June 16, 2021

July 21, 2021

The virtual public meeting included a question-and-answer session with TARTA staff members. Here are the questions and answers.

6-16-21

Q: What is Title VI?
A: Title VI is a section of the Civil Rights Act which states that any programs or activities receiving federal assistance cannot discriminate on the bases of race, color, or national origin. It is the goal that transit services are provided in a nondiscriminatory manner. Environmental Justice also accompanies Title VI and is applied to prevent minority communities and low-income communities from being adversely affected. As an FTA grantee, TARTA is responsible for having a Title VI program which includes policies and procedures to address, avoid, and mitigate any discriminatory actions. Complete program can be found on our website www.tarta.com.

Q: Compared to other Ohio transit agencies how quickly did TARTA respond to COVID-19?
A: TARTA was quick to respond with mask requirements, social distancing, reduced rider limits per vehicle, service changes and fare elimination on March 20, 2020 making us one of the first Transit Agencies to take drastic actions due to COVD.

Q: How is TARTA making up for revenue lost through not collecting fares?
A:    We were very fortunate because FTA and Congress worked to provide emergency funding. There were three separate grants that helped support TARTA’s response to COVID: CARES, CRRSAA, and American Rescue Plan. These three Acts have provided us with a significant amount of funding to provide operational expenses, including keeping our drivers employed so when the time came, we could get everything running back to pre-Covid levels.

Q: How has ridership changed due to major service changes?
A: Obviously, ridership took a major dip in March 2020 but as we provided service to essential workers, the numbers grew in the summer of 2020, peaking in the autumn. Seasonal reductions in ridership occurred in the winter, which is typical. This spring, after our last major schedule change introducing CORE service, the ridership numbers climbed again – In May, the average weekday ridership for Fixed routes was over 2,200 – for Call-A-ride it was about 20 and TARPS was just under 700.

Q: What precautions were taken by TARTA to keep riders safe during COVID-19?
A: Mask requirements following CDC and TSA guidelines, social distancing, closing the HUB, rider limit per vehicle, fare elimination and shadow buses were utilized.

Q: Masks are still a requirement on public transit. I have noticed that drivers for the cab companies that contract with TARPS have not been wearing masks the last few weeks. What is the rule about masks in cabs?
A: Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Cab companies should be following the same TSA guidance on face masks that other mass transit companies are following. We will reach out to our cab company partners to remind them about this requirement.

Q: What is the status of the Comprehensive Operations Analysis and what time frame do you anticipate for seeking public feedback?
A: The Comprehensive Operations Analysis is going to be a complete re-design of TARTA’s system and services. The goals are to provide better connections and options, as well as grow ridership. It will take approximately a year to complete. The community input will begin this summer and we encourage everyone to be involved and provide your ideas.

Q: What is the best way to make sure of receiving updates from TARTA (examples – following on Facebook, signing up for a newsletter) How do you sign up to receive email updates?
A: Updates can always be found on our website, our robust social media platforms which include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, text alerts and email newsletters. Rider text alerts can be received by texting the word TARTA to 41411 from your mobile phone or by signing up on our website.  You can also signup for our email newsletters on our website – there should be a pop-up registration form when you go to www.tarta.com.

Q: Will TARTA ever again provide late night service (Route 12/14) for those of us who work third shift?  It was very convenient to take the 9:00 pm bus to work rather than drive every night! Will late night service (At least until 9:00) ever return for the needs of third shift workers and others?
A: At this time, TARTA does not have enough funding to provide late night service. Yet, we realize that this is a growing need for our customers and employers. This is why TARTA is working on securing another local funding source. As for service until 9 pm, there is a Summer Schedule beginning June 28 that will resume some earlier and later runs. For specific route information and times, visit www.tarta.com.

Q: When TARTA resumes its fares, regardless of increase or not, will our Monthly Passes that we purchased back in March of 2020 before the Covid 19 Pandemic still be in effect from the time TARTA restrictions took effect?
A: Currently, we will remain fare-free throughout the summer – which offers a great opportunity for our riders. When we do decide to go back to fares, we will give plenty of notice to the public when and how that will take effect. We will also be able to address the issue of existing passes at that time.

