Regional ADA Paratransit Plan for Persons with Disabilities Prepared by Regional Transportation Authority Chicago Transit Authority Pace Suburban Bus Service January 2006 RTA Main Offi ce 175 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1550 Chicago, lllinois 60604 (312) 913-3200 www.rtachicago.com Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) 567 West Lake Street Chicago, Illinois 60661 (312) 681-4610 www.transitchicago.com Pace 550 West Algonquin Road Arlington Heights, lllinois 60005 (847) 228-4261 www.pacebus.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Regional ADA Paratransit Plan for Persons with Disabilities is the culmination of extensive cooperation between the following agencies: Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Pace Suburban Bus Service Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) In addition, the Transition Committee and Ad Hoc Committee assisted throughout the development of the Plan and their respective roles are described herein. The RTA thanks those individuals who took the time out of their busy schedules to assist in this process. CONTACT INFORMATION Mailing address and contact information for representatives of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Pace Suburban Bus Service are as follows: Jay M. Ciavarella Program Manager, Regional Services Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) 175 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1550 Chicago, Illinois 60604 Phone: (312) 913-3252 Fax: (312) 913-3123 Terry Levin Vice President, Paratransit Operations Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) 567 West Lake Street Chicago, Illinois 60661 Phone: (312) 681-4610 Fax: (312) 681-4615 Melinda Metzger Deputy Executive Director, Revenue Services Pace Suburban Bus Service 550 West Algonquin Road Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005 Phone: (847) 228-2302 Fax: (847) 228-2309 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................1 OVERVIEW OF THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (RTA).......................................................1 PARATRANSIT IN THE RTA REGION............................................................................................................1 LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS...............................................................................................................................2 PLAN OBJECTIVES......................................................................................................................................3 ORGANIZATION OF THE PLAN.....................................................................................................................4 SECTION 2: EXISTING SERVICES........................................................................................................6 OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................................................6 CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY (CTA) EXISTING FIXED ROUTE BUS SYSTEM..........................................7 CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY (CTA) EXISTING RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM...............................................8 CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY (CTA) EXISTING ADA PARATRANSIT SERVICE.......................................9 CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY (CTA) OTHER PROGRAMS.....................................................................12 PACE SUBURBAN BUS SERVICE EXISTING FIXED ROUTE SYSTEM............................................................14 PACE SUBURBAN BUS SERVICE EXISTING ADA PARATRANSIT SERVICE.................................................17 PACE SUBURBAN BUS SERVICE OTHER PROGRAMS.................................................................................19 SECTION 3: ESTIMATES OF DEMAND..............................................................................................21 PACE SERVICE AREA................................................................................................................................21 CTA SERVICE AREA.................................................................................................................................22 REGIONAL DEMAND ESTIMATE................................................................................................................23 SECTION 4: PROPOSED ADA PARATRANSIT SERVICES.............................................................25 OVERVIEW................................................................................................................................................25 SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS.....................................................................................................................25 SECTION 5: CERTIFICATION PROCESS FOR ADA PARATRANSIT ELIGIBILITY................28 OVERVIEW................................................................................................................................................28 CERTIFICATION INFORMATION.................................................................................................................28 CERTIFICATION APPLICATION PROCESS...................................................................................................29 APPEAL PROCESS.....................................................................................................................................30 VISITOR POLICY.......................................................................................................................................32 SECTION 6: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS...........................................................................33 OVERVIEW................................................................................................................................................33 TRANSITION COMMITTEE.........................................................................................................................33 AD HOC COMMITTEE................................................................................................................................33 PUBLIC HEARINGS....................................................................................................................................34 