Service Model Overview
What is Deviated-Route Service Model?
Because of budget shortfalls, CCAT is proposing to change the three local routes serving Charleston, Coos Bay, and North Bend from fixed-route to deviate-route service in fall 2020. In CCAT’s current fixed-route service on thee routes, buses do not go off-route to pick up or drop off passengers but they provide the required ADA dial-a-ride service for seniors and people with disabilities within ¾ mile of the existing routes.
With the change to deviated route, the bus would follow a fixed route, but anyone would be allowed to request a deviation. Dial-a-ride (complementary paratransit service) is not required by law under this model but CCAT would continue to have some dial-a-ride operating but would be allowed to deny deviation requests once the available capacity has been reached.
Since 2018, the number of passengers eligible for ADA complementary paratransit has increased resulting in more requests and the need to operate four dial-a-ride vehicles at a time. This is not financially sustainable for CCAT. The change to deviated route would allow some of this demand to be served by deviations of the fixed-route while continuing to serve some of the demand with up to two dial-a-ride vehicles, and helping CCAT sustain service into the future.
CCAT Proposal
CCAT proposes to operate a demand response model of deviated-route service, with the following characteristics:
- Everyone would be eligible to request a deviation of the fixed-route service
- Maximum deviation distance: ¼ mile from the fixed route
- Trip purpose priorities for deviations, in descending order: medical, employment, education, nutrition, shopping, recreation, other, same-day medical, same-day non-medical
- Maximum deviations per trip: To be determined. Each route’s schedule will build in time to accommodate the maximum number of deviations without affecting schedule reliability
- Limited dial-a-ride service for seniors and people with disabilities within current service area