Summary June 13 2023 TAC LC Coord Transportation Plan Rewrite Mtg Made with Clipchamp - YouTube (Youtube) youtu.be
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Speaker 0 So we'll go ahead and started even though we have
Speaker 1 some other people joining us.
Speaker 2 My name is Sharon Pearson. I am. Lorain County mobility manager. Thank you very much for coming to the second meeting for the coordinated transportation plan, rewrite, just to refresh those of you who may be here for the first time. This is a requirement of the ohio Department of transportation for us to do a pre rewrite of the coordinated transportation plan will allow funding the diploma to Lorraine County that funds both the for the mobility management position, but also funds vehicles that some of the organizations that are even in the room have, which are called 63 10, those 53 10 vehicles, primarily focus on seniors and people with disabilities, but we also also are looking at helping people who are low income and the workforce as well.
Speaker 2 Also, we have our intern here, Sarah. Do you wanna introduce yourself. She will be presenting a little bit today too on some of the data.
Speaker 1 Yep. My name is Sarah Mason. I have been an intern here since stop February. And I have been responsible for the survey and gathering the data that... And and working with the focus groups to get all of our information so that we can produce some insights and move on with our coordinated transportation plan right.
Speaker 2 Alright. So I think last time somebody said that they really wanted to know who was in the room. So let's do... Let's quickly kind of go around. If you can say your name and the organization that you're affiliated with or if you're just a resident, that's your here And we're you're resident that I'm really excited because we really wanna to hear from people who maybe have to use these transportation systems here in Learning County.
Speaker 2 So, Veronica let's start with with you.
Speaker 3 I'm brian can news some. I'm 1 of 7 engineering things for you
Speaker 4 are. Go. Start
Speaker 5 Here doesn't out of work.
Speaker 6 Right Ron County. Washington state serves the correct right.
Speaker 7 During nearest to National Preservation
Speaker 8 of the abroad blaine transit
Speaker 7 mike's with our.
Speaker 6 Sac
Speaker 5 of Bill Title and President North Ritual.
Speaker 1 My last science director office for adults sitting on very well.
Speaker 8 Joe Spencer from That homes
Speaker 3 that have Ferguson United way of Critical Lorain County.
Speaker 9 Morning Mike Long, Rand County workforce development an the agency.
Speaker 5 Shirley. Barber super president you address all of them.
Speaker 10 Wendy the Gallagher the executive director Mc Avenue Club house and lori?
Speaker 1 County 18 medical transportation for.
Speaker 2 Reducing ourselves. So do early
Speaker 8 My name is Philip Simmons. And I met share last week at Ham library presentation there. She told me it
Speaker 3 comes from here.
Speaker 11 I'm playing Out mind
Speaker 5 from their graph and maybe public library.
Speaker 12 Is wrong, Johnson. Work workforce supervisor for P training and Resource Center sitting in for our executive director, ms Wendy Caldwell.
Speaker 1 Well, Beck, the North Center. I'm Stacy Slack. I work here 9. Right.
Speaker 13 I'm coordinator.
Speaker 2 So first of all, we want to thank the North Family Foundation. They supported the refreshments that you see here. And also, They provided transportation to some of the residents who didn't have any other way to get here. And so we're very glad to have those of you who were able to use that station here, and thank you to Kendall for providing that. So next, just want let you know.
Speaker 2 We are recording this meeting wanna make sure to have a record of all of this. We have not... There's not a Zoom link or anything that's going out because we're really... At this meeting it's so important because it's rewrite that we wanna make everybody was here in person doing having interaction, but it will be available on the Lorain county dot org websites or under the coordinated transportation plan tab. So the meeting agenda, we did the welcome and introduction we're gonna do a brief recap of the March 20 eighth meeting, but that meeting is found on the Morning county website, I'm gonna show a video, some of you have probably seen it, but what does it like be in Lee county if you don't have transportation.
Speaker 2 What are the struggles? There's a video by the fun for our economic future that was produced. Sarah is gonna to go over the current Survey information the information we've gathered so far along with the focus groups and those findings. To date, we still the information we're still gathering until July 10. But we wanted you to have this information to use for the Sw analysis, which we will be doing next and we'll be asking everybody to break into groups.
Speaker 2 And then we want each of the groups to report out on those discussions. So A brief free recap is, we showed a video about why transit is so bad in the Us versus Europe. Just talking the different trajectories that we took. And what that has paused and the fact that transportation really is about economic development. People can't get out there we're not moving people.
Speaker 2 That means money isn't being spent in our communities, People aren't being able to get to work. We did a... We had a presentation from O dots, representatives, my supervisor, her name is Carly C. She's in charge of about 40 mobility managers around the state of Ohio. And then Kira, It's gonna take you're a Williams.
Speaker 2 She's with the health
Speaker 10 department. Branch.
Speaker 2 You're a branch. Thank you. You're a branch also talked about the 53 10 vehicles and talked about the fact that they're funding out. They are for County. We're very unique because we are small urban, we center and there has been money that's come black on the table.
Speaker 2 So she was actually begging us that if you hadn't any inclination of even a thought of applying that you should fill out the letter of intent. So that's coming gone already. So anybody who's entry and then doing that, you would have to wait till until next year, but I'm very happy with what I think I've heard about the amount of people who did develop that letter of intent. So We've reviewed the class survey results from previous years and that Sarah presented that information. And then we showed a video about what the possibility could look like when we include technology and transportation here in Learning county.
Speaker 2 So that's what we we reviewed. So now this is the video. We wanted to share with... What is it like to live in Lorraine County without a vehicle?
Speaker 1 Scenario c, Lorain County and A o'leary believe I live in Downtown. I need to get to my security job at Lorraine County Community College for my 11PM to 7AM shift. I can't afford a car. How do I get to work? Starting point in Ale.
Speaker 1 I could take Lorain County transit to work between 07:30AM and 05:30PM. But I work from 11PM to 7AM. I usually bike 30 minutes to work, but my bike chain broke last week. I'm left with only 1 way to work. Walk.
Speaker 1 It takes me 1 hour and 30 minutes to walk 4.5 to Lorraine County Community College. And by 11PM is already put flat. Locations new in Lorain County Community College. I need to pick up my elderly mother's description when I get off work at 7AM. Twice a week, I have a second job cleaning houses and need to be there at 9AM.
Speaker 1 Will Be able to pick up the prescription and make it to work on time. Revision 3, the pharmacy and I walk 1 hour and 20 minutes to the pharmacy from Greene County Community College. Will I make it to my second job on time. The last stop, is the second job. I was 40 minutes late.
Speaker 1 1 and 4 of my neighbors who are worked don't have access to a vehicle. In Lorraine County, more than 2200 residents report walking to work.
Speaker 8 So I think we have to show sound the insane
Speaker 2 no. We're gonna. So any comments or thoughts about this video?
Speaker 0 Is this a scenario that... You a cover or hear about from people. Daily daily, And
Speaker 11 then then
Speaker 5 there are elderly people that can't get cleveland necessarily where they will be to pick the doctor meets to thing or. Places like that or doesn't can't drive.
Speaker 2 Yes. So as you can see, this is a very, you know, familiar scenario. I like to show this video because sometimes those of us who drive all the time. We just forget. About the struggles that other people miss pam.
Speaker 2 And so that's why I think it's always important to I don't want you to hear it from me, but to see it from other people or hear from other people and residents in the room or people who have to use transplant patient all the time about what their struggles are like. So you, those are the things that we are trying to work on together and break down some of these silos, work together to, you know, get over these issues that we are having. So we're going move on to Sarah. Sarah is going to present. Some of the current findings, and I'm gonna try to see if I can get the sound working for the next video.
Speaker 1 We don't need sound for data. Will be
Speaker 10 good. Alright.
Speaker 1 So far, we've had 296 survey responses, which is wonderful. So that puts us at a 5.66 percent margin of error with a 95 percent confidence rate. That's our statistical relevance so far. Our goal is, I think we can hit at least 400 by July tenth. 6 that's our minimum.
