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NET Trans helps residents in seven counties get where they need to go

Published March 30th, 2008 | 1 Comments

You’ve seen the white vans plying country roads all over the region, most of them with extended roofs, indicating wheelchair access.

The assumption is they are for the poor and elderly to go to doctor appointments, and that is a big part of the mission of NET Trans.

The agency served 2,376 elderly and disabled citizens in 2007, but the fact the vans ran 115,888 trips within the seven- county region means there is a lot more to providing rural public transportation to rural areas.

Director Steve Farrell said NET Trans has about 90 vans, but that’s because $394,512 was invested in new equipment last year, bringing the fleet up from 61 to 70 active vehicles. Farrell intends to sell off the remaining vans this year.

Actually NET Trans is available as a rural public transportation service to anyone in Washington, Sullivan, Carter, Greene, Unicoi, Johnson and Hawkins counties.

Because it is funded by the Federal Transit Administration, Tennessee Department of Transportation and local agencies, both the areas served and the way service is provided must fit into the regulations of the funding agencies.

According to Farrell, trips cannot start and end within the boundaries of Johnson City, Kingsport or Bristol, where public transportation is already available.

To ensure that dispatch can fill as many seats as possible, and to avoid competition with taxi companies, riders must make reservations at least 24 hours in advance and give a window of an hour for pickup.

If the rider gives the time of the appointment they must meet, the dispatch will be sent accordingly. Although there will usually be other pickups and drop-offs along the way, low-cost fares are the reward for patience and planning.

Farrell said the cost of a one- to two-mile trip is only 75 cents, and a two- to five-mile trip is $1, while a five- to 10-mile trip is $2. The latter would cover most trips from Jonesborough to Johnson City, for instance.

There is no extra charge for handicapped access vehicles.

“Fuel prices may cause some fare increases next year,” Farrell said. “When I came to work with the program 10 years ago, our fuel budget ran between $160,000 and $170,000 a year. Now it’s $10,000 a week. We cover 2 million miles a year, so a $5 increase in a tank of gasoline is $8,000 a year per vehicle.”

Although all trips are dispatched from the new headquarters of First Tennessee Human Resource Agency in Burlington Park, under the control of Crystal Haren, the drivers begin and end their day from their homes. The first trip of each day is set up to service those clients closest to the driver’s home, not only saving miles of driving, but also the expense of providing parking at headquarters.

“It would cost between $300,000 to $400,000 to build a lot to hold all our vans,” Farrell said.

The next level of efficiency planned by NET Trans is an automated scheduling system.

“This will allow us to operate as a true regional system and not seven mini-systems for each of the counties,” Farrell said.

The automated system would cut down on deadhead runs and empty seats, the two biggest cost factors in such a service.

“It would also give us the possibility of offering same-day reservation service, although currently we’re not allowed to do that,” Farrell said.

The majority of trips are for medical appointments, social and shopping and personal business. There are also trips to and from work, if they fit into the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. operating hours from Monday through Friday.

“Nowadays it is running more like 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” Farrell said.

They have considered running late trips to work centers where shifts get off late, for instance 11 p.m. to Wal-Mart. But Farrell said the workers are so dispersed that they haven’t found a way to make it efficient for those who live outside the city limits.

“We have to work within our funding and give the best bang for the buck,” Farrell said. “That means it’s a shared ride system, and we work hard to share as much as possible, as required by the federal government.”

Rates depend on the level of assistance by local governments. Currently only Johnson County is not providing local assistance, meaning higher rates for riders there.

NET Trans also provides contract services based on full cost recovery, which helps them to meet their matching funds requirement.

Although it costs between $8,000 and $10,000 more to equip a van with a wheelchair lift, Farrell said it would not be fair to further handicap those riders with the greatest need by charging a higher fare.

As part of FTHRA, NET Trans also offers transportation connected to its programs, such as adult day care, job access and Families First.

As fuel prices rise, Farrell expects to see greater use made of NET Trans by citizens for work commutes or shopping trips. To book a ride call 461-8233 at least 24 hours in advance.

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This is at least a beginning. As gas goes to $4 a gallon I'm sure more add ons will be needed for the folks who can't afford to drive.

Joe Allison | 3/31/2008 - 12:26 AM - ( Comment

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