[00:00:02]
WE'RE NO LONGER IN PRISON. AND YOU KNEW IN EVERY CORNER.
BEFORE THE BREAK, I WAS GOING ON THE RUN FOR A GIRL.
[A. Consider approval of the minutes for November 17, 2022.]
AND SO THE MINUTES WERE IN YOUR BACKUP AND SO YOU CAN MOVE TO APPROVE THOSE AS PRESENTED.OR IF YOU FEEL LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE ANY EDITS, YOU AS A BODY CAN DISCUSS THAT.
BUT I THINK, MR. CHAIR, YOU'RE FREE TO ACCEPT ANY MOTION THAT ANYONE MAY HAVE.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING, I'M A TEACHER, AND SO YOU JUST CALL FOR ALL ALL IN FAVOR ON.
[B. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding an update on services and accessibility as it relates to the Denton County Transit Authority.]
FROM ROOM FOR FURTHER.MR. CHAIR. SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE PREVIEW.
AND ONE OF THOSE WAS TO GO ZONE AND ACCESSIBILITY.
SO WE DO HAVE BRITTNEY AND HER TEAM WHO HAVE BROUGHT A PRESENTATION AND ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GO ZONE AND THEN ANSWER WHAT QUESTIONS YOU GUYS HAVE AS COMMITTEE.
AND THEN I WILL YIELD TO BRITTANY AND I'LL PULL UP YOUR PRESENTATION.
YEAH. ALL RIGHT. GIVE ME HALF A SECOND.
YEAH, NO WORRIES. IT GIVES ME A CHANCE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
SO, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, MY NAME IS BRITTANY FARR.
I'M THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ENGAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION FOR DADE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY.
I BROUGHT A COUPLE OF STAFF WITH ME.
MARY IS OUR COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER AND SHE REPORTS UP TO DAVID MAGANA.
HI. DAVID HAS JUST RECENTLY JOINED DCA AS OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNICATION.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE HIM ON.
AND WITH HIM AND MARY COMBINED, WE ARE THE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TEAM FOR THE CTA.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO TODAY IS I DON'T KNOW HOW FAMILIAR EVERYONE IS WITH CTA, SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AGENCY, THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE IN GENERAL. AND THEN THERE'S TWO SERVICES THAT I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS IN ON.
ONE OF WHICH BEING GO ZONE AND THEN THE OTHER BEING OUR ACCESS SERVICE.
SO BEAR WITH ME WHILE I GO THROUGH JUST THE BEGINNING.
WE'RE CREATED BY THE STATE, BUT WE'RE PRIMARILY FUNDED FROM A HALF CENT SALES TAX FROM OUR THREE MEMBER CITIES, HIGHLAND VILLAGE, LEWISVILLE AND DENTON, AS WELL AS SOME FORMULA FUNDING AS WELL AS DISCRETIONARY GRANTS THAT WE APPLY FOR THAT ARE COMPETITIVE IN NATURE.
THAT'S PRIMARILY HOW WE FUND OUR TRANSIT OPERATION.
WE TOOK OVER THE DEBT AND BUS SERVICE IN OCTOBER OF 2005.
SO I WANT TO SAY LAST YEAR, BUT ANNOUNCED TWO YEARS AGO, WE CELEBRATED OUR ANNIVERSARY FOR THE A TRAIN AND THEN JUST HERE RECENTLY, ON SEPTEMBER 7TH OF 2021, WE LAUNCHED OUR NEWEST SERVICE OFFERING AND THAT'S GO ZONE.
SO WE ARE GOVERNED BY A FIVE MEMBER VOTING BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
TWO OF THOSE REPRESENTATIVES ARE APPOINTED BY THE DENTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT.
THEY'RE THE ONE THAT FUNDED THE A TRAIN.
SO THEY GET TWO SEATS AS WELL AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM EACH ONE OF OUR THREE MEMBER CITIES.
SO ALISON MCGUIRE, FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MCGUIRE IS OUR BOARD REPRESENTATIVE FOR CTA.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH HER AND RYAN AND ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AT THE CITY OF DENTON.
SO TRADITIONALLY WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT DC, THEY THINK ABOUT THE TRADE.
SO OF COURSE WE'VE GOT THE A TRAIN COMMUTER RAIL.
[00:05:03]
IT'S A FIVE STATION COMMUTER RAIL ENDEAVOR THAT TERMINATES AT TRINITY MILL STATION IN CARROLLTON TO INTERFACE WITH THE DART LINE.AND ALONG THAT TRAIN WE'VE GOT THE TRAIN RAIL TRAIL, ONE OF OUR GREATEST UNDERUTILIZED ASSETS.
IT'S A 19 MILE HIKE BIKE PEDESTRIAN TRAIL THAT RUNS ALONG THE ALIGNMENT OF THE A TRAIN.
WE ALSO OPERATE THE CONNECT BUS SERVICE.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE BUS SERVICE IN A BIT, AS WELL AS THE NEW GO ZONE SERVICE.
THAT'S A REALLY GOOD WAY TO GET FOLKS WHO LIVE IN DENTON OR SOMEWHERE HERE IN THE CITY.
MAYBE THEY HAVE JOBS OUT IN MANUFACTURING PLANTS THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION.
IT'S BASICALLY LIKE A HIGH TECH CARPOOL SYSTEM WE DO ON DEMAND SERVICE FOR THE CITY OF FRISCO AND THE CITY OF COPPELL, PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON SENIOR AND DISABLED RIDES IN THE CITY OF FRISCO AND THEN WORKFORCE CONNECTIVITY IN THE CITY OF COPPELL.
THEY'RE NOT A MEMBER OF A TRANSIT AGENCY, BUT THEY HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THE CITY OF COPPELL THAT NEED THAT INTRO, THAT THAT LAST MILE INTO THE CITY OF COPPELL. AND WE PROVIDE THAT FOR THEM.
WE'RE ALL FRIENDS WITH THE THREE MAJOR TRANSIT PROVIDERS HERE IN NORTH TEXAS.
SO THIS IS A REALLY BUSY GRAPH.
WHAT DOES THE SYSTEM LOOK LIKE FOR CTA? SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR MAIN SERVICES.
I MENTIONED THE TRAIN, FIVE STATIONS CONNECTING DOWNTOWN DENTON TO CARROLLTON.
THEY RIDE FOR FREE. SAME IN BETWEEN HEBRON STATION AND TRINITY MILLS.
WE OPERATE THE A TRAIN MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, EXCLUDING MAJOR HOLIDAYS.
ON THE CONNECT BUS SERVICE, AS I MENTIONED, IS OPERATED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE CITY OF DENTON.
AS OF JANUARY ONE, WE'RE RUNNING THREE CONNECT ROUTES.
THAT'S ROUTE THREE, SIX AND SEVEN.
WE'VE GOT THE ACCESSIBLE DOORS, WE'VE GOT THE RAMPS, AND WE'VE GOT THE PRIORITY DESIGNATED SEATING.
THEY'RE THE SAME TYPES OF BUSSES.
THE UN STUDENTS RIDE FOR FREE WITH THEIR STUDENT ID AS PART OF THE STUDENT SERVICES FEE THAT THEY PAY EVERY SEMESTER, BUT THE BUSSES ARE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL, AND AND SOME OF OUR HIGHEST FREQUENT RIDERSHIP ROUTES ARE ACTUALLY ON THE UN SHUTTLES.
IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL GO BY, IT'S ALMOST ALWAYS STANDING ROOM ONLY.
BUT WE ALSO OFFER YOU AN LATE NIGHT RIDES PROGRAM THROUGH OUR CONTRACT WITH LYFT, AND THAT'S FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE DEFINITELY STUDYING AT 2:00 IN THE MORNING AND THEY'RE DEFINITELY STUDYING.
AND THEY NEED TO GET SAFE, RIDE HOME LATE AT NIGHT.
YES, MA'AM. SO WHEN YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE BUSSES HAVE RAMPS, DO THEY DO THAT THING WHERE THEY LOWERED, THEY LOWERED AND THEN THE RAMP COMES DOWN? YEAH. THE LEG. YEP. THE LEVEL BOARDING TYPE.
YEAH. THEY'VE GOT THE HYDRAULICS.
AND I KNOW THAT IT IS A HIGHLY DISCUSSED TOPIC IN THE CITY OF DENTON.
SO I THOUGHT I WOULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE REGULAR FEATURES OF GO ZONE, SOME OF THE ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES ON GO ZONE AND THEN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IN THE FUTURE. JUST BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, I'M A LAWYER BY TRAINING, AND BEFORE I GOT INTO PUBLIC TRANSIT, I DID A LOT OF WORK BOTH WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THEN REPRESENTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR THE BOSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, ENFORCING IEP AND 504 PLAN.
[00:10:01]
SO NOT 504 PLANES UP THERE.SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE VERY WE'VE GOT A LASER FOCUS ON FOR FY 23.
YOU CAN ORDER A RIDE FROM YOUR PHONE, FROM AN APP ON THE SMARTPHONE.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SMARTPHONE, YOU CAN CALL IT A CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY'LL BOOK A RIDE FOR YOU.
GO ZONE HAS BEEN WAY MORE POPULAR THAN WE EVER ANTICIPATED.
WHEN WE INITIALLY LAUNCHED GO ZONE IN 2021, THE THOUGHT OF THE CTA BOARD WAS THAT WE WOULD REPLACE ALL OF OUR CONNECT ROUTE BUSSES WITH GO ZONE AND THEY VERY QUICKLY LEARNED THAT GOES ON WAS ACTUALLY NOT CANNIBALIZING THE BUS NETWORK.
IT WASN'T TAKING THE RIDERS WHO TRADITIONALLY RODE THE BUS.
BUT WE DID CARRY 629,000 TRIPS ON GO ZONE IN OUR FIRST YEAR.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING REALLY CLOSE TO THE 1 MILLION RIDE MARK.
SO PEOPLE ARE USING THE SYSTEM.
IT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN UBER AND LYFT AND THAT IT'S NOT A DOOR TO DOOR SYSTEM.
SO IF I ORDER AN UBER, IT'S GOING TO COME DIRECTLY TO MY HOUSE.
IT IS THE PUBLIC TRANSIT VERSION, SO THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES.
WE TRY TO GET YOU TO WALK TO PLACES THAT KEEP THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC MOVING.
BUT IT IS A CURB TO CURB SERVICE.
SO NOT DOOR TO DOOR FOR FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
SOME OF THE ADDED FEATURES ABOUT GO ZONE IS ALL OF THE SERVICE I TALKED ABOUT BEFORE GO ZONE WHERE MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY GO ZONE IS A GAME CHANGER FOR CTA BECAUSE IT PROVIDES SERVICE EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR.
IT OPERATES ON SUNDAYS, IT OPERATES ON HOLIDAYS.
IT TRADITIONALLY OPERATES IN THESE TWO ZONES, THE DEAD ZONE.
AND THEN THIS IS THE LEWISVILLE HIGHLAND VILLAGE ZONE WHEN THE A TRAIN IS NOT IN OPERATION.
SO YOU HAVE THAT CONNECTIVITY TO THE DART SYSTEM.
SO IF WE'RE DOING SOMETHING LIKE THE STATE OF TEXAS ON SUNDAY, YOU COULD TAKE THE GO ZONE FROM DENTON, CONNECT TO THE TRINITY MILL STATION AND DO A ONE SEAT RIDE STRAIGHT INTO THE GATES OF FAIR PARK ON THE DART SYSTEM.
SO AS I MENTIONED, IT WORKS ALMOST EXACTLY LIKE AN UBER OR LYFT.
YOU PICK THE LOCATION WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
I WILL TELL YOU IF THE RIDE IS GOING TO TAKE LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES, THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO GET A SEAT UNAVAILABLE NOTICE IT WILL HAVE YOU REBOOK THE RIDE BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING NOT TO BOOK RIDES OUT MORE THAN 30 MINUTES BECAUSE OF THE VOLATILITY OF TRAFFIC AND GETTING PEOPLE THERE ON TIME.