Speaker 1 But I think we can surpassed that. We've also done 12 po groups since April, so we've been busy. Going all all over libraries, We've done some memory, memory cafes, knit groups, like, we've just been out in our community talking to everyone we possibly can't. Okay. So most of our survey responses are coming from people who are speak English as our primary language.
Speaker 1 27 percent have an ambulatory disability, more than half of survey takers are more than 55 years old. More than half a survey takers considered this themselves a person of low incomes. And 36 percent of survey takers are employed or your outside of the home on a regular basis, while 44 percent are retired or on disability. So we have a wide range of individuals that we've collected and data from, Their survey responses are anonymous. And and this is kind of the the population that we are targeting.
Speaker 1 Okay. 1 of the questions on our survey is what types of private public or eligibility based transportation options have you our family member use?
Speaker 4 Past 12 months. So this
Speaker 1 is what people are already using in their day to day lives. Most Lorain County residents drive. We have a vehicle over own or we can borrow from a family member and we have to drive where we need to get to. Other options that people use primarily for biking and walking, carp pulling, Uber lyft, and this is kind of a descending list so you can see the most popular still self drive all the way down. We have Medicaid and private insurance about our our dial ride, And then fixed out.
Speaker 1 We're in county transit, we still do have a few routes. So people do take that as well. Where people are going when they use any type of transportation whether that's be walking or driving themselves or taking a taxi, nearly half of the survey takers live in Lorain or. So the population of our survey takers are in the very central Lorain county, La lorraine and. But they're traveling all over.
Speaker 1 So these are the most popular places that people are traveling for school, appointments groceries church, general shopping their pharmacies, are Ava Amherst, Ob overland and then as far as Cleveland and West Lake are some of our most popular destinations so far. When asked for the top 3, most visited destinations traveled survey takers responded they. Grocery shopping, medical or dental, and general shopping, were their top 3 so far. And I did update this because pharmacy and work and jobs keep switching in priority. So work and pharmacy are right up there along 1 of the top 3 places that people need to travel to.
Speaker 2 Very interesting about work. 5 years ago, work with like in the top 15. Now it's in the top 5 meeting.
Speaker 1 Okay. So the reasons that more than... This is another question on our survey. Reasons that more than half of the survey takers would choose a different mode of transportation. So the options are, they have no other option to drive.
Speaker 1 Obviously, they will look for another option. For transportation or if they don't have anyone to ask. If their if their car breaks down, and they have no other option, that's a reason that we listed. But if they had a choice, they would choose to use a different transportation option rather than self driving. If it was convenient and easy to schedule, if it would save money on gas parking fees or if it was better for the environment.
Speaker 1 Those were our top 3 choices set by survey takers in in our accounting. And 3 changes. Top 3 changes that... Survey takers would make to public transportation options, not necessarily their car options, but public transportation options like Dial at, survey or lauren county transit or other Uber lyft types of transportation. If they could ride to destinations in other counties, if there was service on weekends.
Speaker 1 And if fixed route buses were available in their area or came more often. So we had about 15, I think selections and these came out as our top 3 things that people want to see the change. You
Speaker 4 go it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 Satisfaction. Question number 2 on our survey is how satisfied are you with your mode of transportation and the options available to you right now? 61 percent of survey takers responded that, yes, they feel that transportation options available to them are adequately meeting their needs. They're satisfied with what they have. Most common reason?
Speaker 1 They have their own car. That's great. Everybody wants having their own car. But of the 42 percent they're responded, no. Have the common complaints and I'll read them because it's a little bit small.
Speaker 1 Services are not available at desired times. Surfaces do not reach them or they desired destinations. They services often late or unreliable and service is too expensive to be useful. So those are people that commented these common complaints over and over again out of the 200 some responses, these have popping up. And some people responded yes, they're satisfied, but had a complaint otherwise and would actually type yes from.
Speaker 1 Yes, it's meeting my needs, but also no, here's why I don't like it. So we had a
Speaker 4 lot of mixed. But he's kind of cool to see.
Speaker 1 What we're hearing. So this is kind of a combination of the focus groups that we've having. There's been some trends of what people are talking about And people don't know that what transportation options they have. A lot of them don't even know that Lauren County transit still has a big scraps. A lot of people don't know who to call or how to schedule for pickups or drop us for for transportation.
Speaker 1 They they just... Don't have the resources right in front of them. People are disappointed with the lack of public transportation as compared to time 15 years ago. A lot of these older people remember when there was 16 bus lines, and they could just go outside every 15 minutes and catch a bus to wherever they needed to go. And we're hearing that over and over.
Speaker 1 Heard so many stories. Oh, you be great. We could just go wherever. We go to the mall. We can, you know, we could get to work.
Speaker 1 And people understand the need of transportation, they have ideas for solutions and they're willing to get involved to see improvement. Of each of our focus groups has been kind of a question like, okay, for what now? What's our next step here? What can we do? Can we write letters?
Speaker 1 Can we get involved some So people are interested in her and we're gaining momentum. Your transportation have become a barrier to many for getting adequate medical care now to get to work, to get children to daycare and just to look independently what driving is no longer an option. So there's so many different people in our population that are struggling with transportation for a multitude of reasons. It's not just medical appointments, it's not just work. They gotta get their kids out.
Speaker 1 They wanna go visit fam, and there's some heartbreaking stories. Studies shows that there's a book written by Thomas Sa all. Sustainable mass trans. And I just pulled this quote because it kind of brings everything together. Transit development has helped to increase purchasing power in the surrounding areas, increase the connectedness among different communities to increase the number of residents, which has ultimately improved education facilities and expand our horizons of community members.
Speaker 1 So transportation touches upgrades single aspect of our economy in Marin county.
Speaker 2 We're gonna have to show this video later because I can't think can't get the sound working right now, but does anybody wanna share their experiences? You... Does any
Speaker 0 of this resonate with you at all? Yes.
Speaker 12 Absolutely. At our agency weeks. Provide, you know, plethora of services to both me here in Lorain lorraine County, 1 in particular, although we have a amazing organization, second Harvest, food pantry give plenty of rotation. However, leading the food to them has been the challenge and even if they walk, you know, having the carts and things of that nature to to transport all the food that they could get, is a challenge. So what we had to do is, you know, actually do that proxy form and deliver a lot of that food to those that are, you know, with dealing with food insecurities, and it's a lot of meat out there.
Speaker 12 And so we're solving a problem with this awesome need for the food insecurity to the second harvest and needs pantry are... You know, people are taking on that that task of opening up in their churches and in their organizations, we are even considering 1, but just that transportation piece. We've had to try to come up with how do we get the food to those that are in eating. So it's up... That's 1 of the challenges.
Speaker 12 Mh So we take it on ourselves to you know, deliver a lot of those boxes. Working with the organizations. They've been very, gracious to allow us to stand in proxy and do that last minute, you know, take the form to the client drop the box all have them fill it out right there, and then trust us to get it back to them, so they can have their numbers. They need to keep their going. So that's just 1 of the things Like to highlight.
Speaker 2 We haven't been finding that too. I will tell you that it's been... I... Even though I work and live and breathe this all the time, going out to, like, Facilities and realizing that they... Most of them are in food deserts.
Speaker 2 And that the closest thing to them is some type of corner store that charges tons of money with no fresh foods. And that some of the... I mean, we were at international Plaza, we started thinking about the grocery stores. And if you don't have a car, to walk that far, and even the corner store isn't that close to them to get there. And and even in Ob as small as Ob overland is, Walmart and aldi d is on the outskirts of town.
Speaker 2 So I mean, they have there's a church right next door that provides some 3 meals, but they're going to the gas station. And that's with that 1 video and we're hoping maybe after we do 1 of the first swatch. We can try to get that going because she really says a lot of great things. I think that is important to hear. We want you hear directly from somebody so it's not coming from us about what it is, and she has a car.
Speaker 2 But she sees all these things happening and she has used transportation here in Lorraine County as well. It's Any other comments?
