In 2003, King County Metro Transit's paratransit service hit a ridership milestone, by delivering more than one million rides during the year for people with disabilities, including the frail elderly.

This is not the first time the ACCESS service surpassed the one million-ride mark, but it is the first time that has happened since Metro embarked on a massive three-year restructuring of the service.

Metro's paratransit services include ACCESS transportation minibus service for people who are eligible under federal Americans with Disabilities (ADA) guidelines, and a subsidized taxi scrip program.

ACCESS has always been heavily used, because it provides critical links for people who are unable to drive or take regular transit service. ACCESS passengers board the vans for medical visits, trips for groceries, and almost 30 percent use it to commute to jobs and job training.

Just a few years ago, the program was stressed by demands for service. If passengers did not book trips at least seven days in advance, there usually wasn't room for them on the ACCESS vehicles. But then, new interpretations of the ADA laws in court caused Metro to revamp the service.

The changes created a smaller pool of eligible riders, but Metro was required to meet 100 percent of requests that were booked the day before travel. Meeting those new ADA requirements was a challenge. ACCESS staff began by recertifying all customers – an effort that took about three years and was just completed. Approximately 28,000 residents in King County are eligible for ACCESS service. Of that group, about 12,000 use the service on a regular basis. It's that core group of customers who account for most of the one million rides in 2003.

Metro worked hard to meet the stringent requirements of the new “zero denials” policy, and Park Woodworth, the manager of Paratransit/Rideshare Operations, believes that is one reason for the increase in ridership over the past year.

“Due to the restructuring of the ACCESS program, riders know they can rely on the service and may be less likely to look for alternative transportation,” said Woodworth. “ACCESS has also implemented other operational improvements that contributed to the increased demand.”

For 2004, the goal is to meet the increased demand with better on-time reliability. Over the past year, the push to provide all rides requested caused some slippage in on-time arrivals.

Woodworth and his staff are currently overseeing the installation of mobile data terminals (MDT) in each of the ACCESS vehicles. This computerized, on-board tracking system relies on satellite and GIS information to monitor where the van is and how it's moving through traffic. It allows dispatchers to have a better picture of what's happening on the street, so they can assign a different driver to a waiting passenger if necessary. It will give Metro one of the largest MDT-equipped paratransit fleets in the nation.

The new technology will help meet an expected increase in demand during 2004. ACCESS staff anticipates providing about 50,000 more rides this year. The number of people registered to ride ACCESS continues to grow. And, since there are no denials, more of those people are booking rides.

The ACCESS fleet consists of about 282 14-passenger minibuses operated by three different driving firms that contract with Metro. A fourth vendor is used for all scheduling and dispatch. The fleet is continuously being updated. About 38 vans were replaced last year, and a similar number of new vans should go into service in 2004.

“We've had some big challenges for the ACCESS program in the past three years, but we've had some big successes, as well,” said Woodworth. “I'm very pleased that Metro – working with our contractors – has been able to achieve new standards for delivering service. Our current project to install the mobile data terminals is coming along well. Now, I'm really excited to see how the application of this technology will improve service to our customers in 2004.”

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Two new managers have been appointed to top positions recently within the King County Department of Transportation.

Paulette Norman is the new County Road Engineer for the King County Road Services Division, and Jim O'Rourke is the new manager of operations of King County Metro Transit.

Norman started with King County in 1987 as an engineer in the traffic engineering section. She has been both the traffic operations supervisor and manager of the traffic engineering section, as well as serving as the acting County Road Engineer since November 2001.

O'Rourke began his career with Metro as a bus driver in 1979. Since that time, he has served as base dispatcher, staffing coordinator, labor relations specialist, and base supervisor.

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Once again, maintenance crews from the King County Road Services Division worked through the weekend to keep up with Mother Nature.

This time, it was flooding in East and Northeast parts of the county that kept maintenance workers busy closing roads, reopening roads, and then cleaning up roads as the floodwaters receded.

As of Monday morning, there were still a few road closures, but most parts of the county were back to normal - until the next storm.

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Metro is looking at revamping the transit network for Rainier Valley, Seward Park, North Beacon Hill, First Hill, and Capitol Hill's Broadway district involving routes 7, 9, 39, 60 and 124. The goal is to make the routes in that area more efficient, and to add service to high-demand corridors.

Metro has mailed an eight-page publication and a questionnaire to every household and business address in the areas affected by proposed transit changes, which would not take place until September 2004. There are several public meetings underway, and the questionnaire can also be filled out online.

The deadline for all comments is Thursday, Feb. 12.

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