TheRide to Contract Blue Cab for Paratransit Services
At its April meeting, the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) Board of Directors moved to enter into a contract with RideCorp Inc. (a division of Blue Cab) to provide paratransit service for up to three years. The contract will begin on May 1, and is subject to annual review and negotiation. The contract includes an annual not-to-exceed amount of $2,000,000.
TheRide’s current paratransit contract with Select Ride, Inc. ends on April 30. The new contract changes the paratransit delivery model from a full turnkey operation to a partial turnkey operation, in which TheRide will maintain more control over service delivery.
Additionally, there will be no changes in the reservation phone number, operating hours, fares or service area. However, as part of the new contract:
- TheRide will operate lift-van service.
- RideCorp will operate sedan service.
- Advance reservations calls will be taken: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. weekdays, and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekends.
- Same-day trip calls will be taken: 6:15 a.m. - 10:15 p.m. weekdays, and 7:15 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekends.
- TheRide staff will take customer compliments & concerns.
- TheRide staff will have direct management of all advance reservations and lift-van services.
- TheRide will ensure adequate dedicated vehicles are in service to meet demand.
- All vehicles will be identified with the A-Ride logo for easy identification.
TheRide currently contracts to deliver A-Ride (ADA Paratransit) and GoldRide (senior service); its largest service contract. These services are important to the community with 131,215 trips delivered in FY 2014 and 122,500 in FY 2013. Since the Five-Year Transit Improvement Program began implementation in August, 2014, A-Ride service has seen expanded service hours during weekdays and Saturday evenings; as well as an expanded service area south of Ford Lake (including the Ypsilanti District Library, Kroger, and the Ypsilanti Township Civic Center).