Speaker 13 Sharing our clients, you know, we have mom and. And if they signed up to have the transportation take them to their doctor's appointment? And they say they're coming at 12. If they come in 11, you gotta be ready. And then they have to have a enough formula, is it they're dropped off at Lorain County health and Dentists street and they're told, hey, we'll come pick you up.
Speaker 13 They need to be prepared for at least 5 hours mh within a food and formula. And then not knowing really when they're gonna get back home. Drink So it... It's just like, because you're at their mercy. But they come to your house early, you have to be ready to run or I'll they'll think up.
Speaker 13 You're not ready home.
Speaker 10 Yeah. And piggyback on that, I think people don't understand. Like, the the level of... Planning that goes into even with provider At, You know, I went to an appointment at the hospital. And when I came back out, was a couple hours later nighttime dark, the man sitting there still waiting, leaving from my background, I said, are you are you waiting for transportation?
Speaker 10 And he started to cry and he's like, yeah. And they just built him out into the parking lot. And Been waiting and because I knew what to say. And how to stay it and and to ask where's your driver now. I need you to reroute somebody.
Speaker 10 I knew everything, so we would be able to get pitch up But I mean, you will just sit there and there is no other options for people. It's not like they can call their friends or family. And if they're using services because they need up vehicle that can have their power wheelchair or anything like that, you can't just expect somebody to roll up and pick that person off. You know? So it's, like, really yours stranded.
Speaker 10 And that's eerie at the mercy of people, you know? The sherry.
Speaker 7 That we have being a low vision status, and I'm finding that. The information this out there it's hard to obtain it's difficult to understand who would call when we call where call and people to go certain place. Is my word about mostly that I've gotten information about how we even access the transportation services that are available. I have to be... I have to go out of seat, looking on Facebook or finding your Facebook page, made me aware of oh, I can...
Speaker 7 This is where I need to go to find out how write from point a point b. Let me see how it is. 2 to drive good being low vision, how how easy it is to just drive transportation system it is very difficult to 9 for somebody who cannot see to be able to even know to stand to wait more buses that are available on the transit trial. Completely unavailable for somebody to who cannot see. I can't imagine for anybody else to know where to...
Speaker 7 Where it goes stand how along the way and it's just difficult. It's very difficult. And like I say, this even knowing that having the information to know. How to access what services can I access to go where I want of them, it's it's very difficult to on that to that information?
Speaker 2 Well, thank you, Sherry, for saying that because I think all of us we can work together to help get the information out. We do have transferred patient guides that we can give to you to be able to hand out to people. This is not about the mobility management program doing the so we need ambassadors and people out in the community, helping us get the word out there as well sharing our our Facebook posts and
Speaker 14 things like that. Did you you wanna?
Speaker 5 Yeah. I'm just... Well, guys are professionals. I am resident. Right.
Speaker 5 And I was gonna use for an example last year. I'm back account around the end. 02:57 5 appointment at Covid in January didn't gotten he's gonna hospital them for 7 days. Lorain covid after that. Had heart issues that ever sent put Lorain issues had to go to therapy for 5 months.
Speaker 5 Saying that because I don't drive anymore. You know, for whatever reason. I don't drive. I gotta get props and help with that aging. That mean they drop, No.
Speaker 5 Let's name drugs. Absolutely Excellent. I did not do for them. I had therapy 3 times a week at the hospital. They pick me up to leap brought back, you know, back and forth different different doctors all over, Also, I have utilized the Lorain and transit.
Speaker 5 Again, a win name drop. Sometimes But they make me crazy. Mh And and I can identify what the young lady was saying you you get they'd come there an hour early and you have to be ready. You get dropped off the deductions form which means you get seen quicker. Then 20 30 minutes later, I'm ready to go on, but I have to sit and wait for 2 hours because they give you a time that they come back and get you, which is okay.
Speaker 5 But then you get to be... Old 69 on But this thing that was, you know, just to say that, being elderly, and like, I was in the hospital. And I was see... Like... 5 or 6, so lane county transit that, buses go through, not knowing that there was a, you know, a specialized route that they just use that 1 bus like, take people to court and stuff like that.
Speaker 5 All I know is I'm old. I'm tired. I'm hurting. I'm ready to go home, but I see an empty bus go through every 5 minutes, but it ain't pick in me up. I So I do take exception to stuff like them.
Speaker 5 And then when I explain why don't I see so many buses both are not of come to get me. Well, they're on some kind of big sprout and they can only go... You know, they're just from the downtown area. Yeah. But the downtown area ain't not old people.
Speaker 5 People with disability, people that can't always see it they can't walk to have bad needs. So, you know... And I keep thinking I just saying scheduling something directly because this is just not right. We I have paid taxes for 55 years well, 53 years I've worked like 68 year line. And I should not have to sit and wait, you know, on a bus ride home, But 2 or 3 hours, we have bad issues, you know, we...
Speaker 5 There's all kind of issues. So I'm just saying... And... In uber and limp. I tried to utilize them.
Speaker 5 I've yet have got 1 to come to a there to emails. Yeah. So it's just they're not there.
Speaker 2 Yeah. Yeah. So you that address since the pandemic, my Cooper lyft. Yeah. It's They're not as prevalent.
Speaker 5 So like I said, I would put my brother to young considering I just understand my truck wouldn't be here. Mh.
Speaker 7 Thank you. Thank you.
Speaker 5 You're great.
Speaker 0 Did you?? Yeah. Very small, Shirley. Thank you. Nice plug.
Speaker 0 Happy we're able to help So I'll give an observations. And this is
Speaker 2 Lauren is the executive director. She wasn't here to introduce for something. Wanna introduce yourself. Right.
Speaker 0 Okay. Go ahead. So I I wanted to to share an observation that I made. So... For
Speaker 2 the last
Speaker 0 month or so, I I had to run our trip. Take your program on top of you know, the entire organization. Okay. Very can't. Very, very thankful for for Marlene.
Speaker 0 Marlene is already transportation coordinator. She actually was our. Court and out she's that. So I'm super excited to have Really back of my team, but what I wanted to talk about was I did the scheduling for about 1. So And what I notice is the high anxiety.
Speaker 0 People are so. Their calling? I gotta get my ride. You're calling me 3 or more times in 1 day. And I have to, like, check myself because I'm like, is I'm gonna get to you like, Lisa up.
Speaker 0 But I have to check myself because that just tells me how serious is this piece? People. That they are only very 4 times and hey. And just like, to hear the relief on their on the other end of the world, like, they'll call me and say, okay, We're not got 5 doctor's of appointments, you know, they start b off these days
Speaker 5 and I'm like. Mh.
Speaker 0 And, you know, I'm sorry, I'm filling a minute stuff. And just like to hear the relief
Speaker 3 and their voice phone, you can take.
Speaker 0 But I'm not saying that to, like, give me more money. I'm saying
Speaker 4 that it's.
Speaker 0 Really surprised me that is really it isn't big material. To the people that we serve like this really is their their lifeline are getting to doctor, to where they're going. And I I guess that. I need it's almost experience that as the professional I'm up here and everyone everyone's like got come back down here and and that really shocked me then people are dia anxious to that right.
Speaker 10 We have to be a life in death. Right? You me at the support. They don't need. You need to to your doctors, they, Yeah.
Speaker 10 You can die.
Speaker 2 Lauren, and I have a question is the technology helping because I know you're using technology in order to help speed up the process a little bit because, you know, it's it's like 1 thing. It's like great. People get dropped off, It's that pickup. That's the other stress.
Speaker 0 Yeah. So I me, the pick up, we we do pretty pretty good. My role that I pulled by staff is the number 1 we've gotta get on their own.
Speaker 5 That is numero no.
Speaker 0 But it is also important we can go back and again yeah. Whole thing is that, like, if you want to wait 30 to 45 minutes first come and and get them. That's an acceptable time frame. We have to just be realistic. But to answer your question, I'm just gonna be really honest.
