Report to the community
Fall 2003
Report from the Accessible Services Advisory Committee
by Leo Finnegan, Chair
Mark Adrian, Vice-Chair
Last year the Accessible Services Advisory Committee Task Force issued its report on special needs transportation. ASAC is committed to seeing these recommendations become reality. We made this commitment to the more than 100 people who worked hard at the two community summits we hosted in March and May 2002, and to the 20 members of the Task Force who worked hard to accomplish the work in this report.
In April, we met with King County Executive Ron Sims and Metro management to present ASAC's Task-Force recommendation priorities; Sims committed to working on their implementation. We want to thank him for his help, but we realize that he cannot do all the necessary work without community support.
We understand that the work ahead is not easy. It will require the support of many to accomplish these recommendations, especially within the limits of current financial resources.
Currently we are seeking the support of membership organizations or service providers for seniors and people with disabilities. Your organization or agency, can make a difference by sending a letter of support to ASAC. The letter just has to say that the group or agency supports the ASAC Task Force recommendations. Letters of support should be sent to
Accessible Services Advisory Committee
201 South Jackson Street MS KSC-TR-0824
Seattle WA 98104-3856
In the next newsletter, we will bring you an update on the committee's work on monitoring progress toward implementation of the ASAC Task Force recommendations. We will also be presenting the Task Force's work to the King County Council's Regional Transit Committee in September.
See list of Task Force recommendations below.
ASAC Task Force Recommendations
- Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of people requiring specialized transportation in King County, and a resources survey of transportation options currently serving seniors and people with disabilities. If warranted by the assessment's findings, change county policy to expand the ADA ACCESS service area to better serve people who, because of a disability, cannot use the regular, non-commuter fixed route service some or all the time.
- Implement the Mobile Data Terminal and Interactive Voice Response systems regionally, including sharing eligibility information among agencies and service providers.
- Make ACCESS transportation a higher priority in the implementation of the Smart Card in King County.
- Improve customer service and increase the program's efficiency by grouping rides. Use technology to help service providers coordinate rides.
- Enable customers to book and cancel trips over the Internet by providing online scheduling 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
- Improve customer service and increase efficiency through partnerships with the private and non-profit sectors.
- Develop more effective ways to consistently integrate transportation, housing and human services in policy planning and program implementation in King County, with significant consideration given to the interests and needs of people with disabilities and seniors.
- Educate and enhance the awareness of elected officials and the public to the mobility interests and needs of seniors and people with disabilities.
- Improve communications and customer service for users of specialized transportation by focusing additional resources and program development on the drivers.
- Improve communications for customers by creating a single point of entry for information, trip requests, and service delivery using multiple tools.
For a copy of the full ASAC Task Force Report, go to the ASAC web site at www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/whatshap/asac_report1102.stm
or to receive a copy by mail, leave your name and mailing address at 206-263-3113 (206-263-3116 TTY).
About conditional eligibility…
What is "conditional eligibility?" When people apply for ADA paratransit van service, some are found able to use the regular fixed route bus service for some trips. These people are "conditionally eligible." Riders whose numbers on their ADA ID card begins with "P" or "C" are conditionally eligible. They can use Access Transportation when specific conditions prevent them from using the bus. For example, a person whose disability is night-blindness would be able to use fixed route service except during hours of darkness. Specific conditions are listed in the letter each person gets from Metro when his or her eligibility is determined.
Accessible Services recently began implementing a change in service to "conditionally eligible" riders.
New subscription trip requests for conditionally eligible riders are being reviewed to determine whether the person making the request can make the trip on a regular fixed route bus. If he or she can, the rider will be notified and Access Transportation will no longer provide the trip for that rider to that destination, whether the trip is requested as subscription or demand service. Access may choose to provide feeder service, where the rider is taken to a bus stop to transfer to or from a fixed routebus.
Because about 1,300 riders and many trips are involved, it will be some time before this change is completed. Each rider affected will be notified before any change is made. In the coming months, all existing subscription trips for conditionally eligible riders will be reviewed. Later, Accessible Services will begin applying conditional eligibility to all demand rides. The goal is to ensure that all riders receive the service most appropriate to their needs.
If you have questions, please call 206-263-3113 (TTY 206-263-3116) weekdays.
Subscription cancellation policy
The ACCESS subscription trip service automatically schedules trips for riders going to the same destination on the same day and at the same time every week. You must apply and be approved for this service. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not require transit companies to provide it, but subscription service makes Access Transportation more efficient and convenient for our riders. If you have been approved for this service and cancel 50 percent or more of your trips in a 30-day period, your subscription service may be removed.
