SEATTLE— The Puget Sound Regional Council and Sound Transit are seeking public input as they facilitate the development of plans for improving transportation service for special needs populations.
The PSRC and Sound Transit are working together on a 5-year regional special needs transportation coordination plan which outlines how transit agencies, social service agencies, school districts, and other transportation purchasers and providers will most efficiently and effectively work together to improve regional mobility for people with special transportation needs throughout King, Kitsap, Snohomish and Pierce counties. A draft plan that is available for public review includes proposed projects such as expanding the Bus Buddy program that provides training for special needs populations for using transit service, as well as other programs designed to help people with special needs better access transit facilities and services.
Roughly 1 to 1.3 million people - thirty to forty percent of the population - has a higher need for transportation services due to disability, age or income status.
The Regional Coordinated Human Services and Public Transit Transportation Plan is joint effort drafted to improve transportation services for people with special needs, especially coordination between different transportation systems. To view a copy of the plan, go to: http://www.findaride.org.
To solicit input into the plan, the PSRC and transit agencies around the region will be hosting a series of public meetings. In addition to PSRC and Sound Transit joint meetings in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, PSRC will also be hosting a meeting in Kitsap County. Translation services, child care and accommodations for persons with disabilities are all available upon request. Transportation vouchers to and from the event is also available upon request. Call (800) 201-4900/ (888) 713-6030 TTY or email accessibility@soundtransit.org. The schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, August 22
King County
Sound Transit Board Room
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
401 S. Jackson Street
Seattle
Thursday, August 24
Pierce County
Freighthouse Square
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
430 E. 25 St.
Tacoma
Thursday, August 31
Snohomish County
Everett Station
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
3201 Smith Ave.
Everett
Thursday, September 7
The Eagles Nest
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Kitsap Fairgrounds
1195 Fairgrounds Road
Bremerton
Puget Sound Regional Council coordinates decisions about regional growth and transportation planning in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties. The Council is composed of over 80 county, city, port, transit, tribal and state agencies serving the region. It coordinates the distribution of about $160 million in Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transportation Administration funds each year. PSRC sets priorities and evaluates the most efficient ways to target those funds to support state and local transportation and growth management plans.
Sound Transit plans, builds, and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound. For information on Sound Transit projects and services and to find out about planning for the regions future transit needs, including proposed options for a regional roads and transit ballot measure in November 2007, please visit www.soundtransit.org.
Title VI Notice: PSRC and Sound Transit fully comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. For more information, or to obtain a Title VI Complaint Form, contact PSRC at 206-587-4819 or see http://www.psrc.org/about/titlevi/index.htm and contact Sound Transit at 206-398-5000.