Speaker 0 I didn't mess about the technology I was for
Speaker 2 me. At that.
Speaker 0 But I have played with it, Yes, Marlene have seen it and we're gonna start action. Of getting into it. Yet, I mean, yes we technology absolutely going to help with
Speaker 2 with our scheduling, but I'm
Speaker 15 just gonna be honest this.
Speaker 5 I was just trying to write last month.
Speaker 2 I get that. Okay. Alright. Yes.
Speaker 8 I just wanna address something on the back end in reference to scheduling. And I and I feel lot the more. I was already got transit it. So I get calls day in and day out, people that need scheduled dial ride services. And and I...
Speaker 8 Totally aware what for registration bucket getting on the calendar to go to their appointments and then the wait time for the returns pick up. But the flip side and that is On that return pickup, there there is an extended time as far as when can be picked up, but the reason for that is you're going will accommodate as many people as we can, I mean, they would route to get them to those appointments? We have our own challenges with staffing and bus. So is it the best option available or that service that we can provide? Today no.
Speaker 8 Will it be in the future or born absolutely? But we have our own struggles and we're doing, you know, what we can we'll accommodate as many keep on every day.
Speaker 2 And Tiffany, thank you, Bud. When we call
Speaker 10 you guys, you guys are so nice,
Speaker 2 Somebody thank you for saying that because this is not a bashing about or county Transit. No. I wanna make sure that that's clear that this is about how do we supplement with maybe some of the federal vehicles that are existing out there that organizations have to supplement, And how. And then the technology piece, I think is also important because I think with the technology piece, you're able to use that to get more people on vehicle at 1 time going in the same direction. There are so.
Speaker 2 And so to So that's what we're here for is not... You know, I think, you know, the first thing that comes mind is you know, transit. But There are other options out there, and how can we all work together using all of those options out there. I saw a hand over here.
Speaker 12 Yes. Just a testimonial for Lc since we're talking about Lc. An the agency, we will... Some of our clients who come in there they're looking for employment for the first 7 days, we have a trend. We have vehicles.
Speaker 12 We transport them and then what? Lc. We called them, young man I was working in A, living at the Haven center. Lc was gracious enough to, you know, have an availability, 9 dollars each way. We, you know, helped them out took his first paycheck.
Speaker 12 He he made it happen. They took him. To work back to the haven center. Until he was able to purchase his own vehicle and now he's getting to work on his own because he was able to utilize it Lc. So that's just some some good stuff about that.
Speaker 7 Thank you. We'll don't here.
Speaker 6 Just a good.
Speaker 8 Answer that.
Speaker 1 And it.
Speaker 0 I will very quickly add. No, I've always had great luck with you guys. You know, if if there's a situation that comes into our office, and I called Usually, it's Pam, but sometimes I get tiffany. They're always wonderful. So I want a second then.
Speaker 0 This is not a... And and I know she. This is not a mash mvp. They're great, but they have challenges playing all the rest of us to do. So the conversation needs to be about how with these prize for those channels ring.
Speaker 0 Right. Yes. Yeah.
Speaker 11 I would like to appreciate the Lauren County Mobility management team for doing all the great work. That they're doing currently. But for any county or any city to grow, the public bus rapid transport system is the main lifeline So do we have any plans to integrate the Cleveland with the Lorain county thing? So I mean, like, because, like... I I see, like, many many people are raising care about the issues with editing attending the doctor's appointments and all that stuff.
Speaker 11 Along with the... There is... I would like to bring up 1 more scenario where, like, the million years, like, they they want... They need to do that public doctor transport commute to get to their employment opportunities and all that stuff every day. It's not like we can call the L every Okay, We need it right Something like the rental until we get it transfer something with there.
Speaker 11 So the main issue that I... When... When Spoke to you last month, the main issue that you raised, like, there are some difficulties between the 2 county. But in the last 2 weeks, I mean, like, we see... We have seen that Cleveland Lat is integrating with summit submit 20 thing to get packaged towards that Macedonia and a couple of other cities.
Speaker 11 Is it any way that... Is there anything that our team is doing any work like to integrate the k? With out and things. So...
Speaker 2 There there are discussions going on about that need because as Sarah showed in her Data, that's a request that's starting to be made of that access to cleveland. Part of that is because there are some medical procedures, they're all being that are all in Cleveland. And that's very costly. My understanding 200 to a thousand dollars round trip. For somebody to be able to go over into Cleveland without that transportation.
Speaker 2 So there are conversations that we are having I... There's a lot of conversations in North Ridge with the Learning County Community College, I understand is also very interested because the best 55 just Scott. On the other side of the highway.
Speaker 0 Yeah. From from, you
Speaker 2 know, equipment Rt stops there. So there is there is a discussion there are discussions going on.
Speaker 11 So after I met with you, I ordered... I I also met with the mayor of Mock ritual and give my research whatever I shared it with you. And And he said that he will look into it in all steps. So maybe like,
Speaker 2 can useful stuff for. So... Probably should go ahead and move on to the swat analysis. What's that? Do you...
Speaker 2 Yeah, but the next screen too...
Speaker 10 Oh, sorry.
Speaker 2 First on this. Okay. So what we're gonna wanna do is go through each of the areas you... I'm gonna...
Speaker 0 Go and have you leave this. Okay.
Speaker 2 Alright. And I'm gonna try to guys.
Speaker 1 Okay. Each So a slide analysis that basically actually, we're gonna we're gonna work in small groups here. So
Speaker 10 I think if we... That would
Speaker 1 be 8. I think if we did 4 tables. That's too many nature with this 2.
Speaker 2 Well, you know what? Before?
Speaker 0 You know what? I forgot about this? What do you do
Speaker 2 this swan analysis? I think it's important for us to go over what the past 5 year goals are? Because what we're trying to look at is, should some of these goals, should we continue to have them? Or do we need to develop new goals? Now we wanna come up with a list.
Speaker 2 And I don't care how many. Because at the next meeting, we're gonna start w down down to 5. But these were the past goals and and keep in mind some of the data that ser presented. It was to increase awareness of transportation options. We still hear that that's a problem.
Speaker 2 Mh Developing and implementing the mobility management program. That's kinda of done. There's portions of this goal that we are continuing on in the job description for the mobility manager, so that's not going to be lost. But for the most part, we feel that this is done. Explore data collection and planning synergies.
Speaker 2 How can we begin to work together, coordinate educational training programs, I wish I could... Hopefully we can share you that with you this video from this lady who lives in Ale lea, talking about the education needs that are still out there. And then exploring transportation pilot projects, we run a a couple of pilot projects with senior facilities and also with workforce. And and things like that. Do do we need to continue to, you know, work on any of these goals.
Speaker 2 So I wanted to have you keep that in mind as you're going through the slot analysis. Go. X.
Speaker 1 Okay. K. So smart sand strengths, weaknesses, opportunities be threaten. Thank you.
Speaker 3 You know, have not opportunity, but equipment, I guess we wanna say that we do have, like ways that we can solve and getting issues. And then also a good relationships keeping a different organizations, having these community meetings, having these total, getting You see that as strength that other meetings may not have. Exactly. Ahead.
Speaker 4 Yeah
Speaker 12 Alright. We have highlighted Lc, we do have
Speaker 16 limited transportation
Speaker 12 in the area. We are glad for that. We have provided ride in Dow Ride. We have bike lanes, electric scooters. We have senior rise services but limited from medical and in shopping We have agencies that are in the area that will give limited transportation to their clients.
Speaker 12 We have we highlighted a few of the agencies, north center even mentioned office of aging. I've highlighted my agency. Will help with transportation with our clients. And then we also... Started Oh, I'm sorry.
Speaker 12 Right. Yeah highlight services that will help people get their vehicles repaired as well as purchase. Vehicles like P seafood Lock Lorain County Job family services and the a Lorain County community action agencies back harbor program.
Speaker 4 Then we do a pause that happening. Okay.
