Agency FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
1. Transportation is a problem for clients (or the public) to access my agency's programs or services. What can we do?
Ans. Here are two approaches to use.
You can contact and talk directly with transportation operators about service questions. For example, TCAT has an internal process to evlauate service requests.
You can join in the Coordinated Plan process to register your issues and to collaborate with other parties to address them. Your participation in Coordinated Plan process is as involved as you desire it to be. While there are monthly meetings, we will also arrange for direct consultations with an agency. When we find multiple agencies with similar issues, we will likely propose to collaborate and work together as a team. For more information contact Dwight Mengel, DSS Chief Transportation Planner, at 274-5605 or by email.
2. Our agency advises clients on transportation alternatives. Who will train the front line staff? How to we keep up on service changes?
Ans. The Way2Go program, provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, is a one stop informaion and training resource for transportation and community mobility in the County. Way2Go developed training materials, called the Transportfolio, of transportation information designed to be used by frontline staff. Further, Way2Go conducts workshops for agency staff and the public on a periodic basis. (Go to upcoming workshops.) For more information, contact Chrisophia Somerfeldt at 272-2292 ext 184 or by email.
Otherwise, if you have questions for specific transportation providers, you can contact them directly.
3. Our agency provides travel training for individual clients. Is there training for travel training? Who else does travel training? Can we coordinate on a community wide program?
Ans. Travel training benefits individuals by enabling them to ride the TCAT bus, while benefiting the community by enabling people to ride the bus (the lowest cost form of public transportation) and thereby freeing up expensive paratransit services for people who require them.
There is professinal training for travel trainers. There is a national association of travel trainers. Identifying people who are performing travel training in our community is an essential first step to creating a resource network. For example, we could work together to bring a travel training workshop to Ithaca if there is interest. Please contact Cynthia Kloppel, DSS Mobility Program Specialist, at 274-5022 or by email, if you are interested in travel training.
4. How can agencies share vans?
Ans. Agency van-sharing was an idea put forth at the Pre-proposal /Idea sharing meeting on February 1, 2010. There are many angles to this idea that requires a lot of work to solve. However, there are many success stories about sharing agency vans from other communities, since this is the classic coordinated transportation planinng problem. There is interest in creating an agency van-sharing team to work exclusively on this problem. Are you interested in exploring van-sharing? Contact Dwight Mengel, DSS Chief Transportation Planner, at 274-5605 or by email.
Ans. Here are two approaches to use.
You can contact and talk directly with transportation operators about service questions. For example, TCAT has an internal process to evlauate service requests.
You can join in the Coordinated Plan process to register your issues and to collaborate with other parties to address them. Your participation in Coordinated Plan process is as involved as you desire it to be. While there are monthly meetings, we will also arrange for direct consultations with an agency. When we find multiple agencies with similar issues, we will likely propose to collaborate and work together as a team. For more information contact Dwight Mengel, DSS Chief Transportation Planner, at 274-5605 or by email.
2. Our agency advises clients on transportation alternatives. Who will train the front line staff? How to we keep up on service changes?
Ans. The Way2Go program, provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, is a one stop informaion and training resource for transportation and community mobility in the County. Way2Go developed training materials, called the Transportfolio, of transportation information designed to be used by frontline staff. Further, Way2Go conducts workshops for agency staff and the public on a periodic basis. (Go to upcoming workshops.) For more information, contact Chrisophia Somerfeldt at 272-2292 ext 184 or by email.
Otherwise, if you have questions for specific transportation providers, you can contact them directly.
3. Our agency provides travel training for individual clients. Is there training for travel training? Who else does travel training? Can we coordinate on a community wide program?
Ans. Travel training benefits individuals by enabling them to ride the TCAT bus, while benefiting the community by enabling people to ride the bus (the lowest cost form of public transportation) and thereby freeing up expensive paratransit services for people who require them.
There is professinal training for travel trainers. There is a national association of travel trainers. Identifying people who are performing travel training in our community is an essential first step to creating a resource network. For example, we could work together to bring a travel training workshop to Ithaca if there is interest. Please contact Cynthia Kloppel, DSS Mobility Program Specialist, at 274-5022 or by email, if you are interested in travel training.
4. How can agencies share vans?
Ans. Agency van-sharing was an idea put forth at the Pre-proposal /Idea sharing meeting on February 1, 2010. There are many angles to this idea that requires a lot of work to solve. However, there are many success stories about sharing agency vans from other communities, since this is the classic coordinated transportation planinng problem. There is interest in creating an agency van-sharing team to work exclusively on this problem. Are you interested in exploring van-sharing? Contact Dwight Mengel, DSS Chief Transportation Planner, at 274-5605 or by email.