SO THAT'S WHEN YOU GET THAT SEAT UNAVAILABILITY.
NOTICE IS IF THE RIDE WILL TAKE LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES.
BUT THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS TO PAY FOR THE GO ZONE.
WE ALWAYS TAKE COLD, HARD CASH.
OF COURSE, YOU CAN PAY BY STORING YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION IN THE APP ITSELF.
AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO USE A GO ZONE ELIGIBLE FARE MEDIA TO BOOK A TRIP ON GO ZONE.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT IT GOES ON.
ELIGIBLE FARE LOOKS LIKE HERE IN A MINUTE.
YES, MA'AM. THE RIDE IS AVAILABLE THING SO IF YOU BOOK A TRIP AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN 30 MINUTES, YOU GET A TEXT SAYING THE RIGHT AND AVAILABLE. BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
DO YOU STILL GET THE RIDE? IT WILL. SO IF YOU BOOK THE RIDE IN THE APP, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET A RIDE, A SEAT UNAVAILABLE NOTIFICATION.
YOU WOULD GET THAT POP UP WHEN YOU HIT THIS BOOK.
THAT RIDE, IT WOULD POP UP AND SAY SEAT UNAVAILABLE.
SO IF YOU'RE ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM, THEN YOU'RE ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM.
BUT IF THE ALGORITHM TELLS IT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE MORE AND IT STILL MAY BE MORE THAN 30 MINUTES BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC OR DROP OFFS, BUT IF THE THE SMART COMPUTER THINKS THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO TAKE 30 MINUTES, IT'LL POP UP RIGHT HERE BEFORE YOU EVEN GET THE CONFIRMED MESSAGE.
SO IF YOUR RIDE IS BOOKED, THEN YOU'RE IN THE SYSTEM.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I THINK SO, YEAH.
YES, CERTAINLY. QUESTION IS THERE ANY ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO INTRODUCE A SCHEDULING COMPONENT? BECAUSE THE VOLATILITY, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, OF TRAFFIC, ETC., MAKES IT REALLY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED TO PLAN TO GET TO WORK OR SCHOOL AT A CERTAIN
[00:15:02]
TIME EVERY DAY BECAUSE THEY OFTEN RUN INTO SERVICE.BUT WHEN YOU ADD A SCHEDULING COMPONENT AND IT'S NOT DISSIMILAR FROM OUR ACCESS SERVICE, WHICH HAS A SCHEDULING COMPONENT, IF YOU ALLOW PEOPLE TO BOOK A RIDE IN ADVANCE, YOU RUN THE RISK OF FOLKS BOOKING A RIDE AND THEN MY SISTER IS GOING TO TAKE ME.
AND SO IT FLOODS THE SYSTEM EVEN MORE.
SO AS WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF VEHICLES THAT WE HAVE FOR GO ZONE VERSUS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF BUS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF DENTON? THE ULTIMATE THOUGHT IS AND WE'RE WORKING ON THIS RIGHT NOW THROUGH WHAT WE'RE CALLING AN INTERMEDIATE SERVICE PLAN IS HOW COULD WE POTENTIALLY USE A HIGH FREQUENCY FIXED ROUTE BUS NETWORK IN THE CORE OF THE CITY OF DENTON THAT WOULD THEN FREE UP THAT GO ZONE CAPACITY TO GO OUT TO WHERE THE BUS NETWORK DOESN'T RUN AS A WAY TO BRING PEOPLE IN? YOU'LL REMEMBER I SAID WE INITIALLY JUST PLOPPED GO ZONE DOWN ON TOP OF THE BUS ROUTES THINKING THE BUS IS GOING TO GO AWAY.
WELL, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT IN THE 16 OR SO MONTHS THAT GOES ON AND HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE.
AND SO NOW WE'RE REALLY TRACKING HOW DO THESE SYSTEMS WORK TOGETHER.
BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST NOT IN THE REALM OF THE FEASIBLE.
OTHERWISE THOSE SEAT UNAVAILABILITY NUMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO GO UP.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT DOES, BUT I JUST I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
IT'S JUST NOT RELIABLE ENOUGH TO USE REGULARLY.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE LEARNING PROCESS THAT HAS OCCURRED OVER THE LAST 16 MONTHS.
AND FOR BETTER OR WORSE, THE CTA IS ONE OF THE FIRST REAL GUINEA PIGS FOR A MASS DEPLOYMENT WHERE THE LARGEST DEPLOYMENT THAT VA HAS EVER DONE FOR THIS TYPE OF SERVICE, WHERE THEIR FIFTH LARGEST MARKET IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.
SO WE'RE KIND OF LEARNING AS WE GO WITH A NEW EXPERIMENTAL A NEW TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX WHERE LIKE KIDS THAT JUST GOT A CHRISTMAS PRESENT AND WE'RE PLAYING WITH IT AND FIGURING OUT. SO IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THERE IS COLLATERAL DAMAGE AND THAT COLLATERAL DAMAGE IS HUMAN BEINGS.
AND THE WAY THAT AND I'LL BE REAL HONEST, THE WAY IT'S IT'S IT'S.
AND WE ARE GOVERNMENT AND WE ARE TRANSIT AND NOTHING EVER MOVES AS FAST AS YOU REALLY WANT IT TO.
YOU CAN BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS AS WE MOVE THROUGH IT INSTEAD OF JUST DEALING WITH AT THE END.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE AS BEST AS IT CAN? GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRAT AND SO THAT'S WHY I WASN'T ABLE TO SCHEDULE A RIDE TO MY DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT LIKE I WAS TOLD IN THE ORIGINAL PRESENTATION ABOUT GOZO.
AND THEN THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THAT MADE IT IMPRACTICAL.
SO BUT THERE ARE SOME OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU.
SO SO BEAR WITH ME FOR MAYBE ONE OR TWO MORE SLIDES.
SO THE GOES ON FLEET WE HAVE ABOUT 72 VEHICLES IN THE GO ZONE FLEET ABOUT 20% OF THOSE VEHICLES ARE DESIGNATED WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES OR UAVS.
RIGHT. AND SO WHAT YOU CAN DO, IF YOU NEED A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE, YOU WILL GO TO YOUR CONCESSION SCREEN AND YOU WILL TOGGLE ON THIS WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY FEATURE, AND THAT WILL SEND YOU A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE.
SO A COUPLE OF NEAT THINGS ABOUT THE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY FEATURE IS WHEN YOU TOGGLE THAT ON, IT IS GOING TO AUTOMATICALLY TELL YOUR GO ZONE OPERATOR THAT YOU NEED DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE.
THIS IS NOT A CURB TO CURB SERVICE.
THAT IS GREAT. THAT IS AWESOME.
[00:20:10]
FEATURE. AND YOU MAY THINK, WELL, IT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY 20% OF THE FLEET THAT IS DEDICATED TO WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY.SO WHEN YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE OVERWHELMING THE SYSTEM, TRYING TO GET THAT DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE, IT MAKES IT HARDER FOR FOLKS WHO MAY ACTUALLY NEED A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE TO GET ONE.
SO IT DRIVES UP WAIT TIMES AND IT DRIVES UP SEAT UNAVAILABILITY.
I MEAN, COMING FROM THE BACKGROUND THAT I HAVE DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY GO TO PEOPLE OR GAMING THE SYSTEM BECAUSE IF THE WAIT TIMES ARE LONGER AND THE SEAT UNAVAILABILITY IS LONGER, THAT'S A REALLY BAD WAY TO SKIP OUT ON MISSING LIKE 100 YARDS WORTH OF I MEAN, I KNOW KIDS TODAY WITH THEIR COMPUTERS, YOU KNOW, DON'T, BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE A REALLY WEIRD WAY TO TO GAIN WHAT, 100 YARDS WORTH OF STEPS.
MY SUSPECT IS THAT WE HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE RIDING GO ZONE WHO HAVE DISABILITIES THAT ARE NOT AMBULATORY DISABILITIES, WHO ALSO NEED THAT DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE.
ANIMALS ARE TOTALLY WELCOME ON GO ZONE, JUST LIKE EVERY CTA.
SO WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW IS LOOKING AT DIFFERENT MECHANISMS TO DISTRIBUTE DOOR TO DOOR CODES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY AMBULATORY.
SO THEY CAN PUT THAT CODE INTO THEIR PROFILE AND THE DRIVER WILL KNOW THAT THAT DRIVER NEEDS TO TAKE YOU DOOR TO DOOR AND YOU CAN DO IT IN A REGULAR GO ZONE VEHICLE. SO YOU'RE NOT TAKING THE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES FOR THE FOLKS THAT NEED THEM, BUT YOU'RE STILL GETTING THAT LITTLE BIT EXTRA TO WHERE YOU NEED TO GO.
I AM AGAIN, I'M A LAWYER, SO I'M ALL ABOUT POLICY AND WRITING SOMETHING DOWN.
SO I HAVE A VERY SYMPATHETIC EAR AND WE'RE GOING TO MEET TO PUT TOGETHER A POLICY, A PROCEDURE IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO GET THESE CODES OUT TO THE FOLKS THAT NEED THEM SO THEY CAN GET THAT DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE FOR THE DISABILITY THAT MAYBE YOU CAN'T ALWAYS SEE.
AND ONCE WE DO DEVELOP THAT, I CAN EITHER COMMUNICATE THAT FROM RYAN OR WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COME BACK OUT TO THIS COMMITTEE AND EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT WE CAME UP WITH AND HOW YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
I'M THINKING OPTIMISTICALLY WE'LL GET IT DONE BY THE FIRST QUARTER OF 23.
SO I'M HOPING BY MARCH WE HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE, BUT DON'T HOLD ME TO THAT.
BUT THAT'S MY INTERNAL GOAL FOR WHAT I'M TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND THEN WHAT I REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT TOO, IS OUR ACCESS SERVICE.
THIS WE DO ACCESS SERVICE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN I'VE SEEN IT DONE IN OTHER TRANSIT AGENCIES.
THERE ARE FDA REQUIREMENTS THAT IF YOU RUN A FIXED ROUTE BUS, YOU HAVE TO RUN YOUR PARATRANSIT.
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT SERVICE AND SO THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBILITY.
THIS IS ALL BASED ON THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, AND YOU'RE WITH THE OUR ADA PARATRANSIT CUSTOMERS ARE GIVEN ALL PRIORITY AND ACCESS BOOKING BECAUSE THESE ARE FOLKS THAT BY AND LARGE HAVE TO USE THE PARATRANSIT SERVICE.
BUT WE ALSO PROVIDE ANOTHER TYPE OF SERVICE THROUGH OUR ACCESS AND THAT'S CALLED NON ADA QUALIFIED.
THEIR ACCESS, THE ACCESS EQUIVALENT LIKE FOR DART ONLY DOES PARATRANSIT TRIPS.
AND SO THIS IS THIS GIVES YOU ANOTHER LAYER OF PROTECTION.
IT GOES ON, DOESN'T MEET YOUR NEEDS OR IF ACCESS DOESN'T MEET YOUR NEEDS, WE HAVE GO ZONE.
WE'RE ALL ABOUT PROVIDING MOBILITY OPTIONS, RIGHT? AND YOU HAVE TO FIND THE ONE THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU AND THEN GIVE US FEEDBACK SO WE CAN CONTINUE WORKING ON BETTER ONES.
SO QUALIFYING FOR ADA PARATRANSIT, IT ALL, ALL ACCESS SERVICE REQUIRES AN APPLICATION.
SO WHETHER YOU'RE DOING PARATRANSIT OR THE 65 AND UP DISABLED APPLICATION, YOU HAVE TO APPLY.
THE ADA GIVES US A MAXIMUM OF 21 DAYS TO PROCESS THAT APPLICATION DEPENDING ON WHAT LEVEL YOU'RE QUALIFYING FOR, YOU MAY NEED A NOTE FROM YOUR DOCTOR OR DESCRIBE WHAT MAKES YOU ADA PARATRANSIT ELIGIBLE.