TIMELINE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES....................................................................................38 ADDITIONAL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION EFFORTS........................................................................................40 ONGOING REQUIREMENT..........................................................................................................................40 SECTION 7: PLAN ORDINANCES AND CERTIFICATION.............................................................42 PLAN SUPPLEMENTAL.........................................................................................................................43 OVERVIEW................................................................................................................................................43 PROVISIONS OF AMENDED RTA ACT SECTION 2.30 (C)...........................................................................43 GLOSSARY................................................................................................................................................51 APPENDIX: LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION...............................................................60 Regional ADA Paratransit Plan for Persons with Disabilities January 2006 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION Overview of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) was established in 1974 upon the approval of a referendum in its six-county northeastern Illinois region. The RTA is a unit of local government, body politic, political subdivision and municipal corporation of the State of Illinois. The RTA is responsible for the financial oversight of the region’s three public transit operators: the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra commuter rail and Pace Suburban Bus Service. The RTA is also charged with the oversight of planning issues that affect public transit in the six-county region. The RTA service area incorporates the following six counties; Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will. The CTA is responsible for operating buses and rapid transit, or “L”, trains in the Chicago metropolitan area, as well as in some inner suburban areas. Metra operates the commuter rail system in the region. Pace operates the suburban bus system, including fixed route, feeder route, and express route buses (including to and from Chicago), serving outer and inner suburban areas. Paratransit in the RTA Region The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990. This law is a civil rights act that is designed to ensure equal access to employment, public accommodations, telecommunications and transportation for people with disabilities. With the advent of the ADA, persons with disabilities are to be provided equal access to public transportation services. This pertains to the accessibility and availability of transportation services. To ensure equal access, the law requires that all new vehicles purchased for general fixed route public transportation service be made accessible to persons with disabilities, among other requirements. Fixed route service is defined by the RTA as the regularly scheduled buses and trains operated by the CTA and Pace. In northeastern Illinois, ADA paratransit service has been operated by the CTA and Pace since 1992. ADA paratransit service is provided as shared-ride, curb-to-curb service for Pace and shared-ride, door-to-door service for the CTA. The ADA does not require Metra to provide complementary paratransit service. However, all twelve train lines in the Metra system are fully accessible to customers with disabilities, according to the provisions of the ADA. Metra has modified rail cars and made accessible most of its busiest train stations along the lines to accommodate individuals with hearing, vision, and mobility disabilities. Train service for customers with disabilities spans all six counties in metropolitan Chicago. In addition, Metra operates a P-8 service (short for paragraph 8 of the Jones II consent Decree). P-8 is a shuttle service from an origin within ¾ of a mile of a non-accessible station to the next accessible station. Metra does this at no additional charge to the passenger and does not 1 Regional ADA Paratransit Plan for Persons with Disabilities January 2006 require certification of disability status. Reservations may be made any time the day before the ride is needed or with as little as three hours notice when necessary. ADA Paratransit services are required by law to operate the same days and hours as the fixed route service available in the area. It is important to note that ADA paratransit services are comparable to fixed route and are only required to operate within three- quarters of a mile of fixed route bus services and within a radius of ¾ of a mile of “L” rail stations. If an area does not have fixed route service, complementary ADA paratransit service is not required. However, in certain cases, both the CTA and Pace do provide ADA paratransit service to areas that may be slightly outside the three-quarter mile area. Existing ADA paratransit services operated by the CTA and Pace are more fully detailed in Section 2: Existing Services. Prior to the ADA, both the CTA and Pace operated paratransit programs. The CTA initiated its Special Services paratransit program for people with disabilities in September 1981. To supplement the base paratransit program, the CTA operated alternative transportation services and pilot programs such as the Chicago Taxi Access Program and the Group Trip Program. Prior to the ADA, Pace operated both a Dial-A-Ride and Mobility Limited/Special Services Program. Upon passage of the ADA in 1990, both the CTA and Pace were required to submit separate ADA paratransit plans to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to demonstrate compliance with the law. In January 1992, the CTA submitted the Chicago Transit Authority: Comprehensive Service Plan for People with Disabilities to the FTA. The CTA’s ADA Paratransit Plan Update was submitted in January 1996. Pace submitted the ADA Complementary Paratransit Plan in January 1992. Since 1992, ADA paratransit services operated by the CTA and Pace have made tremendous strides. In 1992, 37% of the CTA’s bus routes and 29 rail stations were accessible. Today, 100% of CTA bus routes are accessible and 50% of rail stations are ADA compliant. Every bus (100%) in the CTA fleet is accessible. In 1992, 43% of Pace bus routes were accessible. Today, all 240 routes (100%) are accessible and every vehicle (100%) in the Pace fleet is accessible. Efforts to coordinate ADA paratransit service between CTA and Pace have always been a high priority for both operating agencies and continue today. Legislative Actions On July 29, 2005, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Act was amended by the Illinois General Assembly. The legislation stipulates the following: • Pace is responsible for the provision of all ADA paratransit services by no later than July 1, 2006. • The RTA is responsible for the funding, financial review and oversight of all ADA paratransit services that are provided by the RTA or by any of the Service Boards. 