Transportation Investment Act - Regional Roundtable

Atlanta Regional Roundtable

Public Meetings in September, 2011

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

5:00 - 7:00 pm

Douglas County

Citizens Hall, Douglas County Courthouse

8700 Hospital Drive

Douglasville, GA 30134

770-949-2000

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

6:00 - 8:00 pm

Henry County

Administration Offices

140 Henry Parkway

McDonough, GA 30253

770-288-6000

Thursday, September 15, 2011

6:00 - 8:00 pm

City of Atlanta

Council Chambers

55 Trinity Avenue

Atlanta, GA 30303

404-330-6030

Monday, September 19, 2011

6:00 - 8:00 pm

Cherokee County

Cherokee Hall, Administration Center

1130 Bluffs Parkway

Canton, GA 30114

678-493-6000

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

5:00 - 7:00 pm

Cobb County

Board of Commissioners Meeting Room

100 Cherokee Street

Marietta, GA 30090

770-528-1000

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

6:00 - 8:00 pm

Fayette County

Administration Offices

140 Stonewall Avenue West

Fayetteville, GA 30214

770-305-5200

MARTA Pilot Study for people with Developmental Disabilities

MARTA is soliciting participants from persons with disabilities to participate in a pilot study. Individuals who use different assistive technology devices or Smartphone applications in improving and educating their travels are in demand!

General information:

MARTA is exploring the use of technology to estimate bus arrivals at stops using real-time data. The service would allow riders to determine, and track, in real-time where a specific bus is, on its route, and when it will be arriving at a predetermined bus stop using the web, short message service (SMS) text, or voice. Customers can then obtain continually updated arrival estimates in real time, using computers, wireless devices such as cell phones, and phone calls using either touchtone or voice service. Also, customers could be alerted when a bus is within a predetermined arrival window for a designated bus stop.

Potential Benefits:

• Reduce customer wait-time
• Increase perceived system on-time performance (OTP),
• Increase customer satisfaction
• Or/and attract new ridership

MARTA is soliciting your participation in assessing the utility and, functionality of this service and will benefit from the feedback and experience of all riders, including individuals with disabilities who use different assistive technology devices or Smartphone applications, including Mobile Speak, Screen Readers, BrailleNote, Talks, Electronic Hand-Held Magnifiers, Trekker Breeze Talking, etc…

To this end, we are requesting that each EDAAC Member and Resource Member solicit the participation of 4 to 5 Fixed Route or MARTA Mobility rider who use assistive technologies in improving and educating their travels.

Basic Information:

The pilot program will launch: To Be Announced

Please provide Luz Semeah, ADA Coordinator, with your list of participants by July 25^th. The list is attached. If you have any questions and concerns, please call Luz at the below contact information.

Individuals will obtain training prior to going into the field and riding the buses.  You will receive remuneration for participating (a Breeze card and a cash reward). 

Senate Bill 22

Today, I testified in support of Senate Bill 22, the Rural and Human Services Transportation Coordinating Council, to the Rail and Transit Subcommittee. It easily passed and is headed to the full committee.

SB 22 would require that all six agencies that provide transportation to meet on a regular basis to best leverage federal funding and create efficiencies in the way they deliver and dispatch services for people who have disabilities and people who are aging. Transportation continues to be one of the biggest hurdles for folks ,and I think this is a step in the right direction.

The advocates for aging services have been great to work with. Collaboration is definitely the key to getting anything done!

Editorial: Shortsighted State Government Disappoints

Athens Banner-Herald
January 26, 2010


The editorial board writes, At a time when taking the long view would seem to be the best approach for managing state government in Georgia, it's disappointing to see some shortsightedness emerging on vital issues including education, transportation and water resources.

To read the whole article go to: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/012610/opi_554645327.shtml

© 2010 OnlineAthens • Athens Banner-Herald • Morris Digital Works

Ford Transit Connect Finally Comes to US

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/The New York Times
December 30, 2009


The new Ford Transit Connect has a strange name, a compact European delivery van appearance and a ceiling thats so tall, someone sitting in the drivers seat might only reach it with fingertips.