THERE MIGHT BE AN INTERVIEW PROCESS.
[00:25:06]
IF WE STILL HAVEN'T MADE A DETERMINATION IN 21 DAYS ON THAT 22ND DAY YOU GET TO RIDE ADA PARATRANSIT UNTIL UNTIL WE MAKE OUR DECISION.THE LAW GIVES US 21 DAYS AFTER THAT.
IT'S ON US TO GET THAT DONE AND YOU'LL RIDE THAT SERVICE UNTIL YOUR APPLICATION IS PROCESSED.
IF YOU ARE DENIED FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE DO HAVE AN APPEAL PANEL.
ONE IS JUST COMPLETELY ELIGIBLE.
YOU ARE ABLE TO RIDE ACCESS FOR ANY ANY TRIP THAT YOU NEED.
YOU MIGHT BE TEMPORARILY ELIGIBLE.
SO IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY LIKE LET'S SAY YOU HAVE BOTH OF YOUR KNEES REPLACED AND WHATEVER IS SOMETHING THAT IN A PERIOD OF TIME IT WILL GO AWAY AND THEN YOU HAVE CONDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY AND THAT MEANS THAT YOU ONLY MEET CERTAIN CONDITIONS FOR PARATRANSIT.
SO YOU CAN ONLY USE THIS SERVICE FOR PARATRANSIT APPROVED TRIPS LIKE GOING TO YOUR DOCTOR.
SO THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF OF ELIGIBILITY.
IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR ANY PARATRANSIT SERVICE, YOU'LL GET A BATCH THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS AND YOU RIDE ALL DAY TO SERVICES THAT ARE NOT ACCESS FOR FREE ACCESS IS $3 A TICKET ONE WAY, AND THAT'S BASED ON FTA STANDARDS.
BUT THE CONNECT SERVICE, THE US SHUTTLES GOES ON A TRAIN.
IF YOU ARE ADA CERTIFIED AND YOU CHOOSE TO RIDE THOSE SERVICES, YOU RIDE THOSE SERVICES FOR FREE.
IF YOU ARE CERTIFIED, YOU HAVE TO RECERTIFY EVERY THREE YEARS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING OUR RECORDS UP TO DATE AND THAT PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY NEED ACCESS ARE GETTING THE SERVICE BECAUSE IT IS A HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICE.
QUICK QUESTION. OF COURSE, OVER 21 DAYS, IS THAT CALENDAR OR BUSINESS DAYS AND DOES THE APPLICANT KNOW THAT AT THE TIME THAT THEY APPLY? TWO GREAT QUESTIONS.
AND TWO, YES, IT'S ON THE COVER SHEET OF THE APPLICATION.
RIGHT? SO IF YOU SEND IN YOUR APPLICATION AND YOU'RE MISSING INFORMATION AND WE HAVE TO CALL YOU AND GET THAT INFORMATION ONCE THE COMPLETED APPLICATION IS AND IS WHEN THE CLOCK STARTS RUNNING, WE VERY RARELY HIT THE FULL 21 DAYS.
BUT BY AND LARGE WE WORK TO GET THOSE OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
YOU NEED TO KNOW. WE NEED TO KNOW.
SO 21 DAYS FOR US IS THE CEILING, BUT WE TRY TO GET THOSE IN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
YES. SO FOR THE NON ADA ACCESS SERVICE, SAME THING, YOU STILL HAVE TO APPLY THE.
HERE IS THE ACTUAL LEGAL DEFINITION, BECAUSE I CAN'T HELP BUT PUT IN LEGAL DEFINITIONS.
AND THEN IF YOU'RE A MEDICARE CARD HOLDER, SO YOU'LL JUST FILL THAT OUT ON THE APPLICATION.
YOU'LL STILL PAY $3 FOR THE ACCESS SERVICE.
YOU WILL NOT GET TO RIDE THE SYSTEM FOR FREE, BUT YOU WILL GET TO RIDE IT FOR HALF OFF.
YOU'LL GET A REDUCED FARE ID WHICH WILL BE IMPORTANT TO, IF YOU WANT TO RIDE, GOES ON IN THE FUTURE.
BUT I'M GETTING A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF MYSELF.
WHAT I WILL SAY ABOUT THE NON ADA ACCESS TRIPS AGAIN IS THAT THEY'RE BASED FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.
THAT'S HOW WE SCHEDULE IT BASED.
AND SO ON JANUARY ONE, WE IMPLEMENTED A SERVICE AND FARE CHANGE.
OUR BOARD AGAIN THINKING ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN THE BUS AND HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER.
WE ULTIMATELY CAME UP WITH A DECISION ON WHAT SERVICE WOULD LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD.
SO WHAT THE BOARD ULTIMATELY DECIDED IS, IS TWOFOLD.
ONE HAS TO DO WITH CONNECT BUS SERVICE.
AND THEN WITH THE SERVICE THAT WE TOOK OFF OF TWO, FOUR AND FIVE, WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO IS ADD MORE FREQUENCY ON SIX AND SEVEN BECAUSE THOSE ARE OUR HIGHEST RIDERSHIP ROUTES. AGAIN, STARTING TO DIP OUR TOE IN THE WATER.
[00:30:03]
WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF FOLKS HAD A HIGH FREQUENT BUS ROUTE? WOULD THAT START TO SHIFT FOLKS OFF OF GO ZONE? IS THAT THE BASIS FOR A HIGH FREQUENCY BUS NETWORK MOVING FORWARD? THE SECOND DECISION THEY MADE WAS WITH REGARDS TO THE FARE FOUR GOES ON.SO SINCE GOES ON LAUNCHED ON SEPTEMBER 7TH OF 2021, WE'VE BEEN OPERATING UNDER PROMOTIONAL PRICING OF $0.75, $0.75 PER TRIP OR A BUCK 50 FOR A ROUND TRIP. SO WE FINALLY MADE THE DECISION TO GET RID OF PROMOTIONAL PRICING AND PUT A PERMANENT FARE STRUCTURE IN PLACE.
SO MOVING FORWARD FOR GO ZONE, THE BASE FARE NOW IS GOING TO BE $1.50 PER TRIP, RIGHT? SO WE WANTED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN PROMOTIONAL PRICING, BUT WE'RE ALSO PUBLIC TRANSIT.
SO IT'S $1.50 PER TRIP IN LEWISVILLE AND HIGHLAND VILLAGE.
IT WILL ALWAYS BE A DOLLAR 50 PER TRIP BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE BUS SERVICE.
THIS IS THE ONLY SERVICE THEY HAVE IN THE CITY OF DENTON.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS IT'S A DOLLAR 50 PER BASE TRIP UP TO FOUR MILES.
AND THEN WHAT THE BOARD ALSO DECIDED TO DO WAS TO ELIMINATE GO ZONE PASSES.
YOU NEED TO BOOK YOUR TRIP SEPARATELY EITHER ON THE APP OR BY CALLING CUSTOMER SERVICE.
THERE'S A BIG BUCK TO THAT, THE BOARD SAID.
BUT FOR ANY OF OUR RIDERS THAT QUALIFY FOR A REDUCED FARE PURCHASE, THERE PASSES THROUGH MARY IN OUR SOCIAL SERVICE NONPROFIT PASS PURCHASING BUNDLE THAT WE DO OR PURCHASE THERE PASSES THROUGH THE EMPLOYEE PASS PROGRAM.
THOSE PASSES ARE STILL GOING TO BE VALID ON GOES.
THIS IS A REALLY FANCY SLIDE THAT THAT JUST SUMMARIZES EVERYTHING THAT I JUST SAID.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE THOUGHT TO OURSELVES, OKAY, IF SOME FARES ARE GOING TO BE VALID ON GO ZONE AND SOME FARES ARE NOT GOING TO BE VALID ON GO ZONE, WE NEED TO COMPLETELY REDESIGN OUR FARE MEDIA SO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO.
THIS IS WHAT OUR OLD FARE MEDIA LOOK LIKE.
LIKE EVERY TRANSIT AGENCY, WE TAKE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FARES.
WE HAVE IMPASSES, WE HAVE PASSES, WE HAVE DAY PASSES, WE HAVE ANNUAL PASSES, WE HAVE MONTHLY PASSES, WE HAVE REGIONAL PASSES, WE HAVE LOCAL PASSES, WE HAVE REDUCED FARE PASSES. IT'S A LITTLE UNWIELDY.
SO WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO IS BASED ON THIS DECISION THAT THE BOARD MADE WHERE 88 PARATRANSIT CUSTOMERS REDUCE FARE ELIGIBLE NONPROFIT AND CORPORATE PASS PURCHASES QUALIFY FOR GO ZONE. WE BASICALLY THREW THIS ALL OUT AND STARTED FROM SCRATCH.
AND WHAT WE DID IS WE HIRED A GRAPHIC DESIGNER WHO GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS, WHO HAS NO TRANSIT BACKGROUND AND SAID, OCH, IF YOU HAD JUST COME TO DENTON AND YOU'VE NEVER BEEN HERE A DAY IN YOUR LIFE, HOW WOULD YOU DESIGN FARES THAT MAKE SENSE FOR YOU? BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN YOU WORK IN TRANSIT, YOU GET A LITTLE TOO ENTRENCHED IN IT AND IT'S LIKE, OH, OF COURSE IT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
HERE'S WHAT OUR NEW FARES LOOK LIKE.
SO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR FARES IS GOING TO BE EITHER VALID ON GO ZONE OR NOT VALID ON GO ZONE.
SO IF YOU QUALIFY FOR A LOCAL AND REGIONAL, IF YOU QUALIFY FOR A REDUCED FARE ELIGIBLE PASS, SO YOU'RE 65 OR UP, YOU HAVE A DISABILITY THAT DOESN'T REACH 88, YOU'RE A MEDICARE CARDHOLDER.
GOES ON WITH THAT PATH, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER SERVICE THAT YOU RIDE.
CHILDREN UNDER FIVE ON TO RIDE FREE.
SO THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO RIDE, GO ZONE FOR FREE.
BUT BECAUSE YOU BOOK IT BY SEAT, WE HAD TO CREATE A NEW LITTLE CHILDREN UNDER FIVE.
BADGE THAT YOU CAN GET AND IT'S A GO ZONE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT NOW YOUR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE RIDE FREE.
IF THEY'RE YOUNG, THEY'RE UNDER FIVE.
IF THEY'RE 5 TO 18, THEY RIDE FOR REDUCED FARE.
NO. UNIVERSITY PASSES OR UN STUDENT IDS ARE VALID ON GOZO AND MOVING FORWARD.
THE IDS JUST WON'T WORK ANYMORE ON GOZO AND AS A METHOD OF PAYMENT.
WE TRY TO SIMPLIFY THINGS AS BEST AS WE COULD GIVEN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FARES.
SO WE WENT AHEAD AND COMBINE OUR AMPM PASS WITH OUR DAY PASS.
WE REALLY JUST HAD ADDED A LITTLE BOX RIGHT HERE THAT THEY PUNCH THAT SAYS DAY.
WE ALSO GOT RID OF SEPARATE REDUCED FARE.
[00:35:01]
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT YOU CANNOT BUY REDUCED FARE, BUT WE DIDN'T NEED A SEPARATE PASS.THE BUS DRIVER DOESN'T CARE HOW MUCH YOU PAID FOR YOUR PASS.
THEY JUST CARE THAT YOU HAVE A PASS THAT'S ON US AT THE POINT OF SALE.
TO DETERMINE WHAT THE APPROPRIATE PRICE FOR YOUR FARE IS.
IF IT'S NOT VALID ON GO ZONE, IT WILL SAY NOT VALID ON GO ZONE.
THIS PASS TELLS YOU EVERYTHING THAT IT IS TAKING ON.
SO THE LOCAL PASSES, THE A TRAIN, THE CONNECT THE GO ZONE.