Q: Will the Hub provide a bathroom for riders to use especially persons who use a wheelchair?
A: The restrooms in the Hub’s public lobby area are designed for riders and include handicap accessibility and a family restroom. When the lobby is reopened there will be accessible restroom facilities available.

Q. Have you considered On-demand Services or utilizing TNCs available in Ohio to supplement or replace underperforming Fixed Routes?
A: The upcoming Comprehensive Operational Analysis will consider new types of services and partnerships to be able to run efficient service for our community. Currently, TARTA is beginning to partner with Northwest Ohio AAA’s new ‘Round Town service for older adults and also supplements its paratransit service, TARPS, with private transportation providers.

Q: Does Call-A- Ride go to a particular address in Toledo?
A: No. Call-A-Ride is only available to for trips within Maumee, Ottawa Hills, Rossford, Sylvania, Sylvania Township and Waterville. Riders can also use Call-A-Ride to connect with fixed-line services. More information can be found here https://tarta.com/services/call-a-ride/ or by calling 419-243-7433, Option 2.

Q: When is the Hub going to open?
A: We are currently working on a plan to reopen the Hub to the public later in 2021 or early 2022 after some necessary building improvements. In the meantime, we are working on external and internal improvements to enhance the customer experience.

Q: When will the bus schedules go back to normal?
A: We are very excited that a new Summer Schedule has been launched on June 28 that has resumed our pre-COVID hours of service. Details can be found on our website www.tarta.com

Q: Please restore the 35 Airport/Maumee-Arrowhead route.  Pre COVID pandemic, this was the only inbound route between the hours of 7am and 8am (M-F) in between Airport\Reynolds Rd and Airport\Angola.  The inbound route had heavy ridership to the downtown lineup.  I have been taking the bus for over 15 yrs and I now have no way of taking the bus to my employment.
A: ​Thank you for letting us know about your transit needs. We will take your request into account. We are continuing to review the limited and express services and public requests are one factor for how we make decisions along with ridership history and overall cost.

Q: You guys eliminated the 35 Express inbound in the AM. There are not enough inbound buses along Airport Highway (Reynolds Rd to Byrne Rd) Monday-Friday. Pre Covid, the ridership was high for this route. There are low income apartments and apartments along this stretch of transportation. Please restore this route. How can you eliminate a bus route for nearly 2 hrs for this route pattern. It is unfair and I believe racially motivated. Please be sensitive to ridership along this route (which is basically minority and low income.)
A: In order to help maintain social distancing on all TARTA buses, weekday services were set to mirror Saturday service. This response was maintained in part because of the stay-at-home orders and severe ridership decreases. Express and limited services typically had less ridership than regular fixed line routes. Both the poverty and minority rates for tracts served by limited and express routes are below the average for the TARTA service area. We acknowledge that reduced service hours can be difficult for riders to accommodate.

Q: TARTA is disportionately affecting minority ridership for the 32H Inbound between 7am and 8:30am M-F. There are 6 stops along this area.
A: Due to low ridership during the pandemic weekday services were set to mirror Saturday service. For Route 32H this route had a 71% reduction in ridership. By March 2021, Route 32H increased weekday service but ridership was still about 58% less than the service that occurred Fall 2019. Our definitions of disproportionate and disparate impact require for there to be a greater effect or change on one route or area, in this scenario all routes were affected in some way in order for TARTA to ensure a safe and clean environment. As vaccination rates increase and hospitalizations decrease we do anticipate a return to regular service. We hope that restoring some service for route 32 on Airport this summer will help.

7-21-21
Q: How long will free fare last?
A: We will remain fare free throughout the summer which offers a great opportunity for our riders to explore and connect with local events, meal sites, libraries and more. When we do decide to go back to fares, we will give plenty of notice to the public on when and how that will take effect.

