in estimating demand.
Letters of support or documentation of outreach to local committees/commissions, surveys, etc. may be provided as attachments to the application. This should be consistent with the measures included in Section F: Performance Measures and Targets.
The senior center in Emeryville has received requests from current members that would become established ridership if the program is made available. The proposed schedule and routes are created from these requests and ideas. Planned community town halls are a part of the outreach and implementation strategy, as well as seeking feedback from ridership once established to make the most utilized plans. The relevant public committees in the city, such as the Commission on Aging and other committees such as Transportation and Parks and Recreation, have also been informed and participant residents have shared ideas that contributed to the proposal, and seeking continued feedback from the committees will be a part of the engagement strategy of the program.
See attachments #6 & #7
17. Did a local paratransit advisory committee or governing body review and/or approve the proposed program/project? Please provide the name of the committee and the date of the meeting.
☐ Yes
☒ No - Commission on Aging did not meet in January.
18. For new or expanded programs/projects, explain the phasing/steps to implement each component of the new program/project and the timing of each.
This should be consistent with the schedule included in Section E: Milestone Schedule.
Step 1: Hire a Full-Time staff member to develop, administer and manage the program.
Hire Part-Time bus drivers to ensure coverage of all routes daily.
Step 2: Train FT and PT staff members.
Step 3: Identify routes and schedules.
Step 4: Community engagement and outreach strategy.
Step 5: Program Implementation.
Technology and Innovation
19. Describe any innovative, emerging technology or non-traditional elements integrated into the program/project.
The city of Emeryville is planning to research and find an app program that will assist and streamline booking reservations on a fixed route day. Additionally, a combination of phone, email, and app-based programs will allow the broadest access to the program, no matter community member capabilities. Additionally, integrating the city’s accessible website with the social media platform to include cross-posting of reservation/booking options that include captioning and text-to-speech descriptions to enhance program visibility and accessibility.
Equity
20. Please provide any demographic data available for your proposed service area and/or population. For example, you could use existing intake data, survey data, or American Community Survey data to provide information on the population you plan to serve and their demographic makeup (e.g., people with disabilities, older adults, communities of color, and lowincome communities).
See Attachment #8
21. Please describe how your program/project will conduct outreach/engagement in a way to attract and serve a population that matches the overall demographic profile of the intended population, and how your program/project will measure success in this area. These efforts should be reflected in your performance measures and targets in Section F: Performance Measures and Targets.
The program will engage with priority communities by conducting outreach that includes community town halls to create rider-generated schedules and routes and will also serve as program marketing. The program outreach will also include informational flyers posted in-person at senior centers, senior housing, and community partners, as well as in the existing fixed route shuttle buses that connect the residents in Emeryville with bioscience campuses, the shopping district and MacArthur BART station. Additionally, the marketing materials will be placed digitally on the city’s website and social media pages with captions and text-to-speech descriptions for members of the community with disabilities. The full-time staff will also coordinate sending the outreach flyer to the City’s e-mailing list. The city’s relevant public committees will also be notified of the service and outreach opportunities. These methods will match with the intended demographic profile of our priority communities because the methods are designed for the intended population to engage with, meaning the methods will be going directly to the priority
communities of seniors and people with disabilities living in low opportunity/low-income circumstances.
D.Cost and Funding Sources
Project Sponsor must define and itemize each direct cost for the proposed program/project in the provided detailed budget template (separate Excel file titled “2024_PDGP_Budget_Template”). This includes an itemization of direct staff personnel working on the project/program, and other direct costs that may include contracts, publications, materials, equipment purchases, incentives, etc. Alameda CTC will review the detailed budget and may deem some costs ineligible and require removing the items from the proposed budget before making a funding award.
Please provide any additional information regarding program/project cost and funding sources, including ability to meet minimum matching requirements based on program/project type.
E. Milestone Schedule
Applicants can add or remove rows in the table as needed.