IF IT'S A REGIONAL PASS THAT WORKS ON DART TRINITY METRO, THE TREE A TRAIN CONNECT AND GO ZONE.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT AS SIMPLE AS WE CAN, AS CLEAN AS WE CAN.
SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING.
THE OPERATOR KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
AS HAPPY AS WE CAN WITH A PRETTY COMPLICATED FARE STRUCTURE.
YOU CAN APPLY FOR REDUCED FARE APPLICATION.
AS I MENTIONED, THIS ADA ACCESSIBLE PARATRANSIT BADGE THAT YOU APPLY FOR.
ONCE YOU GET THIS BADGE, THAT'S GOOD.
THAT'S YOUR TICKET. UNLESS YOU'RE RIDING ACCESS, YOU HAVE TO BUY SEPARATE TICKETS.
YOU CAN APPLY FOR REDUCED FARE AND THEY'LL GIVE YOU A BADGE WITH YOUR PICTURE ON IT.
AND IT SAYS RIGHT HERE, THIS BADGE DOES NOT SERVE AS FARE.
THIS IS JUST A SHOW LIKE, SAY YOU WANT TO GO TO THE DTC AND YOU QUALIFY BECAUSE YOU'RE 65 AND UP.
AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING IT TO ACCOUNT FOR THE CHILDREN UNDER FIVE AND ALL THAT.
SO EVERYONE THAT NEEDS A GO TO AN ELIGIBLE BADGE CAN GET ONE.
AND THEN THIS JUST I'VE GOT ONE SIDE LEFT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE OFFER AT DCA IS WE WILL ACTUALLY COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND TRIP PLAN WITH YOU AND RIDE THE SYSTEM WITH YOU UNTIL YOU ARE COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO RIDE INDEPENDENTLY.
SO IF YOU EVER WANT IF YOU'VE NEVER RIDDEN THE CTA AND YOU DON'T KNOW EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN OR WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, CONTACT US AND WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR YOU. WE CAN SHOW YOU HOW TO DO IT, AND WE WILL KEEP RIDING WITH YOU UNTIL YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH YOURSELF RIDING THE SYSTEM.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY PRIDE OURSELVES ON.
I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHAT MARY AND RENEE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH THIS PROGRAM.
BY THE WAY, OF SLIDES, IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY, THIS IS MY CONTACT INFORMATION.
IF YOU, OF COURSE, WILL TAKE QUESTIONS.
I WANT THIS TO BE THE BEGINNING OF AN ONGOING DIALOG WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
SO I WILL STOP TALKING AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE FOR ME.
WHAT TYPE OF TRAINING DO THAT GOES ON DRIVERS HAVE WITH PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO I ACTUALLY SAW THAT TRAINING FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY.
AND THEY DO GO THROUGH EXTENSIVE TRAINING LIKE THEY DO IT IN HOUSE VIA DOES IT BECAUSE THE GOES ON OPERATOR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS OF VIA SO THEY'RE NOT EMPLOYEES PER SE BUT THEY DO GET WHAT I WOULD CALL SENSITIVITY TRAINING, NOT ONLY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, BUT HOW TO HANDLE MAYBE FOLKS THAT ARE ELDERLY THAT HAVE TROUBLE GETTING INTO AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE.
IT'S ALL PART OF THEIR TRAINING MODULE WHEN THEY ONBOARD THEIR DRIVER PARTNERS.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR US BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT EMPLOYEES, BUT WE ARE.
BUT WE HAVE FOUND VIA OVER THE COURSE OF OUR 16 MONTH OR SO RELATIONSHIP TO BE PRETTY OPEN TO THE THINGS THAT WE SUGGEST TO THEM AND REQUEST OF THEM FOR MAKING SURE THAT BECAUSE FOR US ARE DRIVERS, WHETHER THEY'RE VIA DRIVERS OR NOT, TO ME THEY'RE OKAY.
GREAT QUESTION. WHAT CAN THE INDIVIDUAL WITH MOBILITY NEEDS OR SOME OTHER DISABILITY EXPECT FROM THE DRIVER WHEN THEY ARRIVE TO PROVIDE? THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A LOADED QUESTION BECAUSE IT ULTIMATELY DEPENDS ON THE DRIVER.
BUT WHAT WHAT THEIR TRAINING MODULES DO SAY IS THAT IS IT'S NOT LIKE THE ACCESS WHERE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE TRAINED IN HOW TO SPECIFICALLY LOAD AND UNLOAD CERTAIN VEHICLES.
[00:40:04]
AND SO THAT IS PART OF THEIR TRAINING.IT DEPENDS ULTIMATELY ON THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE ABILITY OF THE DRIVER PARTNER.
I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO ASK THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION BECAUSE I'M SORRY.
I KNOW IT REALLY DIDN'T. IT KIND OF IS LIKE IT DEPENDS, BUT IT REALLY IS.
I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO LIE TO YOU.
IT REALLY DOES JUST DEPEND ON THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE DRIVER PARTNER THAT PICKS THEM UP.
TO EXPECT FROM THE INDIVIDUAL WHO NEEDS THAT ASSISTANCE? ARE YOU ASKING THEM TO HAVE SOMEONE AVAILABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET IN AND OUT SAFELY? IF THAT IS WHAT IF THAT IS WHAT THAT INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, THEN THAT ULTIMATELY IS UP TO THE DECISION OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
I WOULD JUST THINK FROM IT'S ALL WITHIN REASON, RIGHT.
ON A SLIDING SCALE AND ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO WHAT YOU FEEL.
IT'S ULTIMATELY WHAT MAKES YOU AS A CUSTOMER FEEL THE MOST SAFE.
SO IF YOU DO BRING AN ASSISTANT WITH YOU BECAUSE IT MAKES YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE, IS THAT PERSON PAYING AS WELL? SO ON THE ACCESS SERVICE, THE PERSONAL ASSISTANTS, RIGHT, FREE ON GO ZONE, WE HAVE TO PAY BY THE SEAT.
SO IF YOU HAVE A REDUCED FARE PASS OR IT GOES ON ELIGIBLE PASS, IT WILL JUST BE THE DOLLAR 50.
SO I'M READY FOR THE NEXT ONE UP HERE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION WAS VERY THOROUGH.
THANK YOU. I'M NOTHING IF NOT THOROUGH ALONG WITH THIS ATTITUDE OR SENSITIVITY TRAINING.
DO YOU ALSO HAVE ANY CRISIS TRAINING FOR THE GHOST ON DRIVER PARTNERS? NO, WE DO NOT. I DO NOT.
THAT'S. THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I HAVE SEEN IN PART OF THE MODULE.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S BECAUSE THEIR GO ZONE IS TRADITIONALLY GEN POP.
RIGHT NOW THE ACCESS TRAINING, THERE IS A HIGHER LEVEL OF AWARENESS AND SENSITIVITY TRAINING FOR THOSE OPERATORS BECAUSE THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY HIRED TO DEAL WITH SENSITIVE RIDER CATEGORIES.
I'D STILL LIKE TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHEN YOU WHAT YOU OBSERVED IN THE TRAINING YOU OBSERVED THE OTHER DAY, WHAT EXACTLY WAS HAPPENING IN THE TRAINING.
SO IT'S JUST THE SLIDE DECK THAT THEY SENT ME AND IT'S HONESTLY THE FIRST.
I JUST GLANCE AT IT BASED ON A CONVERSATION.
BUT IT IT'S, IT'S WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM AN ONBOARDING EXPECTATIONS OF THE DRIVER, EXPECTATIONS OF THE PASSENGER, HOW TO HANDLE DIFFERENT POPULATIONS, WHETHER IT'S ELDERLY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, PERSONS WITH SERVICE ANIMALS, THINGS THAT ARE NOT PERMITTED ON GO ZONES LIKE THERE'S NO WEAPONS POLICY AND AND WHAT TO DO IF THE DRIVER OR THE THE RIDER FEELS THREATENED.
IT'S JUST A VERY FIRST GLANCE.
I HAVEN'T SPENT MUCH TIME WITH IT.
JUST A BASIC OVERVIEW OF HOW TO OPERATE A RIDESHARE FOR A PUBLIC TRANSIT.
THERE'S SOME KIND OF PERSON THAT WALKS THEM THROUGH IT.
I'VE JUST SEEN THE SLIDE DECK AND THAT WAS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
I'M JUST MAKING A COMMENT AND MAYBE YOU CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND.
I THINK WITHIN OUR DISCUSSIONS AND I'M SPEAKING FROM MY MEMORY, SOME OF OUR CONCERN IS YOU SEE PEOPLE, WHETHER THEY'RE DISABLED OR NOT, HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING TO THE GO ZONE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF WHETHER THEY DECIDE TO STOP.
IT'S PAINFUL TO WATCH PEOPLE ALMOST HAVING.
YOU KNOW, ISSUES BEING RUN OVER BY OTHER PEOPLE, WHATEVER.
BUT IT'S LIKE, IS THERE SOME REASON OR HAVE STUDIES BEEN DONE THAT IT CAN'T JUST BE A DOOR TO DOOR THING? LIKE DOES IT HAVE TO BE THE STOPS? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE ONE THAT WOULD CUT OUT THE SAFETY ISSUES FOR EVERYBODY.
AND TOO, YOU'VE GOT THE ISSUE WITH THE WHEELCHAIR LIKE.
MAYBE BECAUSE YOU GUYS JUST KNOW THEY GET TRAINING AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS IT'S LIKE BEING MADE UP AS YOU GO ALONG, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT HAS TO HAPPEN, BUT IT'S NOT SOON ENOUGH FOR SOME PEOPLE WHO NEED SERVICES RIGHT AWAY.
AND SO VALID POINT FOR WHETHER IT ALL EVER GOES DOOR TO DOOR.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S I DON'T THINK THAT'S IN THE CARDS.
AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE THE LENGTH OF THE TRIP.
IT WOULD ADD SO MUCH TIME TO THE LENGTH OF THE TRIP.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE STILL PUBLIC TRANSIT.
SO WILL, WILL IT EVER GO 100% DOOR TO DOOR?
[00:45:02]
I DON'T I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.SO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS WHAT CAN WE DO IN THE INTERIM BECAUSE IT IS A LEARN AS YOU GO.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO MITIGATE THESE UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES? BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO MAKE A DECISION AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, BUT THEN YOU START PEELING BACK THE ONIONS.
FAIR MEDIA IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
THE BOARD SAID THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
WELL, WE HAD TO UNPACK WHAT ALL OF THAT MEANS.
AND SO I, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, APOLOGIZE.
I'M NOT THE THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE IS NOT LOST ON ME.
WE ARE IN A NEW SEASON AT DCA.
WE HAVE A NEW CEO, WE HAVE A NEW CFO, WE HAVE A NEW CEO.
AND I WOULD ANTICIPATE SEEING A LOT BETTER THINGS OUT OF CTA THIS YEAR WHERE I'M REALLY OPTIMISTIC FOR WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH IN F Y 23.
WE KNOW WHAT WE MEAN TO SOME PEOPLE AND WE DON'T TAKE THAT LIGHTLY.
IS THERE A BUS THAT GOES OUT TO THE NEW HOMELESS SHELTER? YES, MA'AM. WELL, THREE. ROUND THREE.
AND THEN WE ALSO READJUSTED THE GO ZONE BOUNDARIES.
SO THE NEW FACILITY IS SERVED BOTH BY ROUTE THREE AND BY GO ZONE AND AND ROUTE THREE.
WHAT'S WHAT'S THE OPTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ON.
SO DO YOU MEAN HOW OFTEN IT COMES? NO. LIKE.
LIKE WHAT? WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS IT RUNS BETWEEN IN GENERAL.
I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP AND SEND A MAP SO YOU CAN SEE IT ALL.
AND THEN IT GOES OUT TO 288, MAKES THE LOOP AND THEN COMES BACK.
BUT EVERY ALL OF OUR BUSSES ULTIMATELY CONNECT AT THE DTC.
OC I WAS JUST CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE STUCK IN A CERTAIN AREA.
