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Council approves plan to restructure region’s dial-a-ride service

The Metropolitan Council has approved a plan to restructure regional dial-a-ride transit service in the seven-county metro area. The plan is expected to enable more people to use the service without increasing the overall program cost and to allow for better coordination between dial-a-ride and regular-route services.

Additional goals of the restructuring:

• Streamline administration
• Eliminate duplicative services
• Provide equitable coverage
• Ensure program eligibility for federal funds
• Allow for future flexibility to adjust service areas as fixed-route services evolve

“The restructuring plan helps the Council deliver on two of its four key policy goals – maximizing the effectiveness of regional services and enhancing transportation choices,” said Council Chair Peter Bell. “We’re confident that taxpayers and those who use dial-a-ride services will be better served.”

How the restructuring plan will work

Currently, the Council provides a total of $3.1 million in funding to 14 dial-a-ride programs around the region, run by counties, cities and nonprofits, who provide some local funding. The Council also fully funds dial-a-ride service in six communities where regular-route service was eliminated due to low productivity, at a cost of $1.6 million.

Under the restructuring plan, all existing dial-a-ride contracts would be discontinued in 2010. The regional funds would be reallocated across the seven counties based on a formula that considers factors such as population, size of the service area, and the transit-dependent and disabled population in the portion of the county not served by fixed-route, mid-day services. 

Each county will be able to choose to either administer and directly operate, or competitively procure, the service within its jurisdiction; or, defer to the Council to competitively procure a contractor and provide administrative oversight.

New coordinating committee will implement plan, provide oversight

Restructuring the services will replace the current wide variation in service hours, fares, and operating policies with uniform fares, service hours and operating policies.

“With input from the counties, we will develop a single fare structure for dial-a-ride services, and ask the Council to consider a distance-based surcharge and group discounts,” explained Arlene McCarthy, the Council's director of transportation services.

A coordination advisory committee with representatives from all seven counties and the Council will be established to implement the plan and provide ongoing oversight.

The Council’s goal is to implement the plan by Jan. 1, 2010.