No. Key Task or Milestone Date of Completion
1 Hire FT/PT Staff members to administer program 10/1/2024 2 Community Outreach 12/1/2024
3 Establish service routes and program specifics 12/1/2024 4 Implement Program 1/1/2025
5 Submit Program/Project Final Invoice and Closeout 9/30/2029 F. Performance Measures and Targets
Please refer to the most recent Implementation Guidelines and Performance Measures – Special Transportation for Older Adults and People with Disabilities (Paratransit) Program for required and suggested performance measures by service type: https://www.alamedactc.org/programsprojects/senior-disabled-transport. Additionally, please list performance measures based on 6-month reporting periods i.e. Jul-Dec 2024, Jan-Jun 2025, etc. and include numeric benchmarks whenever possible. Applicants can add or remove rows in the table as needed.
No. Measure/Target Date of Completion
1 Hire Staff, Outreach, Strategic Planning Jul-Dec 2024 2 Program Implementation Jan-Jun 2025
3 Six Month Assessment Jul-Dec 2025
4 Six Month Assessment Jan-Jun 2026
5 Six Month Assessment Jul-Dec 2026
6 Six Month Assessment Jan-Jun 2027
7 Six Month Assessment Jul-Dec 2027
8 Six Month Assessment Jan-Jun 2028
9 Six Month Assessment Jun-Dec 2028
10 Continuation of Micro Transit Program Assessment Jan-Dec 2029 G.Attachments
Please include the following documents as part of the application.
1. Program/Project Scope: Include all program/project components and, as applicable, detail the specific limits, length, quantity, etc. of each. Two (2) pages maximum. (Section B, Question 5)
2. Limits/Location Map: Highlight program/project limits, existing and proposed facilities, transit routes, etc. (Section B, Question 8)
3. Need/Benefit Document(s): Document(s) that demonstrate the need for the program/project or demonstrate the benefit. (Section C, Question 10)
4. Letter(s) of Support: Non-profit organizations are required to provide a letter(s) of support from a local agency and/or transit provider to confirm service coordination and program/project support) (Section C, Question 11)
5. List of partners: Include the primary role, contact name, phone number and email (Section C, Question 12)
6. Partner Agency Letter(s): Letter from each partner agency that acknowledges its roles and responsibilities for the program/project, including any financial commitment (Section C, Question 12)
7. Detailed Budget: See Excel template (Section D)
8. Additional Information (if necessary)
Alameda-CTC Discretionary Grant Program
City of Emeryville
Program/Project Description
Introduction
Emeryville residents with mobility considerations need access to increased route service that is more direct and specialized to enhance their quality of life by giving them flexible options to reach their specialized health care providers, quality of life destinations and recreational needs, while increasing socialization. Preliminary conversations with impacted residents have shaped this program’s initial plans.
Outreach
As part of the outreach strategy for the program, the city will host two community town halls to broaden priority resident input prior to implementation. Additionally, the informational flyers with the schedule, reservation phone number and email will solicit resident feedback requests to collect ongoing and emergent feedback throughout program implementation. The relevant public committees, specifically the commission on aging in Emeryville, the Transportation committee, and parks and recreation committee will also be informed of the program’s progress and implementation to solicit feedback.
The program will place physical marketing materials in the priority communities, such as highly populated senior residences and senior centers in Emeryville and St. Mary’s Center, and within the current fixed route shuttle buses that connect the residents in Emeryville with bioscience campuses, the shopping district and MacArthur BART station. Additionally, the marketing materials will be placed digitally on the city’s website and social media pages with captions and text-to-speech descriptions for members of the community with disabilities. The full-time staff position will be tasked with the outreach and maintenance of these methods, including coordination with community events to broaden physical outreach methods.
Staffing & Costs
Hiring FT position (1) to manage, promote, and coordinate all transportation operations for Emeryville residents.
PT Bus Drivers (2) - Trained and with Certification B License Charging station costs
Overhead maintenance costs of EV Buses
The city of Emeryville will be participating in a pilot program for a mobile recreation booking and reservation app, and will, if possible, integrate this technology into the reservation booking and ondemand service request component of the program, as well as having a 24-hour phone line with voicemail, a dedicated email and website for residents to make reservations to book a seat on fixed destination days and make on-demand service requests.