THAT TELLS ME EVERYTHING I NEED.
AND THEN QUESTION BACK. THERE WAS MORE A RECOMMENDATION BOTH OF MY DAUGHTERS TAKE GOES IN TO GET TO AND FROM YOU AND T AND THE PLACES THEY GET DROPPED OFF AND PICKED UP FROM OUR BANANAS AND SOMETIMES DON'T WORK AT ALL.
RECOMMENDATION I HAD WOULD JUST BE MAYBE GOSDEN COULD JUST FIND A COUPLE OF SPOTS ON CAMPUS WHERE THEY DO DROP OFFS AND PICK UPS AND THAT WOULD MAKE THAT PROCESS SO MUCH EASIER.
REMEMBER THE AIRPORT WHEN UBER AND LYFT FIRST STARTED AND IT WAS LIKE PANDEMONIUM.
BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD.
WE WANT TO GET FOLKS CLOSE ENOUGH TO CAMPUS, BUT IF THEY GET TOO CLOSE TO IT, WILL IT? WE WOULD NEVER DO ANY RIDES.
WE ACTUALLY DAVID AND MYSELF ARE UP HERE LAST WEEK TO MEET WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF U.A..
THEY'VE GONE THROUGH SOME TURNOVER, WE'VE GONE THROUGH SOME TURNOVER.
SO KIND OF, AS I WAS SAYING, EXPECT GREAT THINGS IN 23, OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU AND T AND HOW WE MANEUVER IN AND OUT OF THAT CAMPUS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS I WOULD SAY TO PUT ON YOUR WATCH LIST. SO I DRIVE TO THE CAMPUS ALL THE TIME.
YES, LIKE THAT COULD BE A DROP OFF PICKUP POINT.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PLACES THAT AREN'T TOO TRICKY TO GET IN AND OUT OF.
YEAH, OVER BY APOGEE THEY HAVE WE RUN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SHUTTLES HERE, SO AND THEN THEY'RE NOT BEING DROPPED OFF LIKE BOTH MY DAUGHTERS HAVE AUTISM AND THEY'LL CALL ME AND BE LIKE, I'M AT A WASH THAT AREA.
LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M AT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT EVEN ON CAMPUS.
YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD THAT'S A GOOD RECOMMENDATION.
AND WE'LL TAKE THAT BACK AS PART OF WHAT THE WORK WE'RE DOING.
WE'LL BE DOING OPEN HOUSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT FOR THE INTERMEDIATE SERVICE PLAN.
SO YOU GUYS WILL ALL GET THAT INFORMATION TOO TO COME BE A PART OF THAT.
AND JUST JUST AS A I GUESS A QUESTION AND ALSO JUST LIKE A SUGGESTION SLASH COMMENT, IS, IS IT A PERMANENT THING THAT WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE THESE CONTRACTED DRIVERS OR IS THERE A TIME WHEN WE WILL MAYBE BRING IN FULL TIME FULLY STAFFED TRAIN DRIVERS THAT HANDLE ADA ISSUES? SO THAT IS WHAT THE ACCESS SERVICE IS FOR, WHETHER THAT TRANSLATE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR GO ZONE, I CANNOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
DART USES MV TRANSPORTATION WE USE VIA TRINITY METRO IN FORT WORTH USES VIA.
AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL TO TELL YOU WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
THERE'S THAT ABSOLUTELY THAT POSSIBILITY WE ARE IN THE GROUND FLOOR OF THIS TYPE OF.
[00:50:06]
NATIONWIDE DISTRIBUTION OF ON DEMAND TYPE SERVICES.SO I'M WATCHING THAT VERY CLOSELY BECAUSE IN GOVERNMENT IT'S NOT STEALING IDEAS.
WE'RE JUST BEING COST EFFECTIVE.
BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S NOT OFF OUR RADAR AS WE GET IT.
THIS IS THE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2021.
THE CONTRACT RUNS FOR THREE YEARS.
WE'RE GOING TO LEARN A LOT IN THOSE THREE YEARS.
YEAH. IF SOMEONE WITH A WALKER AS USING GOES ON, WOULD THEY HAVE TO LOAD THEIR WALKER IN THE BACK AND THEN MAKE THEIR WAY UP TO THEIR SEAT? I BELIEVE THAT GOES ON.
DRIVER PARTNER CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT, BUT I AM NOT 100% SURE.
SO LET ME DOUBLE CHECK AND I'LL GET BACK TO RYAN SO HE CAN PASS THAT INFORMATION ALONG TO YOU.
I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU A FIB.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, I APPRECIATE THE TIME.
AGAIN, IF ANYTHING COMES UP AFTER THIS AND YOU WANT TO REACH OUT, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE.
PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TRAVEL TRAINING PROGRAM IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN AND JUST REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO BUILD THIS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS COMMITTEE AND CTA.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING US OUT HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU. NOW, I'LL SHARE BRITTANY'S CONTACT INFORMATION WITH YOU.
YEAH, PLEASE. AND DON'T HESITATE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
[C. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding accessibility in emergency shelters during declared disasters.]
10.120.SO THIS IS A FOLLOW UP CONVERSATION.
I THINK THAT WAS INVOLVED. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN YOUR FIRST SIX MONTHS WITH THE CITY.
I MADE IT. I MADE IT A YEAR LAST WEEK.
IT WAS MY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY, SO WELL, BEEN HERE A YEAR WITH THIS CITY.
BUT THE SCOPE OF THIS IS REALLY FOCUSED IN ON SHELTERING, WHICH AS WE GET CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE FEBRUARY, THAT SEEMS TO BE TOP OF MIND FOR A LOT OF FOLKS TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT EMERGENCY SHELTERS.
AND THEN HE'LL BE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
I'M THE EMERGENCY MANAGER FOR THE CITY.
LIKE I SAID, WHEN MY RESPONSIBILITIES ARE FOR PLANNING FOR EITHER NATURAL OR MANMADE DISASTERS, AS IF YOU'VE LIVED IN THE AREA FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME. YOU KNOW, DENTON HAS THEIR FAIR SHARE OF EMERGENCIES, USUALLY AROUND WEATHER.
WE ALL EXPERIENCE THAT IN DECEMBER.
BUT WE HAD THE NORTH TEXAS HAD 16 TORNADOES COME THROUGH.
LUCKILY, NONE OF THEM HIT THE CITY.
WE ALL EXPERIENCED THAT AS WELL.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE IS PREPAREDNESS.
THE MORE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS PREPARED, THE EASIER IT IS FOR THEM TO DEAL WITH DISASTER.
THIS CAN HELP DECREASE INJURY, LOSS OF PROPERTY.
AND THEN ALSO POST-DISASTER, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH RECOVERY? THIS IS ALL THE MORE PREPARED WE ARE, THE EASIER IT IS, THE FASTER IT IS TO GET BACK TO TO WHAT WE CALL NORMAL AFTER THE DISASTER.
AND THIS IS NOT ONLY FOR YOURSELF, BUT FOR YOUR FAMILY.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE PREPARED, IT LESSENS THE EFFECT OF THE EMERGENCY.
[00:55:07]
DEVELOPMENT, THE WHOLE THE WHOLE GAMUT WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR.AND, YOU KNOW, I'M SO GLAD THAT I WAS HERE FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION BECAUSE THERE'S THREE AREAS THAT THAT I WORRY ABOUT, ESPECIALLY DURING SHELTERING IT'S TRANSPORTATION COMMUNICATION AND AND THEN ID, YOU KNOW, KNOWING WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE THAT WE'RE GOING TO THAT I'M GOING TO NEED BECAUSE IT ALL HELPS ME PREPARE FOR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO FOR SHELTERS.
SO RYAN ASKED ME TO TALK ABOUT EMERGENCY SHELTERS.
BUT FIRST THING TO TO NOTE NOTE IS THAT ANY SHELTER THAT WE OPEN BY, YOU KNOW, BY THE CITY WILL BE ADA COMPLIANT, WILL HAVE ACCESS ISSUES, ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES, I'M SORRY, NOT ACCESS ISSUES SO THAT PEOPLE COULD COME AND THEY YOU KNOW, THEY CAN FUNCTION WELL AT THE SHELTER. SHELTERS WOULD BE EMERGENCY, YOU KNOW.
SO THAT'S EITHER THERE'S BEEN A FLOODING EVENT, THERE'S BEEN A TORNADO.
BASICALLY, PEOPLE HAVE LOST WHERE THEY LIVE AND THEY NEED TO BE MOVED TO A LOCATION.
THAT'S THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT WE PLAN FOR HERE.
EVERYTHING IS KIND OF SHORT TERM EMERGENCY BASED SHELTERS.
SO WE HAVE A LIST OF FACILITIES.
WE START OFF WITH CITY FACILITIES.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PLACES LIKE OUR REC CENTERS, A CIVIC CENTER, SOMETHING THAT WE CONTROL AND WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO ASK PERMISSION TO BRING PEOPLE IN BECAUSE WE OWN THE FACILITIES AND THEN WE MOVE INTO OTHER FACILITIES IN THE CITY.
AND THEN THEN WE MOVE INTO COUNTY BUILDINGS AND AND SO ON.
SO UNT IS A BIG PARTNER OF OURS.
SO THE OTHER THING IS, IS WE LOOK AT WE PARTNER WITH AMERICAN RED CROSS, AMERICAN RED CROSS.
THEY'RE THERE IN THE SHELTER BUSINESS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. THEY PROVIDE SHELTERING.
THEY HAVE THEY HAVE MANAGERS THAT ARE TRAINED, THEIR VOLUNTEERS ARE TRAINED.
SO WE WORK WITH THROUGH THEM AND THEY HAVE A CHECKLIST OF OF OF CERTAIN THINGS THAT MEET SHELTER, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, GOES TO TALK ABOUT OUR ACCESSIBILITY. SO WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING WITH HOW MANY RAMPS, YOU KNOW, IS THE DOORWAY BIG ENOUGH? YOU KNOW, ARE THERE RESTROOMS, HOW MANY RESTROOMS? YOU KNOW, WE GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THE WHOLE THING TO HELP US DETERMINE WHICH FACILITY IS GOOD, WHAT'S THE CAPACITY AT THAT FACILITY? AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO BRING PEOPLE THERE WHERE THEY CAN.
THEY CAN STILL FUNCTION AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, BE COMFORTABLE THERE WHILE WE'RE WAITING TO EITHER LET THEM COME BACK HOME OR MOVE THEM INTO A DIFFERENT PLACE. SO IT IS THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THEY DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO.
YOU CAN GO WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE SHELTERS DEDICATED AS MEDICAL SHELTERS.
WE'RE BASICALLY DOUBLING THE AMOUNT OF SHELTERS WE HAVE WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR.
SO NOW IT'S KIND OF AN OPEN IT'S AN OPEN SHELTER.
YOU KNOW, IF WE DO HAVE TO SAY WE'RE EVACUATING A NURSING HOME OR OR ASSISTED LIVING AND WE DO HAVE TO SET UP A MEDICAL SHELTER.
A PERSON HAS THE RIGHT TO SAY, I WANT TO GO THERE AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THE STRESS.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MY BLOOD PRESSURE IS GOING UP.
I THINK I'D FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF I WAS AROUND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.
SO YOU DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
[01:00:03]
OR YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE A MEDICAL OPTION AVAILABLE.WE WE DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE A MEDICAL OPTION.
WE'RE MOVING HAVING A SHELTER.
SO LET'S SAY THERE'S FIVE PEOPLE THAT NEED MEDICAL AND YOU HAVE LIKE 500 THAT DON'T.
WHAT WOULD THOSE FIVE PEOPLE DO? SO WE WOULD WE WOULD SEND THEM TO, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEIR ACCESS, HOW MUCH MEDICAL ATTENTION THEY NEED.
OUR SHELTERS, WE DO HAVE MEDICAL PERSONNEL THERE.
WE ALSO PARTNER WITH VOLUNTEER AGENCIES, DENTON COUNTY AND MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS.
