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Pilot Project Launch

How low-income families are impacted by lack of transportation

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First – let’s look at what some of the research on

transportation to jobs says

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Per the Opportunities CollaborativeSix Barriers to Employment:

• Basic Skills

• Industry and Career

• Transportation and Housing

• Social Skills

• Structural Racism

• System Limitations

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Public Transportation Systems

• Designed to get into the center not to suburban job sites

• Schedules focused on weekday rush hours

• Changes to schedules take years to evaluate and adjust

• Best alternative to move the most people

• Most new jobs are created in the suburbs

• Entry level jobs are often for 2nd/3rd shifts or weekends

• Commutes by public transportation often take more than 90 minutes

• ‘Last Mile’ to job site is problematic in weather

Per Various Studies

CURRENT SITUATION PROBLEM

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• Solving transportation issues helps users overcome psychological barriers to obtaining and keeping jobs

• For every $1 of cost there is a $1.90 of net economic gain

• For every $1 of cost there is $1.50 of return to the ‘non-user (taxpayer) in future taxes and social benefits

• For every $1 in cost there is a personal benefit of $3.50 to the user of the transportation

• Spending is likely to “jump-start” the user on a lifetime trajectory of lifetime earnings growth

JARC program – Economic Benefits StudyProfessor Piyushimita Thakuriah, U of Ill.

Transportation systems pay for themselves

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Keys to Success in improvingTransportation

* JARC Transportation Study –Professor Piyushaimota Thakuriah

• Plan/Plan/Plan – statewide/regional/city

• Transportation Coordinator bridge between govt agencies

• Private sector involvement

• Users viewed as customers

• Program funds to market / publicize the project

• Includes City, County, State initiatives

• BWIB Transportation Committee + VFC

• Employer inclusion

• Residents inclusion

• Marketing funds will be budgeted

JARC STUDY* OUR PLAN

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Local Baltimore Area Statistics

81,000 Unemployed in the Metropolitan Region

15% Unemployed City wide

80,000 Baltimore city residence with no access to a vehicle

EDBI East Baltimore Project area

Unemployment Rate: 33%# of Households: 1,529 – 1,000 (with no access to car)Percentage below the poverty line: 45%

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There are More Jobs in the Region Outside the City than inside

75% Of jobs based outside the city

In Baltimore CityBaltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance – Vital Statistics – 12th Edition

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Baltimore Statistics

Unemployment Rate Baltimore City Residents Commuting to Jobs

Commute Outside the city for JobsCommute In-side the city for Jobs

53%

47%

Clifton-Berea

Greenmount East

OldTown/Middle East

Patterson Park

EBDI (Targeted Area)

Baltimore City

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%

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EBDI Pilot Transportation Projects

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Opportunities Collaborative

Mayor’s Office of Employment Development

-Baltimore Work Force Investment Board

Central MD Transportation Alliance

The Annie E. Casey Foundation

America Works of Maryland

Central Maryland Regional Transit

And many others

We want to thank these organizations and their representatives who have helped

us to date and are as passionate as we are in helping people have improved access to transportation

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East Baltimore Transportation Initiative - Goals

1. Increase access to jobs2. Increase access to health care and healthy living options3. Increase access to adult education, and job training4. Improve family access to before/after school and leisure

activities 5. Can be replicated in other neighborhoods and cities

Translating into healthier, more financially stable neighborhoods

Develop a Series of Transportation Initiatives that:

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Proposed Area of Focus

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So what are we proposing to do???1. Hire and train and locate in the neighborhood Transportation

Experts on “how to get there from here”.

6. Expand Bike share and other bike programs

2. Initiate a Van share program to go from the city to employment hubs

3. Provide Vehicles For Change (VFC) cars for hard to reach

jobs4. Expand “Last Mile” Programs

5. Coordinate buses/vans to Grocery and other stores; job

training; and to non local medical facilities

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What’s the First step?Open an office + hire local staff who are experts in how to get there from here.

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Local Office / Transportation Experts

• Be in and of the community to help people get to there from here

• Attend and present at community events

• Knowledgeable about public transportation, having access and skills on all the transportation web sites

• Coordinate with the local bike and ride share programs

• Coordinate the store and shopping bus programs

• Manage and act as dispatcher for the van share program. Recruiting and managing drivers and vans

• Resource point for VFC and other vehicle programs

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Van Share Program• Initiate commuter vans from East Baltimore to employment

hubs

• 4– 6 passengers per van

• Vans provided by VFC

• Riders share the operating costs

• Drivers ‘earn’ car van ownership over four years

• Office manages, recruits, schedules drivers & vans

• Vans available during off hours for Doctor trips and emergency pick-ups on a rotating basis.

