Job Access and Reverse Commute (jarc) Program fy 2009 Service Profiles Region X alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington October 2010 fta-08-0162 Job Access and Reverse Commute (jarc) fy 2009 Service Profiles: Region X

Lower Columbia Community Action Program (649)

Replacement 14-passenger vehicle with bike rack (757)

Location: Cowlitz - Wahkiakum urban area (WA)
Type: Capital Investment Projects/Vehicle for agency
Goal: Improved system capacity
Service description: Our I-5 transit service addresses a major transportation barrier along the I-5 corridor by connecting residents as far south as Clark County and as far north as Thurston County to the major public transit systems. It provides transit services to people living in rural areas who have limited or no other transportation options to get to work and job training, to DSHS and Work Source offices, and to colleges in Vancouver, Longview, Centralia, and Olympia. Of the total ridership of our public van service, we estimate that fully 15% are using the service to get to jobs and/or employment services. Our ridership for the quarter of 27,045 one way trips would include an estimated 4,057 JARC clients.
Evaluation: Lower Columbia CAP has been providing I-5 Rural Transportation services for 11 of the past 12.5 years. We have implemented many schedule changes over the years to better suit our riders needs and continue to fine tune. We have seen an increase in annual ridership of a mere 5300+ rides in 2003/2004 to over 27,000+ riders in FFY 2009. We have provided accident free service since beginning our rural service and that is of utmost importance.
Accomplishments: Accident free during 11 years of rural transportation service. Ridership has increased from 14,402 in FFY 2006 to 27,045 in FFY 2009. Our vans have travelled over 150,000 miles this FFY 2009 in providing this service at an average of 5.54 miles per client. We cover 105 miles (one way) of I-5 between Vancouver and Tumwater.
Lessons learned: You must have a very good understanding between time and distance (how long does it take to get there). Make sure you have backup personnel and equipment. Know the available transportation options in the service area that you serve so you can help riders get to where they need to go in the most efficient way.
We have covered many areas over the years and have had to change our schedules and routes to meet the demand. Going to a very small population center can inhibit your service severely. We have also committed ourselves to a long distance to cover. Our service covers 105 miles, one way, along I-5. Our north bound service between Longview and Tumwater is 70 miles one way and it takes approximately two service hours to get there. A 4-hour round trip does not allow for quick enough turnaround times for most commuters, and limits the number of trips you can make in a day.