But these oddities are nearly endearing in one of the smartest and most practical vehicles for anyone -- including a small business owner, camping enthusiast or trend-eschewing individualist -- looking for something different to drive.

The front-wheel drive Transit Connect has been sold in 55 countries by Ford Motor Co. but is only coming to the States this model year as something of an experiment in downsized commercial vans.

Buyers wont find luxury accouterments. But they will get at least double the cargo room of other small, boxy, four-cylinder-powered vehicles that frequently do duty as small business vehicles, such as the Scion xB and Chevrolet HHR panel wagon.

Buyers also find on the Transit Connect window sticker a government rating of 22 miles per gallon in city driving and 25 mpg on the highway, which is about double that for a traditional, large, Ford delivery van.

Best of all, the Transit Connect is affordable with a starting manufacturers suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $21,830 for a base, five-passenger model with 136-horsepower, four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission.

A cargo version of the Transit Connect, with no rear seats, has a starting retail price of $21,475.

There arent directly comparable competitors here.

For example, the 2010 Scion xB comes from Japan and has a starting retail price of $16,420, while Chevys American-bred HHR panel wagon has a starting price of $19,350. But neither has anywhere near the 135.3 cubic feet of cargo room behind the front seats that the Transit Connect offers.

In fact, even large sport utility vehicles dont have this much cargo space. The Chevy Tahoe tops out at 108.9 cubic feet with third row seats removed and second row folded.

The Transit Connect has van-like side doors for the second row of seats that slide open and closed. So, it might compare with small passenger vans like the 2010 Mazda5 that starts at $18,745. But the six-passenger Mazda5 with three rows of seats and 5-foot-3-inch height seems conventional vis-a-vis the 6-foot-6-inch-tall Transit Connect.

The Transit Connect is based on a special version of the platform of the Ford Fiesta small car thats sold in Europe, and it is used for many commercial purposes overseas, including delivery vans and ambulances.

But in the US, the possibilities are endless among business owners looking to reduce gasoline use, camping fans who want to downsize, even drivers suffering from disabilities who need to carry wheelchairs and medical equipment.

Part of the appeal of this new vehicle is how easy it is to get in and out. At 5 feet 4, I just turned and sat onto the drivers seat cushion. Theres no climb up or dropping down into a low-riding car seat. The tester was a passenger van version with seats for five, so I and my passengers rode with decent views out front and to the side.

The two cargo-style doors at the back meant I didnt have one large window to look out of at the back, however. So I was glad to have the optional reverse parking sensors back there to help me know when I got too close to obstacles while I was backing up.

Seats, dashboard arrangement and door trim were all no-nonsense and functional in the test Transit Connect. There was nothing fancy, and the center console area didnt even have covered storage.

I noticed how tall the side windows are, and I had to open the side windows to reach out and manually wipe away condensation that had formed overnight on the outside mirror and stationary part of the side windows.

Theres just one engine -- a hardworking, 2-liter, double overhead cam, Duratec four cylinder generating 136 horsepower and 128 foot-pounds of torque at 4,750 rpm. Even when the vehicle was empty, the Transit Connect didnt rocket around town. Rather, it moved with a hint of spunk. With more people and cargo, the vehicles spunk was replaced with a more purposeful personality.

I readily heard the engine at work as well as road noises from the 15-inch tires on pavement. Sometimes, the sounds seemed to reverberate throughout the cavernous interior, which was a unique experience.

But I loved the low load floor at the back of the Transit Connect, not to mention how the two rear doors were hinged so they could swing all the way back and stay against the sides of the vehicle and out of the way. This is so much nicer than ducking under a tailgate door or walking around a single, side-opening rear cargo door.

The impressively tall ceiling meant even a 6-footer could darn near stand up inside in the cargo area, and the utilitarian floor material makes for easy cleanup.

I didnt feel as if I had the latest technology as I drove the Transit Connect. The ride was adequate but not refined. For example, the rear suspension uses uncomplicated leaf springs and solid axle. And there didnt seem to be a lot of sound insulation as wind noise came on noticeably when the Transit Connect hit highway speeds.

