transit manager nebraska department of transportation kari ......her favorite driver, fred, can pick...

Kari Ruse

Transit Manager

Nebraska Department of Transportation

402-479-4694

kari.ruse@nebraska.gov

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*❑ Introductions

❑ Funding

❑ Reimbursement

❑ Definitions

❑ Scheduling

❑ Data Collection and

Reporting

❑ Cost Allocation

❑ RTAP Program and

Out of State Travel

❑ Asset Management

❑ D&A Testing

❑ ADA and RM

❑ School and Charter

Bus Rules

❑ Site Visits

❑ Resources

❑ Dashboard 101

❑ NATP

❑ Title VI

❑ Safety

❑ Driver Training

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Federal Transit Administration

Section 5311

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State Funds, Program 305

$6,312,705

Federal Section 5311

$8,879,328

$15,192,033 Fiscal Year 19

ANNUAL BUDGET

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Eligible Operating Costs 50%/25%/25%

1. Fuel/Oil

2. Drivers

3. Dispatchers

Eligible Non-Operating Costs 80%/10%/10%

1. Everything else (including vehicle maintenance)

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Demand ResponseShared use transit service operating in response to calls from passengers or

their agents to the transit operator, who schedules a vehicle to pick up the

passengers to transport them to their destinations.

Fixed RouteTransit service on a repetitive, fixed schedule basis along a specific route

with vehicles stopping to pick up and deliver passengers to specific

locations.

Deviated Fixed RouteOperates along a fixed alignment or path at generally fixed times, but may

deviate from the route to collect or drop off passengers who have

requested the deviation.

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Passenger Boardings/TripsThe number of passengers who board public transportation vehicles.

Passengers are counted each time they board vehicles.

Vehicle Revenue Hours of Service

The miles that vehicles are scheduled to or actually travel while in

revenue service.

Vehicle Revenue Miles

The hours that the vehicles are scheduled to or actually travel while in

revenue service. Exclude:

1. Deadhead

2. Operator training

3. Driver lunches

*Operating Hours:

Monday-Friday (County-wide service)

8 am to 5 pm

Every 3rd Wednesday -- Ogallala to Lincoln (medical only)

Every 2nd Monday -- Ogallala to Kearney

Friday trips to Omaha when scheduled 5 business days in advance

Monthly trips to Denver with 3 riders or more

**Excludes Holidays**

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Operating Hours:

Monday-Friday (Within City Limits only)

8 am to 5 pm (closed from 11:30 am-1 pm)

Saturday by appointment

**Excludes Holidays**

nebraskatransit.com

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Questions

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❑ Space• If the space occupied by transit is shared

use, what square footage does transit

occupy?

• If costs (rent, utilities, insurance, etc) are

shared, how was the cost allocation

determined?

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❑ Salaries▪ Actual hours

▪ Supporting documentation

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▪ Funds for technical assistance, training,

research, related support activities

▪ 100% no local match

▪ Reimbursement for travel expenses

✓ Driver training

✓ D&A workshops

✓ Annual transit managers workshop

✓ Out of state conferences

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❑ Vehicles

❑ Facilities

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NDOT’s Process

1. Local Assistance

2. Operations

3. Controller

4. Program

Management

*1. Pre-Trip Inspections

2. Maintenance Plan

3. Preventative Maintenance (Schedules)

4. Record-keeping

https://nebraskatransit.com/index.php/resources/transit-manager-resources/

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1. Policy updated in 2018

2. SOPs prepared by Precision Compliance

3. Random testing pool

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True or False?

1. A pre-employment test includes both drug and alcohol testing?

False!

2. Drivers are tested after every accident.

False!

1. There is a fatality as a result of the accident.

2. Individual(s) involved require medical treatment away from the scene.

3. The vehicle(s) involved incurs disabling damaged and must be towed

from the scene.

CCF

MRO

DER

SAP

BAT

DAPM

Custody and Control Form

Medical Review Officer

Designated Employer Representative

Substance Abuse Professional

Breath Alcohol Technician

Drug and Alcohol Program Manager

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All public transit providers must make

reasonable modifications / accommodations

by making changes to policies, practices and

procedures if needed by an individual to

participate in the recipient’s program or

activity.

❑Modification would cause a direct threat to

the health or safety of others;

❑Would result in a fundamental alteration of

service;

❑Without the requested modification, the

individual with a disability is able to fully use

the entity’s services, programs, or activities

for their intended purpose;

❑Would result in an undue financial or

administrative burden.

