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New Hybrid Vehicles for Paratransit Service

Federal Grant Helps Secure Prius Vehicles for Outreach

Release Number:	nr 09 11 08
Release Date:	Nov 20, 2009

San Jose, Calif. –The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), with help from a federal grant, is currently in the process of adding 23 new Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles to its paratransit services fleet.

The new Prius vehicles, in part, will replace older sedans. Retiring the aging vehicles and replacing them with the low-pollution Prius should result in approximately 45 fewer tons per year of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere.  With this purchase, VTA now owns a fleet of 106 Prius vehicles, which is reportedly one of the largest hybrid fleets in the county.

“VTA is committed to providing quality service to our customers using paratransit services,” said VTA General Manager Michael Burns.

VTA contracts with Outreach, a local non-profit agency, to manage the service. Outreach oversees service provider contracts, customer fare accounts, trip scheduling and dispatch, and eligibility determination.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) requires VTA to provide paratransit service at a level that is comparable to its bus and light rail service. The service is for eligible individuals with functional disabilities who are unable to use VTA’s fully accessible bus and rail service for some or all of their trips. In fiscal year 2009, over 1 million paratransit trips were provided, with more than 10,000 different individuals using the service.

The purchase price for the 23 vehicles was $532,145 with 80% of the funding provided by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration. 

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About VTA

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is an independent special
district that provides sustainable, accessible, community-focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality
of our region.  VTA is responsible for bus, light rail and paratransit operations; congestion management; specific highway improvement projects; countywide transportation planning and provides these services throughout the county including the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale.  VTA continually builds partnerships to deliver transportation solutions that meet the evolving mobility needs of Santa Clara County

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