Report to the community
Winter 2002
Report from the Accessible Services Advisory Committee
by Leo Finnegan, Chair
Mark Adreon, Vice Chair
The Accessible Services Advisory Committee wants to commend the work of the Special Needs Transportation Task Force. The 25-member body was convened from community leaders who participated in the two community summits we held earlier this year. Participants at the first summit identified challenges and problems facing seniors and people with disabilities as they try to access King County's transportation system. At the second summit, participants developed potential solutions.
On Sept. 10, 2002, the ASAC hosted the first meeting of the Special Needs Task Force, which was charged with turning the findings of the two summits into recommendations for improving service, developing alternative resources and improving communications.
The task force developed 10 excellent recommendations, which address the majority of the challenges and problems identified in the first summit.
During the next few months, we will be presenting these recommendations to Metro Transit management, King County Executive Ron Sims (our keynote speaker at the first summit) and the King County Council.
For a copy of the report, visit the ASAC web siteor leave your name and address on our hotline: 206-684-1955.
We want to thank the members of the task force for their dedication and hard work.
Task Force members
Charles Boone
Ethel Boyar, Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans
Kay Burrows, National Federation for the Blind
Skip Dreps, Paralyzed Veterans of America
Susan Duncan, ADAptations, Inc.
William Eby, Neighborhood House
Ariele Faulkner, Community Services for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Nora Gibson, Elderhealth NW
John Holecek, Aging and Disability Advisory Committee, Seattle-King County
Craig Leisy, Department of Licensing, City of Seattle
Stephanie Landaas, 504/ADA Advisory Committee, King County
Michael Miller, Sound Transit
Debbie Meyers, SKCAC
Lynn Moody, Hopelink
Ted Newsum, Lighthouse for the Blind
Mike Rogers, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
Nelson Schmitz, Parents Coalition
Jim Seeks, Hopelink
Michele McDaniel, Crisis Clinic of Seattle-King County
Terry Lynn Stewart, ASAC
Don Walkup, Kent School District
Deanna Wells, Lifelong AIDS Alliance
Linda Wells, Division of Aging and Disabilities
Linda Woodall, United Way
Lisa Yeager, SnoValley Senior Center
Access meetings scheduled
Metro Transit will hold meetings in February to discuss questions and provide information about ACCESS Transportation services.
To request a sign language interpreter or meeting materials in large print or Braille, call 206-263-3113 (voice) or 206-263-3116 (TTY) at least two weeks before the hearing.
Thursday, February 6, 2003
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Auburn Public Library
808 9th St. S.E., Auburn
(Metro bus routes 152, 186, 915)
Friday, February 7, 2003
1-3 p.m.
Shoreline Public Library
345 N.E. 175th, Shoreline
(Metro bus routes 301, 314, 315)
Saturday, February 8, 2003
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Exchange Building, 2nd & Marion
821 Second Ave., Seattle
(All Metro routes coming to downtown Seattle)
A new way to schedule transfer rides
Some passengers who travel long distances through more than one part of the city often find that - just like a fixed route bus - there may be a transfer required on Access Transportation. It used to be that Access call center employees had to take these trip requests by hand and call the riders back after their names had been manually placed on the route. But Access now has a better way, for both the call center and the rider, to schedule these trips - via computer.
A new Para-to-Para Transfer feature recently added to the computer system takes a trip request that usually requires a transfer and looks in the schedule for the best solution - including whether a bus will be in the area that could do a straight trip without a transfer.
It's important to note, however, that Access riders who have a trip scheduled straight through one day won't necessarily get the same trip the next time they call. It just depends on how the schedules are at the time they call.
The best part about Para-to-Para Transfers is that the Access reservationist will be able to confirm the pick-up window time with riders when they call, meaning a rider won't have to wait for a call back.
This feature will begin for calls received on or after Monday, Jan. 6, 2003. As always, we encourage you to call as far in advance as you can to get the best transportation choices.