Unusual options complete the package. For $1,395, for example, a buyer can add an on-board computer that monitors a drivers speed, idle time and vehicle location -- things a business owner might want to track.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/30/us/AP-US-Behind-the-Wheel-2010-Ford-Transit-Connect.html?_r=1

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press

M.T.A. Proposes Severe Service Cuts; 2 Subway Lines May Be Eliminated

By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM
Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Longer waits on subway platforms. More crowded buses and trains. No more discounts for New York City students.

One way or another, nearly every bus, subway and commuter train rider will be affected by the newly austere budget released on Monday by the beleaguered Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is struggling to address a sudden and unexpected financial shortfall of nearly $400 million.

Starting mid-year, fewer subway trains would run in the middle of the day, late at night and on weekends. Two lines, the W and Z, would stop running altogether, and service on the M and G lines would be reduced. Several stations in Lower Manhattan would be closed overnight, and dozens of bus lines throughout the boroughs would see a reduction or elimination in service.Next year’s shortfall for the agency came out to $383 million, after sharp drops in state funding and tax revenues. The problems were compounded last week when a State Supreme Court judge upheld an arbitration ruling awarding 11.5 percent raises to transit workers over the next three years.

The $383 million shortfall is slightly less pessimistic than initially thought. A spokesman for the authority, Jeremy Soffin, said on Monday that revenue from a state payroll tax is now projected to fall $100 million below estimates; the state had predicted a $200 million shortfall.

The budget plan, which does not include a fare increase for 2010, was approved by the authority’s Finance Committee on Monday; it will go before the full board on Wednesday.

Under the plan, hundreds of thousands of students who currently receive free or discounted fares on the city’s transit system will lose half of their discount in September 2010, with the rest swept away by September 2011. Costs for the student-discount program were once split among the state, city and transportation authority, but contributions from Albany and City Hall have flatlined since the mid-1990s.

Handicapped riders who are now picked up at home and driven to destinations throughout the city would no longer be able to use the so-called door-to-door service under the plan. Instead, the authority would transport disabled riders to handicapped-accessible subway and bus stops, which is the minimum service required by federal law.

Scott Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, sharply denounced the cuts to student discounts. “The fact that you would jeopardize free MetroCards for children to go to school, and put their parents in harm’s way, is something so inexcusable, I had to come here today and tell you, just stop,” Mr. Stringer said in an angry speech before the committee meeting.

And Gene Russianoff, the longtime riders’ advocate, told the authority’s board members that they would lose credibility with the riding public if the cuts were approved. “Riders have every reason to be as mad as hell,” he said.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/mta-proposes-severe-service-cuts-2-subway-lines-may-be-eliminated/?scp=1&sq=MTA%20&%20Disabilities&st=cse

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company

Disability Groups Denounce Budget Cuts at Town Hall Meeting

Groups lose millions in funding for training, transportation

by Joshua Garner, Staff Writer
Gazette.Net, Maryland Community Newspapers Online
December 10, 2009


Prince George's County residents and disability advocates are urging Maryland to put the brakes on budget cuts to programs and services for disabled individuals, saying the cuts are putting extreme hardships on individuals and families dependent on training, transportation and other services.

Nearly 300 residents packed into the Melwood campus, a training facility in Upper Marlboro for the disabled, for a town hall meeting Dec. 3 with representatives from the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration, a state agency that funds community services and support to people with developmental disabilities and their families.

The administration has seen its budget cut by $30 million during the last year as the state looks to alleviate a budget shortfall. The DDA helps fund family and respite organizations, employment programs and residential services, and assists adults with significant disabilities.

The meeting Dec. 3 was one of more than a dozen town hall meetings that had been scheduled across the state to address what advocates call a growing problem for individuals with disabilities as services such as transportation, employment, training and therapy have all had their funding scaled back or cut completely.

Residents pleaded with politicians and state officials that funding for the DDA is essential to their way of life. Others said the strain left by cuts in services is tearing their families apart and forcing them to make tough decisions relating to their care.

More than 19,000 state residents who have disabilities and are in need of services are on the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Community Services waiting list.

Prince George's County is second only to Montgomery County with the highest number of individuals on the waiting list, with 2,953 as of June, according to the DDA. The number represents a 134 percent increase from 2004.

