Life Enrichment Committee
September 30, 2025
TO: Jestin D. Johnson
City Administrator
SUBJECT: Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly
and Disabled Program (OPED)
Measure BB Funds For FY 25-26
AGENDA REPORT
FROM: Sofia Navarro
Interim Human Service
Dept. Director
DATE: September 15, 2025
RECOMMENDATION
S
taff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution:
1. Accepting And Appropriating Direct Local Program Distribution Measure BB Funds In The Amount Of $3,197,068 For Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 -2026 From T he A
lameda County Transportation Commission For Oakland Paratransit For The Elderly And Disabled Program To Provide Access To Specialized Transportation S
ervices;
2. Awarding Agreements For Paratransit Services For FY 2025 -2026 In The Amounts Of $850,000 (Five Rivers Transit Solutions, Inc.), $600,000 (Quality Transit, LLC), $350,000 (Bay Area Charters, Inc.), $25,000 (One Access Medical Transportation) And $75,000 (GoGo Technologies, Inc.);
3. Awarding Grant Agreements In The Amount Of $50,000 (City Of Emeryville) For Paratransit Services And $300,000 (Service Opportunity for Seniors) For Meal Delivery Services To Isolated And Dependent Elderly And Disabled Persons; And
4. Authorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Any Additional Direct Local Distribution Funds That May Become Available For FY 2025- 2026 A
nd Amend The Aforementioned Agreements To Increase The Amounts Within T
he Limits Of The Funding
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Oakland is an eligible recipient of Measure BB funds, as such, staff is seeking City Council approval to receive and administer revenue from the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) in the amount of $3,197,068 to provide non-mandated (due to the absence of Federal regulations) paratransit services aimed at improving the mobility of seniors
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled Program (OPED) Measure BB Funds For FY 25 -26
Life Enrichment Committee
September 30, 2025
and persons with disabilities within respective service areas through the Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled Program (OPED) .
BACKGROUND/ LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The City of Oakland began operating City -based paratransit services in 1978 with State Transportation Development Act (TOA 4.5) funds to assist frail-elderly and adult persons with disabilities who experience public transportation access challenges.
In November 1986, Alameda County voters approved the Measure B half-cent sales tax initiative dedicated for expansion of mass transit systems, improved highway infrastructure, local street and road improvement, bicycle and pedestrian safety, and expanded special transportation for seniors and persons with disabilities or disabling health conditions. The Alameda County Transportation Authority (ACTA) was formed to administer the funds as outlined in the Measure B Expenditure Plan through 2002. The City of Oakland was an eligible recipient of Measure B funds and utilized the source to supplement its existing services.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), effective July 26, 1990, mandates that all public transit operators provide complementary or corresponding paratransit services for persons who cannot use fixed-route transit due to a disability . Therefore, in 1994, to fulfill the ADA requirements, the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) and the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), major public transit operators in this service area, formed the East Bay Paratransit Consortium (EBPC) and developed a Coordinated Paratransit Plan. Thus, the East Bay Paratransit was launched as the primary ADA paratransit provider in Alameda County and the adjacent West Contra Costa County.
In December 1996, the City of Oakland began offering supplemental paratransit services solely funded by Measure B. The program was designed to meet the needs of Oakland and Piedmont residents who require assistance beyond the parameters of the EBPC program .
In November 2000, voters approved the reauthorization of Measure B through March 31, 2022, to be administered by the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority (ACTIA) and then later by the newly formed Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) as of July 2010.
In November 2014, voters approved Measure BB, a supplemental half -cent sales tax for transit funding to run concurrently with Measure B through March 31, 2022, and then transition to a whole-cent Measure BB initiative on April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2045. The City of Oakland receives Measure BB funding as an eligible recipient.
The specialized transit Measure B and Measure BB funds have historically been divided among the four zones of Alameda County (North, Central, South, and East) by legislation, and allocated to the respective cities and eligible transit agencies based on a formula developed by the Paratransit Planning and Advisory Committee (PAPCO) and adopted by the Alameda CTC. This will continue with the sole Measure BB funding.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled Program (OPED) Measure BB Funds For FY 25 -26
Life Enrichment Committee
September 30, 2025
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Programming
The City of Oakland is currently under Master Funding Agreement #A16 -0061 with Alameda CTC for the period July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2026. The Agreement authorizes Alameda CTC to collect and allocate Direct Local Distribution (OLD) funds derived from Measure B and Measure BB, as described in their respective voter -approved expenditure plans. As previously mentioned, Measure B fund collection sunset on March 31, 2022, and only Measure BB, which is currently collected through June 30, 2026, is available .
