Transportation for Pandemic Response August 5, 2020 KCMC Access to - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transportation for Pandemic Response

August 5, 2020 KCMC Access to Healthcare Committee Meeting Matthew Weidner, Transit Planner IV (TPR Program Administrator)

Introduction

• Problem Statement
• Approach
• Solutioning: How Can We Transport COVID-19 Customers Safely?
• Current System Status

March 2020

• February 29 – First person in US dies of COVID-19 in WA
• March 1 – Second person
• March 2 – KC Exec announces purchase of hotel to support response
• March 3 – KC deploys modular housing units to White Center to

support response

• March 9 – Conference call between Public Health and Metro
• March 12 – Amazon tells employees to stay home
• March 23 – WA Governor issues "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order

Problem

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Problem

Public Health – Seattle & King County is creating numerous Isolation / Quarantine (I/Q) and Assessment Center / Recovery Center (AC/RC) sites across King County. PHSKC needs a way to transport COVID- 19 positive or presumed positive individuals safely and cost effectively to the sites, and to/from critical medical facilities.

Requirements

Create brand new transportation system as follows…

• Point-to-point transportation, 7 days a week
• Easy for PHSKC staff to access and arrange transport
• Ability for each site to track their rides & receive ETAs in real-time
• Robust reporting to track service cost by PHSKC site or program
• Just-in-time dispatching with response times faster than NEMT
• Serve both ambulatory and wheelchair customers
• Cost less than NEMT
• Individuals are infectious
• You have 3 weeks

Approach

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Requirements

Create brand new transportation system as follows…

• Point-to-Point transportation, 7 days a week
• Easy for PHSKC staff to access and arrange transport
• Ability for each site to track their rides & receive ETAs in real-time
• Robust reporting to track service cost by PHSKC site or program
• Just-in-Time dispatching with response times faster than NEMT
• Serve both ambulatory and wheelchair customers
• Cost less than NEMT
• Individuals are infectious
• You have 3 weeks

Easy! Hard!

Approach

Fully separate service utilizing resources from Access paratransit program:

• 10 cutaway vans (10 passengers); 20 accessible SUVs (2 passengers)
• Separate base
• Independent dispatch/reservation line
• Volunteer drivers from Access program
• Dedicated vehicle sanitization station with dedicated staff
• PPE provisions with specialized training from PHSKC
• Access in-vehicle technology and software
• Site specific, ride tracking online dashboards
• Third-party to provide transport to customers with assistive devices

Partnership

Owns the service. Sets service parameters. Directs how the service shall be used. Manages the service. Provides resources to operate the service. Ensures service parameters are met. Operates the service. Provides dispatchers, operators, cleaning and maintenance. Provides in-vehicle systems and software.

Solutioning: How Can We Transport COVID-19 Customers Safely?

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Vehicles

Driver Shield

Driver Shield

Designed, fabricated and installed on vehicles by Metro employees. 1 week from first meeting to install of first prototype.

Timeline of TPR

March 9

• First Meeting

with PHSKC March 25

• First test drive

with driver shield prototype April 1

• First driver PPE

and safety training by PHSKC staff April 3

• Contract

amendment signed with MV Transportation

• First TPR Rides

delivered

25 days from initial concept to start of service.

Current System Status

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By the Numbers…

Hours of Service

• 11:30 am – 9pm

TPR Vehicles

• 17

Cost per trip

• June 2020 - $770

(will fall in future months)

By the People…

Personnel:

• 11 Operators
• 5 Utility Workers (Cleaning)
• 2 Dispatchers

All TPR staff volunteered to join the program.

By the Service…

TPR serves all of metropolitan King County. TPR currently delivers trips in support of:

• PHSKC I/Q & AC/RC facilities and programs
• Harborview / UW Clinics and Hospitals
• King County Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention (via PHSKC)
• King County Metro*

Future uses of TPR currently under discussion:

• PHSKC contact tracing support – transport to testing sites

* Purchases space on TPR for COVID-19 positive Access customers in need of transport to life sustaining medical appointments.

Summary

Questions? Contact: Matthew.Weidner@kingcounty.gov 206-477-2845

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