Q: Please restore the #35 Airport/Maumee area route. Pre covid pandemic, this was the only inbound route between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. Monday through Friday in between Airport/Reynolds Road and Airport/Angola. The inbound route has had heavy ridership to the downtown line up. The change this bus route has disproportionately affected minority and low income customers who have no option of catching an inbound bus during these hours.
A: During the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020, in order to help maintain social distancing on all TARTA buses, weekday services were set to Saturday services. This response was maintained in part because of the stay at home orders and the severe ridership decreases. Express unlimited services typically have less ridership than regular fixed line routes. Both the minority and poverty rate served by limited and express routes are below the average for the TARTA service area. We acknowledge that reduced service hours can be difficult for riders to accommodate. TARTA is still reviewing the express limited services that were previously provided. We will take your comments into consideration. Currently, there is inbound service on Airport with #32R.You may be able to find more assistance by calling our Information Line at 419-243-7433.

Q: The inbound #32 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30:00 a.m., Monday to Friday, does not run every 30 minutes from Reynolds Road to Angola. This is not right. How can you have no bus service for an hour and a half between this airport route? TARTA is disproportionately affecting low income and minority citizens in this area. Please examine your policy within this time period on these days.
A: So, similarly, this was what the express and limited services – we are still reviewing those changes. We think it would be a good idea, if you can get more information that that same number is 419 243 7433, they might be able to help you accommodate with other routes around this could provide the service that you need.

We do encourage our customers and riders to on it submit some feedback to us we was continue to relook at our system and redesign.

Q: Will route #14 be going back to every half hour or no?
A: We are looking to restore services as much as possible. We have an upcoming assignment change coming fairly soon* that will be running through the fall. As we’re able and as resources become available, we are looking to get everything back to the pre-covid service rates.

Q: Can you make it easier to read bus schedules for all riders, including those who may have difficulty reading? Currently, it is not clear to understand for all riders.
A: This is a great question. Thank you for submitting it. This is something we are working on, as a matter of fact. Your timing of this question is perfect. One of the things we’re looking at is how to redesign our schedules themselves, how to post information down at our Hub to make it easier to see and understand. We’re also working on how to read a schedule and we’ll have that up on our website and hope to actually make a video to show how to do that.

If at any time you have any issues and you need to have some information about the routes and what’s going to work for you, again, if it is during the time when our information line is open, please call 419 243 7433. Those hours that that Information Line is open is 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Our Information Officers will be more than happy to help you.

And we do encourage all of our riders and customers to also talk to our drivers. They are very knowledgeable about the routes. If you’re having issues reading the schedules, they can assist you while you are trying to navigate the system.

Q: When will the Hub open up?
A: We are currently working on a plan to reopen the Hub to the public later in 2021 or early 2022 after some necessary building improvements. In the meantime, we will, working on external and internal improvements to enhance the customer experience that is there.

Q: What is going on with your recording for calls? Can you please fix it? I’m not receiving any calls from you all.
A: To the person who submitted this, I ask that you perhaps send us an e mail or call tomorrow. You can send an e mail to [email protected]. I don’t know what exactly you’re looking for, so I want to make sure I’m getting all the information correct for you so I can do some research and get an answer for you. So if you can reach out to us, that would be great so thank you very much. (Krystal just posted the e mail in the chat.) That way I will make sure to find the answer for you and get back to you, thank you. Once again that is customer [email protected].

Q: Although TARPS passengers appreciate they are free fare, they are having many rides canceled on buses and moved to cabs. Cabs are running behind and transporting people late to jobs. Will TARPS look at returning to the pre covid scheduling processes?
A: That is a great question, thank you very much. Yes, absolutely. As we search to get more funding we are looking to hire drivers for our TARPS vehicles, so that job is posted on our website so tell anybody you know who is looking for a job! Because of the extended schedules and the different needs that our TARPS riders need, we need to accommodate them so alternative to not using cabs is not being able to accommodate the rides at all, which for us is not acceptable. That’s why so many have become turned over to cabs. You can turn in your complaints and talk to anyone over at the TARPS side and they would be able to take that information for you. Again, you can call the TARPS number. That number is slightly different than what we’ve been giving out, it is 419 382 9901. Any concerns you have will be logged and dealt with and researched so thank you so much for that.

