Baltimore

Our Baltimore paratransit operations have been steadily expanding their Mobility/Paratransit service to new destinations to a wider geographical area that extends ever further outside the Baltimore beltway. Rapidly increasing fuel prices and the aging of the population have led to a large, unanticipated increase in the number of people certified to ride the service. Concurrently managing this expansion in service area and rapid growth in ridership has been a shared challenge for all three organizing authorities in Baltimore.

• Create a more efficient way to provide quality service across a growing coverage area.
• Manage the increasing overall ridership, including seasonal variations.
• Find efficiencies to better manage the cost of providing service.
• Instill a culture of constantly improving passenger care.

• Save fuel by strategically stacking trips by geographic area and using the right sized vehicle for all trips - especially for single-rider trips to outlying areas.
• Use advanced software to schedule, organize and constantly re-prioritize trips for maximum efficiency.

• Veolia Transportation operates similar paratransit services in this area and thus is uniquely positioned to combine inter-contract routes, staff and equipment for improved customer service and cost savings.
• Initiate a paratransit taxi service, operated by the area Veolia-owned taxi company, using carefully trained drivers, as a complement to conventional services; advantages include cost savings, convenience, overload relief and the ability to accommodate last-minute trip requests.

• Actively solicit feedback, advice and ideas from operators after every run, and implement suggestions to improve safety and customer service.
• Proactive operator training to ensure a safe, smooth and comfortable ride for all passengers.
• Random, proactive review of DriveCam clips to verify service quality.

• Provide summer internships for Baltimore-area high school students to mentor them in business, professionalism and success.
• Help new small businesses become certified as Minority Business Owners (MBEs), and provide ongoing support through mentoring and business opportunities.