WSTIP

Please send a copy of your accident discipline policy.

Can you recommend a transit experienced arbitrator to represent management in interest arbitration with Teamsters?

Do you have an agency intranet for your employees? If you do, what kinds of programs do you have included and what information can your employees access from the intranet.

How does your agency handle unique service dogs or animals? ... Do you have guidelines for determining whether an animal is truly a service animal or a pet in disguise?

How do you conduct a criminal background check for employees coming from out of state?  Is there a specific service you use?

Background:  Richard Walsh from Whatcom Transportation Authority has been directed to prepare a ballot measure for 2/10th of a percent for an April 27, 2010 vote.  WTA has been working with the Public Disclosure Commission to prepare and distribute a neutral informational item about the ballot measure.

Questions: 
1. Do any of you who have recently gone with ballot measures have samples of an informational piece that complies with the PDC requirements?  If so, can you send it in pdf form?  We can keep a resource library of them – and share them with those of you who are looking for samples.

2. Have you gone out with a ballot measure in the past few years?  You may be a good resource for an agency about to go to ballot.

3. Are any of you considering ballot measures this year or next?   If so, you may be able to use other agencies as resources if you have questions.

Do you require the battery master switch be in the off position at the end of the work day?

Do you use specific software to formulate your budget?  If so, what do you use, how long have you used it, and what rating would you give it (Fair, Good, Great).

What is your policy or practice for cash reserves? 

Do you have a policy on cell phone usage during work hours in company vehicles?  If so, could you please send a copy?

Our Transit Board is considering a "Citizen's Advisory Committee.” Does anyone have something similar and if so could they send me some guidelines on size, who would serve, and how to get one started?

What kind of coin counting/sorting machine do you have? Would you recommend it?

A member is in the process of Dial-A-Ride contract negotiations and would like to create a benchmark for their operations.  Please take a moment to fill out the questions below about your Dial-A-Ride operations.  Please respond by June 1, 2009.

1. Average number of pick ups per weekday
2. Average number of pick ups per mont
3. Average number of no shows day and/or month
4. Average monthly revenue miles
5. Service area population
6. Number and types of vehicles in the fleet
7. Cost per ride to the system
8. How many days a week DAR operates
9. How many hours a day DAR operates
10. Average trip length

How is your agency responding to the decline in sales tax (i.e. increase fares, decrease service, decrease staff)? How are you timing this response and what is your approximate scale of planned changes?

Do you recall a situation where defibrillators on buses would have made a difference for a passenger on board one of your buses? If yes, please give an approximate time (10 years ago, five years ago, this year) and a brief overview of the situation.

After an employee has been in an accident where drug testing was required, do you let the employee drive themselves home, have a supervisor take them home, have someone else take them home, have a family member pick them up, or something else?  Secondarily, is whatever you do written in your policy or is it an operational procedure?

We have had our annual audio logical testing done recently for our drivers. The Audiologist recommended, based on some hearing loss by some of our drivers, that we provide ear plugs to our drivers. The ear plugs that he is recommending are legal to be worn while driving. Does your agency provide ear plugs to drivers?

What is your system, grading criterion, or process for the final approval of a trainee? I'm looking specifically for what standards you use to pass / fail the trainee.

What type of fare media does your organization use? (ie., passes, smart cards, encoded cards?) Do you sell annual passes? Are they available from Jan – Dec or for a rolling twelve month period? What type of fare card reader do you use?

What Fleet Management software do you use? What was the cost to buy the software, and is there a maximum number of vehicles you can enter in the program? Would you recommend this application? If so, what on a scale of one to ten. Thank you for your information

Have you ever used a Force account to track labor expenses for a grant?  If so, did you set up a new account in a existing department or did you create a new department for the grant related labor costs? Also, what did you charge to the force account?  Labor, benefits, other?

Do you have a policy or procedure that deals with gang activity such as wearing their colors and using transit or transit facilities?  If so, please send it. 

What is the current salary and salary range for the General Manager position at your agency?

