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ACCESS |
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Our goal at Kitsap Transit ACCESS is to provide our customers with safe, convenient and reliable transportation. This booklet will answer many questions you may have about our service.
ACCESS provides service to people who are not able to ride the regular bus system due to their age or disability.
ACCESS is a shared-ride service that serves all of Kitsap County.
ACCESS can provide a better quality of life, taking you to your medical appointments, or anywhere you wish to go within our service area and hours of service.
If you have any questions regarding ACCESS service, please call our Customer Service Office at 1-800-422-2877. We look forward to serving you.
Table of Contents:
Welcome aboard Kitsap Transit ACCESS! This booklet will introduce you to ACCESS bus service and provide the basic information you need for a pleasant and enjoyable ride.
Kitsap Transit supports programs for seniors and people with disabilities. ACCESS service is designed to complement fixed route service and to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is intended for use by seniors and disabled riders whose condition prevents them from accessing or using public transportation.
Additionally, Kitsap Transit exceeds the minimum ADA requirement in service area covered and by allowing non-disabled seniors over 80 years of age to locally use the ACCESS service.
ACCESS is a shared-ride service for people who, because of their disability, are unable to ride a regular Kitsap Transit bus. ACCESS may make several stops along the way before arriving at your destination.
ACCESS provides curb-to-curb and door-to-door service that allows passengers to be picked up and dropped off at locations such as private residences or a doctor’s office. Unless otherwise indicated on the application, it is presumed that passengers can get to and from the bus unassisted (curb-to-curb service). In some cases, passengers requiring a higher level of assistance (door-to-door service) will be escorted from the door of their residence to the bus and from the bus to the door of their destination.
ACCESS requires an obstruction free approach and sufficient turn-around area for its vehicles. Under some conditions, our policy of door-to-door service will not be available to passengers. Alternate pick-up and drop-off locations may be established because of obstructed driveways, turnarounds or other safety concerns.
ACCESS offers shared-ride service
for eligible persons unable to use
regular bus service because of a disability.
Cash Fare for ACCESS is $2.00 each way(+ $1.00 in outlying areas).
There is no reduced cash fare on ACCESS.
Children under the age of 5 ride free on ACCESS.
Reduced fare passes are available for $25.00 per month. Passes are good for unlimited rides on ACCESS and fixed route buses for the calendar month.
Any passenger who is eligible for ADA or limited conditional ACCESS service is eligible to receive a reduced fare ID. The reduced fare ID allows passengers to purchase a reduced fare monthly bus pass.
Reduced fare IDs are free and available at Kitsap Transit’s Customer Service
Office in the Bremerton Transportation Center - Monday through Friday 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM and Saturday 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.
BUS TRANSFERS
Transfers between ACCESS and fixed route service will be accepted only at designated transfer centers. ACCESS also accepts Ferry to Bus transfers at the Annapolis, Port Orchard and Bremerton Ferry Docks.
If you are determined ADA eligible, a Regional ADA Paratransit Card will be mailed to you. Not every customer who rides ACCESS will receive a Regional ADA Paratransit Card. When deemed ADA eligible, the ADA card allows you to travel in all neighboring counties and will allow you to use paratransit services throughout the country.
The Regional ADA Card can be used to purchase reduced fare monthly bus passes through the Pass-By-Mail program and at Kitsap Transit’s Customer Service Office inside the Bremerton Transportation Center.
REGIONAL REDUCED FARE PERMIT (RRFP)
The RRFP offers reduced fare on all transit systems in the area including the Washington State Ferries. A one-time fee of $3 is charged for this permit. For information on where to apply for and purchase a RRFP, please call Kitsap Transit’s Customer Service Office at (360) 373-2877 or 1-800-501-7433.
Reminder: The Regional ADA card and Regional Reduced Fare Permit are not monthly passes to ride ACCESS. They simply verify your eligibility for paratransit services locally and nationwide or your eligibility for regionally reduced fares.
For your convenience, passes may be purchased at the following locations:
Kitsap Transit’s Customer Service Offices in the Bremerton Transportation Center.
Participating Safeway stores and Kitsap Bank branches in Kitsap County.
Kitsap Mall Information booth.
Over the telephone with a credit card by calling 1-800-501-7433.
Through the mail with a Kitsap Transit Pass-By-Mail Order Form.
Monthly passes are also for sale on the Internet at www.kitsaptransit.org.
To purchase a reduced fare pass, you will need to show proof of ACCESS eligibility with a Regional ADA Card, a reduced-fare permit or a reduced fare ID.
