Surplus Van Grant Program Denise Marchioro – Paratransit Manager Lance Durbin – Paratransit Supervisor August 2013

Program History Awareness of Intercity Transit’s program Challenges associated with a van give-away program Modify program elements to make it work for our local situation Grant eligibility –Added element of reporting to make it a grant program –Added requirement of Human Service Organization (HSO)

Surplus Van Grant Program Elements Description Surplus vans are awarded to qualified human service organizations (HSO) that serve residents of Spokane County who are elderly, disabled, or low income

Surplus Van Grant Program Elements The HSO assumes ownership of the vehicle and is responsible for providing: –Evidence of financial and management ability to maintain vehicle –All liability insurance –Quarterly ridership, miles, and hours of service data for the first year –Guarantee that the van will be used to serve qualified passengers and all trips must have an origin or destination within Spokane Transit’s PTBA –A signed agreement relating to the exchange of vehicle for transportation-related services

Surplus Van Grant Program Eligibility Vehicles must be used for transportation- related purposes for residents who live within the PTBA All organizations that serve residents of the PTBA where elderly, disabled, and/or living on low income are eligible to apply

Lessons Learned in Development & Program Implementation Persistence needed Value in networking with other transits who have been successful –Saves time and effort Keep Board of Directors involved at all phases Importance of community outreach efforts Allow 4 months from start to end of awarding

Lessons Learned in Development & Program Implementation Needs of agencies vary –Lift –Capacity of van Involve internal stakeholders early in the process Keep developing a marketing list of agencies and persons interested. Importance of lead person taking ownership of program.

Immediate Challenges Make the program viable Create positive impact and experience for recipient Create partnerships (internally & externally) Importance to have a template to work from Value of making the program your own Streamline the process

Expectations v. Reality Use of vehicle –Projected, Expected, and Actual Application can be used for education Selection committee Make it easy Uniformly summarized the applications for committee review

Highlights of Implementation Improvements A pre-application viewing of a representative sample of the surplus vans with maintenance personnel on hand to answer agency questions The inclusion of prior year’s ridership statistics in the application review process for understanding the model of a successful award

Highlights of Implementation Improvements A facilitated workshop that included education and training about a variety of topics that is important for recipient agencies to know and understand. Step-by-step guide for title transfer to eliminate confusion and time delays A system to advance schedule appointments to disperse the vehicles in a smooth and timely manner.

Highlights of Implementation Improvements A well-orchestrated media event to capture sentiment of goodwill A professional system to record and capture required usage data Celebrate recipient success

Next Steps Solicit feedback from recipients to improve all parts of the program New ways to spotlight and market the program Continue to strengthen partnerships Promote community goodwill Continue to have fun