❑Provide accessible information about

requesting a modification.

❑Adopt procedures to receive and review

“complaints.”

❑Drivers may make decisions in the field.

Passenger gets mad when people talk on the bus

and starts spitting on people.

Elderly man involuntarily drools due to a medical

condition.

Patient recovering from surgery wants you to

administer pain medications before transporting

her from the hospital to her home.

College student doesn’t want to ride with “old

people” on the bus.

Regular rider in a wheelchair demands that only

her favorite driver, Fred, can pick her up.

You provide curb to curb service and a blind

passenger cannot navigate the steps to the

doctor’s office door.

A passenger has such an unpleasant odor that

other passengers refuse to ride in the same

vehicle with her.

1. A third party requests exclusive use of the vehicle for

a negotiated price.

2. The fares are collected or paid for by a third party.

3. The origin and destination is determined by a third

party.

4. A premium fare is charged.

5. The service is not part of the transit provider’s

regular service.

IT MAY BE CHARTER SERVICE IF………….

1. Schedule a trip(s) outside your service area or regular

operating hours.

❑ Advertise the trip(s) as open to the general public.

❑ Do not charge a premium fare.

❑ Do not let a third party collect fares. Each

individual should pay their own fare.

1. Official government business;

2. Qualified human service organizations;

3. When no registered charter provider responds to a

notice sent by a recipient;

4. By agreement with all registered charter providers;

5. Petitions to the Administrator are approved.

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nebraskatransit.com

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1. Invoices

2. Applications

o Operating Assistance

o Vehicles

o Vehicle Disposition

3. Update Transit Info

4. Training

5. Update Employee

6. Maintenance Cost Report

7. Accident Report

8. RTAP Reimbursement

https://invoice.nebraskatransit.com/

Title VI Civil RightsMatt Harrington

University of Nebraska at OmahaCenter for Public Affairs Research

Discrimination• “Any action or inaction, whether intentional or unintentional, in any program or

activity of a Federal aid recipient, subrecipient, or contractor that results in disparate treatment, disparate impact, or perpetuating the effects of prior discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin.” – Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Circular 4702.1B

• Disparate treatment• actions that result in circumstances where similarly situated persons are intentionally treated

differently (i.e., less favorably) than others because of their race, color, or national origin. • Disparate impact

• facially neutral policy or practice that disproportionately affects members of a group identified by race, color, or national origin, where the recipient’s policy or practice lacks a substantial legitimate justification and where there exists one or more alternatives that would serve the same legitimate objectives but with less disproportionate effect on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

Definitions• Disparate treatment - intentionally discriminates• Disparate impact - seemingly neutral but results in a greater than

average impact on specific groups• Race - physical and ethnic traits• Color - refers to skin color/pigmentation• National Origin - being from one nation of common ancestry, can

include different races

Limited English Proficiency(LEP)

Working with LEP persons

• Language Assistance Program (LAP)• Translation Service• Designated Bilingual Employee

• What Not to Do:• Refuse service• Defensive/Derogatory - “Just learn English”• Ask a minor to translate*• Call non-designated bilingual employee

Title VI Public Notice“This agency operates without regard to race, color, or national origin

in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory

practice under Title VI may file a complaint.”• Vehicles• Public Offices:

• Reception desk/lobby• Meeting rooms• Public meetings/hearings

• Website

Complaint Process

• Complaints filed to both Agency and FTA• Findings of:

• No Deficiency – Not a Title VI violation• Deficiencies – Out of compliance• Non-Compliance – Trouble

• Appeals go to Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) or FTA

Questions

Driver Training

Overview

• Annual Requirements

• Types of Training

• Driver Bootcamp

Annual Requirements

New Drivers

• Two 8-hour core classes within 12 months of hire

Optional: Online New Driver Training

Returning Drivers

• 4 hours of continued education

• 2 hours must be in person• Other 2 can be online

Types of Training

• Core• Passenger Assistance Safety and Sensitivity (PASS) & Defensive Driving (DD)