THEY HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE EITHER MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS OR THEY'RE TRAINED.
THEY WOULD BE STAFFING THOSE SHELTERS.
SO WE WOULD HAVE THE MEDICAL PERSONNEL ABOARD THERE AS WELL AS AT THE GENERAL POPULATION, JUST TO DEAL WITH THOSE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT SOME MORE, MAYBE SOME MORE MEDICAL ATTENTION.
SO WHAT QUALIFIES YOUR DECISION TO OPEN A MEDICAL SPECIFIC SHELTER? MAINLY, IT'S GOING TO BE FOR THE FOR IF WE'RE EVACUATING AN ASSISTED LIVING, A NURSING HOME SCHOOL, STATE SCHOOL, SOMETHING SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT WHERE THEY'RE HAVING THEY'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED A MEDICAL CAPABILITY AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE WITH SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL NEEDS, BUT YOU'RE CARING FOR THEM IN YOUR HOME WITH YOUR FAMILY AND THIS DISASTER OCCURS AND YOU NEED TO EVACUATE FROM THE HOME, THE INDIVIDUAL WITH THE MEDICAL NEEDS, IS THAT PERSON GOING TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE FAMILY? NO, NO, NO, NO SEPARATIONS.
THANK YOU. SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE INCLUDE IN OUR PLANNING ARE PETS.
YOU KNOW, PETS ARE THE NUMBER ONE REASON PEOPLE DO NOT EVACUATE BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT THEY'RE GOING TO THEY'RE GOING TO BE THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE THE PET OR THEY'RE FORCED TO LEAVE THEM AT HOME. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PETS ARE FAMILY MEMBERS.
ALL OF OUR SHELTERS WILL BE PET FRIENDLY.
THEY MAY NOT BE ALLOWED INTO THE DEAL, BUT THEY CAN ALWAYS GO AND SEE THEM.
NOW, OF COURSE, SERVICE ANIMALS ARE A DIFFERENT STORY.
THOSE WILL BE ALLOWED INTO THE INTO THE SHELTER ITSELF.
UM. YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
A LOT OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, OUR VOLUNTEER AGENCIES ACTIVE IN DISASTERS.
THOSE ARE LIKE SALVATION ARMY.
OUR DAILY BREAD, YOU KNOW, THEY WILL HELP US AT SHELTERS AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, THEY MAY NOT HAVE THEY MAY NOT HAVE A TIME TO TO EITHER GRAB A BAG, GRAB SOMETHING.
ONE THING THAT WE PLAN FOR, TOO, IS COMMUNICATION.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S DIFFERENT LANGUAGES BEING SPOKEN.
WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE THINGS IN WRITING.
SO SO ALL OF THAT IS KIND OF PLAYING INTO OUR OUR SHELTERING PLAN AS WELL.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE RESEARCH OUR VOLUNTEER AGENCIES.
CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WHAT TYPE OF ALTERNATIVE FORMAT YOU'D PROVIDE FOR PEOPLE WHO REPORT MORE BUYING? BECAUSE, I MEAN, BRAILLE WORDS AREN'T READILY AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE SOME OF THAT THAT'S ALREADY DEVELOPED.
WE HAVE THEM IN OUR IN OUR SUPPLIES FOR SOMEBODY THAT IS BLIND.
I HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW WE COMMUNICATE.
I APPRECIATE. RIGHT. THANK YOU.
YES. HOW WOULD CITIZENS WHO NEED THE SUPPORT REACH OUT OR WOULD KNOW TO GET IT? SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I ACTUALLY WANT TO TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT.
SO. RIGHT NOW, THE PROGRAM IN PLACE IS RUN BY TEXAS.
[01:05:02]
IT'S CALLED STEER.AND THIS IS A STATE REGISTRATION WHERE IT'S VOLUNTARY.
I'M IN A WHEELCHAIR, I'M IN A WALKER.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DO THIS FOR YOUR FAMILY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO YOU KNOW, YOU CAN YOU DON'T HAVE TO RESCUE YOURSELF.
AND THEN IT KIND OF BREAKS IT UP TO THE CITY OF DENTON.
NOW, THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS IT'S SELF REGISTRATION, AND YOU HAVE TO DO IT EVERY YEAR.
WE COULD DO A REAL HEAVY PUSH THIS YEAR.
SO IT'S NOT THE BEST SYSTEM, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY SYSTEM WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
WHAT I WANTED TO ASK YOU ALL ABOUT WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO REGISTER PEOPLE? YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CITY OF DENTON NEEDS TO DEVELOP AN INTERNAL INTERNAL REGISTRATION, YOU KNOW, QR CODE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THEM AT DIFFERENT PLACES.
YOU SCAN IT, A LITTLE FORM COMES UP, YOU IDENTIFY, AND THEN THAT COMES TO US.
I STILL USE THAT REGULARLY FOR LIGHTS AND THINGS, BUT THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
THE FUNCTIONALITY. RICH, COULD YOU WRITE THAT DOWN ENGAGED IN? YEAH. SO SO YOU KNOW BECAUSE BECAUSE THAT'S THAT'S THE PROBLEM IS YOU KNOW WE USE WE CAN USE CENSUS DATA, YOU KNOW WE CAN USE THE STEER PROGRAM, BUT THAT KIND OF JUST GIVES US AN IDEA OF BUT IF WE COULD HAVE MORE REAL TIME, MORE ALMOST, I WANT TO SAY, HOMEGROWN INFORMATION, THEN THAT THEN THAT WILL HELP US IN PLANNING. NOW, MUCH LIKE THE STEER PROGRAM, IT DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME OUT AND PICK YOU UP AND TRANSPORT YOU, BUT IT GIVES ME, AS A PLANNER, A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT AREAS OF THE CITY HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S EMERGENCY.
IT'S ONLY AFFECTING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE CITY AND THAT'S CITYWIDE.
AND I CAN GO PULL UP MY RESOURCES.
OKAY. I KNOW THAT I HAVE 10%, 20%, 30% OF PEOPLE THAT NEED TRANSPORTATION.
THEY PROVIDE US THEIR THEIR BUSSES, THEIR ACCESS BUSSES.
WE JUST TELL THEM WHERE TO GO AND PICK UP PEOPLE.
I WAS GOING TO SAY, IF YOU DID HAVE AN INTERNAL CITY REGISTRATION, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ON FACEBOOK, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND I'VE SEEN CITY OF THEM DO SURVEYS OR, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT THEY'RE NOT SPONSORED ADS, BUT IT'S LIKE THEY'RE SCROLLING.
THEY'RE SAYING, HERE YOU COME, COME INSIDE SOMEBODY.
THEY MIGHT SEE IT AND BE ABLE TO GO, OH, THAT'S ME AND OR MY MOM OR WHATEVER.
YEAH. BECAUSE THE OTHER OTHER INFORMATION IS MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, DO I NEED OXYGEN OR DO I NEED WALKERS? DO I? BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE WANT YOU OUT NOW, SO YOU MAY LEAVE SOME OF THAT STUFF BACK AT HOME.
YES, I DO KNOW THAT THE CITY HAS HEALTH FAIRS AND ONE IS COMING UP PRETTY SOON THIS YEAR.
IT WOULD BE VERY NICE TO HAVE A BOOTH THAT HIGHLIGHTS JUST THIS AND GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REGISTER AND GET A LITTLE MORE AWARENESS THAT THIS EXISTS.
YEAH, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, IT IS DIFFICULT THAT WE'RE ALL USING THIS STATEWIDE.
NOW RENEW IT, YOU DO WANT TO UPDATE IT, BUT YEARLY IT'S NOT.
I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALISTIC.
MAYBE EVEN EVEN DCA THAT THEY RENEW IT EVERY THREE YEARS.
THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT'S MORE MANAGEABLE TO DO WHERE EVERY THREE YEARS WE JUST UPDATE OUR RECORDS AND I CAN KIND OF SEE IT BECAUSE THINGS CHANGE SOMETIMES WITHIN THAT YEAR.
SO IF THE INITIAL INFORMATION STAYS OUT THERE AND YOU JUST MAKE THE CORRECTIONS ON WHAT YOU NEED, I DON'T THINK THAT MIGHT BE TOO MUCH IF THE END RESULT IS GOING TO BE SHELTER OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU NEED AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY OR A FAMILY MEMBER WITH A DISABILITY.
YEAH, I THINK THAT THE SENIOR CENTER AND LIBRARIES TO THOSE WOULD BE GOOD PLACES TO TO HAVE THESE CODES BECAUSE MY IDEA IS, YOU KNOW, TO DEVELOP THE QR CODE AND YOU JUST TAKE A PICTURE AND IT TAKES YOU AROUND AUTOMATICALLY TO THE SITE.
YOU JUST FILL IT OUT ON YOUR ON YOUR PHONE OR LIKE I SAID, IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS DO IT FOR YOU, FILL IT OUT AND YOU'RE IN YOU'RE IN OUR OUR DATABASE.
YES. IS THERE ANY CORRESPONDENCE FOR RENEWAL REMINDERS?
[01:10:04]
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WITH THE STATE, THERE IS NOT IT ON THE FORM.I RIDE A BIKE, I DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE.
HOW WOULD PEOPLE LIKE ME? I'D SAY THAT I'M AT THE GROCERY STORE BUYING MY LAST THING OF MILK AND BREAD, AND I GET BACK HOME AND EVERYONE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS EVACUATED.
WHAT DO I DO? SO PART OF OUR PLAN IS THAT WE WOULD VERY SIMILAR TO THE CTA IF, IF SOMETHING WAS AFFECTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE WOULD SET UP POINTS AND WE WOULD HAVE TO COMMUNICATE THOSE POINTS OF THIS IS WHERE WE'RE PICKING UP PEOPLE.
AND THEN THAT'S WHERE OUR OUR BUSSES OR WHATEVER TRANSPORTATION WE'RE USING, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO IMAGINE TO SAY A TORNADO, IF IT COMES THROUGH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, ACCESSIBILITY INTO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS GOING TO BE SEVERELY COMPROMISED.
YES. SO THAT ACTUALLY LEADS ME TO THIS.
SO ALERT DENSON IS OUR MASS COMMUNICATION, OUR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM.
SO HOPEFULLY ALL OF YOU ALL ARE IN THERE.
YOU GET THE WEATHER ALERTS, BUT THE WEATHER ALERTS ARE AUTOMATIC.
THEY COME TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
THEY PUSH IT OUT. BUT I ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEND DETAILED MESSAGES SO I CAN SEND OUT MESSAGES SAYING, YOU KNOW, TO AVOID THIS AREA BECAUSE THERE'S A GAS LEAK OR, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS A TORNADO, YOU KNOW, THIS LOCATION IS GOING TO BE FOR PICKUP.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE SHELTER.
SO THOSE COMMUNICATIONS WILL COME THROUGH MY OFFICE AND IT WILL PROVIDE ALL THAT.
IT WOULD ALSO BE PUSHED OUT VIA CITY WEBSITE, SEE SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALL THE OTHER AVENUES.
BUT THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM TOO, IS I CAN PULL UP A MAP, DRAW A CIRCLE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND AND IF THERE'S A PHONE REGISTERED TO ONE OF THOSE ADDRESSES, IT'LL AUTOMATICALLY GO TO YOU.
OKAY. SO. SO THAT'S THE OTHER THING, TOO.
YOU MAY BE OUT OF TOWN, NOT EVEN KNOW THAT SOMETHING CAME THROUGH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT IF YOU'RE ON OUR SIDE, YOU'LL GET A MESSAGE AND IT'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, PLEASE MEET OVER HERE OR EVACUATE THAT TYPE OF THING. SO.
SO THERE WOULD BE BUSSES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YES. YES. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE DISASTER IS, SOME THINGS WE'LL HAVE LEAD TIME WHERE WE COULD MAYBE TELL PEOPLE TO EITHER SHELTER IN PLACE, EVACUATE. OTHER THINGS ARE GOING TO BE INSTANTANEOUS AND IT'LL BE AFTER THE FACT.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THE EMERGENCY IS USUALLY FOR FOR WEATHER.