ACCESS operating hours varies by area of the county and by day of the week. Kitsap Transit ACCESS hours are comparable to Kitsap Transit’s fixed route service hours in each area of the county.
Kitsap Transit offers limited service outside of our fixed-route bus service area. A customer service representative can help you determine if the area you live in has limited service.
ACCESS RESERVATION HOURS
Weekdays: 8:00am to 4:00pm
Saturdays: Reservation lines are closed.
Sundays & Holidays: 8:00am to 4:00pm
Kitsap Transit does not run service on the following holidays:
On most other holidays, Kitsap Transit will run a modified schedule. Please contact customer service for specific holiday schedules.
To reserve your ride, please call the reservation line between one and seven days in advance. Please note: Reservation lines are closed on Saturdays.
Please have the following information available when you call to reserve your ride:
Your name and the date you want to travel.
Your pick-up address, including an apartment or suite number.
Your doctor’s name, or a contact name and phone number if you are visiting a privateresidence.
The time and length of your appointment.
If a service animal or pet will accompany you.
If an attendant or companion will accompany you.
Whether you will be using a mobility aid such as a wheelchair, walker, crutches or oxygen.
All the above information for your return trip.
Multiple trip requests for the same day must be scheduled at least 30 minutes apart from your scheduled arrival time.
Please note the following information when booking rides with ACCESS:
A driver’s responsibility for a rider begins at the door or curb where the trip begins and ends at the door or curb of the rider’s destination. This means drivers will assist you to and from the bus, on and off the bus, and will secure your carry-on items in the bus.
If you need assistance from your apartment to the lobby or from a building entry to an office on another floor, you must have someone other than the driver to assist you.
Drivers will come into the ‘common area’ of an apartment or office building to meet you. Because there may be other riders on the bus, drivers need to stay within sight of the bus.
Drivers may not enter your home, even to assist you with a mobility device or help you with your coat. Please do not invite the bus driver into your home.
Kitsap Transit ACCESS asks that you schedule your round trip transportation when setting up any ride. Medical or legal staff can help you determine how long you may need for your appointment.
If your appointment takes longer than expected,
please call when you are available for your return ride.
ACCESS will send another vehicle for you as soon as one is available.
To schedule a ride, you must call at least one day in advance. Same day trip requests (including changing your pick-up or drop-off location) are scheduled on a space/time available basis. Because there are very limited times available, ACCESS cannot guarantee that any same day trip request can be accommodated.
Do not ask the bus driver to change the scheduled return trip place or time, or to schedule another ride for you. Drivers cannot make these changes. Please call a reservationist with these requests at 1-800-422-2877 or TDD 377-9874.
CALL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES
If you have a medical emergency, or your
condition is very fragile
and you require specialized care, please call 911.
ACCESS operators are not trained as paramedics.
Trips may be made for any purpose. Due to federal rules, ACCESS is not allowed to prioritize rides by trip purpose.
The following tips may help get you where you want to go, when you need to be there.
CALL EARLY IN THE DAY - Phone lines are busiest during the late afternoon. Calling between 8:30am and 2:00pm will more likely guarantee that you travel at the time you request.
ALLOW EXTRA TRAVEL TIME - ACCESS trips are scheduled on a shared-ride basis. The bus may stop to let other passengers on or off before reaching your destination. Unexpected delays may occur due to road construction, time of day, bad weather or local events.
ACCESS is a shared-ride service, meaning that we may need to adjust your original pick-up to 60 minutes earlier or later than what you request.
Please note that drivers are not allowed to accept tips. If you are happy with the service of a particular driver, please complete a comment card. Compliments are shared with the employee involved.
A personal care attendant (PCA) is someone who travels with you to provide any assistance you need. Your PCA rides free and must board and de-board at the same location as you. Please note that Kitsap Transit does not supply attendants. Clients are only allowed one PCA. Additional riders are considered companions and require a fare.
Companions are allowed to accompany eligible riders on a space available basis. Companions pay regular fare and must get on and off at the same location as the customer.
Please inform your reservationist each time you call if a PCA or companion will accompany you.
Be sure to mention whether they will be using any mobility aids such as a wheelchair or walker.
All service animals are eligible to ride all Kitsap Transit buses. Passengers using a service animal are responsible for the animal and may be held liable for the behavior and actions of the animal. Pets and service animals, regardless of training or certification, may be denied transportation if the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.
Small pets traveling with their owners are also allowed. However, your pet must be in a suitable carrier and may not exceed 25 pounds. Please let us know at the time you request a ride if your service animal or pet will accompany you.