Dorma Rodriguez of Bowie said cuts to the services she received meant she had to decide between speech therapy and physical therapy for her 8-year-old daughter, Gabby, who has cerebral palsy.

"I need to pay for my daughter's therapy," she said.

Other complained the waiting list, which also provides housing for the disabled, should be shortened to relieve pressure from the aging parents of older disabled individuals.

"This is a devastating cut; unfortunately, when the governor went in, he had to make cuts," said Del. Tawanna Gaines (D-Dist. 22) of Berwyn Heights. "Many of their people have been in their parents' homes all their lives."

Bill Ohge of Largo said that housing for the disabled should be better integrated with communities and not isolated.

"People should be living in the community with a house of their own," he said. "[Disabled] people need to be living in the community," he said.

Michael Chapman, executive director of the Developmental Disabilities Administration, urged residents to be patient, saying that economic pressures have caused constrictions in funding for the DDA. Chapman said it could be another seven to 10 years before the state is in a position to expand the administration's programs, and that things will get worse before they better.

"Next year's budget looks worse. There is not a day that goes by that we don't think about [those affected by the cuts]," he said. "We're trying to understand the needs of people in this state."

E-mail Joshua Garner at jgarner@gazette.net.

http://www.gazette.net/stories/12102009/lanhnew173125_32580.php

Copyright © 2009 Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net

High-Speed Rail Important to Rural Transportation

By Howard A. Learner
Winona Daily News
Winona, MN
Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Rural transportation has traditionally meant cars and pickups, highways and Greyhound buses.

While the intercity buses are fewer and farther between, that doesn't change people's needs to get from place to place. Most people have cars and trucks, but some elderly or disabled people can no longer drive, and with gas prices going up, some unemployed and lower-income people can no longer afford to drive much.

In rural America, where the percentage of people older than 65, is expected to triple, mobility can be challenging, and more transportation alternatives are needed.

The upcoming federal transportation reauthorization legislation should provide room for new ideas and mobility solutions. Congress can help provide rural Americans with better access to government and medical services, education, jobs and visits with friends and families. Here are two ways:

First, modern, fast, comfortable and convenient higher-speed intercity rail service will help rural transportation access. Most people think about high-speed rail as linking big Midwest cities, but carefully chosen stops along the way can provide important new transportation services for rural residents. The fast trains shouldn't have a lot of stops, which would make them into milk runs. However, there will likely be stops in places like Winona, La Crosse and Watertown, Wis., and Bloomington, Ill.

For example, the planned new high-speed rail service between Madison and the Twin Cities may stop in Winona. There are 13 counties in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa with more than 600,000 people within a 60-mile radius of Winona. High-speed rail service would provide these rural residents with better access to Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul and other cities in between. Scheduled shuttle buses between outlying rural towns and Winona could make this rail service more accessible for meeting rural mobility needs.

According to an economic study conducted for nine state departments of transportation, the new Midwest high-speed rail network can create 57,000 permanent new jobs across the region, produce more than a $1 billion in additional household income and spur almost $5 billion in private new development near Midwest rail stations.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee proposes to invest $50 billion in general revenue funds over five years to support high-speed rail development across the nation.

The full Congress will soon address transportation infrastructure and funding issues. High-speed rail development is a key opportunity for rural America, not just for the big cities.

Let's seize this opportunity to gain benefits for both rural and urban Midwesterners.

Second, advanced software, communications and GPS technology have enhanced scheduling for urban bus systems and air taxis. In Chicago, people can check their iPhones and Blackberrys to find out when a bus will actually arrive at a stop. This type of scheduling technology and Internet service can also be applied to make rural transit shuttle services more efficient, predictable and coordinated for moving people from place to place.

Imagine a flexible transit service in which rural riders could call or e-mail a dispatcher asking to be picked up in a certain timeframe. The software program determines the most efficient routes, timing and coordination for drivers shuttling among passenger pick-ups and drop-offs. Although this may be more challenging and less time-certain in spread-out rural areas than in more dense urban areas, modern software scheduling technology can make these shuttle services work better.

Congress should provide funding for 10 to 15 pilot projects through a competitive grants program focused on harnessing technology for on-demand transportation services in underserved rural areas.