Q: I realized that it would take more than 2 hours and 3 buses to go from Hill to Maumee for the Lucas County Fair. I did call the Information Line and they didn’t have an alternative. This really applies to going anywhere in Maumee for anything.
A: This is a great comment and great feedback for us too. I’m sorry for your experience of having that daunting schedule ahead of you. A couple things: We do have the Call-A-Ride service which goes to Maumee, which may be helpful for you, depending on where you live. We also have a Mobility Manager we can talk to for other alternatives of getting places. It really depends what time of day and what schedule, again. You did the right thing, you called the info line and so I don’t know what else to say, because I don’t know what else they had told you. But we can look into other alternatives by talking to our Mobility Manager or other options.

This is great feedback to have, as well, as we continue to redesign our service through our Comprehensive Operational Analysis, so we really do encourage our customers and riders to continue submitting this feedback. It is super helpful for us to understand what the demand is and what really works for our community.

We call the Comprehensive Operational Analysis COA here because it is so much easier, but it is a year long process that we are undergoing with consultants from Nelson\Nygaard. You can see information on it on our website. It is a year-long analysis looking at our existing operations and to make our schedules and how we run our business even more efficient. And also, to take that efficiency and spread it out farther out to other communities, not just Toledo itself, Toledo proper. We also will be searching for our customers to give us feedback which will be coming later on this year and we will have plenty of opportunities for that. You can find out more about that on our social media as well. We don’t have specific dates for that yet, but there will be opportunities because we need to hear from you. That is important. We look forward to those conversations.

Q: Online bus schedules sometimes include several versions which can be confusing.
The most current would be more helpful.
A: Our schedules always have a date on them on the front panel where it has a big black box and it has the route number. Below that it will be the date that it is valid from. We are very careful to have only the most current version on our website so if you go to www.tarta.com/routes, and click on the route number, you will see the schedules. Those will be the most up to date and they will have the date of the last schedule change, which currently is June 28*. If you don’t have access to a computer, or you don’t have a smart phone that will do that, you can always call our information line. We can print a schedule for you and send it out to you.
Also, down at the Hub on each of the buses there will be copies of those schedules. Again, if you’re looking for that information, please reach out to us and we will make sure you get that.

Q: What is TARTA doing for our population of people with mental health sensory and other issues? Many individuals in our community live with daily anxiety. Are you trained to respond to their needs in a culturally respectful manner?
A: Our drivers and staff are trained to be compassionate and be helpful so the specifics of dealing with people who have anxieties, mental health issues is something we are aware of. It’s part of our compassionate care we have for our customers.

The drivers do receive sensitivity training, and additionally, if there’s extra support that’s needed, we do have Travel Trainers who can provide one on one training to get you into using the transit system for the first time, even doing ride-alongs and things like that. And with our TARP service, Mobility Managers can also assist with some of that additional support. Our drivers do receive sensitivity training and are here to help with any kind of situation that can arise in the community.

As mentioned, we do offer complementary travel training. That is training that is free to the public. We just request that you call our information line to get connected with our travel trainer. Her name is Kris and the number you can call to reach the travel training team directly is 419 724 6650. We would encourage our customers to take advantage of that service as it has officially resumed back this month, and it is very helpful in learning the system and learning how to navigate it – especially if you have sensory issues or mental health issues.

Q: #31G and #31H recently extended to Maumee. Consider this option!
A: Thank you for that feedback. We appreciate that and we will take that into consideration as we look forward to the future.

Q: What is the status of creating bus service to and from the Spring Meadows shopping area?
A: That was a question on TARPS that we had that was the difference between Spring Meadows verses Springfield Commons and where it stands within the ADA required space that we offer service. It is ultimately a jurisdiction issue. The area that needed service was outside of TARTA’s jurisdiction area. TARTA’s goal to bring in Lucas County would expand TARTA’s jurisdiction, so that would allow us to serve that location. Currently, the particular area that had service requested was outside of what TARTA uses as a 3/4 mile buffer, that is as far as going outside that current jurisdiction.