• 8 hours

• Refresher• PASS & DD

• Condensed version of core classes

• 2 hours

Types of Training

• Electives• Advanced Wheelchair Securement

• Dealing with Difficult Passengers

• First Aid/CPR/AED

• Braun Lift Training

• Online• New Driver Training

• ADA and Emergency Procedures in Rural Transit

• Customer Service Across Generations and Riders’ Needs First

• Problem Passengers and Customer Driven Service in Rural Transit

Passenger Assistance, Safety, and Sensitivity

• Disability Awareness & Sensitivity

• ADA Regulations

• Wheelchair Securements and Mobility Options

• Fire Safety

• First Aid, CPR, and AED Basics

Defensive Driving

• Managing & Reducing Risk

• SIPDE Driving Method

• Distracted Driving

• Rules of the Road, Laws & Regulations, Round-a-Bouts

• Excellence and Professionalism

Electives

• Advanced Wheelchair Securement

• Dealing with Difficult Passengers

• First Aid/CPR/AED

• Braun Lift Training

• Distracted Driving

Driver Bootcamp

Drivers who attend Advance Bootcamp will gain experience in:

• Passenger Assistance, Safety, and Sensitivity

• Defensive Driving

• Networking with other transit agency drivers

Facility

Located in Kearney, NE at Nebraska Safety Center’s Ron and Carol Cope Driving Range

• Large driving range• Centrally located• Advance “House”

Hands-On Instruction

• Fire extinguisher demonstrations

• SIDNE

• Door-to-Door or Curb-to-Curb practice

• Driving on the range

Fire Extinguisher DemonstrationWith the Kearney Fire Department

SIDNEImpaired Driving Simulator

Door-to-Door or Curb-to-Curb Service

Driving on the Range

Guest Speakers• Kearney Fire Department

• Nebraska State Patrol

• Nebraska Department of Transportation

• Great Plains Safety and Health Organization

• University of Nebraska at Omaha

• Operation Lifesaver

• Safe Kids

• CHI Health Center

Kearney Fire Department

Nebraska State Patrol

Nebraska Department of Transportation

Great Plains Safety and Health Organization

Bootcamp Reviews

“Very well organized – ran smoothly.”

“I’ve really learned a lot today. Great training.”

“I would do it again!”

“Learned lots to put into practice”

“Really good presenters and driving course.”

“Great information. Questions asked and answered.”

“Kaitlyn was great!! Class was awesome!!”

New Child Restraint Law

• Up to age 8 in approved child restraints

• Up to age 2 rear facing

• Ages 8-18 must be in approved restraints

Questions?

Kaitlyn Richardson

(402) 480-6859

richardsonke@unk.edu

SMSSafety Management System

What is Safety?

What is a “Hazard”?

What is a “Risk”?

Clients

Public

Agencies

Who’s at Risk ?

5

To BecomeEyes Not on TaskMind not on taskLine of fireBalance, Traction, Grip

Errors (Which cause)

RushingFrustrationFatigueComplacency

StateOf Mind

(Cause)

Risk Patterns(To become)Less risk

Serious

Minor

Close Calls

Hazards & Risk

More risk

Critical

Major

Serious

Hazards & Risk with a critical error

SMS

SMS HighlightsSafety Management Systems

SMS Framework• Goal is to provide concepts, components and sub-components necessary to provide

transit agencies with a strong safety performance culture.

Overall SMS Purpose• To look beyond the assignment of blame to an individual employee or supervisor,

SMS allows public transportation systems to examine how organizational factors contribute to safety performance issues.

SMS Goal• Ensure that an agency regardless of size or service environment has the necessary

infrastructure and leadership support to perform safely and optimally.

Site Visit

Data collection and findings report

SMS Development

Feedback & Follow-up

Training & Updating

Continuous Improvement

SMS Process

Part 1Public Transit Agency General InformationGeneral Policy Statement Leadership Commitment & Responsibilities Statement

Part 2Safety Training

Part 3Safety Communication

Part 4Safety Performance management Safety Performance Data Coordination

Part 5Safety Risk ManagementSafety Assurance for Performance & Monitoring

Part 6Safety & SecurityHomeland Security

Table of Contents

Appendix ATraining Info and Documentation

Appendix BSafety Communication Avenues

Appendix CIncidents Reports

Appendix D Drug & Alcohol Policy HandbooksPassenger HandbookDiver Cell Phone PolicyFacility Maintenance Programs

Appendix ESafety Findings Report

Table of Contents

SMS Analysis Process 1. Organizational

Infrastructure Review

2. Review Work Practices & Current Climate (Safety)

3. Review Policy, Programs, Procedures, &

Practices (4 P’s)

4. Evaluate Safety Data and Performance Metrics (Gap

Analysis)

5. Determine Safety Initiatives & Training

Requirements

6. Evaluate/Review Performance & Next Steps

Current State – Agency Overview• Visited 8 locations all varying in size (small, medium, and large).• Locations visited are Scottsbluff, North Platte, Seward, Sanders County

(Wahoo), Beatrice – Blue Rivers HQ, Nebraska City – Blue Rivers, and Syracuse – Blue Rivers, and Kearney (RYDE).

