Metro Mobility: Independence and opportunity for 13,000 metro residents
Council’s paratransit service provided more than 1.4 million rides last year
For more than 13,000 metro-area residents, Metro Mobility is more than just a bus ride. It is also a lifeline to independence and opportunity.
And that lifeline is going to become more important as the region’s elderly population continues to grow in the next decade.
In fact, the 1.45 million rides that Metro Mobility provided in 2009 may grow by as much as 6% per year for the next 10 years. By 2020, Metro Mobility may provide about 2.3 million rides in the metro area.
“A few years ago, a new Metro Mobility rider told us she had been forced to give up the keys to her car but, given the choice, would rather have given up her right arm,” said Metro Mobility Customer Service Manager Andrew Krueger. “The woman said, ‘Without Metro Mobility, I would have died.’
“For many riders, Metro Mobility is not only important but it’s a necessity,” Krueger said. “For each rider, it’s not just about transportation but about freedom and getting out there for meetings and appointments, and to see friends and family and living as completely and productively as they can.
“We know that people rely on us and we take that challenge very seriously, and respond in kind,” he said.
Ridership up, complaints down in 2009
As a paratransit service, Metro Mobility provides service only for riders certified by the Council using criteria in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To be eligible, riders must be unable to use the fixed-route bus service at least some of the time due to a health condition or disability.
First Transit driver Mark Lundheim assists Metro Mobility rider Lorraine Lassig of St. Paul to board a van at a recent pick-up downtown. Metro Mobility vans provided more than 1.4 million rides in 2009.
Metro Mobility complements fixed-route transit service provided by Metro Transit and suburban providers, operating primarily in the same communities and times as fixed-route service. Fares are $3 per one-way ride and $4 during rush hour.
While ridership for most other regional transit providers was stagnant or declined in 2009, Metro Mobility ridership increased by 1% from 2008.
In 2009 Metro Mobility:
- Provided 1.45 million rides for 13,000 ADA-certified riders
- Registered 3,786 new riders
- Served 92 metro communities covering 1,100 square miles
- Utilized six contracted providers and more than 300 vehicles
- Delivered over 97% of trips on time (within 30 minutes of the scheduled pick-up)
- Saw customer complaints drop despite a more robust tracking system and an increase in the number of rides
In the five-year period from 2003-2008, Metro Mobility recorded a 13% increase in ridership with only 10% more vehicles – a 3% increase in productivity.
Making Metro Mobility more efficient
The Metropolitan Council continues to seek ways to wring every dollar from its paratransit budget to provide the most efficient service it can, said Metro Mobility Manager Paul Colton. For example, Metro Mobility recently added 15 new hybrid-electric vehicles to its fleet with funds from the federal stimulus program.
Jeff Matson (left), St. Paul, is steadied on his feet by Bill Sperry of First Transit for a routine trip across town. Metro Mobility registered nearly 3,800 new riders in 2009.
Hybrid buses boost fuel economy by up to 25% compared to other gas-operated buses, and they significantly decrease carbon emissions. Another benefit: the hybrids are projected to last 25% longer on the road than traditional gas-powered vehicles.
In another upgrade, Metro Mobility launched a new online reservation system in 2009 that allows customers to reserve, cancel and review their trips 24/7.
“While most riders use the service to confirm or cancel their trips, we anticipate an ever-growing use of the system as computer use itself grows among our senior customers,” Colton said.
Technology improvements lead to better service
Additional improvements coming in the near future will include:
- Using new computer technology to combine information from multiple paratransit providers to increase cooperation and improve service, and reduce redundancies and overall costs.
- Installing on-board cameras to improve security, increase accountability and help resolve customer service issues.
- Completing an upgrade of Metro Mobility’s phone system that will open up the possibility for a future Interactive Voice Response (IRV) system, allowing customers to confirm or cancel their trips using an automated phone system.
- Installing on-board Mobile Data Computers (MDC) and Automatic Vehicle Locators (AVL) in 2011 and 2012 to help track the location and movement of vehicles and provide instant updates of routes. This will help improve customer service and operating efficiencies, and provide more accountability.
- Implementing an electronic fare payment option through expansion of the “Go To” system.
Metropolitan Council Member Annette Meeks chairs the Council’s Transportation Committee, which oversees Metro Mobility. She said the future looks bright for paratransit service in the region.
“Metro Mobility has developed a plan that takes into account the needs of customers with an eye toward improving operating efficiencies through creative technological solutions,” Meeks said.
“Especially as ridership grows, resulting in higher operating costs, these kinds of solutions will be critical for maintaining the high quality of service that Metro Mobility currently provides,” she said.