Q: I would love to see a bus that would connect major shopping area, namely Franklin Park, Spring Meadows and Miracle Mile more easily.
A: This is really great feedback to have again. Thank you so much for submitting that. I can see the heads shaking, I can see our team saying, yes! We appreciate that.

There are still several questions from our audience regarding fares and hours of service for TARTA fixed line services and TARPS. Once again, we will remain fare free throughout the summer, which continues to offer a great opportunity for riders and customers to get connected and explore in our community. When we do decide to go back to fares, we will give plenty of notice for that to the public, and on how and when we will do that and how that will take effect.

Q: How do you regulate drivers who may arrive to a stop earlier than posted on the schedule? Is this something that occurs frequently?
A: I wouldn’t say this occurs frequently. What we do, normally, is a random sampling of routes so we will send supervisors to monitor routes and we have our dispatch team that monitors the stops to make sure the stops are being performed on time, we’re leaving on time. And then we take that data, any sampling and relate it to the rest of the system.

Q: What are TARPS hours now Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday?
A: As of June 28*, normal hours of operation, Monday to Friday are 4:55 a.m. to 9:40 p.m., and then Saturday 7:51 a.m. to 10:21 p.m. And, on Sunday, the hours are from 7:51 a.m. to 10:21 p.m., same hours. Those are available on the TARTA website at www.tarta.com. Once you arrive at the website go to TARTA Services and click on the TARPS dropdown menu. You will find all the information related to the Paratransit service including hours of service, holiday hours, the number for the reservation line, cancellation line. We really want to utilize our website as a great resource and content be for you all so we encourage you to visit that.

Q: How long is the mask mandate going to be around for public transportation.
A: We are federally mandated until September 13 by the TSA, which is the Transportation Security Administration. That is mandated on all public transit, not just here at TARTA.

Q: Is there an effort to have buses come directly into the airport?
A: This will likely be discussed in our Comprehensive Operations Analysis. If there is a big enough public community desire for that, it is something that could influence that decision. We’ve seen this sort of request come up with other public outreaches we’ve done before. It is not uncommon to have public transit connect with airports so it is definitely something we will be looking into.

Q: Why is there no outbound schedule for bus number 20?
A: There is outbound on Monday through Friday and Saturday on #20, both on the F which is Franklin Park, and M, from Meijer on Collingwood. If there’s specific dates and times that you need to have information for, then calling our Information Line or messaging us on Facebook Messenger – there are a lot of different ways to get in touch with us. If you send us specifics, we can certainly look at the schedules and see how that works. And we encourage you to reach out to us at our customer [email protected] email, if email is your preferred mode of contact.

Q: Why was the 5:00 p.m. Downtown line up eliminated? Most people get off work at or near 5:00 p.m.
A: The specific time point of 5:00 p.m. probably would have gotten adjusted because of the changes we made with Covid in order to fit all the bus routes in and get the same span of service. It really came down to how those got scheduled and it ultimately shifted them between 4:30 and 5:30.

Q: Due to increased violence in our city, are you taking additional security measures to have security officers on heavily populated routes?
A: We do have general security at the Transit Hub, but our regular routes don’t normally have any sort of police presence. Our vehicles all have radios and so if incidents do occur, they can call the Station Office and get immediate police assistance. At this time there is no security presence on the heavily populated routes, but that is something that we can look into as an agency. And look at different trends and if an adjustment is needed, that’s definitely something that we can consider.

Q: Why are many bus benches removed on Alexis and no trash cans available on high-use areas where people board; cans and cups thrown on the ground because there are no trash cans.
A: Currently TARTA does not own or maintain any benches or trash cans. The city of Toledo has a partnership with an external contractor for those benches and trash cans so that’s what the current situation is. If you see trash cans full up to the brim or anything like that, you can report it to us and we can report it to the city and ask them to go out and take care of that, but currently we do not own or maintain benches or trash cans.

