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

Municipality of Anchorage (1707)

Alaska Community Services (611)

ACS: Foster Grandparent & Senior Companions (967)

Location: Municipality of Anchorage (AK)
Type: Trip-Based Services/User-side subsidies/vouchers
Goal: Improved system capacity
Service description: Alaska Community Services and the Municipality of Anchorage, Public
Transportation Department, engage in a cooperative arrangement coordinating transportation services for the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companions. These programs provide employment/volunteer opportunities for low-income seniors to work with Anchorages children in elementary schools, head start programs, and day care centers. Additionally, services are provided to other seniors in numerous residential and day activity environments, enhancing seniors’ ability to remain in the least restrictive and costly residential environments. The efforts of these volunteers enhance the lives of Anchorages youth and elders and contributes to our overall economic and social quality of life.
Evaluation: Without this funding over 50 individuals would not be able to continue working as Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions. From our agency perspective the coordination effort has been a total success. Our Foster Grandparents are very pleased as well. Many of them speak English as a second language, and working with ACS staff facilitates a higher level of communications and understanding within our ridership.
Accomplishments: Over the past two years we have worked with the MOA to create a multi-faceted transportation effort which combines:
1. The purchase of rides
2. Purchase of bus passes for those who can use the People Mover.
3. Reimbursement of travel costs for individuals who find alternatives to using the overtaxed AnchorRIDES system.
4. ACS facilitates all requests for and cancellations for rides with AnchorRIDES. As a result, we have not had a “No Show” for nearly two years.
Prior to ACS assuming the responsibility for coordination of scheduling, “No Shows” occurred several times per month, both creating confusion as well as inefficiencies within the overall transportation effort.
Combined with capital and other funding we have provided two vehicles to the AnchorRIDES fleet. ACS continues to own these vehicles, and AnchorRIDES can use them to provide transportation in service areas outside the areas where Municipality owned vehicles are not authorized to operate.
Lessons learned: This effort has been a coordinated project involving Alaska Community Services, State of Alaska, Municipality of Anchorage, Rasmuson Foundation, and MV Transportation. The result of this cooperative effort has enhanced understanding of transportation issues between riders, service agencies, government, and transportation providers. We have been able to find new ways to provide services which were unavailable in the past. This is an example of how working together towards common goals can make positive impacts within communities.