WSDOT engages partners from every corner of the state to develop the Washington Statewide Human Services Transportation Plan. These partners include regional transportation planning organizations, human service and other transportation providers, Washington tribes and the public.
In 2018, WSDOT convened a steering committee representing human services transportation providers and subject matter experts. This committee has met 10 times and guided the plan by identifying transportation needs and strategies to address them.
WSDOT also engaged communities throughout the state to share information about the plan and learn more about the needs, strategies and emerging trends that matter to people who rely on human services transportation. We participated in ride-alongs with human service transportation users, interviewed service providers, and held two community events to engage Spanish-speaking communities in Aberdeen and Brewster.
We heard the following key themes:
- Transportation availability, including service areas, hours and options, makes a difference in peoples’ ability to get to work and meet their needs.
- People need easy transportation options that cross transit provider boundaries.
- People want faster and more affordable services in rural areas to access health care, work and other important services.
- People from historically marginalized communities want transportation providers to engage with them and provide inclusive services.
- People with the highest needs, including families with low incomes and people with chronic medical conditions, support more flexible and on-demand modes of transportation, like shuttle vans to grocery stores and rideshares to medical appointments.
A full community engagement summary is available in English and Spanish on WSDOT’s Human Services Transportation Plan website.