This past July, Access began monitoring subscription trip usage and notifying riders when they are reaching their cancellation limit. Riders that show a pattern of excessive cancellations will first be warned in writing and, if the cancellations persist in the following month, their subscription ride will be removed. Riders who lose subscription service always have the ability to book the same rides by calling to request each trip.
This policy will allow Access Transportation to better utilize system resources and provide trips for those that use them.
Bequest to Metro will provide transportation services in southeast Seattle
One woman's generosity will soon enable King County Metro Transit to provide new transportation services
to thousands of people living in southeast Seattle.
King County Executive Ron Sims with
Marcos and Lucretia Samidad,
executors of the Hyde estate.
 On Feb. 28, 2003, King County Executive Ron Sims accepted a check for $403,839 from the estate of Lillian Hyde, a long-time resident of Beacon Hill who died last March at the age of 90. After remembering her friends and family members in her will, she left the bulk of her estate to King County Metro Transit's Access Transportation program.
Access Transportation is partnering with Senior Services of Seattle/King County to use the Hyde bequest to operate the Ride Options hotline and the Hyde Shuttle. The shuttle will run weekdays in the South Seattle area; both programs will debut in the southeast Seattle area this fall. If you live in this area, you may be mailed brochures or get a phone call about the service.
ACCESS to enforce fare collection policy
Over the past year, Access has been conducting an educational campaign called "Pay Your Fare Share." The campaign has been highlighted in newsletter articles and public meetings, and reminder letters have been sent to riders who did not pay a fare or show a pass to their driver.
The good news is that monthly pass sales have increased 33 percent since the campaign began. The bad news is that we still have a significant number of riders who are not paying their fares.
This fall Access will begin enforcing its fare collection policy. This means that riders who receive educational/warning letters and still do not pay a fare will be suspended from riding Access.
The current fare on Access is only 75 cents. You can purchase a $13.50 monthly pass either by mail or at Metro Customer Service counters in the King Street Station office, 201 S. Jackson, or in the Westlake Tunnel Station. Metro's Pass Sales phone number is 206-624-7277.
If you use the automatic pass purchase plan with your credit card, be sure that the rider's name is on the purchase order.
Winter newsletter survey
Thanks to those of you who took the time to fill out and mail back the survey included with last winter's newsletter. Some boxes were left unchecked, so the answer totals below don't equal the 3,400 responses received.
Call volumes can vary by over 50% during the course of a normal day. Typically, call volumes are heaviest in the first and last hours of the day. If you want to get straight through to a calltaker, your best chance is to phone in the early to mid-afternoon.
1. Do you have access to a computer that you can use?
Yes = 876 No = 2,386
2. Do you have access to the Internet?
Yes = 744 No = 164
If you could request Access trips by e-mail, would you use e-mail …
3. if your trips could not be confirmed until the next day?
Yes = 321 No = 713 Maybe = 332
4. if your ride times are confirmed immediately?
Yes = 471 No = 399 Maybe = 250
5. Do you have a:
Touch tone phone = 2,972 Rotary phone = 267 TTY = 31
6. Do you use the Access Rideline menu to confirm or cancel rides without talking with a calltaker?
Yes = 482 No = 1,641 Don't know what it is = 1,069
Two hundred people checked that they are employed; 67 are students. This information will help us plan future changes to our programs.
2002 Year End Report
The number of Access Transportation vans on the road varies by day of week and time of day. The maximum is 240 Access Transportation vehicles at peak hours, which are 6 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 7 p.m. weekdays. The numbers below are for 2002.
ADA Paratransit Registrations 27,016
ACCESS rides 991,464
Total miles 9,331,060
Complaints 4,075
Commendations 1,905
ACCESS Operating Cost $30,065,905
Cost per ACCESS ride $30.32
Percent of trip requests met 99.5%
On-time Performance 90.0%
Hours of Operations 624,529
Number of phone calls answered 376,769
Percent answered within 3 minutes 91%
Paratransit Roadeo
On June 14th, 2003, 20 Access drivers participated in the annual King County Paratransit Roadeo. Pictured at left is the first place winner, Susan Engel from MV Transportation, receiving her award from MV General Manager Scott Schell (right). Susan went on to compete at the state Paratransit Roadeo in Spokane last August.
For more information
King County Metro's Accessible Services:
Mail: King County Metro Accessible Services
EXC-TR-1240
821 Second Ave., Suite 10
Seattle, WA 98104-1598
Alternative Formats Available. Call 206-263-3424, TTY relay: 711.
Produced by Transportation Community Relations.
Published Fall 2003.
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