Speaker 5 Cool Now
Speaker 6 run of the stress if you have very down rooms, You have local government? County Del, private industry and nonprofit. Finally talking is quite under coordinated efforts. As opposed to living in sounds.
Speaker 5 Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 6 1 of the string
Speaker 16 things time. There's an asked system. So right county transit use text sick bus. Route.
Speaker 5 Yeah.
Speaker 16 And so that there's already been a system in place before. More so just trying to see why that's not.
Speaker 5 It's Okay Okay? I'm paying but just when the streets were said there are plenty of vehicles down. To transport l e whatever. Also, we came with it's a good idea that like 1 did say our community leaders are finally working together to create synergy you know, for everybody and county. You know, that needs to ride to be able to get a ride.
Speaker 5 1 thing that we highlighted was that you know, flexi... We're not bashing Lc So 1 of their strengths that you can call them today and you can get an appointment for tomorrow. A lot of our transportation people... We can't do that with. You know, we have to give them 2 or 3 days or, you know, they may say, you know, we need a couple of days, but they're really good about accommodating, especially the...
Speaker 5 And I would speak for the elderly resident because that's the group that I in. But they've really good at accommodating us, you know, in cases like that and so, you know, kudos the Kudos to all of them because I. So I don't also they take a sooner like different places to shower. I'm necessarily need to go get groceries, I'm live by myself, but I love
Speaker 4 shoes. They
Speaker 5 I'll certainly we come with anybody for to get rise. From etiquette is 100 percent right now there. Some very nice people on the other end of the lines. You know, I I... You you're yourself nice album when I press me for the 20.
Speaker 5 You just people that, you know, in marine gambling. Okay don't okay. What did anybody say alabama as we could And we are their account books are all gonna to be granted. Like I said, we were spec... You know, we're specifying that the mayors, some and a lot of people that hear have actually got all those buses.
Speaker 5 They wrote those buses. Mh. And I know for a bag because I married the deal facebook and and I actually seen him on of us finding. Yeah. So that's.
Speaker 1 To speak on that, so Sharon does do right along months a month. Our next ride along if you want to join us for a bus ride to our bus ride. And we meet over at Meridian Plaza, which is the shopping center over here on the corner of Fifth and Reed Right? But gonna read. June 20 third is our next slide.
Speaker 1 Cool so which does this every month. So please, I encourage you. So that's just
Speaker 4 to cover of the month? Alright. Anymore. Take. Okay.
Speaker 4 Oh, I
Speaker 1 love it. Things. Alright.
Speaker 10 Gonna on too. We miss those now.
Speaker 1 So I want some really focus on the weaknesses
Speaker 4 that we have control over.
Speaker 1 So we can't make people use transportation, auctions. We can't control the way to people. Think about it, but we can we can create improvements. So I really want you to kind of things broadly, as you think about home outside our weaknesses business.
Speaker 4 Things that we can improve at a pool. Oh, browser?
Speaker 2 That sounded. Like, wait.
Speaker 0 Hold on. The video might have been working. The that order team?
Speaker 17 Sherry. Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 This is problem.
Speaker 2 It's very quiet. We're getting there We're close.
Speaker 1 What resources. So the things the people information. Information, the data that we need
Speaker 2 how we get that information now?
Speaker 1 Yeah. What what resources could improve performance in general. And which features make them look bad? See in comparison to other similar programs. So if you wrote written the Rt or you've written, you know, I think lake County has 1 or something you know, we go to Lorain subway, what makes ours different and makes it kinda non look as nice.
Speaker 1 So examples, I just of the key is funding barriers and. We don't always understand or communicate in the best way of where funding is coming from and
Speaker 4 how we're gonna utilize it.
Speaker 1 Out And then awareness is support from general population. Like I said, a
Speaker 7 lot of people don't even know that we have fixed reps. So you don't know who
Speaker 4 to call. So... Okay. Minutes on weaknesses?
Speaker 2 We're talking about weaknesses?
Speaker 15 There's a modest of leadership turnover and by additional knowledge.
Speaker 0 Lack of knowledge or services.
Speaker 15 It can be intimidating to use or get started. People don't know what to say or how to ask for help. Crossing counties as a barrier. Rural people have less options. Does it decrease the number of routes?
Speaker 15 Visibility of signage, and no idea how long you'll be waiting as a stop, which leads into lack of technology, And it's it's it can be very expensive here compared to other places. And they take cash only with exact change. For a bus gas.
Speaker 8 Awesome. Alright. Pretty up.
Speaker 1 A lock I didn't.
Speaker 5 Got difference. Yeah. We Came Up With That the Bus routes. They Really Need To Be Evaluated. Because there are...
Speaker 5 And they need to be... You know, we take the surface and everything. But once we get the results back from the surface then, who puts it into play Like like, we was been discussing we need to be get up into, like, Cleveland areas and stuff like that. But if we, like, coincide with Rt that we can drop off at 1 point, then make it pick up at that point. And, you know, if they would just all learn how to.
Speaker 5 Work together within the system. And somebody mentioned that if we had bus said we could really depend on it, they would need to drive the work. And that could be a huge impact of our environment.
Speaker 1 Yeah. That. Yeah.
Speaker 5 And also sidewalks. We need time that, you know, let we write, pick up people. And
Speaker 6 this is just what I
Speaker 5 when you kind of find assumptions We talked
Speaker 15 to him along though this.
Speaker 10 Yeah. Think let's anybody got anything different.
Speaker 0 For honor guys saw your hand up. But yeah.
Speaker 3 So 1 thing that was pointed out is that the transportation guide is mostly private companies. And that is a cost issue what mode that the private social are more costly than any transit or other transfer data options. If Right. Echoing what they said before and flagged information panel works finalized etcetera. Yeah.
Speaker 3 We also had something about and I didn't think touched on briefly. The previous systems, like knowing the history of this system. Yeah. That chemo aren't aware that this system used to be there when we'll apply for fleming, someone will ask us, well why do even think that'll work? Well, does it did for 40 years, Right?
Speaker 3 In. Right. Yeah. And then also echoing the sidewalks and white lanes. Communities that are more liberal might not have the sidewalks yet at all.
Speaker 3 They was still. Exist. Right. And then areas like brain that lay on a lot of areas that are lower moderating. So sidewalks are not been maintained up to know, an acceptable level.
Speaker 3 Mh. And then lastly, we have... It's not bright size for immunity, you a lot of the county, like, it has desperate knees. So, you know, down between like, you know, Wellington Ob overland, they have certain needs, whereas an urban area, like, has different. Whereas a place like Av, Their needs are different as well.
Speaker 3 Maybe they wanna do that for recreational uses for, you know, dial right, really transit. Know, going to the stadium, etcetera. Overland, maybe they're having their arts of events, like I said, worrying Larry, maybe they're trying to get their, you people's to employment. It's just we need to right size this system some for our community
Speaker 14 Anything. Yeah. Another I just thing just a new, go back and put the numbers in it. 16 down
Speaker 0 to 6.
Speaker 1 Yeah. Okay. 01:51 to 2 to 50 the downhill
Speaker 4 of a is ringing. So
Speaker 2 Yeah. I yes. Think, well, 16 fixed routes.
Speaker 8 Down to 4 fixed route, We have downtown all o'leary loop and
Speaker 0 then over it is on demand.
Speaker 14 Just so people know
Speaker 4 there's numbers. Okay.
Speaker 10 Alright. Awesome. Okay. We are gonna move invite.
Speaker 2 Well, first, you want you you want me to go high. Let me show this video. Because this might help a little bit with your swat analysis.
Speaker 10 Yes.
Speaker 2 Yes. Right but? Yes.
Speaker 8 I don't think that the system cra on her. Right
Speaker 13 And the other thing I went on there too is that folks knowing that 2 1 money it is their site to go to to get information. I think you know, re emphasizing go to 211, money
Speaker 2 Alright. I think this video is finally working so that we can hear.
Speaker 17 Carrie, thank you so much for being here. Sorry.
Speaker 2 Let me turn this up. I didn't need to turn out my computer too.