The Program – Enhanced Transportation
Each bus has a 15-seat capacity with room for 2 wheelchair/power scooters, and the reservation schedule will reflect how many seats are available for each fixed route schedule and on-demand service day. For certain shopping destinations, rider capacity will have to be adjusted to account for purchased belongings, especially to bulk stores such as Costco, Walmart or Monterey Market; possibly reduced to a 10-seat capacity for each scheduled trip in a day. Priority for booking seats will be given to Emeryville residents with mobility impairments and disabilities, St. Mary’s Center residents and members, Avalon Senior Housing residents, and Emeryville Senior Center members.
A calendar schedule will be made available on a monthly basis, physically and digitally, and will be integrated with an accessible app, the city’s website/dedicated website that will cross post on social media pages to enhance accessibility.
Pick up locations are to be scheduled at highly populated residential senior living communities, such as Avalon Senior Housing, St. Mary’s Center, Watergate Community, and Emeryville Senior Center. The fulltime staff will make sure to coordinate the scheduled pick-up times with the local free transportation shuttle (Emery-go-round) for people who will need to connect with the scheduled pick-up/drop-off locations, if not able to utilize direct pick-up and drop-offs.
The proposed schedule and destination locations are subject to change based on the needs of the ridership.
The proposed plan includes: 3 days a week of fixed-destination shopping routes, with timed pick-up and drop offs in targeted locations of high-use communities which run twice daily round-trip service; 2 days a week for on-demand service to specialty health-care providers and other to-be-determined services from resident input; and alternating weekend service to local and regional parks, community events and weekend farmers markets. Potential destinations could include:
1 Richmond Costco
2 Richmond Walmart/Hilltop Mall
3 Downtown Walnut Creek
4 Bayfair Center
5 Monterey Market/Berkeley Bowl
6 Jack London Farmers Market
7 Sprouts Albany/Oakland
8 Whole Foods Oakland/Berkeley
9 East Bay Regional Parks
List of potential pick-up locations in Emeryville could include:
Avalon Senior Community
St. Mary’s Center
Watergate Community
the Emery/Public market residences
Huichin Park residences
Hollis street residences
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 10
8 9
10 10
3. Needs/Benefits/Readiness – Section C, Question 10
Emeryville has the largest proportion of residents 65 and older living alone of any City in Alameda County – a statistic that Healthy Alameda County says is key because “People over age 65 who live alone may be at risk for social isolation, limited access to support, or inadequate assistance in emergency situations. Older people living alone may lack social support and are at high risk for institutionalization or losing their independent lifestyle. Living alone should not be equated with being lonely or isolated, but many older people who live alone are vulnerable due to social isolation, poverty, disabilities, lack of access to care, or inadequate housing.”
https://www.healthyalamedacounty.org/indicators/index/view?indicatorId=342&localeI d=132162
These services, which offer increased mobility and social engagement for seniors and provide increased safety for all roadway users including cyclists and pedestrians, align with the City’s adopted Active Transportation Plan and Sustainable Transportation Plan — and with the City’s BPAC and Transportation Committee goals. The program addresses a key population often not served by County investment in multimodal improvements.
There are currently no direct-route, paratransit services that connect Emeryville residents to specialized services beyond transportation hubs and area hospitals outside of Emeryville’s direct borders. East Bay paratransit is not a free service, nor does it provide direct service to specific destinations from centralized pick-ups/drop offs; for this reason, it is not a convenient or timely method of transportation, like other methods of public transportation. Creating a service that includes both scheduled routes with fixed stops, as well as on-demand shuttle days, will improve and augment existing services and community quality of life, which closes gaps in existing services by providing access to areas that are currently left out of current service options, take an extended amount of time to reach and thus negatively impact the quality of life for people in our community with mobility limitations.