• Upcoming scheduled visits include Hebron.• Audit reports that include pictures are done for each location visited.

General Operating Information• Site locations all have a coordinator who coordinates schedules, drivers, bus care, and

policy/practice.• Larger locations have larger staff or more job functions to support their location (front desk

person, scheduler, transportation coordinator, transportation director, etc.)• Each location has at least one bus and a back-up vehicle for use. • Small locations share parking storage with local businesses or city/county services.• Small locations typically share office space with city/county services.• Small locations have a deeper reporting structure than larger locations. Most coordinators

at small locations report to a Director of City/County Admin Services or other Director level position.

• Mid-Large locations have independent office space that may also be attached to a parking facility.

• GPS is common in fleet vehicles across all locations along with cell phones for drivers.• FTE and PTE drivers are employed at each location – the number of drivers depend on size.• Hours of operation are pretty standard across all locations.

Policy & Practice• Random drug and alcohol testing done on drivers at all locations.• Incident reporting started by driver/coordinator at all locations.• Incident reporting completed and evaluated by director level at each location.• Emergency Action Plans are not consistent across locations.• Comprehensive safety plans are not consistent across locations.• Safety training is spotty at smaller locations, and more consistent in mid-large locations.• Emergency preparedness training/practice (fire, tornado, workplace violence) is not a

common theme.• Training for emergency response where public transport location supports in case of a

natural disaster (i.e., flood evacuation) is nonexistent. • Safety culture and safety expectations are varied across all locations. Safety is viewed

as a priority more operationally (in order to function) versus culturally (part of who we are and what we do organizationally).

Risk’s• No specific safety framework across locations – each location meets the

minimum criteria needed to function but those criteria may vary across locations.• Each location has a different standard on who can utilize their service.• There is no clear emergency preparedness by location for site specific

emergencies (such as violence in workplace).• There is no training available at any location for emergency preparedness and

support in the event of a natural disaster (i.e., flood, tornado, etc.). • No consistent expectations around safety incident reporting. • Comprehensive safety plans are not common – the only location that provided a

comprehensive safety plan was Sarpy County. • Most locations do not have updated technology.• A variety of locations transport children.• A variety of locations have the bus driver help people on and off bus, and in

some cases even help people up to the door of their home.• Most drivers are not just drivers they have many operational duties related to

their job.

SMS Components & Sub-Components

Advance ResourcesBill Bivin

The Team

▪ Nebraska Department of Transportation,

Intermodal Planning Division

▪ Nebraska Safety Center, College of

Business and Technology, University of

Nebraska Kearney

▪ Center for Public Affairs Research,

College of Public Affairs and Community

Service, University of Nebraska Omaha

WHO BENEFITS AND WHY?

The DOT

▪ Extended Staff✓ Graphic Designer

✓ Driver Trainers

✓ Communications Specialist

✓ Compliance Specialist

✓ Researchers

✓ Developers

✓ Event Planner

▪ Access to Resources✓ Translation Services

✓ Research

The University

▪Research Opportunities

▪Student Employment and

Engagement

▪Stability

▪Visibility

Our Mission: Working together to promote and support safe, affordable, and efficient public transportation in Nebraska.

5311 and 5310 Providers

▪Technology Tools

▪Marketing Resources

▪Compliance Assistance

▪Training

▪Help!

What are we doing together?

▪Statewide Driver Training

Program

▪Statewide Mobility Management

▪Compliance Assistance

▪Research

▪Marketing and Social Media

▪Technology Tools

Driver Boot Camp!

Statewide Mobility Management

Compliance Assistance

▪Title VI✓ Plans

✓ Training

▪Safety✓ Facilities, Buses, Workplace

Research

▪ Intercity Bus Study✓ Consultation Process

✓ Final Summary Report

▪ Impact of Transit on Rural

Communities

▪South Central Region

Stakeholder Transit Survey

nebraskatransit.com

Marketing and Outreach

LikeUs! We Like You!

Marketing Tools

Public Outreach

Future Collaborations1. Reservations app2. 100% paperless3. Online reporting capabilities4. Online training opportunities

1. Title VI for managers and drivers2. New driver training3. New transit manager training

5. Support mobility managers

How can we help you?

• Bill Bivin, bivinwd@unk.edu, 402-570-0491

• 2125 Transformation Drive, Suite 1260

• Lincoln, Nebraska 68508