Q: Is someone able to assist me with which bus or buses need to be taken to get to Door and Richards near St John Jesuit near Airport and what bus number do I catch going to Woodward High School from downtown and Manhattan Suder Apartments.
A: There are many ways to get answers to your routing questions on our fixed routes. The easiest and quickest way something we’ve mentioned quite a bit already is calling our information line at 419 243 7433 during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays. We also have all of our current routes on our website at www.tarta.com/routes. And, if you are comfortable with using apps on a smart phone or if you have that capability, we suggest using our mobile transit applications like Moovit, Passio Go! or Google Maps for real time routing options.

Q: Is there going to be a bus that goes down Glendale again from Heatherdowns.
A: Thank you for this request. We will take such requests into consideration as we plan for future schedule updates and changes. We are beginning our year long Comprehensive Operation Analysis which will result in the complete redesign of TARTA services. We will be seeking public input later in 2021 to get feedback, insights and ideas from our customers. More information on those opportunities will be available on our website and other channels fairly soon.

Q: Will TARTA go back to the bus loop and line up on Jackson Street? When can we get buses back to the ballpark? I am a property owner paying the TARTA tax but cannot get a free ride to downtown for jury duty or Erie Street Market. Can I expect some consideration, free rides to places I want to go?
A: TARTA did discontinue the bus loop and line up on Jackson Street when the Transit Hub was established. With the Comprehensive Operations Analysis, we will be looking closely at where there may be gaps and inefficiencies with the current routing. Any feedback the public can provide at that time will be greatly appreciated.

The second part, due Covid and the help of Federal emergency funds TARTA service is currently free and will be for the rest of the summer. We are reviewing our fare collection plans and a big part of that includes local State and Federal support.

We received a few long and detailed comments and questions via email prior to the start of this meeting. We will be consolidating them here and focusing on the highlights during this meeting. When we post the questions and comments to our website in a few weeks, we will include the comments in full and we do appreciate your understanding on this.

Full Version:
Q: I would like to ask that the Express routes for Waterville (29X) or Maumee (44X) be reconsidered. I was a daily (Monday-Friday) bus rider, along with several others for almost 20 years from the stop in Waterville until the schedule was changed and now discontinued all together. The call-a-ride service is not a time efficient method or something that would be convenient for me to have to coordinate every day (Monday – Friday). The 31H route is not conducive for my work hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.). Just prior to COVID, the 29X schedule was changed and the times, I believe, may have even combined with the St. Luke’s bus making the trip to/from Waterville well over an hour which was very inconvenient for myself and the other riders for work purposes. The original 29X left the last stop in Waterville at approximately 7:45 a.m. and arrived in downtown at Park Station at approximately 8:20 a.m. It was a direct route via the Expressway. In the afternoon, the bus departed downtown at approximately 4:45 p.m. and arrived in Waterville at approximately 5:20 p.m. The original 29X route had 3-4 stops in Waterville which I do not feel is necessary. I believe one stop at the Kroger Store would be sufficient enough which is easily accessible for everyone (riders and buses).

An Express route from St. Luke’s would also be another option to reconsider instead of the 29X to service those of us in the living in the outlining areas (Waterville, Whitehouse, Grand Rapids, Neapolis, Monclova, etc). The 44X route times were similar to the 29X (leaving St. Luke’s at approximately 7:45 a.m. and arriving in downtown at 8:20 a.m.).

Having a stop at the Fallen Timbers Mall could also be a great option for an Express route via the Expressway or Trail and could combine riders from both, Waterville and St. Luke’s Park-n-Ride locations.

