Receive update on paratransit service for disabled and elderly residents
In Plain English
Richmond provides paratransit service for residents who cannot use regular buses due to disabilities or mobility issues. The city will review how well the current service works and discuss possible changes. This affects transportation options for disabled and elderly residents who rely on door-to-door rides.
Auto-generated summary. Source: official agenda documents.
Votes
Substitute motion · Official minutes
Continue the item until the March 20, 2018, meeting, to allow staff and unions to meet
3 aye · 1 nay · 3 abstain
Why This Vote Matters
A proposal to delay discussion of Richmond's paratransit service review until March failed in a divided vote, with three members supporting the delay, one opposing, and three abstaining. The motion sought to give city staff and unions more time to meet before reviewing how well the door-to-door transportation service works for disabled and elderly residents who cannot use regular buses. With the delay rejected, the council will need to decide whether to proceed with the paratransit review at this meeting or handle it differently. The high number of abstentions was unusual, as most council members typically vote yes or no on procedural matters like scheduling.
Auto-generated context based on official minutes.
Motion · Official minutes
Direct staff to choose option 2 (Provide service for non-ambulatory passengers only, and seek a contract with a ride-sharing service to provide services to ambulatory passengers), collaborate with unions, conduct an evaluation plan for every six months of the program, staff look into technical assistance funding, and a one-year plan for the City to fully take over providing transportation service
5 aye · 1 nay · 1 abstain
Why This Vote Matters
Richmond will change how it provides paratransit service by limiting city-run door-to-door rides to passengers who use wheelchairs or cannot walk, while partnering with ride-sharing companies to serve passengers who can walk. The council voted 5-1 with one abstention to direct staff to implement this hybrid approach, with Eduardo Martinez opposing and Melvin Willis abstaining. The city will also explore taking over all paratransit services within a year and evaluate the program every six months. This decision affects how disabled and elderly residents who cannot use regular buses will get transportation around the city.
Auto-generated context based on official minutes.
Comment records
4 comment records available here. 4 recorded as spoken. One person can appear in several records; this is not a count of residents or a measure of public opinion.
Related agenda records
Automatically matched by topic. Open an item to check its relevance and each motion’s outcome.
Richmond Paratransit Service Options
Review and discuss options for City of Richmond paratransit service
Agreements with Lyft Inc. and UBER Inc. to Provide Transportation Services to Ambulatory Richmond Paratransit Riders
Review and discuss operational and financial issues associated with the City of Richmond paratransit program and provide policy direction to staff
Second Amended Contract between the City of Richmond and Trans Metro Inc. for On-Call Paratransit Services