WE'LL HAVE SOME KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF LEAD, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST WHERE PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE, MONITORING, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S WARNINGS AND AND THAT ARE GOING ON. YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK.
I THINK THOSE ARE GOOD PLACES.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU MISSED THAT, RYAN, BUT WE TALKED ABOUT DEVELOPING A QR CODE TO HAVE A REGISTRATION FOR PEOPLE TO REGISTER IF THEY HAVE ANY NEED FOR FOR EVACUATIONS, FOR DISABILITY.
WHAT'S YOUR STEER? VERY MUCH LIKE STEER, BUT MAKE IT AT HOME TO THE CITY WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH SO MANY LAYERS BEFORE IT GETS WE GET THE INFORMATION.
SO I THINK SETTING UP A SHAREPOINT WHERE IT JUST I'M AT SHAREPOINT ON A SMART SHEET WHERE ALL THAT CAN BE KEPT AND THEN WE HAVE ACCESS AND YOU CAN EVEN MAP IT TO KNOW WHERE, WHERE PEOPLE ARE LOCATED.
IS THERE AN INSERT INTO THE UTILITY BILLS? ALL RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S THAT'S ALL I HAVE IS MY CONTACT INFORMATION.
IF Y'ALL NEED TO REACH OUT TO ME, PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL OR SEND ME AN EMAIL.
[D. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and provide a staff update regarding the City of Denton’s Master Sidewalk Workplan.]
I AM FORMER REPORTER FOR.WAS WHAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.
SO, GOOD AFTERNOON. OH, NO, YOU'RE GOOD.
JUST. THIS IS THE ONE AREA AGAIN, KIND OF CALLING BACK TO WHAT YOU GUYS WANTED FOR YOUR PRIORITIES.
OUR HOPE IS TO HAVE MAYBE AT LEAST TWO OF THESE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
[01:15:02]
YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS, THEY DON'T.BUT I WILL LEAVE IT TO TREVOR TO TAKE IT FROM HERE.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL PROJECTS HERE AT THE CITY OF DENTON.
AND SO TODAY WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF GO THROUGH OUR CITY OF DENTON.
SO JUST TO QUICKLY GO THROUGH OUR MISSION OR GOALS AND BENEFITS.
SO TO MAINTAIN A MASTER SIDEWALK WORK PLAN STRATEGY, PROVIDING FOR THE SYSTEMIC DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF THE CITY SIDEWALK INFRASTRUCTURE, UTILIZING THE VOTER APPROVED SIDEWALK BOND FUNDS RESPONSIBLY WITH EMPHASIS ON PRIORITY AREAS.
BUT REALLY IT'S IT'S KIND OF HAVE A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO BUILDING SIDEWALKS.
ON OUR TRUE PEDESTRIAN INDEX, WE'VE CREATED A PPI INDEX SCORING SYSTEM.
SO WE GRADE ALL OF OUR SIDEWALKS USING THAT PPI.
ARE PEOPLE GOING TO BE TRAVELING ON FOOT A LOT MORE.
SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE COORDINATING WITH THOSE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE COMING IN.
SO IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE GETTING THEIR FIRST THAT THEY'RE BUILDING THOSE SIDEWALKS, IF THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR OR IF WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING THERE FIRST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING THOSE SIDEWALKS SO WE'RE NOT LEAVING GAPS IN BETWEEN WHERE NEW DEVELOPMENTS ARE COMING IN AND OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO SOME OF THE BENEFITS, THE INSTALLATION IS BASED ON A FAIR AND EQUITABLE RANKING SYSTEM SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST KIND OF HOPPING FROM PLACE TO PLACE, DEPENDING ON WHO'S YELLING THE LOUDEST, BUT REALLY THAT WE HAVE A BASIS FOR GRADING THESE SIDEWALK SEGMENTS AND MAKING SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING THAT PLAN.
HAVE BETTER CONSIDERATION FOR SAFER.
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL AND OTHER ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION GRANTS.
SO OUR SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL, OUR TRIP TO TRIP.
AND SO HAVING THIS THIS BETTER WORK PLAN AND THIS PROACTIVE APPROACH ALLOWS US TO HAVE THESE PROJECTS IN THE QUEUE AND READY FOR WHEN THOSE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES COME UP AND WHEN WE CAN GO OUT AND GET THOSE.
YEAH, SO I'LL GET TO THAT HERE IN A SECOND, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME I'LL TOUCH ON.
AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT SHOWS EVERY PROJECT THAT'S HAPPENING.
IT'LL BRING UP KIND OF A SIDEBAR THAT TELLS YOU WHAT THE PROJECT IS, WHO THE PROJECT MANAGER IS, HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING, WHERE THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM, AND ALSO A LINK TO THAT DISCUSSED DIDN'T PAGE WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION AS WELL.
SO ALL OF OUR SIDEWALK PROJECTS ARE ON THAT MAP THAT SHOWS EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING WITHIN THE NEXT 365 DAYS OR IF IT'S CURRENTLY IN CONSTRUCTION OR IF IT JUST RECENTLY CLOSED OUT WITHIN THE LAST MONTH.
SO. HAVE YOU OR MAYBE BRIAN TO LOOK IT UP WHILE I'M SITTING HERE? HE'S DOING SOMETHING ELSE I'M TRYING TO GIVE SOME WORK TO.
BUT YEAH, LOOK, HE'S OVER THERE TRYING TO, TRYING TO DO CHECK EMAILS AND STUFF, BUT MAKE IT WORK.
SO LET'S SEE WHAT? SO IT MAXIMIZES OUR ADA TRANSITION PLAN, SIDEWALK ACCESSIBILITY DATA.
AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT KIND OF THE COORDINATION WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
SO THIS IS OUR SEGMENT COMPLETION.
22 WAS REALLY YOU KNOW, THIS WAS KIND OF BEFORE WE HAD ESTABLISHED THAT PPI.
SO WE WERE JUST KIND AS THEY CAME UP, WE WERE TRYING TO KNOCK THEM OUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL MET NATHAN.
HE WAS HERE. HE SADLY, WE LOST HIM.
HE WAS GREAT. BUT WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT TRYING TO FILL THAT ROLE.
BUT NATHAN HAD A BIG, BIG PART TO PLAY IN KIND OF THIS MASS SIDEWALK MASTER PLAN CREATING THAT PPI.
SO THIS IS JUST A LIST OF KIND OF WHAT WE'VE WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED IN THAT 2122 TIMEFRAME.
[01:20:07]
SO THIS IS PLANNED CONSTRUCTION FOR THIS YEAR.YOU CAN SEE A LIST OF ALL THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON GETTING THIS YEAR.
WE'RE GOING TO START LOOKING AT TRYING TO PACKAGE A LOT OF THESE SIDEWALKS TOGETHER, BIDDING THEM OUT LIKE WE WOULD A NORMAL CAPITAL PROJECT AND USING LARGER CONTRACTORS THAT COULD COME IN AND ECONOMIES OF SCALE.
WE CAN DO MORE OF THEM QUICKER AND THEN TRY TO GET CHEAPER PRICES AS WELL.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED FOR 2023.
AND I'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE SLIDES THAT SHOW 20 23.4 AND A LITTLE FURTHER OUT THAT ARE ON THE PLAN.
BUT AS WE GET MORE GRANT FUNDING AND START PACKAGING THINGS, THESE THINGS TOGETHER, THE HOPE IS TO PULL PULL THOSE IN THOSE OUTER YEARS INTO THE INNER YEARS, KNOCK THEM OUT FASTER, AND THEN THE LIST OF SIDEWALKS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED IS MUCH LONGER THAN WHAT I'M SHOWING HERE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE HUGE LIST, BUT WE'RE USING THAT P SCORE TO KIND OF PRIORITIZE EVERYTHING.
SO AS WE CAN KNOCK OFF THOSE, WE'LL SAY THE RED PART OF THE TOP AND WE CAN START KNOCKING OUT SOME OF THOSE YELLOW ONES AND THE THINGS THAT ARE MAYBE NOT AS BIG OF A NECESSARY CONSTRUCTION, BUT TRYING TO PULL THOSE UP AND GET EVERYTHING DONE.
SO THAT'S THAT'S REALLY THE GOAL IS TO TRY TO GET THESE DONE FASTER AND BUNDLING TOGETHER.
CONSTRUCTION, THESE ARE ALL GRANT FUNDED.
SO. AND THESE ARE KIND OF WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE 24, 25 ONES.
THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE CURRENTLY AT.
WE ALSO LOOK AT THESE SIDEWALKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO IF IT MAKES SENSE TO WHERE THEY'RE KIND OF IN THAT SAME GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, THEN WE DO FOLD THEM INTO THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS TO KNOCK THOSE ALL OUT AT THE SAME TIME SO THAT WE'RE NOT DOING A CAPITAL PROJECT, LEAVING FOR SIX MONTHS AND THEN COMING BACK IN AND DOING A SIDEWALK PROJECT.
IT DOESN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE TO DO THAT.
SO AS PART OF THE BOND PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING OUT, WHENEVER WE DO ANY PROJECTS, WE WHETHER IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A STREET PROJECT OR A WATER PROJECT OR A WASTEWATER PROJECT, WE'RE LOOKING AT REALLY EVERYTHING THAT'S INCLUDED.
IF IT'S A STREET PROJECT, WE'RE TALKING THE WATER AND WASTEWATER.
WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR PI SCORES AND SIDEWALKS AND SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS SIDEWALK MAY NOT NEED TO BE DONE NOW, BUT IT'S GOING TO NEED TO BE DONE IN THE NEXT COUPLE, COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT WE'RE HERE WITH A PROJECT.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND PULL IT INTO THAT PROJECT AND KNOCK IT OUT WHILE WE'RE HERE.
AND I ALSO HAD ROBIN PUT OUR PPI INDEX ON HERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
SO IF IT'S DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL, HOW CLOSE IT IS TO A TRANSIT EXISTING PATHWAYS SO THAT WAR AND BEATEN PATH IS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT GRASS, WE KIND OF CALL IT COLUMN GOAT PATHS.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WALKING THERE FOR HOWEVER LONG, BUT THERE'S NO SIDEWALK.
WELL, OBVIOUSLY WE NEED A SIDEWALK THERE IF IT'S WORN DOWN.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS, PROXIMITY TO A SCHOOL, PROXIMITY TO A UNIVERSITY.
THEY TOOK SO MANY OF THE BUS STOPS AWAY.
THERE WAS NO SIDEWALK, AND IT'S QUITE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT AWAY FROM THE ROAD.
SO IT WAS JUST REALLY HARD TO GET TO YOU, SAID GOAT PATH.
SO IT MIGHT BE NICE TO I GUESS IT HAS TRANSIT QUARTER MILE ON THERE.
SO THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE WORK WITH WITH THE CTA AND A PART OF THAT TRIP FUNDING IS THAT TRYING TO PROVIDE THOSE SAFE ROUTES TO GET TO THERE THE CHECKPOINTS OR STOPS OR AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
SO THAT'S THAT'S DEFINITELY ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT PROXIMITY TO A COMMUNITY SHELTER.
[01:25:03]
WE DO FIND A LOT OF THE SIDEWALKS IN THE CITY OR DO NOT BE ANY REQUIREMENTS.SO TO STAY INFORMED THAT DISCUSS DENTON PAGE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
YOU CAN GO IN THERE AND THIS IS THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IF YOU GO ON THIS DISGUSTING PAGE.
BUT ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL FIND ROBIN DAVIS.
SHE'S ONE OF MY PROJECT MANAGERS.
SHE MANAGES ALL OUR SIDEWALK PROJECTS.
AND LIKE I SAID, SHE WORKED WITH NATHAN ON DEVELOPING THIS SCORE AND THE SIDEWALK PLAN.
SO QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS.
I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAD. IF Y'ALL HAD ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS.