When considering community members who are mobility-impaired, making multiple transfers to reach a destination, with the same trip to return home burdened with necessary items can be an insurmountable obstacle. The additional time discrepancy between regional transit services and bus lines to make transit connections, and the inevitability of buses running off-schedule due to traffic and other delays make certain trips inaccessible in a practical and logistical sense for many people with a wheelchair, walker, or another mobility aid, where waiting on the side of the road is an additional safety barrier and has a negative impact on quality of life. For certain destinations, there are no public transportation options that reach the specific locations, which would necessitate walking an additional mile, or more, round trip from public transit connections, and is both practically and logistically impossible for people with mobility limitations. The burden of cost is increased for community members, who, for the above reasons, must call paid ride shares or taxis to reach distant or specialized locations and needs.
Providing no-cost direct connections for members of our community with mobility limitations to seek specialized medical care, grocery choice, expanded options in shopping and enriching experiences enhances the quality of life in our community. It eliminates stress and worry, time lost in indirect transit with transfers, financial constraints, and barriers to care. More direct transportation, and support from drivers, is needed for people in our community with mobility limitations to access necessary services and experiences to enhance quality of life.
Examples of trip destinations requested by community members with mobility limitations, utilizing available public transit options and ride share estimates. ● from St. Mary’s Center at 925 Brockhurst St. Oakland, CA 94608 to ○ Bayfair Center in San Leandro: an estimated 50 minutes 1 way, utilizing two transit services and a .5-mile walk. An approximately 20-minute drive one way, for an estimated round-trip ride share cost of $60.
○ Hilltop Mall/Nearest Walmart in Richmond: an estimated 1 hour and 10 minutes one way, utilizing two bus lines with one transfer. This is an approximately 25- minute drive one way, with an estimated round-trip ride share cost of $60. ○ Costco in Richmond; an estimated 52 minutes one way, utilizing one bus and a .9 mile walk one way. This is an approximately 15 minutes’ drive one way. The cost of ride sharing transportation round trip for this destination is an estimated $40. ○ Joaquin Miller Regional Park: an estimated 1 hour and 22 minutes, utilizing two transit services, 3 buses, 2 transfers and a .7-mile walk. This is an approximately 20- minute drive one way, for an estimated round-trip ride share total cost of $50. ● from Avalon Senior Apartments at 3850 San Pablo Avenue, Emeryville, CA 94608 to ○ Central business district in downtown Walnut Creek: an estimated 1 hour and 5 minutes one way, utilizing three public transit services with two transfers and an additional .5-mile walk. An estimated ride share would be 25 minutes one way with an estimated total round-trip ride share cost of $70. ○ Monterey Market in Berkeley; an estimated 4o minutes one way, 2 transit lines, 1 transfer and a .5-mile walk. This is an estimated 15-minute direct drive one way for a round trip ride share cost of $30.
○ Tilden Regional Park; an estimated 1 hour and 38 minutes one way, utilizing two service lines, one transfer and a .5-mile walk. An approximately 15-minute drive one way, for an estimated round-trip ride share total cost of $43. ● from Watergate Residences at 4 Captain Dr, Emeryville, CA 94608 to the:
○ Jack London Square Farmers Market: an estimated 45 minutes one way, include two public transit services, one transfer and a .7 mile walk, under a freeway overpass, one way OR three transfers and a brief walk. This is an approximately 11-minute drive one way, with the approximate round trip cost of ride sharing $36. ○ UC Botanical Garden: an estimated 1 hour and 35 minutes one way, two transit services, 1 transfer and a mile walk. This is an estimated 25-minute drive one way for an approximate round trip ride share cost of $40.
5. Partner Contact Information:
Commission on Aging, City of Emeryville –
Vice Chair Ellen Strauss – [email protected], 510-295-7008 City of Oakland Human Services Department –
Hakeim McGee, Senior Services Supervisor – [email protected], 510-238-2311 See attached.
Attachment #8
Emeryville Population by Age
Emeryville 2021 12-Month Income
Income Band # Households % Household
Less than 24,999 981 13.5%
25,000-49,999 900 12.4%
50,000-74,999 828 11.4%
75,000-99,999 611 8.4%
100,000-149,999 1,380 19.0%
150,000-199,999 785 10.8%
200,000 or More 1,771 24.4%
Median Household Income $109,960
2 Source: American Community Survey 2021 5-Yr Survey (S1901)