Fixed Route & Paratransit
Sponsored by KFH Group
Session Description:
The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated changes in services and policies to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus for transit riders and employees. While the ADA regulations are still in effect during the pandemic, transit agencies have found ways to continue meeting their obligations under the ADA during this “new normal.” This panel discussion will review FTA guidance about ADA compliance in response to frequently asked questions on COVID-19 and share transit agency practices in providing accessible fixed route and paratransit services during COVID-19.
Moderator:
Tod Morris, Mobility Manager, NACOG
Panelists:
Beth Hamby, Senior Associate, KFH Group
Elizabeth “Buffy” Ellis, AICP, Senior Transportation Planner, KFH Group
Bruce Morrow, Transportation Manager, City of Cottonwood
Shaun Gregg, Paratransit Coordinator, Mountain Line
Beth Hamby, Senior Associate with KFH Group, is a technical assistance specialist and planner with 32 years of experience in public transit and specialized transportation. Beth is passionate about ensuring transportation services are accessible to people with disabilities. Her career has focused on ADA requirements for public transit providers, public and human service transportation planning and coordination, and FTA Section 5310 and 5311 program compliance. She led the recent update to the ADA Toolkit on the website of the National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP), and has conducted ADA-related research for the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). In addition to the KFH Group, Beth has worked for Easter Seals Project ACTION, Pierce Transit, and Transit Services of Frederick County. She began her career driving accessible fixed route and paratransit services for Shuttle-UM Transit at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral and Social Sciences.
Buffy Ellis, AICP, is a Senior Transportation Planner with the KFH Group, Inc., in Bethesda, Maryland, bringing 30 years of experience in paratransit and transit planning and design, needs assessment, and performance evaluation. Much of her work has focused on specialized transportation services, including those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She has assisted transit agencies develop ADA compliant services as well as strategies to address increasing ridership demand that include the use of taxis and new mobility services such as Transportation Network Companies. Ms. Ellis has served as Principal Investigator for a number of research studies through the Transportation Research Board’s Transit Cooperative Research Program on topics including demand response transportation, transit agency use of taxis, veterans’ transportation, and dialysis transportation. Ms. Ellis earned a Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a B.A., from Boston University.
Bruce Morrow is the Transportation Manager for the City of Cottonwood. He oversees the operation of the Cottonwood Area Transit System and Lynx commuter service connecting Cottonwood to Sedona, AZ. CAT provides fixed route and ADA transportation services to the communities of Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Sedona, and Verde Village, as well as the surrounding area. CAT Service runs 5 days a week while Lynx commuter service runs 7 days a week.
Shaun Gregg is the Paratransit Coordinator for Mountain Line in Flagstaff Arizona. He oversees the Demand Response services for Mountain Line and ADA compliance. Shaun has been with Mountain Line for 8 years.