Speaker 18 With this. We really want to share these stories of transportation, whether it'd be you. Your past experience or even your relatives that struggle with transportation you know, when we were here before, you told us a lot of great information that I think, the general cult and the Ring county transit and others need to know out. So first of all, how long have you been I have you been in a long time Ali o'leary resident or...
Speaker 19 I've been a Lea resident on my life. But I've moved to Cleveland. I lived in Columbus.
Speaker 18 Where they have transportation?
Speaker 19 Yeah. Yeah. And their buses run 24 hours a day. Some of them, a lot of them do a lot of the ones that run are for work purposes Mh. That run 24 hours.
Speaker 19 So they're around a bus line. Some of them don't run 24 hours, but a lot of them do.
Speaker 18 Yeah. So what has been your experience with... You know, you've been to
Speaker 20 these places with transportation and
Speaker 18 now you come back to lauren County, how has that felt to you? Or what that experience?
Speaker 19 When I first... When Lc first started. Mh. It was great. Mh.
Speaker 19 The buses ran all the time. They ran later. People were getting back and forth the work, it they had the connector piece, like, for people who we had appointments in Cleveland that you could catch the bus so far and then the Cleveland bus to come pick you up and bring you back there. And then all of a sudden, everything just changed. So now buses are running every other hour which makes it hard for people to get because especially in the summertime or the wintertime.
Speaker 19 They can't just set out there. They'll either freeze to death they'll end up having asthma attack or a his stroke. Mh. And then now people can't get back and forth to work because the bus only run to a certain time. So that costs a lot of jobs being lost.
Speaker 19 A lot of people being homeless, and nobody wants to ride a bus anymore
Speaker 18 from you told us that experience about what you have to do on a daily base to help basis to help your niece. Can you tell us?
Speaker 19 Yeah. They am the
Speaker 18 friendly office.
Speaker 19 They don't... Bus that runs early in the morning. She has to be at Ride at 4 in the morning. There is a bus that goes to Ride. I but that's not till, like, later in the afternoon, It's 1 bus.
Speaker 19 And then she also has a friend who lives by the college.
Speaker 18 Learned County.
Speaker 19 Yeah. And there's no bus that runs out there early in the morning.
Speaker 18 And she also works at right now.
Speaker 19 Yes. And she walks every day to work. And by time I get off at 130, there's not even a bus that goes past there and north ritual for them to get back. So she has to walk home in the heat. Mh Yeah.
Speaker 19 And it's she... And they even having a bus to take my knee home. She lives, I'm Colonial oaks.
Speaker 18 Oh yeah.
Speaker 19 And there's no bus that runs out there. Mh. My sister, I have my sister. She's a little bit younger than me. She's trying to get a job.
Speaker 19 She lives over by the mall. Mh. And she doesn't even see buses that come over there but maybe once or twice a day if that. And they're not early enough to get her to work or home from.
Speaker 20 And what
Speaker 18 in what hours I
Speaker 19 could talk.
Speaker 1 To remember.
Speaker 19 Well, my niece and my... And her friend worked 4 to 01:34 in the morning to 01:30 in the afternoon. My sister works third it. So she works 11 at 9 to 7 in the morning. And see that you...
Speaker 19 When I started working when I came back to Ali area, they did have a bus that ran at night. They would pick everybody up by the mall, and they... Like, you could... If you could find a way to the mall or whatever. They would pick you up by the mall, or pick you up if they were going by where they were dropping people off, and they would actually had a bus that literally dropped people off at work.
Speaker 19 Mh. Like, right in front of the building.
Speaker 18 So we're here at heart plaza
Speaker 20 right now. What are the struggles that you see with
Speaker 18 some of your fellow residents that they have?
Speaker 19 That they're... Like, they would like catch the bus, but they can't sit outside and wait for 2 hours for a bus. They do have peg here. I've never took in, it, but I see the pick people up here. But what if they're people that can't afford it?
Speaker 19 Mh. You know, are they gonna get it for free, took because people have doctor's appointments and then provide a ride, you take them to the doctors and that's through your insurance company where they offer transportation You're getting there on time, but you're having to wait to 3 hours for a ride home, and that kills the rest of your day. What if you have another appointment that you have to get to. And you're late for and it's, you know, a life or death appointment that you need to get to or, you know, you have to make sure that your bills are aid or go to the grocery store.
Speaker 18 Right. So we're here Car
Speaker 20 plaza in Malaria. Do you see
Speaker 18 where people struggle with getting access to grocery? Or food.
Speaker 19 Yeah. Because the only thing is, the corner store. If they don't set up peg is, how are they gonna get to go get food. A lot of people go to the corner stores? And spend spend their food stamps at the corner store to eat every day.
Speaker 18 And that's expensive
Speaker 19 Very expensive. It costs 6 dollars for a sandwich there. It costs, like 4... 6 dollars over there for a gallon of orange juice.
Speaker 18 Do do you think you guys know about the route maps? For the bus or... I mean, do people not know.
Speaker 19 I don't think people know. Okay. Alright. I don't think there's... So that's why they're sitting out there.
Speaker 19 Yeah. Because they don't know. They don't know. There is nothing posted in here, what Peg is, and what time a Lc can come? That you have to set up, that I think I don't know if it's free, if you have to pay for it, but it's only twice a month.
Speaker 19 And it takes you where you need to go, but say you're not early Ryan or you forget. You know, there's a lot of people that are, you know, forget things. Then you're screwed unless you
Speaker 18 know somebody. So what improvements do you believe me to be made here? In Lorraine County carter transportation, you know, whether it be transit or something else?
Speaker 19 I believe that they need to have the buses back running every hour instead of every other hour because that would create a lot more jobs for people and people would be able to get on their feet, they would be homeless, They could take care of their kids they need to have starch start earlier in the morning. They need to, you know, run later at night because I think the last... Since like at what, 3 or 4? 6. That's 6.
Speaker 19 But that's...
Speaker 18 It depends on...
Speaker 19 But that yeah. But that's not guaranteed that. Okay. So I can the bus here. Right.
Speaker 19 Let me say, okay. I'm in Lorraine and I need to catch the bus back here but the last bus ones on Ale malaria. How you're gonna get home? You don't have money for a taxi. You don't have especially if you're new to the neighborhood.
Speaker 19 How are you to get around where you don't know where that knit and you don't know nobody. Mh. Like, if my niece can't have me, she'd be literally screwed right now, and she's only 19 years old. Well Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 19 So they know they have, like, meetings to, like, educate, like, educate people and, you know, how the bus runs and, you know, what what they offer or, you know, other help that people can give with transportation, especially, like I said, if they're low income, and they don't have the money.
Speaker 18 What what other situations do you see with with your... Your residence, your fellow residents is it just asking as medical and food,
Speaker 19 Well medical food, just getting out and being able to, like, go somewhere. You know what I'm saying? A lot of these people. I see sitting out here or sitting out here, or I haven't even... I haven't been even...
Speaker 19 I don't even know a lot of people in his building because you're never seen out their apartment. Because, you know, why come out and sit the heat or set the cold and, you know, if they had a bus. They knew what time or they couldn't have a bus that. Like, in Cleveland, they have a bus that start trial. Mh.
Speaker 19 That'll come people up and, you know, drop them up downtown to, you know, hear the music, or when they have vendors down there and you know, activities and stuff like that. That's important to people, especially older people. Because what do they wanted do to send their apartment and well away. Transportation, they can get job. They can go see their family They can go to the grocery store.
Speaker 19 They can book at their medication. They can look like, to where if they don't, they're just gonna sit in their apartment and book away and not have communication when nobody or no contact. They're gonna become a hermit. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 18 And what does he... What do you... That that does
Speaker 19 turn a person. I think it makes them depressed. They can end up killing yourself. They can end up hurting in yourself. They could just end up just think They could be dead in the apartment and want nobody know.
Speaker 19 Yeah.
Speaker 18 Yeah. So are any other thoughts about, you know, transportation here Lorain county even for yourself or...
