Key Takeaway: Community engagement and partnerships support innovative and flexible paratransit services like Group Van. SF Paratransit should continue involving the senior and disabled community as well as non-profit and agency partners in policy and program development.
Community Partnerships
The SFMTA partners with Self Help for the Elderly, Adult Day Health Care, senior centers and sheltered work sites to provide Group Van services. SF Paratransit also partners with the San Francisco Department of Health and the Community Living Campaign on the CHOICE pilot program to provide taxi trips to medical services at the Potrero Hill Health Center and the Southeast Health Center. Additional community partnerships could result in other innovative programs that serve unmet needs.
Agency Partnerships
The SFMTA has cost-sharing agreements with both East Bay Paratransit and BART, allowing seamless travel between service areas without vehicle transfers. SF Paratransit is also part of the Bay Area’s Regional Eligibility Database (RED) program, which allows ADA-paratransit eligible riders to reciprocally use paratransit services across all nine-counties of the Bay Area. These partnerships help ensure transportation is accessible to a wide breadth of riders.
The Paratransit Coordinating Council
The Paratransit Coordinating Council (PCC) was established more than 40 years ago to provide guidance on the planning and monitoring of door-to-door van and taxi services provided by SF Paratransit. The 38-member committee is comprised of van and taxi riders, representatives of agencies serving older adults and individuals with disabilities, transportation providers and government entity representatives.
The Paratransit Coordinating Council has Paratransit Coordination & Operations (PC&O) subcommittees for SF Access, Group Van and Taxi & Ramp Taxi services. Each PC&O subcommittee meets once every three months via Zoom.
Members of the PCC are working to recruit new members among existing riders as well as organizations serving the senior and disabled community.