2 Regional ADA Paratransit Plan for Persons with Disabilities January 2006 • The RTA, CTA and Pace will develop a Plan for the provision of ADA paratransit service for submission to the FTA by January 1, 2006. Since the passage of the legislation in July, representatives from the RTA, CTA, Pace, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) have been meeting to discuss all aspects of the transition process. A Transition Committee was formed to coordinate technical aspects of the transition, including but not limited to, administrative, service, financial, and legal issues. An Ad Hoc Committee of people with disabilities and representatives from agencies serving people with disabilities was formed to work with the Transition Committee and to communicate the transition process to the disabled community. Both the Transition Committee and the Ad Hoc Committee meet on a bi-weekly basis and are described in greater detail in Section 6: Public Participation Process. Plan Objectives The primary goal of the Regional ADA Paratransit Plan for Persons with Disabilities is to develop a Plan that describes the process for transferring the appropriate ADA paratransit services, management, and personnel from the CTA to Pace on July 1, 2006. Inherent in this Plan is the need to develop strategies that will lead to a more coordinated and regional approach to the delivery of ADA paratransit services. While the task is significant, all parties involved in the transition process have communicated support for, and contributed valuable staff time to, the achievement of this goal. The following objectives have been established for this Plan: • Continue to provide mobility for people with disabilities, • Maintain, at a minimum, the levels of ADA paratransit service that are required to be provided pursuant to the ADA of 1990, • Continue to demonstrate and promote the use of fixed routes in the RTA region, • Prepare a Plan based on realistic expectations of ridership, productivity and costs, and • Allow for input into the Plan by people with disabilities through established mechanisms and public hearings. Because the Regional ADA Paratransit Plan for Persons with Disabilities will be submitted on January 1, 2006 and full transition of ADA paratransit services will not occur until July 1, 2006, further development of coordination and implementation strategies will take place after submittal of the Plan to the FTA. With this timing issue in mind, the RTA, CTA, and Pace have agreed to make every effort to include as much detail as possible concerning the transition to occur in this Plan. Unresolved issues and additional coordination and implementation strategies are discussed further in the Plan Supplemental. It is possible that some additional changes will be proposed for ADA paratransit service in 2007 or later. However, any changes will be reviewed by the CTA and Pace ADA Advisory Committees and/or any regional ADA advisory committees that are established, prior to implementation. Any major changes will go through a public 3 Regional ADA Paratransit Plan for Persons with Disabilities January 2006 hearing process, as required by federal law. In these cases, updates to this Plan may be necessary pursuant to 49 CFR 37.139 (j). Organization of the Plan The main body of this Plan is dedicated to describing the existing ADA paratransit services operated by the CTA and Pace, the future demand for these services, the proposed transition to take place on July 1, 2006, and the public participation process involved in communicating the Plan and its contents to the disabled community. As noted above, not every coordination and implementation strategy will be fully developed when the Plan is submitted to the FTA on January 1, 2006. Therefore, the document includes a “Plan Supplemental” which is intended to highlight these transition strategies. The Plan Supplemental provides the RTA, CTA, and Pace with a list of activities, issues, and strategies to pursue between January 1 and July 1, 2006 and beyond. The following is a description of each section of the Regional ADA Paratransit Plan for Persons with Disabilities: • Section 1: Introduction – The Introduction provides an overview of the RTA, a history of ADA paratransit service in the region, and the objectives of the Plan. Also included is a brief description of the legislative actions leading to the development of the Plan. • Section 2: Existing Services – Section 2 provides an overview of existing CTA and Pace services, including fixed bus routes, ADA paratransit, and rail services. As required by 49 CFR 37.139, complete descriptions of both operating agencies’ service characteristics are detailed, including fixed route accessibility statistics and information. • Section 3: Estimates of Demand – Section 3 provides an estimate of demand for comparable paratransit service by ADA eligible individuals and a brief description of the methodology used. Estimates of demand for each operating agency are included, along with preliminary information on regional demand for ADA paratransit services. • Section 4: Proposed ADA Paratransit Services – A description of the proposed ADA paratransit services for the region are provided in Section 4. This section describes the administrative, service, and financial transition process to take place and the anticipated service to be operating on July 1, 2006. As noted above, this section includes as much detail as possible and reflects the current understanding of the RTA, CTA, and Pace as of January 1, 2006. • Section 5: Eligibility and Certification Processes – Section 5 provides a description of the existing eligibility and certification processes for all ADA paratransit services in the RTA region. 4