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TDA 4.5 Document E(a) Page 6 non-core service (DTR) to be able to maintain a consistent level of transportation services for Pleasanton's aging and disabled residents. Although DTR service continues to be a popular and cost effective, same-day alternative for many riders, funding this program is an unmet need. PPS will continue to work with Alameda CTC staff to provide funding for this program. Eastern Alameda County Transportation Needs In 2011, the cities of Pleasanton, Livermore and Dublin with assistance from the consulting firm, Resource Development Associates, completed the Eastern Alameda County 2011 Human Services Needs Assessment. As part of this comprehensive study, transportation services and access were noted as concerns for Eastern Alameda County residents. Some of the key findings included: • Frequent, affordable, and reliable transit networks connecting commercial, government, and residential centers are fundamental to effective service delivery in the Tri-Valley. • Reductions in public transportation, including elimination of subsidies for low-income and vulnerable populations, impede access to most other human services available to those in the Tri-Valley. • Seniors and the disabled rely on downtown bus services and subsidized taxi services. • Transportation networks between Eastern Alameda County and other population centers are not well-coordinated, which results in extended trips for critical human services that are not available locally. The needs assessment also identified gaps and barriers in services due to budgetary restraints that have occurred in Eastern Alameda County where there have been cuts in public transportation. The following are additional gaps in transportation services which were cited by key informants and focus group members of the study: • "Paratransit is only available for a limited window of time, and it takes some acumen to maneuver through the systems. It's hard to jump through the steps to qualify for people who are at risk." • "Our paratransit services do not go outside of the Tri-Valley. Often times, if you have to go outside of the Tri-Valley, you must transfer from paratransit to public transportation (BART, buses, etc.). It can be a difficult commute. • "There is only one bus that starts at 5 a.m.; others don't start running until 7 a.m. If I have an appointment at 9 a.m., I have to get up early but sometimes the buses are not on time. Then you miss your appointment."