Staff submitted the FY 2025-2026 Program Plan to Alameda CTC (Attachment A) on March 7, 2025, which outlines the City's plan for service provision as an eligible recipient of Measure BB funds to provide access to specialized transportation services for seniors and persons with disabilities. Oakland has successfully coordinated these services prior to and since the passage of Measure B in 1986.
The Alameda CTC Paratransit Program Implementation Guidelines provide program eligibility and fund usage guidelines, definitions, additional requirements, and guideline adoption details that the City has complied with successfully over the years. The City has appropriate policies, procedures, and accounting systems in place to comply with all Alameda CTC rules for the sole purpose of coordinating the transportation services alluded to in this report .
Contracting
As in previous years, the Request for Proposals/Qualifications (RFP/Q) requirement is not applicable because the agreements herein are not professional services agreements, as the City of Oakland reimburses vendors for the services they provide to the public at large with OLD funding received from the Alameda CTC.
The City of Oakland enters reimbursement and grant agreements, on a non-exclusive basis, with taxi companies with a minimum fleet of five or more vehicles; accessible van, accessible shuttle or charter bus companies with adequate fleet capacity and design; and supplemental service and/or coordination transportation entities qualified, capable and permitted to provide specialized transportation services for seniors, frail-elderly and adult persons with disabilities in Oakland.
Over the years, smaller taxi providers have approached staff to contract, but were deemed unable to qualify due to small fleet sizes, lack of 24- hour dispatch capabilities, insurance requirements, etc. They have also been unsuccessful in partnering with other small companies to form co-ops. For example, Driver/Owner Leasing Co., Inc., approached staff to provide expanded taxi scrip service beginning FY 2019- 2020. However, the company ultimately Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled Program (OPED) Measure BB Funds For FY 25 -26
Life Enrichment Committee
September 30, 2025
decided not to pursue an agreement with the City. St. Mini Cab Corporation (dba Veterans Cab) suspended services with OPED during FY 2019- 20 based on business feasibility .
It should be noted that competition from Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft have had a competitive impact on the taxi industry over the years causing many taxi companies to go out of business. COVID-19 also impacted taxi companies and TNCs alike due to the dramatic decline in business demand due to shelter-in-place orders and social distance cautions. Access to more taxis has significantly rebounded out of the pandemic period, but not as robustly as prior.
As a safety net and supplemental service to taxis to enhance additional same-day transportation availability, the City contracted with GoGo Technologies, Inc., dba GoGo Grandparent, to launch a pilot TNC service during FY 2020- 2021, and the partnership continues to date.
GoGo Grandparent operates a call center for OPED's 70 years and older clients that do not have or have difficulty using smartphones or other key barriers to hail Uber or Lyft rides. Upon receiving a call from a client, the GoGo Grandparent call center staff contacts Uber or Lyft and coordinates the rides for the caller. OPED currently applies an $8.00 subsidy for the first eight rides each month with a carryforward rule, so no subsidies are lost month to month. The program has continued in good standing since its inception, with the potential for expansion.
GoGo Grandparents has experienced a 450% growth in ridership in Oakland in the last year.
In relation to wheelchair accessible van and shuttle services, there are other operators within Oakland, but they have their own independent business focus and function; thus, they have not expressed interest in providing services through OPED .
Alameda CTC also serves as a potential source to identify other contracting possibilities . The agency conducts a county -wide call for transportation projects through a Discretionary Grant Program approximately every four years. The last call was conducted during FY 2023-2024 for a five-year funding period: fiscal years 2024- 2025 through 2028- 2029.
The City of Oakland's intent is to continually identify potential new contracting opportunities or to support new, innovative, and viable transportation programs beyond the Alameda CTC grant expiration periods that can be incorporated into OPED's array of services. This will remain a vital strategy for any future call -for-projects that Alameda CTC may conduct.