I would like to do my part in conserving energy by utilizing pubic transportation, but TARTA has not allowed that to happen for those of us in the outlining areas and has also provided a disconnect to these areas. I hope that the service to the outlining areas can be reconsidered again in an effort to connect our communities as ONE, all while conserving energy, making for a greener environment to live in and providing support for local businesses. In conjunction with providing a daily Express service for those working in downtown and living in the surrounding areas, expanding service to connect these areas would also allow for more job opportunities for everyone in both areas, shopping opportunities at Fallen Timbers for those living in the downtown area, Metroparks for those living in the downtown area, being able to patronize restaurants in the surrounding areas and in downtown, etc. The number of people living in downtown has grown significantly and giving those people the opportunity to get to the Fallen Timbers Mall, for example, would be a nice option for them. Expanding bus service and hours to the surrounding areas would also allow and encourage those living in the outlining areas to come into downtown for concerts, restaurants, events at the Huntington and Seagate Centers, Mud Hens games, Imagination Station, parades and any other events that take place in downtown. The bus service would allow surrounding area riders to visit and enjoy the upcoming and revitalized downtown area without having to drive or find parking, all while conserving energy. I believe TARTA can be the CONNECTION to our communities in which we need during these times we live in by expanding the service in the areas where it is currently lacking. In doing so, it is also important that bus stops are located conveniently throughout downtown as the new hub is not centralized, especially for any of those who live in the newly renovated apartments and work near the Jefferson/Monroe/Madison Street areas.
A: TARTA is still reviewing the Express Limited Services, however your complete input will be taken into consideration. One of our goals with the upcoming analysis is to improve the service not just for the Toledo areas but the outlining areas. There are a number of transit design services and trade-offs we will be balancing based on available resources, but with public feedback we will have a better idea of the ways in which we can move forward.

Full Version:
Q: I am a 64 year old senior citizen and a tax payer in the City of Toledo. I am also visually impaired an wear hearing aids and for you not have shelters nor restroom facilities is totally degrading to us as human beings and to keep us out the elements is cruel and unhealthy so my 1st Question: Why on July 1, 2021 there was no #20F going outbound that morning. I caught the bus at 8:40 bus at Ashland and Woodruff and got downtown and no #20 F, so an Assistant downtown had to repeatedly call for a Central Garage bus to come and pick up myself and a gentleman in a wheelchair. It took 3 hours later with no restrooms available, and it was raining that day with no shelter. I was in communication with TARTA staff on your Facebook page or texting back and forth which did appear to be helpful at some point
Question # 2: On July 20th at Central and Alisdale I waited almost 1 hour for the #20 bus going inbound with knee brace and no shelter to sit down on because it was removed.
Question #3: Why is there no outbound scheduled for #20 and instead you have #10L do I never know when the bus is going outbound. I know you are maybe trying to save money and cut down on your driver’s but this the worst service you have ever provided to our community and then you want the community’s support in November all I can say is good luck to you.
A: I want to thank the person who wrote this for their thoughtful message. The shelters first: There are plans in the works to reopen the Hub and that will happen at some point later in 2021. Part of what that includes is installing new shelters down here on Huron Street. But, in the meanwhile, we understand that that is not there yet, so in the meanwhile, we are looking to put portable restrooms outside the Hub for use for our riders. I know that’s not the best desired situation, but we’re hoping that will help until we get the Hub opened.

And let me speak to the situation that happened on July 1. I did go back through our Facebook Messenger and read all the messages, so I’m really sorry for your experience on July 1. I can only guess about how frustrating that must have been, but I’m really glad the writer of this e mail reached out via Facebook and that resulted in a bus coming out to assist you. As we talked about before, our Information Line, 419 243 7433 is open to help during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekends and they’re there to help, as well, so there’s many ways to get to us for assistance.

Now let me talk about the shelter at Central and Alisdale. It had to be temporarily removed due to road construction and that happened back in 2019. The original replacement occurred before ADA compliance regulations because there was not enough clearance for a wheelchair access. We did receive a complaint after returning the shelter so we had to stay ADA compliant, and therefore we had to uninstall the shelter. The only viable way get a shelter in that area would require the property owner’s permission so it can be placed safely within the parking lot. These comments are all great because now we have them from everyone and as we look at Our Comprehensive Operational Analysis, we will be taking the specific information into play, so thank you for giving this information.