ACCESS allows group trips of up to ten eligible riders going to the same destination. These trips, however, MUST be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. Requests made less than two weeks in advance will be scheduled on a space available basis.
A responsible, eligible customer must accompany children under the age of six on ACCESS vehicles.
The child’s parent or guardian is responsible for providing a car seat compatible with safety belts on ACCESS vehicles and for securing the car seat and the child into position.
Children in strollers will be required to be removed from the stroller and held by the parent/guardian. The empty stroller shall be collapsed and stored in a safe area of the bus. Strollers cannot be left in the aisle of the bus, nor secured as a wheelchair.
All ACCESS customers, including customers using mobility aids, are required to use the secure systems provided by Kitsap Transit.
Additionally, drivers will provide a personal lap belt for all passengers using wheelchairs. The belts are to be secured before escorting passengers to or from the bus.
Passengers are encouraged to use their own personal lap belt; however if one is not available, the driver will provide one. Please note that drivers are required to ensure that passenger-owned lap belts are in use and properly secured while maneuvering.
ACCESS staff will work with you to try and resolve issues concerning seatbelts and lap belts; however if a safe solution cannot be reached, service may be denied.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, public transit providers are not mandated to accommodate “non-common” wheelchairs on accessible fixed route or ADA paratransit services. Therefore, it is necessary to use wheelchairs and scooters that meet these standards to access bus lifts and maneuver to the vehicle’s wheelchair secure area.
Under American with Disabilities Act guidelines, a “common” wheelchair:
Is a three or four-wheeled device that can be used indoors and is designed for and used by persons with disabilities.
Measures 30 inches wide (wheel rim to wheel rim) by 48 inches long (measured two inches off the ground from the widest part of the wheel to the footrest).
Does not weigh more than 600 pounds when occupied.
The 30 x 48 inch clear space extends from the floor to a height of 30 inches. If the backrest of a wheelchair extends beyond this, it may not be considered a common wheelchair.
If you use a wheelchair or other mobility aid, it is necessary to keep it in good working condition and clear of interfering objects such as bags. It is the passenger’s responsibility to make sure the wheels, brakes and other parts of the device are not loose or broken, and that the battery is adequately charged. If an ACCESS operator feels you cannot be safely transported, service may be refused and a supervisor will be sent to investigate the problem.
You should cancel an ACCESS ride if you no longer need it. It is important to call and cancel your trip as soon as possible, but no later then two hours before your scheduled pick-up time.
Cancels made less than two hours before your scheduled pick-up time are considered a “late-cancel” and will count as no-show.
Cancellations made less than two hours in advance of the pick-up time, a cancellation at the door, or not being present or ready to leave within five minutes after the driver comes to the door, are all considered “no-shows.”
A no-show will also be imposed if no one is at the home or other destination to receive a returning passenger who cannot be left alone. Passengers with a “do not leave alone” status will be allowed to remain on the bus while the driver receivesinstructions from dispatch.
If you should receive a no-show violation, you will receive written notice from our office, citing what trip was missed and any other violations on your record within the last 90 days.
Please Note: Anyone who incurs four no-shows in a rolling 90-day period will be suspended from service for two weeks. Emergency transportation (medical only) may be provided during the two-week suspension, at the discretion of Kitsap Transit.
You have the right to appeal the decision. To do so, please contact customer service by phone or by mail.
A subscription trip is an ongoing ride request to and from the same location at the same time each week. It may be useful to request a subscription trip if you go to the same place one or more days each week.
Subscription trips can be requested once you have established a pattern of traveling to and from the same place one or more days each week. Please call Customer Service for more information.
To avoid no-show penalties, make sure to cancel any rides you may not need. If you will not need your rides for an extended period of time, your subscription may be placed on hold for up to one month.
Kitsap Transit reserves the right to discontinue subscription trips that are repeatedly cancelled or changed.
Subscription trips scheduled on the following holidays are automatically cancelled:
New Year's Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Service will be limited or canceled when adverse weather creates hazardous conditions.
Every effort will be made to deliver essential transportation for those in dialysis and those who have other medically necessary appointments, however, nonessential rides may be cancelled.
Sidewalks, driveways and ramps must be accessible for operators to safely assist passengers who require door-to-door assistance.
It is both Kitsap Transit’s policy and responsibility to ensure safe and reliable transportation for all ACCESS customers.
As a customer, you have a responsibility to ensure that everyone, including yourself, receives the safest and most convenient ride possible.
The following is a partial list of customer responsibilities:
Be ready for the bus - Be ready to board the ACCESS bus at the start of the pick-up window. If you are boarding at an office building or shopping center, please watch for the ACCESS bus and try to make it easy for the operator to see you.