As a World Health Organization- designated Age-Friendly Community, the City of Oakland's Aging and Adult Services/Human Services Department, in partnership with the Mayor's Commission on Aging, recently conducted a needs assessment of seniors, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers . The goal is to develop a five -year strategic action plan.
Transportation emerged as a major priority, but the need varies across the city . Effective planning must account for the specific needs of marginalized communities, such as deep East Oakland and limited- English-speaking residents. The plan, expected in July 2025, will outline goals, objectives, and strategies to improve transportation equity and may lead to new programs and services. Approval will be sought from Alameda CTC to launch new programs .
Periodically, the City of Oakland conducts an informal Request for Interest (RFI) process to also seek new transportation partnerships. One Access Medical Transportation was identified during Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled Program (OPED) Measure BB Funds For FY 25 -26
Life Enrichment Committee
September 30, 2025
such a process and launched a pilot same-day and door-through-door assistance wheelchair van service in August 2018 and has continued providing service to date.
All contractors proposed herein have passed preliminary qualification and will undergo final contracting verification. Staff will provide ongoing monitoring of contractors to ensure continued compliance with meeting all applicable laws and regulations and compliance with City contracting requirements, such as, but not limited to, possession of appropriate business permits, insurance, driver/operator drug and alcohol testing, hire and in-service driver/operator trainings, and other outlined conditions.
Summary
The City of Oakland targets paratransit services towards seniors and adults with disabilities by historically filling service gaps in the community, such as same-day service, underserved geographic areas, and supplemental wheelchair accessible van services for trips that cannot be provided or can be made more conveniently than through other local services .
These types of services have been selected to meet the trip needs of consumers over other eligible services based on historical and current consumer feedback and the input of knowledgeable staff and consumer advocate input. However, as time progresses and other modes of transportation become relevant and/or available, the City of Oakland will remain open to any new possibilities and continue to seek feedback from clients and other community stakeholders through open lines of communication, targeted outreach, and needs assessments.
The City of Oakland's services continue to be important for residents to connect socially, participate in activities, and access social and community services . It has, and continues to be, essential for transit-dependent adults with disabilities and seniors to be able to access medical services, grocery stores, friend and family visits, school attendance, etc., which supports independent living and prevents social isolation.
As the world continues to recalibrate from the significant impacts of COVID- 19, the City of Oakland will continue to analyze transportation patterns and trends and work alongside Alameda CTC to determine any needed strategies to sustain successes or address any issues that may arise. The goal is toimplement any service adaptations to the City's service model to alleviate service gaps or respond to needed service expansions .
Staff does not foresee any significant concerns or issues that will adversely impact the OPED Program's ability to function effectively for the upcoming fiscal year and continue to offer essential and impactful transportation options. To date, the proposed transportation entities herein have reaffirmed their commitment to coordinate and provide service for the upcoming year.
OPED will enter the programming year with a general focus on providing essential transportation services through the proposed paratransit providers and grantees herein . In addition, the City of Oakland remains dedicated to providing seniors and persons with disabilities with affordable transportation access to the bordering City of Piedmont through pre- established legislation and agreement, as Piedmont does not and has not historically received Measure BIBB paratransit funding.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled Program (OPED) Measure BB Funds For FY 25 -26
Life Enrichment Committee
September 30, 2025
The action of continued support of Service Opportunity for Seniors (SOS Meals on Wheels) is included, as Alameda CTC approved the arrangement of this non-traditional transportation service because it was a key lifeline to bring meals to isolated and dependent seniors and persons with disabilities during the pandemic. Financial support for meal delivery continues to be allowed using Measure BB funds .
The approval of the staff recommendation herein allows for non-interruption and continuance of valuable accessible transportat ion services for seniors and adults with disab ilities, which advances the Citywide priority of responsive, trustworthy government. Therefore, services would continue and be readily available city -wide to eligible residents in need of specialized transportation for access to medical, social , and other important destinations , plus nutritious meal delivery that allows for healthier l iving and fuller participation in the community.