I CONTACTED THE SIDEWALK PERSON ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO BECAUSE I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT THE AREA BETWEEN ALBERTSON'S ON THE SO IT'S ON THE EAST SIDE OF UNIVERSITY BETWEEN ALBERTSON'S AND THEN THAT NEW BIG SHOPPING PLAZA ON THAT SAME SIDE.
A PERSON LIKE JOE WOULD HAVE TO LITERALLY GO INTO TRAFFIC TO GET THERE BECAUSE IT'S A GOAT.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING WAS TYPICALLY IT'S ABOUT FIVE YEARS FOR THINGS TO GET THERE.
IT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL, DEFINITELY.
YEAH. SO 380 IS A IS A TEXTILE ROADWAY, BUT WE WE WORK WITH TEXT ALL THE TIME, SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT AND SEE IF WE CAN GET THEM NORMALLY WHEN THEY BUILD THOSE THEY.
AND HISTORICALLY, TEXTILE HAS NOT LOOKED AT PEDESTRIAN ACCESS AS PART OF THEIR CONSTRUCTION.
NO, MOVING FORWARD, IT IS A REQUIREMENT.
THEY DO THEY DO INCLUDE THOSE THOSE WALKWAYS, SIDEWALKS AND PEDESTRIAN.
BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO TRY TO INCLUDE A LOT OF THOSE SIDEWALKS AND PEDESTRIAN PATHS.
I MEAN, MY MY THINKING IS WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT PERMISSION TO DO ANYTHING ON THEIR PROPERTY.
IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT AS A CITY ANYWAY.
SO WE'LL DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
YEAH, I WAS JUST REAL DISAPPOINTED.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S BEEN EIGHT YEARS I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS THING GOING AND IT'S A BIG DEAL.
ALSO AS PART OF THE SIDEWALK PLANS? NOT NECESSARILY, NO.
CURB CUTS ARE USUALLY HANDLED BY OUR STREETS DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THERE'S A PERMIT THAT DOES.
IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING TO HAVE A CURB CUT JUST KIND OF BY ITSELF, AND THAT'S A PERMITTING PROCESS AND OUR STREET DEPARTMENT USUALLY HANDLES THERE'S A COUPLE OF SPOTS DOWNTOWN THAT COULD USE CURB CUTS.
THERE'S ONE LIKE BY THIS LOGAN SHOE SHOP.
THERE'S LIKE THE SIDEWALK GOES PRETTY LONG IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, BUT IT JUST GOES ALL.
THAT GOES IN FRONT OF THIS PARKING LOT AND THERE'S NO CURB CUT ON EITHER SIDE.
SO YOU HAVE TO GO INTO TRAFFIC.
YOU'RE A WHEELCHAIR USER. YEAH.
YEAH. DOWNTOWN IS ITS OWN KIND OF BEAST.
YEAH, THERE'S THERE'S NO ROOM DOWN THERE.
IT'S TOUGH TO DO ANYTHING JUST BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NO ROOM TO DO ANYTHING.
BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT THOSE AREAS IF YOU'LL IF YOU'LL SEND THEM TO US.
THEN WE CAN LOOK AT THEM AND EVALUATE THEM.
I KNOW WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME SOME DOING SOME WORK DOWNTOWN WHERE WE CAN.
THAT'S GREAT. YEAH. THAT'S IT.
Y'ALL HAMMERED BOB WITH QUESTIONS.
I ONLY HAD TWO OR THREE FOR ME, BIKE RIDES DUE TO BIKE RIDES BECAUSE OF THOSE FOUR BIKE RIDES ALSO.
SO I DON'T SPECIFICALLY DO THOSE UNLESS THEY'RE INCLUDED IN THE CAPITAL PROJECT.
BUT THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE LOOK AT IN OUR DEPARTMENT IS REALLY THE MULTIMODAL.
SO STREETS, WALKING, BIKE ROUTES, ALL THOSE THINGS.
[01:30:05]
SO THAT'S DEFINITELY A PART OF WHAT WE DO.NOT ME SPECIFICALLY, BUT YES MA'AM.
WE LIVE IN THE AREA OF BETWEEN OLD NORTH AND NOTTINGHAM AND THERE IS NO WAY TO SAFELY GET OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE WALKING OR BIKE RIDING BECAUSE WE'RE SURROUNDED BY UNIVERSITY ON ONE SIDE AND THEN SHERMAN ON THE OTHER SIDE OR LIKE MINGO, THERE'S NO WAY FOR US TO GET DOWNTOWN AND IT'S NOT FAR.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD EASILY BIKE OR WALK TO SPEND A NICE SATURDAY AFTERNOON, BUT NOT THAT KIND OF BIKE PATHS WALKING PAST TRAILS. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WORK ON IN CONJUNCTION WITH PARKS.
SO PART OF WHAT WE'VE DONE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE AND WE START LOOKING AT PROJECTS THAT WHETHER IT'S JUST A STREET PROJECT, WE'RE TALKING TO PARKS AND WE'RE TALKING TO WATER AND WASTEWATER AND SAYING, HEY, WE'RE ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING HERE.
YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? I KNOW PART ONE OF PARKS IS BIG INITIATIVES, IS CONNECTING CONNECTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO IF IT MAKES SENSE TO PUT IN THOSE TEN FOOT SHARED USE PATHS OR SIDEWALKS OR WHATEVER, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE AS WE'RE DESIGNING THIS PROJECT. SO YEAH, I WALK NORTH ALL THE TIME AND THE SIDEWALKS JUST STOP AND YOU WALK IN THE STREET AND I DON'T KNOW, NO SEXTING, BUT I KNOW OLD NORTH, OR AT LEAST PARTS OF OLD NORTH ARE ON THAT LIST TO FILL IN.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT BIKE PATHS ON OLD NORTH AND DOING THOSE THINGS.
SO. I'VE DONE LIKE THREE OR FOUR ENGAGEMENT REQUESTS OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS ABOUT THE THE CONSTRUCTION OVER BY DENTON HIGH SCHOOL AND THE ROAD CREWS KEEP PUTTING THE ROADWORK SIGNS ON THE SIDEWALK.
AND I MEAN, AFTER LIKE THE THIRD TIME, I'M LIKE, THEY'RE FLIRTING WITH ME, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, THERE'S JUST THEY CAN'T BE THEY THEY IT'S NOT A DIFFICULT CONCEPT, YOU KNOW, AND AND THEY KEEP GETTING YOU KNOW, THEY GET THE FEEDBACK BECAUSE THE SIGNS MOVE.
BUT IT'S LIKE, HELL, WHAT'S THE ISSUE? WELL, LUCKY FOR YOU, THE PUBLIC WORKS INSPECTIONS ARE PUBLIC WORKS.
INSPECTIONS TEAM REPORTS TO ME AS WELL.
SO I'LL SAY IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHO IS DOING THE WORK.
SO IF IT'S A CAPITAL PROJECT, THEN WE HAVE CONTROL OF THAT CONTRACTOR.
I CONTROL THEIR CONTRACT, I CONTROL HOW AND WHEN THEY GET PAID.
SO IT'S A LOT EASIER FOR ME TO GET THOSE THINGS TAKEN CARE OF.
IF IT'S A DEVELOPER, THEN WE DO INSPECT THAT WORK.
BUT REALLY WE DON'T CONTROL THEIR CONTRACT.
AND THAT TRAFFIC CONTROL HISTORICALLY HAS JUST MEANT ROADWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL.
BUT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS THERE'S BEEN A REAL BIG PICKUP ON THAT MULTIMODAL AND MAKING SURE THAT, HEY, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO TRAFFIC CONTROL, THAT MEANS WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW STREETS ARE AFFECTED, HOW SIDEWALKS ARE AFFECTED, HOW BIKE LANES ARE AFFECTED, AND MAKING SURE THAT TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN TAKES INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO AS A DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPER COMES IN, WE INSPECT THOSE THINGS.
AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO IF YOU'RE GOING TO CLOSE THE SIDEWALK AND WE TRY NOT TO PUT SIDEWALKS WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GO, OH YEAH, NOW SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO, SURE. BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT AND YOU HAVE THE SIGNAGE OUT, YOU NEED TO HAVE A SIDEWALK SIGN.
I'LL TURN AROUND AND COME BACK.
SO THAT'S REALLY AN EDUCATION PIECE THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUSH OUT TO ALL OF OUR DEVELOPERS AND CONTRACTORS THAT WORK IN THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY'RE CONSIDERING TRAFFIC CONTROL, THEY'RE CONSIDERING ALL MODES OF TRAFFIC, NOT JUST DRIVING.
YEAH, I'VE THOUGHT IF THE CONTRACTOR WAS HAD TO PAY A FINE EVERY TIME HE HAD TO MOVE A SIGN OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD PROBABLY MAKE THEM GO, OH WELL, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WELL.
SO THAT'S THAT'S REALLY GOVERNED BY A RUNAWAY ORDINANCE.
AND SO WE HAD ONE THAT WAS WRITTEN A COUPLE, MAYBE TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT REWRITING THAT RIGHT AWAY, AN ORDINANCE TO PUT SOME MORE TEETH INTO IT THAT WE ARE AVAILABLE. WE HAVE THAT OPTION TO DO SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.
NO, DEFINITELY JUST THAT ONE AREA.
YEAH, IT CAN BE CONTRACTORS CAN BE HARD AT IT.
[01:35:01]
AND I WILL SAY YOU MENTIONED ENGAGED IN SO THAT DISGUSTING PAGE WHERE YOU KNOW THAT'S THAT'S PROBABLY THERE'S AN ASK THE PROJECT MANAGER PIECE ON THERE WHERE YOU CAN SPECIFICALLY ASK A PROJECT MANAGER ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT.I WOULD SAY USING THAT CIP MAP AND FINDING OUT WHO THE PROJECT MANAGER IS IS A LOT MORE EFFICIENT WAY TO GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED, ENGAGED IN AND WORKS GREAT, BUT IT DOESN'T COME DIRECTLY TO US.
IT GOES THROUGH A COUPLE OF FILTERS AND SO IT'LL GO.
WE CAN TALK, WE CAN ADDRESS THE ISSUE USUALLY WITHIN THE SAME DAY DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS.
BUT INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THAT ENGAGED IN TO KIND OF FILTER THROUGH WHERE IT IS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE FIND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S FRUSTRATING FOR THE RESIDENTS LIKE, WELL, I TURNED THIS IN LAST WEEK.
WELL, WE DIDN'T GET IT UNTIL TODAY.
AND SO NOW A WEEKS GONE BY, WE CAN FIX IT TODAY.
AND NOW EVERYONE'S KIND OF FRUSTRATED.
WE WANT TO GET IN. WE WANT TO GET IT TAKEN CARE OF AS SOON AS WE CAN.
WELL, IT'S A PLEASURE MEETING YOU.
[E. Staff Update Memo 1. Chair and Vice Chair 2. 2023 Meeting Schedule 3. Report on Grievances and Requests for Accommodations 4. Next Committee Meeting]
SO THERE'S NOTHING REALLY NEW ON THE STAFF UPDATE TODAY, I WILL NOTE.BUT BECAUSE ALISON LEFT AND WE MAY HAVE LOST OUR FORUM BECAUSE WE'RE A BODY OF 11 AND IT TAKES SIX TO HAVE A QUORUM, WE'RE DOWN TO FIVE, WHICH THE TIMING WORKS OUT.
SO I THINK MAYBE IN AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION AND WE'LL WE'LL GET THE LEGAL OPINION ON THIS NEXT TIME.
IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO READ THAT UPDATE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW.
BUT I THINK JUST IN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, WE SHOULD JUST ADJOURN AND AND BUT WE GOT THROUGH ALL OUR ITEMS. SO IT ALL WORKED OUT.
WORKED OUT GOOD. IS THAT ALL RIGHT? IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THE JOURNEY? NO, NO, I CAN JUST WEAR YOUR.
THANK YOU, GUYS. THANK.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.