Speaker 19 They just need to start educated people out among the buses around. They need to start, letting the buses run more in and when they do that, they need to talk with people. They need to have, like, monthly meetings site thing. Okay. Well, we can add, okay, Well, we can go from this hour...
Speaker 19 From this time at this time where we can run the buses every hour, and then let people know that. Okay. Well the buses are running from 2 to 6 every hour. You know, or we could start picking up earlier in the morning, You know, start letting people know the changes that are gonna be made and talk to more people, you know, not just in the buildings, but like, outside, you know, see people that catch the buses and ask them, you know, what would what would be better for you? But at the buses ran, how, you know, they need to get more acknowledgment from people.
Speaker 19 Some a lot of the Lc are wheelchair accessible, but a lot of people in wheelchairs don't know that. Oh. Okay. Okay. That's good.
Speaker 19 So the... Some of the bus stops that they do may have that they steal you. First of all, they have all these bus stops that... People go to that aren't in use anymore. Those need to be taken down because you could be standing out there for hours and hours and hours.
Speaker 19 And the when... What if you have your kids with you and it's dead dead winner. You're standing there for nothing. And then like I said, they have bus stops where people posting and waiting on the bus and the bus doesn't come. Yeah.
Speaker 19 And the bus of you do they still go on to Avon? No. There's a lot of people that lost a lot of jobs out there too. They said the Bus go to A, Overland, or North Ridge film. Just like they had to Cleveland connect.
Speaker 19 This the Lc. Yeah. Because I used to have to go out there for testing. I could get on the bus, and it was nice because I could transfer. I could buy all day pass Lc, transfer it to the cod, and the code would honor my my my all day bus passed with my transfer and give me all day buzz passed for Cleveland.
Speaker 19 Can go kick it and go to my appointments and go and see people Know out there family and kick it and then get back on the code. I think the last connector you're running at, like, 08:00 at night. I have back up on the bus and come back home. Right
Speaker 18 Okay. Well, we appreciate your your both on his feedback.
Speaker 2 So... Sorry. I was... I wish we could have shown this earlier because I think it gave a lot of information maybe to
Speaker 3 help with that slot analysis.
Speaker 2 But I thought it was important, even though it's probably kind of long, we cut it down in half
Speaker 0 bringing you hear directly from somebody who she has
Speaker 8 a car.
Speaker 2 But she's in a facility where a
Speaker 0 lot of people have to rely on some sm more transportation.
Speaker 1 Yeah. So, yeah, our community all over. The with similar other stories and it's not just the best system, sometimes it's the the individual private providers as well. There having so many issues with and then we can have Google break down and cut. We're telling us their stories.
Speaker 1 So it is an issue. This is a big deal to that. And it's important that we take this seriously. And we're going to jump right to the opportunities that we have, the responsibility to take the opportunities to improve things. So opportunities are there gaps in service or performance that we can improve?
Speaker 1 How can we do that? What changes our resources can we use to improve weaknesses business or enhance strengths. So I think back to some of
Speaker 3 the things that we already do well, how can
Speaker 1 we make them even better or capitalize even more on them? What do we envision as success for the next year over the next 5 years? If you could look forward in the turned 5 years saying this is what it should look like. What are the baby steps now that will get us to that point. Some examples, being a reliable presence in the community to educate the public and stakeholders.
Speaker 1 Awareness is still 1 of our number 1 issues. That's where we can continue to grow. Continuously providing up to date transportation guys possibly different formats. Something that we do well, but we can enhance and make it more available. So go ahead
Speaker 4 and getting the groups, We'll take another 10 minutes to talk about opportunity. But back see
Speaker 8 because it is
Speaker 14 1 of the opportunities we we're trying
Speaker 1 fourth?
Speaker 14 The other opportunity we have is micro trends systems with communities coming together because it recently emphasize that project people In this meeting, you see their individuals who have input on various aspects of the implant patients system. What we think that needs to expand comes, a group of unique people home who could cover with national actionable things that they can execute. So to me, that means be a follow to this meeting. Keep people who could actually make this stuff together and work
Speaker 1 when you step out his time.
Speaker 2 That's a good plot for county that elect us on the board. And also like Blanc and Ryan Ar ron. They're part of move kinda is an advocacy organization for transport for all things transportation learning county. Speak with them about some of your, which once every months. They're having a strategic plan meeting in 2 weeks to talk about lobby thing.
Speaker 14 The next thing we have is how do we expand how to buy bus tickets and use technologies for like the lady we have who's visually impaired, make it an app achievement download on a phone that hands the routes, but using technology help make improvements, And the other thing we have, we need to increase brass loose effort. Has big communication work training for the drivers and the member the community because if you get on the bus and you tell the driver, you need to get off at a certain stop, he'll let you all. But there has to be training. They need to know that. But also the drivers need to know You may have pastors on bucks and speed.
Speaker 14 English, maybe in spanish room. So there may be... We need signage on the bus that had Spanish and England. So that they know. And also, it helps if the drivers call the stops out because maybe a lot of people who you of the us don't know where those outs are.
Speaker 2 I I covered
Speaker 3 the friend. What
Speaker 8 have? Oh sure.
Speaker 5 Okay. We'll came up with funding issues. And funding issues. Yeah.
Speaker 4 I couldn't read to me. Right?
Speaker 5 You'll happen to reached no lies on the transportation. Between, you know, different alleys, like Avon, North Rich, Lorain lorraine, Deli lee, over there that was discussing, is there a task force that could probably be created between the the quote unquote key people, that they could get together and me and decide, you know, how we can give this transportation going for all the counties to be on 1 accord, rather than I get mad with Lcd because I can't get right in here. So I get mad. And I'm gonna move to North Rich or I'm gonna move to Avon. You know, if if they could didn't keep people to y to come up with something that we could coordinate with money it.
Speaker 5 Ky County and a county and get the hospitals involved. Well that's giving you the person being hospital, you know, to talk took, State John's and West or you don't be... That they can... Because we all share the same patients and the insurance is paying the same money to everybody. So what can we all put together?
Speaker 5 To, you know, like, this is something this ain't gonna happen next week, but, you know, you give cycle between a 1 year and a 5 year plan. People leave to just sit behind us and inmate decisions, Send me to get out and talk to the constituents. Often the people know. And can't take their decisions, rather than being some. What was that was that?
Speaker 5 Lorain drain. Preventing brain. Yes. To different cities. You know?
Speaker 5 You know they make money so...
Speaker 1 So you're saying involve stakeholders from individual. Other they're.
Speaker 5 Yes. They need take get together a Like, we get to get from these. Why can't they get together and come up with something.
Speaker 10 And by name, You mean...
Speaker 5 No. People less charge... Like discussions Yeah. The people with them.
Speaker 0 And you know business. Yeah exactly We we're kind of talking through, you have your your workforce or join except you know, these are of those the businesses that are in lori County.
Speaker 10 Talking about their property because their all.
Speaker 0 You know, having, you know, the people like the medical providers, you know, hospitals and the doctors, having conversation conversations because it's your problem, and then the education so having Did. And and that we were addressing the new broad... Yes.
Speaker 4 I think
Speaker 9 if you were to expand... So you have all these folks that are partnering and you have an opportunity to create a task force, but we think about workforce, healthcare, older service programs, how do we you're referencing you have 400 surveys of 200 to something thousand people. How do we get more input. If we were going to create routes in these various municipalities, who's working already 2 and who would ride the bus if there wasn't option do so. So in that way, you kinda have an idea where you're creating these routes because of this demand that people have told you.
Speaker 9 This way, you're not kind of assuming putting routes together and then you're seeing empty buzz going device branch causes people to make decisions to cancel routes. Template. Right. So you have the healthcare care saying, hey, we're gonna survey all the people who use our services. And I'm assuming we should get more than 400 responses to be able to say, hey, look out of 10000 people, here's what they told us a sense if you add transportation coming to us, how many people would use
Speaker 5 it and it allows for decisions to be made reasonable. More information or data.