At the time of this report, client enrollment was 1,929, reflected in Table 1 below:
Table 1: FY 2024-2025 OPED Registered Client Demographics
OPED Unduplicated Client Count
Zip Clients Percent Race* Gender
AA A/Pl C H NA 0 UN M F
94601 95 4.9 49 19 10 13 0 4 0 29 66
94602 134 6.9 38 36 47 4 0 9 0 33 101
94603 80 4.1 53 2 6 14 0 5 0 32 48
94605 165 8.6 115 5 26 7 0 11 1 53 112
94606 153 7.9 52 69 18 4 0 10 0 41 112
94607 163 8.4 71 77 9 2 0 4 0 52 111
94608 81 4.2 60 10 7 0 0 4 0 20 61
94609 87 4.5 51 7 20 1 0 8 0 22 65
94610 166 8.6 49 28 76 2 1 10 0 39 127
94611 357 18.5 41 153 133 8 0 22 0 102 255
94612 193 10.0 34 114 33 3 1 8 0 64 129
94618 42 2.2 4 11 23 0 1 3 0 14 28
94619 93 4.8 49 22 15 3 0 4 0 27 66
94620 3 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 3
94621 82 4.3 47 13 5 6 0 11 0 28 54
Others 35 1.8 15 10 5 2 0 2 1 8 27
TOTALS 1929 100 729 576 433 69 3 116 3 564 1365
% 37.8 29.9 22.4 3.6 0.2 6.0 0.2 29.2 70.8
*(AA) African American; (A/Pl) Asian /Pacific Islander; (C) Caucasian; (H) Hispanic; (NA) Native American; (0) Other; (UN) Unidentified
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled Program (OPED) Measure BB Funds For FY 25 -26
Life Enrichment Committee
September 30, 2025
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no General Fund impact or cost. Transportation operations will be supported by projected FY 2025-2026 Alameda County Measure BB sales tax revenue and prior years' accumulated reserve funds .
The FY 2025-2026 Proposed Budget for the OPED Program includes an appropriation of projected $3,197,068 in FY 2025-2026 for Measure BB direct local distribution funds in Measure BB Paratransit Fund (2220), Oakland Paratransit for Elderly and Disabled Organization (75621), OPED FY 2025-2026 Measure BB Projects (1007657 and 1007658), and Empowering Seniors & People With Disability Program (YS14) .
The acceptance of $3,197,068 as requested herein is the City of Oakland's revenue projection by the Alameda CTC as of December 2024. (Attachment 8).
The funding for OPED contracts is partially included in the FY 2024-2025 Midcycle Budget, with the balance on hand per the year-end reserves of $3,748,801 identified in the attached audited FY 2022- 2023 Financial Statement on page 5 (Attachment C) under the Human Services Department (HSD) . Funding availability is contingent upon the carry forward of funds from FY 2024-2025. Approval of the resolution will authorize reimbursement agreements with the following paratransit providers/coordinators for the amounts specified below:
• Five Rivers Transit Solutions, Inc.
• Quality Transit, LLC
• Bay Area Charters, Inc.
• One Access Medical Transportation
• GoGo Technologies, Inc.
And grant agreements with:
• City of Emeryville
• Service Opportunity for Seniors
Total
$ 850,000
$ 600,000
$ 350,000
$ 25,000
$ 75,000
$ 50,000
$ 300,000
$2,250,000
If additional funds become available from the same funding source, for the same purposes and within the agreement's terms, staff will seek authorization for the City Administrator or designee to accept and appropriate funds for the OPED program and amend the agreements by increasing award amounts herein.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
As mentioned previously, the City of Oakland's Human Services Department (Aging and Adult Services Division) and Mayor's Commission on Aging (MCOA) conducted a huge citywide survey and 13 listening sessions in preparation for developing a 5-year plan for aging services.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled Program (OPED) Measure BB Funds For FY 25 -26
Life Enrichment Committee
September 30, 2025
This process was highly beneficial for informing or reminding the public about various services (including transportation options), soliciting feedback, engaging with community members, and sharing information about the various Aging and Adult Services programs being offered by the City of Oakland. The engagement with various stakeholders provided an opportunity to hear directly from older and disabled Oakland residents about unmet needs that will be used for planning purposes by the City and the MCOA.
Program status and activities are continually captured and made available to the public annually by the Alameda CTC through the following requirements :
• Annual article publication in a mass generated print or electronic medium; • Submission of a year-end program compliance report and financial audit statements that are accessible to the public here;
• Participation in Paratransit Technical Advisory Committee (ParaTAC) meetings that are open to the public; and,
• Participation and attendance at Paratransit Advisory and Planning Committee (PAPCO) meetings that are open to the public .
