The Western Placer Consolidated Transportation Service Agency (WPCTSA) is a joint powers agency (JPA) with the power to provide and coordinate social service transportation for the western portion of Placer County, including services for the elderly and individuals with disabilities. Under the terms of the JPA, PCTPA was designated as the administrator of the WPCTSA.
WPCTSA is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of the Board of Directors of the PCTPA , the members which were appointed pursuant to Government Code section 67911. The Board meets monthly or as needed.
WPCTSA services went into effect in January 2009 and the programs are intended to provide transportation services for Placer County residents who are not able to use conventional public transit services operating within western Placer County. Each program responds to a unique transportation need not otherwise currently met or met well within a prescribed service area.
Funding for CTSA services comes from the Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 4.5 apportionment, which is typically approved by the PCTPA Board of Directors in August.
CTSA Transportation Services
The Western Placer CTSA designated the City of Roseville as the lead agency to establish and operate the regional Transit Ambassador Program. The program educates new passengers in becoming familiar with western Placer County transit services and provide assistance to passengers at transit transfer points.
The Western Placer CTSA currently collaborates with Seniors First, Inc., a local not-profit organization, to provide the Placer Rides Program. The Placer Rides program replaced the former My Rides and Health Express services in an effort to continue providing efficient and effective transportation alternatives to Placer County residents that would not otherwise be able to access traditional public transit systems and/or services. Placer Rides, administered by Seniors First, has two main program components: the volunteer driver reimbursement and the last resort ride programs. Overall, the Placer Rides program makes door-to-door services available to residents throughout Placer County, including areas such as North Tahoe, Sheridan, and east of Colfax to the I-80/SR-20 Interchange near Yuba Gap.
For the volunteer driver reimbursement program component, residents can choose a relative, neighbor, friend, and/or any other volunteer driver to transport them for non-emergency medical appointments, public assistance, and other quality of life types of services. These trips are reimbursed through Seniors First to the resident (passenger), based upon approved mileage reimbursement rates and other program criteria, who then can provide that reimbursement payment directly to the driver to compensate them for providing the transportation service.
The last resort program component allows eligible individuals to receive up to two roundtrip trips per month on a private, commercial transportation provider service to non-emergency medical appointments, which are arranged and paid for by Seniors First based on established program criteria.
For more information regarding this program, please call 916-782-4202 or 530-492-5402, or visit the Seniors First Placer Rides Program’s website.
The Western Placer CTSA also purchases retired (surplus) dial-a-ride vehicles from Placer transit operators and sell these vehicles to local social service non-profit organizations for a nominal amount for use to transport elderly and/or disabled clients. The Guidelines specify eligibility requirements and application criteria for interested non-profit organizations, and selection criteria to be used by the CTSA. Under the program the non-profit organization will be required to fund the vehicle’s annual operating and maintenance costs, and fulfill other program obligations as noted in the Guidelines.