HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 9/5/2017 - Memorandum From Craig Dubin Re: Coordination With City Of Loveland TransitTransfort / Dial-A-Ride/Parking
Services
6570 Portner Road
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6620
970.221.6285 - fax
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
DATE: August 23, 2017
TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers
THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Laurie Kadrich, Planning, Development & Transportation Director
Kurt Ravenschlag, Transfort and Parking Services General Manager
FROM: Craig Dubin, Transfort Communications & Administration Manager
RE: Coordination with City of Loveland Transit
Introduction:
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an overview of the coordination efforts underway
between Staff of Transfort and City of Loveland transit services.
Background:
City of Loveland Transit (COLT) and Transfort have a longstanding funding and operating
partnership. COLT operates three routes along with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
complementary paratransit service which is similar to Transfort’s Dial-A-Ride service. COLT’s
operating resources are highly limited as is their staff. COLT is an important partner that
contributes resources towards the operating cost of the FLEX regional transit route serving
Northern Colorado and Boulder County. Many Transfort customers utilize COLT services and
vice versa.
In 2013, Transfort staff coordinated with COLT to publish a Request For Proposal (RFP) for the
City’s Dial-A-Ride contract; the goal being to include an option to allow COLT to participate in
the contracted service delivery model. In addition, between 2013 and present, COLT has
experienced a series of critical losses to their key management staff. With no depth to their
transit operations staff, Transfort has been assisting COLT through regular coordination efforts
and information sharing.
Overview:
Paratransit Coordination: As indicated above, Transfort included an option for COLT in the
current Dial-A-Ride contract. The goal of this effort is for COLT to outsource their paratransit
service to Transfort’s Dial-A-Ride contractor. In doing so, this will allow COLT to reassign their
paratransit drivers to the more cost-effective fixed route service. COLT has indicated that they
intend to seek expansion of their fixed route services through savings from outsourcing and the
re-assignment of their bus operators to drive their fixed routes. Transfort staff strongly believes
DocuSign Envelope ID: 21FC11D7-60D1-4B36-A027-5C6B378ADEE3
that improved fixed route service in Loveland would add value to our customers by improving
transportation options throughout the local transit network.
Management Coordination: While COLT has exhibited a commitment to transit and has been an
excellent partner, they have struggled tremendously over the past four years. Having no depth
and extremely limited expertise in transit management, they have had significant difficulties in
recruiting a transit manager with the necessary experience to run the small operation. The size
of their operation and proximity to Transfort and RTD in Denver has compounded their recruiting
struggle. Qualified managers with the experience necessary to operate a transit system with
very limited administrative resources typically will seek larger, fully staffed operations.
Transfort and City of Loveland senior public works staff have been in discussions for several
months to explore the possibility of Transfort management supplying one contracted manager to
operate COLT’s transit service. This contracted manager would be part of the Transfort
management team but would be dedicated to COLT operations. The benefit to COLT in this
relationship is the continuity of operations that this would foster. The benefit to the City is that
this would formalize the structure and allow Transfort staff to assist through an Agreement
rather than ad-hoc and frequently unplanned requests for assistance.
An intrinsic benefit to this effort is that this will help facilitate more consistent regional policies
such as fares, messaging, service standards, customer service processes, public outreach and
the sharing of technologies.
Summary:
The City of Loveland has been actively working with their community to implement these goals.
They received unanimous support from the boards and commissions to pursue the paratransit
option. City of Loveland staff intends to go to their Council in September to request approval to
proceed with the paratransit outsource and management contract models described in this
memo.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 21FC11D7-60D1-4B36-A027-5C6B378ADEE3