Have you received any information on the impact from the federal Health Care Reform Act to your transit agency?  If so, what have you heard/been told and from what source did you receive that information?

If you have door to door service, how far do you assist your passengers? If they live up a flight of stairs (like in an apartment complex) or have a long flight of stairs, do you assist them all the way to the door no matter what? If you limit your assistance, can you please tell how your policy is worded?

Do you have a job task analysis for the position of Transit Driver. If so, can you please send it to share?

How long do you retain employees who are out on Long Term Disability and L&I (Workers Compensation)? 

For those of you who have decided not to utilize mini-vans for your Dial A Ride fleets, why? Was it performance, durability, life of vehicle or something else? Was there an evaluation done by your agency on why not to use mini-vans and if so, would you be willing to share that reasoning?

What size exterior left side mirrors do your buses have?

How long are your new operator and refresher training programs?  Can you send a copy of the outline for new operator and refresher training programs? 

What is your current seatbelt policy for wheelchair passengers on paratransit? If passengers provide their own lap belt that comes with the wheelchair, do you still require them to wear the lap belt on the van?

Does your agency require paratransit drivers and/or contracted transportation drivers to obtain/maintain a CDL (Class C w/ passenger endorsement) even when they’re only operating vehicles that do not meet the definition of a commercial vehicle? In other words, the vehicles are less than 26,001 pounds (GVWR) and are designed to carry 15 or less passengers including the driver. Secondly, if your agency does require drivers or contracted drivers maintain a CDL, do you include these drivers in the FTA random drug & alcohol program as safety sensitive employees? If you’ve answered yes to either of the above questions, please explain why.

Do you have a suggestion for purchasing a pass vending machine that does not print passes or tickets; just one that dispenses tickets? Do you have a suggestion for this type of equipment for around $8000 including installation?

What do you do if your ADA passenger’s combined weight (wheelchair and person) exceed lift capacity?

Do you allow bicycles inside the coach? If you do, what are your policies for securing the bicycle?

A member is looking at placing video cameras on their coaches and paratransit vans. They would like to know if you have installed cameras and if you received any push-back from your respective union groups.

What defensive driving program have you based your own defensive driving curriculum on (NSC, Evergreen Safety Council, something else)? How long have you used it, and do you like it?

We are in the process of developing a vehicle collision review policy. We would like to know what other members do when a preventable accident occurs and results in a fatality. How is the status of the involved operator addressed?

Do you have a written hiring practices policy? If you have a written hiring practices policy, please attach it to your reply. If you do not have a written policy, but have standards you apply, please outline. Do you do any pre-hire fitness testing?

Please send your agency's current investment policy, including any related resolutions.

If a person and their equipment weighs over your lift's capacity (in our case 600 pounds), do you give the person the option of loading their equipment and themselves separately (assuming they can do so), or do you deny them a ride?

What would you do if you were to get more than one service animal on the bus?

Do you pay your shop stewards additional pay when they come in at the request of a member to speak with management? If you do pay the shop stewards, at what point are they allowed into meetings with the employees, is it only when it may lead to discipline or at any meeting?

A member is looking to update their record retention schedule for their maintenance department. If you have a record retention schedule for your maintenance department, please attach it to your response.

What policies do you have regarding driving near parked cars on the right side.

Do you have a policy on standees if so, what is your policy? Is it different for highway speeds, in town, etc?

Have you retrofitted your coaches and/or cutaways with the illuminated “Yield for Bus” signs? If yes, who was your supplier of the lighted signs and what was your estimated costs
per bus to do the retrofit, sign and labor?

Please describe your accident preventability review process. Please include who makes the determination on preventability, where appeals go (if anywhere), and where the final decision rests.

If you assign vehicles to employees so they may respond at all times, what kind of parameters do you place on personal use of the vehicle? Do you allow passengers in the vehicle? Do you have a written policy that you can share?

What are your policies regarding bicycles on buses? Does your system have trilogy bike racks? Do you have double or triple bike racks? If you have cutaways, do you have racks on the front and back or just the front?