Staff also continues to attend and participate in meetings held by the Mayor's Commission on Persons with Disabilities and the Mayor's Commission on Aging as necessary . Annual presentations are made for these respective commissions for outreach and feedback from the commissioners and the public that is considered in annual program planning.
COORDINATION
The Human Services Department coordinated with the Budget Bureau, Office of the City Attorney, and the City Administrator's Office in the preparation of this report and resolution.
PAST PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION, AND FOLLOW-UP
Independent of staff evaluation, OPED relies on informal feedback from many of the riders through office visits, phone calls, and letters that inform of unmet needs, customer service experiences, and overall impressions of the program.
An annual survey is generally conducted of OPED's base taxi and van services, but staff decided to forgo the process this year because of the 5-year citywide survey and public listening sessions mentioned in the CONTRACTING and PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST sections above.
Transportation related questions were included in the survey. As of the writing of this report, over 700 completed surveys were received, and paper surveys are still being entered manually for analysis. The strategic planning process will be completed in July 2025, with more in-depth base program surveys taking place during the 5- year period covered in the plan. This will also give staff an opportunity to work towards the development of an enhanced surveying process to provide more inclusive feedback and analysis of all services provided by OPED, and not so focused on taxi/van.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled Program (OPED) Measure BB Funds For FY 25 -26
Life Enrichment Committee
September 30, 2025
In general, the vendors listed in this report have been providing satisfactory levels of service and have worked with OPED for multiple years.
The City of Emeryville operates individual services independent of OPED, but the transport of Oakland residents that reside in the shared zip code of 94608 benefits from Emeryville's service. Therefore, partial sponsorship is desired in order to continue to extend support to their efforts.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: Funds from Measure BB, incoming, and reserves will be used for agreements with local vendors to provide services. Vendors will comply with the City's Living Wage Ordinance.
Environmental: The Paratransit Program encourages shared ride transportation that reduces the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, lessens traffic congestion, reduces fuel consumption, improves commute times, and reduces the frequency of costly road repairs.
Race & Equity: Older adults in Oakland - including people facing disparities due to race, age, language, disability, gender, and other inequities - feel safe, healthy, included, and connected in the community by having access to the resources and supports they need to age well and live full lives.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution:
1. Accepting And Appropriating Direct Local Program Distribution Measure BB Funds In The Amount Of $3,197,068 For Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026 From The Alameda County Transportation Commission For Oakland Paratransit For The Elderly And Disabled Program To Provide Access To Specialized Transportation Services;
2. Awarding Agreements For Paratransit Services For FY 2025-2026 In The Amounts Of $850,000 (Five Rivers Transit Solutions, Inc.), $600,000 (Quality Transit, LLC), $350,000 (Bay Area Charters, Inc.), $25,000 (One Access Medical Transportation), And $75,000 (GoGo Technologies, Inc.);
3. Awarding Grant Agreements In The Amount Of $50,000 (City Of Emeryville) For Paratransit Services And $300,000 (Service Opportunity for Seniors) For Meal Delivery Services To Isolated And Dependent Elderly And Disabled Persons; And
4. Authorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Any Additional Direct Local Distribution Funds That May Become Available For FY 2025-2026 And Amend The Aforementioned Agreements To Increase The Amounts Within The Limits Of The Funding
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled Program (OPED) Measure BB Funds For FY 25 -26
Life Enrichment Committee
September 30, 2025
For questions regarding this report, please contact ANA BAGTAS, AGING AND ADULT SERVICES MANAGER at (510) 238- 6794.
Respectfully submitted,
SOFIA NAVARRO
Interim Human Service Dept. Director
Reviewed by:
Ana Bagtas, Aging and Adult Services Manager
Prepared by:
Hakeim McGee, Senior Services Supervisor
Aging & Adult Services
Attachment(s) (3):
Attachment A - Oakland Paratransit Annual Program Plan Application FY 25- 26 Attachment B - Alameda CTC Direct Local Distribution (OLD) projections for FY 2025-26 Attachment C - City of Oakland FY 23- 24 Measure BB Financial Statements