As far as the outbound #20 and #10L, I was looking at the timetable and I think this is an interlining issue. The same person provided the question, live. I’m looking at the timetable now and I can kind of understand where your confusion might be coming from. On the outbound section it lists on left hand column 10L, and all that indicates is that it is interlining with another bus. That means the #10Ls are riding to the Hub and then changing into the #20 so from there on from the Hub, it is the #20. All those times listed on the #20 timetable, are route 20, it is not 10L as listed there.

We hope you all find value in totally understanding that we are here to help with the interlining there are several things changing with the schedules and moving forward and we want to continue those conversations so thank you for really covering those topics and really giving us a comprehensive look over it.

Q: TARTA does pretty well with meeting transportation needs for most target groups, thank you. How do you see AAA Around Town as an additional service besides Lyft and Uber.
A: I’m going to mention our Comprehensive Operational Analysis one more time! It’s going to consider new types of services and partnerships that can help run efficient service for our community, Currently TARTA is beginning to partner with NW Ohio AAA Around Town service that is for older adults and supplements our Paratransit service. We really do see that AAA Around Town as a partner and something that’s got great potential. We will be looking as we go through our COA how we can strengthen that relationship with that particular group. We do Enterprise Van Pool on our website for any companies that have a group of people that want to share rides in to work. So we are working on a lot of different options. Thank you for asking that question.

Q: Will transportation be available to Monclova any time? Will transportation be available soon to St. Lukes Hospital.
A: Monclova is not part of our member jurisdiction. Monclova does not allow us to make any stops within their boundaries.

Q: I hope that you use color codes when designing the upcoming schedules, anything you can do to make it easier on the eyes and simple. Have different individuals review it for some feedback before completing it. Thank you for this opportunity advocate for those with the greatest need in our city.
A: We appreciate that comment so very much. We are starting to use colors when we do some of our route maps and the schedules that are on our website. Unfortunately, when we print them, it is just one color. We have been working with the Ability Center and they are great partners and great teachers for us and a relationship that we value so greatly. And part of that is, we are looking at a redesign of our bus signs and those are the signs that right now just say “TARTA” at the top and not much else. We are redesigning it so you can see it is TARTA, and you can see what route it is going to be and that type of thing. We worked very closely with the Ability Center and went back and forth with our designers and the Ability Center gave us some great information on colors and how things look for those who may have vision issues or from a distance. Their insight and their protocol they gave us was extremely helpful. So it is something we will be using in the future so yes, if we can use colors whenever possible, especially online, we will.

Q: Will there ever be Sunday service? It will be great for some church goers and those who need pharmacies, hospitals and grocery stores.
A: One of the reasons we eliminated Sunday service was due to financial constraints. We definitely do hope to bring those back as well as additional services we had to cut back on, but this really all depends on the financial support that TARTA is able to receive in the future.

Q: When will we go back to park and ride service? This service used to be at Glendale and Byrne.
A: A number of the park and rides were connected with the express unlimited services, so I believe that might be what that is referencing. Once those come back, that would be available again. If otherwise, if the park and ride is near where regular service is, they would have to just use the regular fixed line.

Q: It was brought up a little earlier in the meeting so when will bus schedules be available on the TARTA buses?
A: When we redo our schedules and redo the timetables, then our schedules get changed and updated. Our first priority is to get them on our website, which we could before the schedule takes place. The second priority is to get them actually printed at a printers so sometimes that takes time. And as soon as we get those, we make sure they’re on the bus. In the meantime, we do make copies here in our own offices and provide a lot of copies to our drivers on each of those routes to hand out at the Hub and the people who are on their buses who need them. We make sure there are copies before we get the official ones from the printer, but we do make them available. If you find you need some, and you would like some sent to you, you can call our Information Line and our Information Operators will be more than happy to get copies to of several routes, if that’s what works for you.

One thing we’re also working on in the future is to do our schedules in Spanish – to have more Spanish translation. And that is something in the future we will be working on to service those customers whose Spanish is a native language or more comfortable language or maybe their only language. We have a little bit of Spanish on our schedules but we’re making it more for the future.

*Newest Schedule Change on Fixed Routes and TARPS takes effect on August 15, 2021