Speaker 8 Anything else? They... Yeah.
Speaker 5 There a way that we can offer
Speaker 16 get somebody from a different city or town or whatever where it's already working. They are working what we're trying to do to come in to help us focus on what we need to focus on how we make it work coordinate all these So I can instill that. Similar Lorain it's Cleveland, if it's, whatever city it is, that's work that has mass transportation and that is working to get equal to where they need to be. It's a coordination of all efforts. You know, it's not just Lc, but it's the private sector.
Speaker 16 It's the public sector. It's different places like the bus system has a fixed route, but then how do we get people from the fixed route, to the outside areas where they need to go, you know, whether it's an an employer said, I have these people that work and get off at 04:00 in
Speaker 5 the morning or they come at 04:00 in the morning.
Speaker 16 I need to have some kind of takes back a make through, and my employees can keep your sick and they can get back. So, you know, how did that how did you work those kinds of things have?
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Speaker 2 Now to offer local perspectives, we have the City of Wilson Chief Planning and development officer Roger Lent. Roger welcome.
Speaker 22 Thank you. Good morning, everybody. There it is. Alright. So I wanna talk to you about how we've applied some of this in Wilson, North Carolina.
Speaker 22 Eastern North Carolina very small North Carolina City in our Eastern coastal plane if you're not familiar with it. Today, I'd like to talk about 3 things, ride, new Transit system that we've employed. I want to talk to you about how we've gotten green ways and and past going for that active transportation and how we're really focusing on taking old roadway that really were not done in a contextual way and and redo them. Let me talk about ride. So we have a long history of transit service in Wilson, fixed route system that covered just about 40 percent of the city.
Speaker 22 And was really designed at a time, when downtown was a center of commerce. Right? You had the old tobacco warehouse jobs that people got to. You had agricultural, different jobs there that don't exist anymore. Those are in corporate parks where we have pharmaceutical companies and all that on the edge of town.
Speaker 22 So we had to rethink about how do we do transit. Our bus only ran once an hour. So I want you to take a second and imagine you're self in this situation. Your transit dependent, low income. You're got your job, maybe you're working in as a waitress or waiter or some other service job that's low pay.
Speaker 22 Give a child in the the day. You get the call that they're sick as How do I get that child? Right? If you're transit dependent, you look at your watch, it's gonna be 45 minutes for the next bus. So you gotta wait?
Speaker 22 Okay get on that bus and in Wilson where I can get anywhere in my car in 15 minutes. I'm gonna have to make a transfer at the downtown station, get another line. 40 minutes later, I've arrived at the day care. So I'm gonna over an hour and a half in. Right?
Speaker 22 Get the child and know they you gotta get him to the doctor. Maybe I can walk to the doctor, but there's not a sidewalk. So I've got to get down there, do that journey. Then Gotta wait for the next bus when that appointment is done to get home. And we have to stop at the pharmacy.
Speaker 22 All said and done, that's probably a 3 or 4 hour of your day, you don't have sick leave relieved time not you have not gotten paid. Can we do better for that individual. And I think that's where rod comes in? So Rod is the mobility as a service that was just discussed, where you can use an app and understanding that on everybody can afford this, a phone number you can call unlike Uber Lyft, where if you don't have a smartphone, you're you're locked out of that service. And we were able to cover not 40 percent of the city, but a hundred percent of the city with transit service.
Speaker 22 And we're able to do that with a 15 minute. Average wait time. So you get you need that trip, you go on the phone where you call the call center, you get that trip in 15 minutes. You're taken to the door of the day, do what you need there, you get home and that journey that took... That issue that took 4 hours of your day, is now an hour and a half, which is a lot of time for that person that has to deal with that situation that transit dependent.
Speaker 22 And I think that's really critically important. And the fact that we were able then to take the same resources that we had for fixed out and cover an entire city Now I'm connecting people to jobs that weren't out of reach for them because they did couldn't afford a car maybe they couldn't drive. So we've been doing this for nearly a year and a half. We're over a hundred and 50000 trips. Last week, we did.
Speaker 22 3500 trips, the fixed route before that was 1450 trips. And during the pandemic, when we had to take the fixed routes down, we were only doing 300 trips. So even during a pandemic. Our transit riders ship went up a hundred and 40 percent over fixed route. So it's been a really a real game changer.
Speaker 22 In Wilson, and we're very proud of it. We've got recognition from Fda. We able to get grants to extend ours, and we were able to use it to provide vaccine trips to folks. When we did that for free with the help of our partners at Nc. But what's most proud about it is the change that has been made in people's lives.
Speaker 22 And this during Covid, right? So that that individual I'm telling you in our and our average rider makes less than 25000 dollars a year. We've changed their economics. In that situation that that person that parent might have had to get a taxi cab, make multiple trips and spend 40 dollars or half their income that day. On ride, they could do that for less than 10.
Speaker 22 On those multiple legs. That's a big deal. The other thing that we've been able to do is connect people to work So these pharmaceutical jobs that were out of reach for people. The number 1 thing they said that was a problem was transportation. People did not have a reliable way to get to work.
Speaker 22 We've changed that. 48 percent of our folks said this service has enabled them to get a job. Or keep a job where transportation was a barrier. And I think that's really important. I won't read all the statistics, but I think it's...
Speaker 22 Worth noting that, you know, talking to your customers to find out how the service is going, how the service can be improved is critically important. And in our Covid world, I don't think we'll ever go back to fixed route, Right? This has proven to be exceptionally great service, exceptionally well received. And I'm not sure of a transit company or transit system in the country that's had a hundred and 40 percent growth over what was pre pandemic. So we're very, very proud of what we've done in Wilson.
Speaker 22 Yeah. Well, I think the bones of our city are set up for that 15 minute model. You but obviously, a lot of dis investment in some of the central areas, not unlike a lot of smaller towns and cities, in North Carolina that are kind of outside the Metro, especially in Eastern North Carolina. I think that I choose say, fixed route and what Charlotte used to work in the Charlotte area what Charlotte done with white rail and that's exactly what they need to be doing, but they're still even transit deserts. In that model where I think Micro transit can fill in.
Speaker 22 And, you know, now, let's be honest, we're doing this transit. So the city's is putting in a lot of money, Dots putting in a lot of money. You know, a dollar 50 fair is not recovering the cost, but like when you start thinking about a city that's, you know 25 percent poverty rate, you, transportation as a barrier, cities aren't in the social service business in North Carolina. That's a county function. I think this is a perfect way for the for the city to...
Speaker 22 You to, you know, do its role in in connecting people to economic opportunity. And you know, while I think the county van systems are a a lifeline and they're very important. But, you know, if you just had to go get a gallon of milk. Right? I need a gallon of milk.
Speaker 22 We're all gonna go out and get milk and bread after this because the snow is coming, right? Imagine, you know, well, I didn't call a a day ahead to make that reservation on the County van system. So there's no... You got a plan so far ahead. You just can't make that work.
Speaker 22 And so I think that's what Micro transit has done in Wilson is let people be spontaneous Right. And get the things that they need and and 1 of the quotes I didn't read verbatim. But if he caught it on the slide was we have some blind population basically said to change my life. To be able to essentially compete with someone that had access to a private car, and I think that's really important.
Speaker 2 So once again, as Sarah is mentioning before,
Speaker 0 I would have a ride allowance.
Speaker 2 Once a month. Generally, they're the fourth Friday of every month, and they rotate between 10AM at 1PM because those are 2 different routes that happened. So I know I think I have about 3 people coming with me so far, 3 or 4 coming. On the 20 third. I could take 1 of more 1 or 2 more people there.
Speaker 2 But this is on the social media page for us if you go to Lorain honeywell mobility management, and it's also in our newsletter. So we're... We've been adding everybody's email address to newsletter should... You should see that there. Or you can let me know today if you're interested.
Speaker 0 And this is a picture me and she.
Speaker 4 Anyone advice.
Speaker 2