Discounts in a FLASH
This FLASH card, issued by the City of Seattle Mayor's Office for Seniors, provides discounts on some services and products. For more information, call 206-684-0550 (voice) or if you use a TTY, call 206-233-2778.
Please note: The FLASH card is not good for the fare on Access Transportation.
2003 holiday service
Access Transportation holiday service is based on the days, hours and areas served by King County Metro's fixed route buses on holidays. The hours and area may be reduced on holidays.
Here is the Access holiday schedule for 2003:
New Year's Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Friday after Thanksgiving
Christmas Day
Subscription Service: Subscription service will be canceled on holidays. There is one exception: Dialysis trips will be provided as usual. If you want to take a subscription trip that has been canceled because of holiday schedules, you must call to request a demand trip instead.
Demand trips: Demand trips (those requested one at a time) will be provided as usual.
The normal steps for trip reservations and cancellations are in effect for holiday service.
Coping with winter weather
When snow is predicted, check the weather forecast for days you plan to use Access Transportation. You may phone the call center or listen to local news reports to learn what level of Access services is available. The call center phone system will carry special announcements when service has been interrupted or suspended because of winter weather.
When service must be suspended, Access Transportation trips may still be available for emergency services such as critical medical appointments or to pick up prescriptions, groceries and food bank items. Access Transportation will make every effort to provide service to customers who notify the call center that their trips are essential. Please note, however, that Access will make the final decision about whether a trip can be provided safely.
Parcel carry-on policy
Access Transportation recently modified its carry-on policy. You can now bring up to four parcels on your Access trip. Each parcel can weigh no more than 10 pounds, however, and the total weight of your parcels may not exceed 25 pounds. The weight limit meets guidelines set by Washington State Labor and Industries.
Drivers will assist you on and off the vehicle with your parcels. If necessary, drivers can make a second trip from the vehicle to assist you.
Because Access is a shared-ride service, the number and size of parcels must be limited. If you have many small parcels, perhaps you can combine them; however, please remember the weight limits. Parcels may not block the aisle. If you are bringing several parcels, grocery carts or strollers on your trip, please tell the call-taker when you make the reservation.
If you have too many parcels, or ones that are too heavy, the driver may contact a Road Supervisor, who will decide how to handle the situation.
Re-certification process makes progress
Accessible Services began re-certifying all (approximately 10,000) ACCESS Transportation riders in June 2001. The process was divided into three groups:
- those requiring hand-to-hand service (persons who can never be left alone);
- subscription riders; and
- demand riders (those who request each trip separately).
Riders in each group are certified in order of frequency of trip requests. All riders will receive a packet as their names come up on the list. Accessible Services staff have re-certified riders in the first two groups.
Packets are now being mailed to demand riders. By the end of November, about 2,500 riders completed the process. During the same period, some 4,500 persons also registered for the first time.
By late 2003, re-certification of all riders should be complete. Following that, letters will be mailed to another 16,000 registered persons who do not currently use ACCESS, to make sure they still want to be able to use the service.
In mid-2004, the process will begin again, and will occur at least every three years after that. If you have questions, please call the registration office weekdays at 206-263-3113. TTY users can call 206-263-3116.
Is that taxi looking for me?
We make every effort to use only Access Transportation vans and drivers. But sometimes Farwest taxicabs and Northwest Transport cabulances are called upon when Access routes are running late and need help to get back on schedule.
One problem is that riders may not be expecting anything other than an Access van. Access dispatchers attempt to phone riders before a cab is sent, but that doesn't always work when the rider is waiting for a return ride home. You can help by making sure to give the call-taker a phone number (for example, at the doctor's office) to reach you.
If your Access ride does not arrive within the 30-minute window, call 206-205-5000 at once. The sooner you let us know, the faster we can solve the problem.
And when your Access ride is late, also keep watch for a Farwest taxicab or Northwest Transport cabulance driving by: That driver may be looking for you.
For more information and to give feedback
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 December 2002.
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