Let's deploy new technologies creatively to improve the efficiency of rural transit services in providing access to jobs, government services and health care. This would especially helpful for elderly and disabled rural residents who cannot drive.

The federal Section 5311 Rural Public Transportation Program provides $400
million to $500 million annually to support rural transit and infrastructure development, and about $8 million is allocated for the Section 5311(b)(3) rural transit technical assistance and training program. Innovative pilot programs for on-demand rural transportation services should fit well.

It's time for new ideas for better rural transportation.

Howard A. Learner is the executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, a leading Midwest environmental and economic development advocacy organization.

http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/opinion/article_e88b14f8-de33-11de-919d-001cc4c002e0.html

© Copyright 2009, winonadailynews.com, 902 East Second St, Suite 110 Winona, MN

Advocates for Disabled Want Bus Service to New Grand Rapids Township Courthouse

By Juanita Westaby
The Grand Rapids Press


GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP -- With a new courthouse and a public square, advocates for the disabled pressed the Township Board for the means to get there.

"I would like you to consider the plight of people like me who are trapped, who can't get to their doctors or their friends," said Raye Bower, board president of Disability Advocates.

Bower, who uses a wheelchair, can no longer use the GO Bus to see her doctor, because the township does not participate in public transportation. Robyn Saylor's visits to her parents at Cook Valley Estates ended for the same reason.

"I need to be available to them, and I need to have it be convenient for them, too," said Saylor, who has cerebral palsy.

Township Supervisor Michael DeVries said talks with Kent County have just begun on a needs assessment for public transportation.

"We'll make a proper decision based on facts," he said.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/11/advocates_for_disabled_want_bu.html

© 2009 Michigan Live LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Disabled Riders to Bing: Undo Switch in Transit Service

BY MATT HELMSFREE
PRESS STAFF WRITER
Detroit Free Press
Detroit, Michigan
November 19. 2009

People with disabilities and senior citizens called on Detroit leaders Wednesday to reverse an apparent decision to switch providers of specialized MetroLift rides that serve those who have trouble using regular buses.

The city announced earlier this month that Veolia Transportation would no longer be a provider of paratransit services. Officials said Veolia terminated its contract with the city Nov. 6.

But Veolia officials said Wednesday that the city stopped making payments in February, started contracting with other companies and has refused to discuss the issue. Veolia has provided paratransit services for the Detroit Department of Transportation since 1999 and was contracted through 2011.

Veolia has sued the city in U.S. District Court in Detroit, seeking nearly $10 million for breach of contract.

At a news conference Wednesday, representatives from Veolia and groups including the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit & Vicinity and the RainbowPUSH Coalition urged Mayor Dave Bing to reverse DDOT's decision on Veolia.

"We're hoping Mayor Bing will call a meeting, bring the parties together and try to resolve it," said Isaac Robinson, political director for the Michigan Teamsters Joint Council No. 43, which represents Veolia drivers.

Bing's office released a statement saying the city will continue to provide paratransit service but not commenting on Veolia's allegations.

"The City of Detroit is required by Federal Transit Administration regulations to provide paratransit service. Veolia was one of the vendors who provided this service until Nov. 6, when Veolia terminated their contract," Edward L. Cardenas, Bing's spokesman said. "Representatives of DDOT, including members of the mayor's staff, have had several meetings with Veolia and its lawyers in an attempt to resolve this dispute. The matter is now in court.

"There has been no interruption in services as DDOT continues to provide paratransit service to nearly 1,200 riders daily through licensed and certified vendors operating over 400 vehicles."
Robinson said 125 unionized drivers will lose their jobs if the city stands by its decision, and the people they served worry that the new contractors aren't providing service that meets Americans with Disabilities Act mandates.

Quintin Williams, 49, of Detroit, who is paraplegic and a disability volunteer coordinator for the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, said riders have been complaining about bad service.

"The program is not meeting the needs of the disability community or the senior citizens who use it," Williams said.

Contact MATT HELMS: 313-222-1450 or mhelms@freepress.com

http://www.freep.com/article/20091119/NEWS01/911190465/1322/Disabled-riders-to-Bing-Undo-switch-in-transit-service

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