Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
SECTION 2: OVERALL ORGANIZATION EFFECTIVENESS <br />FINAL REPORT aQ <br />Chapter 5 provides an analysis of the fully allocated costs of OPT and details the <br />calculation of the recommended billing rates In summary, the rates are <br />recommended to be adjusted to. <br />Per service hour: $2225 <br />Per service mile: $ 041 <br />These rates have been calculated based upon the SERVICE miles and hours, not <br />REVENUE miles and hours, The difference between the two is that "service" <br />includes deadheading between the garage and the first pickup/last drop off. <br />Revenue hours are not reported to NCDOT on the Op Stats report. These rates will <br />cover OPT's costs, including the local vehicle share and the creation of an operating <br />reserve, while providing the agencies a discount based upon NCDOT's funding. <br />While these rates are modestly lower than the current rates, they more accurately <br />reflect OPT's expenses. <br />2.3.6. OPT FUNCTIONAL LOCATION <br />OPT has historically been resident as a division within the Department on Aging <br />(DOA), This department was the major user of the human service transportation <br />services. As a consolidated human service transportation system was created, it <br />was logical for the new agency to remain under Department on Aging (DOA). <br />The focus in Orange County and elsewhere in the state is to move beyond being just <br />a human service agency transportation provider to become, in addition, a general <br />public transportation service. Many of the recommended service changes reinforce <br />this evolution, and the recent changes to the TSB by-laws also anticipate a greater <br />general public role, <br />As OPT's role expands as a rural general public transportation service provider, its <br />function is no longer tied to that of a single human service agency Multiple groups <br />will be using the service. The potential also exists that, as long as transportation is <br />resident in any one human service program, the needs of the other human service <br />programs will not receive as much attention. <br />This study considered several alternative functional locations for OPT. On one end <br />of the spectrum OPT could remain under Department on Aging (or any one human <br />service agency) On the other end, Orange County could get out of transportation all <br />together and allow another organization, primarily TTA, to assume those <br />responsibilities. In between these extremes are several other alternatives. <br />As noted above, the status quo is not recommended because it is not in line with the <br />expanded transportation responsibilities of OPT, However, should OPT remain with <br />Department on Aging, consideration should be given to renaming the Department on <br />Aging and Transportation. <br />TTA is a logical location since its own role is expanding with the merger discussions <br />underway with Raleigh and Durham. TTA's current plans, however, do not envision <br />any merger of paratransit functions until a much later phase, and the rural transit <br />Orange County 2-11 <br />COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PLAN