County leaders are promising action after an audit found major deficiencies in the operation and oversight of a transit program serving Arlington residents with disabilities.
Identified issues with the Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents (STAR) program ranged from billing discrepancies to a lack of review of driver manifests by WeDriveU, which operates the paratransit program under contract to the county.
The report indicated that faulty efforts on the part of the contractor and Arlington County’s Transit Bureau are shortchanging taxpayers.
“WeDriveU and county management must implement stronger internal controls over fare collection to address discrepancies in reported revenue,” it concluded.
Wayne Scott, the county government’s internal auditor, detailed “deficiencies with operational oversight … and data quality” at a June 26 meeting of the county’s Audit Committee.
The audit determined that “while the program succeeds in delivering basic transportation services to eligible residents, serious deficiencies in operations, oversight and data quality compromise its overall effectiveness.”
Overall, the report “paints a very troublesome picture,” said John Vihstadt, a former County Board member who serves as a public representative on the Audit Committee.
“In fact, it’s the most negative audit I’ve seen since the inception of the office of the county auditor nearly 10 years ago,” he told ARLnow.
Still, both Vihstadt and current County Board members acknowledged ongoing efforts to improve the program based on the audit’s results.
The program operates as a component of Arlington Transit (ART) service. The Transit Bureau of the Department of Environmental Services (DES) manages it, and it is a local complement to regional MetroAccess service.
County Board Chair Takis Karantonis acknowledged the report details “several areas of improvement” and said that efforts to improve are underway.
“The Board remains confident in county staff’s ability to address these inefficiencies as timely as possible, and looks forward to seeing these improvements and corrections realized,” Karantonis told ARLnow.
Not all proposed operational and oversight changes can be completed at once, he said.
“Some changes may mean STAR contracts will need to be modified and, as a result, may take some time to implement,” Karantonis said.
In calendar year 2024, STAR completed about 44,200 trips transporting 51,920 passengers.
Like nearly all public transportation, the service requires subsidies. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, revenue was projected at $1.2 million and expenses at $3.7 million.
At the June 26 meeting, DES director Greg Emanuel and nearly a dozen staff members were on hand to detail efforts to address the issues raised in the report.
“We are committed to addressing the recommendations outlined and to maintaining a transparent and accountable paratransit program,” staff said in a written response to the audit findings that was incorporated into the report.
Two County Board members are among members of the Audit Committee. Each responded to requests by ARLnow for comment.
Maureen Coffey: “Arlington County remains committed to providing accessible transportation that serves our community’s needs. Wayne Scott’s work alongside our transportation staff has revealed areas of needed improvement and we are glad to have a plan in place to address each finding contained in the audit. We are committed to continuing to improve to ensure that we are meeting our goals of equitable, accessible, high-quality service.”
Susan Cunningham: “I am grateful for the professionalism and expertise of our recently relaunched Office of County Auditor. This audit, the second fully under Auditor Wayne Scott’s leadership, again demonstrates the importance of Board oversight and transparency with the public. With this hard look and clear insight, our staff are working to improve service levels and cost efficiency for this vital service.”
Like current Board members, Vihstadt said he appreciated DES’ responsiveness to concerns.
“The good news is that senior county staff is ‘owning’ the issues both for itself and the contractor, has already implemented certain reforms, and has pledged all necessary measures to correct multiple vulnerabilities and recoup lost county funds,” Vihstadt said.
Scott told members of the Audit Committee he anticipates conducting a follow-up audit next summer to determine if the auditor’s findings “have been satisfactorily resolved.”
Scott was appointed auditor last fall, and set to work clearing out a backlog of requests for audits.
STAR service is designed for those who find it difficult or impossible to use fixed-route forms of transit. All trips are required to begin or end in Arlington.
The cost is $4.50 per trip inside Arlington’s boundaries and $6.20 for trips to D.C., Alexandria, Falls Church and areas of Fairfax County inside the Beltway.
In certain cases, transportation to western Fairfax County and Loudoun, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties also is available. The cost is $10.70.
WeDriveU became the transportation provider for the program last December, following a contract switch. Another contractor, Transdev, is responsible for managing the call center and rider scheduling.
In early June, the STAR program unveiled a new mobile app giving riders more options for managing trips and the ability to rate individual journeys.
