Lyft DV Grant: Niagara County

  1. Please tell us the # and types of rides utilized (court appt, lawyer appt, personal trip, medical/healthcare, etc.):
  • 31 rides provided
  • Uses Lyft funds to supplement our transportation services to domestic violence victims in Niagara County. We rely on the Lyft services when an advocate and/or vehicle is not available to provide the service during our daily job duties.  
  • Since receiving the funds for Lyft, the VAU and DVIP have established a log system to keep track of data. This information includes dates ride are requested for, name of rider, reason for ride, and the advocate working with victim. Our offices have a separate data base that provided more specific statistical data that has provided some of the information listed above. 
  • Adaptations can be made to the current tracking system if it is required in the future.   
  1. Did you mostly supply round-trip or one-way rides? 
  • 7 of 31 rides provided were round trip rides 
  1. Did you provide rides one-time or were there repeat users for these rides? 
  • Only 1 person had more than 2 rides scheduled.
  1. How did you advertise the ride services? How did victims/participants learn about this service? Did you partner with other victim assistance agencies to offer the rides? 
  • We have made efforts to inform area service providers and government agencies about the funds awarded. These agencies include Niagara County Sheriff’s Office dispatch communications as well as NCSO supervision, Niagara Falls Police Department, Niagara County Department of Social Services, Probation, District Attorney’s Office, YWCA of Niagara, Pinnacle Community Services, and the Child Advocacy Center of Niagara. To date, Lyft riders have been referred by partner agencies within Niagara County including advocates from Niagara Falls Police Department and the Child Advocacy Center of Niagara. 
  1. Gender, age, and race of riders if available 
  • 30 of the 31 rides scheduled have been for female victims.
  • 11 of the 31 rides involved children riding with an adult. 
  • Our office records indicate that riders’ races included:
    • African American 
    • Caucasian 
    • Hispanic.  
  • At least 3 of the riders were recently homeless, displaced, or in shelter.  
  • Our office did not track if riders were technically low income specifically, however, each rider was picked up or dropped off in neighborhoods that are deemed low income. 
  1. Project summary/narrative  
  1. This commitment from you both has allowed our office to assist us in providing the best possible services to the crime victims here in Niagara County. Lyft transportation has been a viable option for crime victims who would otherwise not be able to make necessary appointments with medical providers, obtain their essential needs, as well as attend court meetings to name a few.
    1. To date, the VAU and DVIP have scheduled rides for appearances in the Niagara County Criminal Court System including Niagara County Family Court, along with Integrated Domestic Violence Court which oversees family court decisions alongside of criminal offenses within the same family. Appearances within the criminal court system include meetings with Assistant District Attorney’s for Preliminary Hearings, Grand Jury, pre-trials, trials, and sentencings. 
    2. Our offices have also scheduled Lyft rides for meetings with Investigators to pursue charges, Probations Officers to provide victim impact statements for sentencing, counseling, as well as treatment appointments. Please note that this is a reflection of our current use of Lyft funds based on our log kept since inception of the funds and does not limit our scope of Lyft rides available to crime victims related to transportation. 
    3. How did these ride credits assist your work with victims of domestic violence? 
       
  2. How were you able to continue or expand your efforts to serve this need in your community?
    1. Overall, the Lyft service has helped to alleviate some of the stressors usually associated with domestic violence. Our experience working with crime victims who are assisted with transportation has shown benefits to help them move forward with their lives.
    2. Firstly, there is less financial burden placed on them to pursue Criminal and Family Court matters when they’re assisted with transportation. 
    3. Lyft has also helped with time management as victims are not taking time to use public transportation to get to their appointments. In this county, public transportation can take upwards of 4 hours from one side of the county to the other. 
    4. Additionally, transportation services can alleviate the potential of being on the same transit routes as the defendant. 
    5. Having transportation service available to victims can mean the difference between a cancelled or rescheduled appointment based on time and funding issues. All of these factors allow for energy and funds to be better appropriated. 
  1. Do you have a memorable story from providing this assistance?  Any successes you can highlight? 
  • It has been helpful to schedule rides in advance since our community is somewhat rural, however, urgent situations required immediate need for transportation to which the Lyft service was helpful. A recent counseling session where limited transportation was an issue and services would have had to be rescheduled without the transportation provided.  This service provided gave the crime victim relief that they were able to get the help they needed without delay.    
  1. Were there any pitfalls or problems you would tell another grantee about? 
  • This service has not come without some issues with dispatching rides as we are a somewhat rural community that has been met, like all areas, with a pandemic. We have worked out a few kinks along the way with Lyft directly. And, are hopeful that any new issues going forward would be resolved just as quickly.   
  • The few problems encountered with scheduling and executing rides have all been addressed by reaching out to Lyft directly.  
  • That being said it is important to note that scheduling rides for larger families is still an issue. Lyft does not allow for XL vehicles to be scheduled in advance. Being a somewhat rural county, there may not be available drivers at any given time, this is something we have tried to get them to allow but cannot at this point.  
  • Please also note that it may be particularly difficult for riders without phones to successfully get their ride due to Lyft current policy of 5-minute wait time, which allows drivers to contact the phone number of the person scheduling the ride and hang up immediately (giving them the option for a cancellation payment vs. waiting for the rider and accepting payment after ride is fulfilled). 
  • Our grant usage from inception in September to December of 2019 was $537.36. And, from January through todays date the amount spent was $185.18. The total amount spent is $722.54 which is roughly 14% usage of the award.  
  • There has been no need for rides in March or April thus far.  This is disappointing because these numbers will not show an accurate representation for the need due to the current pandemic. Criminal courts have shifted to arraignment proceedings only which are being done virtually.  Family courts are resolving emergency petitions only and also being done virtually. This has essentially eliminated the need for victims to appear at court until they are re-opened.  
  • Additionally, medical appointments and counseling sessions have been cancelled or are being done virtually for the time being.  
  • Previous emails were sent to inform you that reported domestic violence cases were up by roughly 100 calls from the year prior. Although reporting has increased, it does not necessarily mean that victims are choosing to leave their abuser.  
  • Due to bail reform some domestic violence charges have resulted in defendants being released on their own recognizance soon after arraignment resulting in very little time for victims to make the decision to flee.