Cancel your rides - If you have a trip scheduled and cannot ride, it is your responsibility to call and cancel your ride(s) as soon as possible, but not less than two hours before your trip. Please note that drivers are not permitted to request, change, or cancel trip reservations for you.
Fare - Have your bus pass, ID card, or cash fare ready before boarding the bus. If you would like assistance boarding or de-boarding the bus, please ask the ACCESS driver.
Personal Belongings - You are responsible for all personal belongings brought onto ACCESS. Items which do not require secure should be kept in the customers possession at all times. Anything left behind will be turned in to lost & found.
Unfriendly Animals - Drivers will not approach a house where there is a risk of encountering an unfriendly animal. When the driver arrives, make sure your pet is contained or on a leash.
Have a visible address - Make sure that the address of your residence is clearly marked and visible from the street. This will allow drivers to quickly locate you. Reflective stickers are available to make your address easier to find. Ask your driver for more information.
All Kitsap Transit customers are expected to behave in a considerate manner. All customers are expected to use appropriate social behavior while riding on ACCESS and when interacting with other customers and Kitsap Transit employees.
Kitsap Transit’s Rules of Conduct
The following conduct is prohibited on any Kitsap Transit vehicles, within or upon any Kitsap Transit facilities and properties, and in connection with Kitsap Transit’s provision of public transportation. The items listed below are not fully inclusive. For a copy of our complete Rules of Conduct, as approved by Kitsap Transit’s Board of Commissioners, please contact the customer service office.
Allowing any animal to run at large, to unreasonably disturb others, or to interfere with transit-related activities;
Eating or drinking on Kitsap Transit vehicles on in prohibited area of Kitsap Transit facilities and properties;
Spitting, urinating or defecating;
Hanging or swinging on bars or stanchions, with feet off the floor, inside a transit vehicle or other transit property; hanging onto or otherwise attaching oneself at any time to the exterior of a transit vehicle or other transit property;
Failing to present a valid, unexpired bus pass, bus transfer or otherwise failing to pay the appropriate fare as established by the Board of Commissioners;
Bringing onto transit property odors which unreasonably disturb others or interfere with their use of the transit system, whether such odors arise from one’s person, clothes, articles, accompanying animal or any other source;
Except at a designated place, smoking or carrying a lighted or smoldering pipe, cigar or cigarette;
Extending an object or a portion of one’s body through the door or window of a transit vehicle while it is in motion;
Destroying, defacing, or otherwise damaging property of Kitsap Transit;
Disturbing others by engaging in loud, raucous, unruly, harmful, or harassing behavior;
Carrying, exhibiting, displaying, or drawing any firearm, dagger, sword, knife or any other cutting or stabbing instrument, club or any other weapon apparently capable of producing bodily harm, in a manner, under circumstances, and at a time and place that either manifests an intent to intimidate another or that warrants alarm for the safety of other persons, unless otherwise authorized by law (RCW 9.41.270);
Entering a Kitsap Transit vehicle with live pets or other animals, with the exception of service animals, not in a suitable pet carrier;
Refusing to allow proper securement of a wheelchair on Kitsap Transit vehicles providing paratransit services;
Refusing to use appropriate personal restraints on a Kitsap Transit vehicle providing paratransit services;
Throwing an object at transit property or at any transit person in transit property;
Violating any federal, state or municipal civil and criminal laws.
Committing any act which tends to create or incite, or creates or incites, an immediate breach of peace, including, but not limited to (a) fighting, (b) racing, (c) obscene language and noisy or boisterous conduct tending to cause a breach of the peace, and (d) personally abusive epithets, or words or language of an offensive, disgusting or insulting nature, which epithets, words or language when addressed to the ordinary citizen are, as a matter of common knowledge, inherently likely to provoke a violent reaction of fear, anger or apprehension;
Entering Kitsap Transit vehicles, facilities, and properties when lacking the ability, because of illness or intoxication, to care for one’s self.
If you have comments about ACCESS, we want to hear them. All concerns, suggestions and commendations are encouraged. You can contact us in one of the following ways:
Postage-paid comment cards can be found in information racks on ACCESS busses.
Call Customer Service. Reservationists are available to take your comments.
Write to us at:
Kitsap Transit ACCESS
200 Charleston Blvd.
Bremerton, WA 98312
The following details may help us to thoroughly investigate your comments:
Day, date and time of incident
Driver’s name
Bus Number
Detailed account of the incident or suggestion
| Updated:
October 21, 2009
Phone: (360) 479-7272 or 1-800-422-2877 TDD (360) 377-9874 |
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