• Dispatching done by office

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Van Share Program ExampleVA Hospital in Perryville

• Entry level and Middle class jobs available

– 23 $25- $50 K

– 28 $50 - $75 K

• Commute by train/bus/walk takes 1:52 (40 miles or 53 minutes by van share)

• “Last mile” from MARC Station is 0.9 Miles

• Trains do not run on Sunday

• East Baltimore residents could obtain these jobs if the commute was reasonable

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Van Share Costs

• Vans provided by VFC• 80 Mile round trip

– Gas $16 ( 20 miles /gal @ $4)– Tolls $ 8– Repairs $ 8 (10 cents per mile)– Insurance $ 4 ($1,000 )– Driver $67 ($15 / HR + SS)

Driver earns Ownership in vehicle

Fully loaded cost per rider (May initially be subsidized) $25 at 4 to van $17 at 6 to van

Riders save One Hour of time each way!!Can we get the employers to share in this cost.

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Vehicles for Change Program• Make a select # of Vehicles available for individual /

families in East Baltimore• Can not get to employment via reasonable travel on

mass transit nor are there Van share routes available.• Meet all regular program qualifications

– Valid / clean Drivers license– Ability to pay $750 car loan– No DWI or other vehicles in household, etc.

Number of vehicles dependent on availability of quality donated vehicles and program funding.

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“Last Mile” Problem

“It would be easier to get commuters on board with support for public transportation without the dreaded ‘first- and last-mile problem’:

[the extra time and hassle commuters face when they’re going from home to a transit station and then from the station at the other end of the trip to a final destination.]”

Quote from UTNE Reader

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“Last Mile” Proposed Program

• Team with existing organizations to identify current routes and new routes. Publicize them to the community

• Team with employers to identify new routes and employees• Organize 6 new routes per year around employment hubs• Team recruits drives and obtains vans from VFC• Convert routes to employer paid over 18 Months • Saves workers hassle of walking that last mile to work,

especially helpful in rain/wintery weather.

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So How does it work?

Morning Rush• Van and driver meet the

bus/train at the stop

• Drive circular route

dropping off 3 – 6

individuals at work

• Return to Stop

• Repeat as necessary

Afternoon Rush

• Pick up individuals at work

driving circular route

• Drop off the workers at the

Stop

• Repeat as necessaryNote : Driver has cell phone to enable calls when worker needs a ride back to the Stop

“Last Mile” Hindrance to WorkingWalking Routes / Distances

Bus / Train Stop

Employer A

Employer B

Employer C

Employer D

Employer E

0.75 Miles

1.25 Miles

0.3 Miles

0.65 Miles

1.1 Miles

Walking routes

Van route

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Last Mile Costs($30,000/year) • Vans provided by VFC• Driver work Part time / split shifts – 5 hours per

day

• Gas $ 8,000 (20K miles) • Driver $19,000 (Fully loaded $15/hr)• Repairs $ 2,000• Insurance $ 1,000• Total $30,000 per year

Could provide rides for 20 -30 employees for multiple employers

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Healthy Living / Shopping

• Provide, via bus/van regularly scheduled shopping trips • Alternate between daytime and evening routes• Assumes funding by stores

– previous program was deemed very successful by residents• Pickup locations/timing and stores managed by Office staff• Alternate between select group of stores

– Supermarket– Discount Department stores

Van share and Shopping vans available for non-neighborhood medical trips and job training on an as needed or scheduled basis

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• Encourage Bike share programs to locate in East Baltimore and employment hubs

• Negotiate discounted rates for East Baltimore neighborhood residents

• Expand Bike donation / bike repair programs

• Work with city to encourage bike lanes and safe parking zones

Bike Share Program

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In Summary – The East Baltimore Development Area Transportation Program

Transportation Office Neighborhood Shopping Bike programs

Van share “Last Mile” Initiative VFC cars

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Combined Program ImpactAccess to JOBS

Dramatically increases the number and types of jobs available for inner city individuals

Designed to assist 350 individuals from the EBDI area obtain or retain employment

In total, the programs will improve the lives of 1650 Family members including non EBDI residents

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