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TO: |
Board of Trustees |
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THROUGH: |
Jay Fox, Executive Director |
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FROM: |
Bill Green, Chief Financial Officer |
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PRESENTER(S): |
Christy Allen, Coordinated Mobility Manager |
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Alex Beim, Acting Manager Long Range Strat Plan |
TITLE:
title
Contract: Areas of Persistent Poverty Program (AoPP) Grant Study Cooperative Agreement (University of Utah)
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AGENDA ITEM TYPE:
Non-Procurement Agreement
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve and authorize the Executive Director to execute this Cooperative Agreement and associated disbursements with the University of Utah in the amount of $440,584, including $55,000 of matching funds from U of U and Via (match for in-kind services provided).
BACKGROUND:
The Areas of Persistent Poverty Grant was identified as a possible funding source by the Innovative Mobility Department to study a possible transition from UTA's current traditional 24-hour notice Paratransit service powered by gasoline vehicles, as compared to a more dynamic service which also introduces zero emission vehicles. Resulting changes could significantly increase rider convenience, improve service equity and productivity, improve access, and take steps toward cleaner air and better health for an especially vulnerable population.
UTA was awarded $385,584 in AoPP grant funds. There is a soft match (for in-kind services provided in support of the grant) from the University of Utah for $35,000 and from Via for $20,000 for a total match of $55,000. The University of Utah, Via, and the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) were named in the grant as sub awardees. The total cost for the study is $440,584.
DISCUSSION:
Utilizing grant and matching funds as outlined in this agreement, UTA will partner with the University of Utah, VIA, and CTE to study the issues outlined below.
UTA needs a plan to evolve Paratransit services to better meet the expectations of this especially vulnerable population. In 2019 Paratransit riders took 387,942 trips, averaging 32,000 rides per month. The UTA Paratransit service area overlaps with multiple environmental justice / persistent poverty communities. (See description in "Section I. Applicant Information" for census tract list and associated maps in Attachment "UTA AoPP Census Tract Maps.pdf".) The proposed study would allow UTA to understand the use cases and economic viability of on-demand ADA accessible microtransit services versus more traditional prescheduled services, or some combination thereof. UTA would like to explore expanding access to Paratransit vehicles and drivers when travel demand is lower. The study would evaluate the feasibility, need, and costs of making paratransit vehicles available on-demand to riders who are not Paratransit eligible during midday, off-peak hours, late night, or weekends for more productive use of UTA’s existing idle resources. Current service will be studied as well as a possible implementation plan for expanded paratransit service that could become part of the five-year service plan.
UTA needs to better understand how Paratransit service is perceived and delivered for those living in persistent poverty by analyzing existing conditions. The proposed analysis will compare service quality characteristics and customer feedback across its service area and contrast those to AoPPs, to determine if there are steps UTA can take to improve Paratransit services in AoPP.
UTA needs a Paratransit fleet replacement plan. The current service (including UTA directly operated and contracted services) uses 182 gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles that traveled more than 2,987,644 miles in 2019. The average age of UTA’s Paratransit vehicles is 4.6 years old. These vehicles receive heavy daily use and must be replaced every 7 to 9 years. A strategy to introduce electric or zero emission vehicles into the Paratransit bus fleet along with associated infrastructure and costs does not exist. This strategy needs to be developed to help improve Utah’s air quality and to align with UTA’s long-term integrated fleet management plan. All 6 counties receiving UTA Paratransit service are rated Serious for PM-2.5 pollutants, 5 out of 6 counties are rated Marginal for 8-hour Ozone pollutants, and 2 counties are non-attainment areas for sulfur dioxide. See details in Attachment "Air Quality Info for AOPP August 2021".
Finally, UTA needs to ensure in-depth, inclusive community engagement throughout the Paratransit Forward study project. UTA and partners will conduct an extensive public engagement process to understand perceptions of the current system’s performance and potential tools to improve the service, with a focus on serving people with a diverse range of disabilities. The proposed study would collect baseline rider demographic data to learn how closely Paratransit users reflect their broader community demographics.
CONTRACT SUMMARY:
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Contractor Name: |
University of Utah |
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Contract Number: |
23-P00224 |
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Base Contract Effective Dates: |
4/13/2023 - 10/13/2024 |
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Extended Contract Dates: |
N/A |
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Existing Contract Value: |
N/A |
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Amendment Amount: |
N/A |
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New/Total Contract Value: |
$440,584 (including in-kind grant match funds) |
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Procurement Method: |
No RFP needed. Partners identified in the grant application. |
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Budget Authority: |
2023-2027 Capital Plan |
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ALTERNATIVES:
If this Agreement is not approved, UTA will have to return the awarded funds back to FTA which could impact the probability of receiving future grant awards. Additionally, UTA will not have a studied and reliable plan for paratransit service moving forward.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This project is funded in the 2023-2027 Capital Budget and the $385,000 in grant funding is identified. The 10% match requirement is being provided by in-kind time and effort from the University of Utah and Via.
ATTACHMENTS:
The Cooperative Agreement