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ACCESS Information Booklet |
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Para la traducción de este documento en español, por favor llame al 1-800-501-7433 durante las horas normales de oficina. El personal de servicios al cliente se conectará con un intérprete. Para sa pagsasalin ng dokumentong ito sa Tagalog, paki-tawagin ang numero 1-800-501-7433 normal na oras ng trabaho. Customer Service kawani ay kumonekta isang interpreter upang tulungan. |
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 varying levels of service to people who are unable to ride the regular bus system some or all of the time due to their age or disability. Service levels are determined with an individual eligibility review.
ACCESS is a shared-ride service that serves Kitsap County, and can provide connecting service to neighboring counties.
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.
Welcome aboard Kitsap Transit ACCESS! This booklet will introduce you to the 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(s) prevent them from accessing or using public transportation some or all of the time.
Passengers with partial or conditional eligibility for ACCESS may be required to use Kitsap Transit's fixed route service for a portion of their transportation. All of Kitsap Transit's routed buses are accessible and equipped with lifts or ramps for boarding ease.
ACCESS is a shared-ride service and strives to maximize the number of riders on the bus at any given time in order to improve efficiency. To achieve this, ACCESS may make several stops along the way before arriving at your destination.
ACCESS provides origin to destination 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. A passenger's residence and destination must be easily accessible in order for a driver to offer this type of assistance.
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.
*To find out if you live in or will be traveling to an outlying area, call the ACCESS Reservation Line at 360-479-7272 or 1-800-422-2877.
Any passenger who is eligible for ADA or limited conditional ACCESS service is eligible to purchase a "paperless" Reduced Fare monthly bus pass. Passes are available at Kitsap Transit's Customer Service office in downtown Bremerton, at 1-800-501-7433 or with a Pass-By-Mail Form.
ACCESS riders who also use routed buses or the foot ferry should get an ORCA Card to pay their fare. An ORCA card allows a rider to load a Reduced Fare Monthly Bus Pass and use it on all of the services they ride.
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. 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 at your currently determined level of service. If you were approved under Kitsap Transit's supplemental or other non-ADA criteria, you will not be issued a card.
ORCA 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.
The ORCA RRFP also allows riders to load bus passes onto their cards to pay fare. Call 1-800-501-7433 for information. For language translation services regarding ORCA, call 1-800-823-9230. This will connect you to Sound Transit's Customer Service Language Interpreter line. They will connect you with an interpreter to discuss any ORCA related issues.
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.
ACCESS operating hours vary 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.
RESERVATION HOURS
Kitsap Transit does not run service on the following holidays:
On other holidays, Kitsap Transit may 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:
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:
PRESCHEDULING RETURN RIDES FROM MEDICAL OR LEGAL APPOINTMENTS
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.
SAME DAY TRIP REQUESTS/CHANGES
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 1-360-479-7272, 1-800-422-2877 or TDD 377-9874.
ACCESS provides hundreds of trips each day. Every effort is made to accommodate your request; however it may not always be possible to travel at the exact time of your request.
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.
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.”
Passengers with a “do not leave alone” may be taken back to their home if no one is at their destination to receive them. If no one is at home to receive a returning passenger, the driver will be instructed to keep the passenger on the bus or may be instructed to transport the passenger to Kitsap Transit's office until new arrangements can be made.
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: Passengers whose No-Show rate is more than five, and in excess of the average No-Show rate for the month, may have sanctions or suspensions imposed if the No-Shows are determined to constitute a pattern. Excused occurrences are not part of the calculation. Transportation to & from Medical appointments during a suspension may be provided at the discretion of Kitsap Transit.
You have the right to appeal a suspension decision. To do so, please contact Kitsap Transit’s Lead Customer Service Representative by mail or by phone at 1-360-479-7272 or 1-800-422-2877.
To download a complete copy of Kitsap Transit's No-Show Policy, click here. (pdf)
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 that fall on the following holidays are automatically cancelled:
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. Passengers 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 rider.
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.
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 passenger 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.
MANDATORY SEATBELT USAGE & PERSONAL LAP BELT USAGE
All ACCESS passengers, including those 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.
MOBILITY DEVICES & LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 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. If your mobility aid does not meet the criteria for a "common" wheelchair, ACCESS may not be able to transport you while you are using that device.
Under ADA guidelines, a “common” wheelchair is defined as:
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 driver feels you cannot be safely transported, service may be refused.
You may experience a more comfortable ride if you are able to transfer out of your mobility aid onto a seat on the bus. Please inform your reservationist if you would like to do this.
Common Safety Issues for Wheelchairs:Life Support Equipment:
ACCESS can transport passengers who use portable medical equipment such as oxygen but the driver cannot safely help you onto the vehicle and carry the equipment at the same time. A driver will secure your medical equipment but cannot give oxygen or help you use any other life support equipment. If you require this type of enhanced assistance, you may need a PCA to travel with you. You must be able to either hold your equipment or the equipment must be secured on the vehicle. We cannot transport equipment that cannot be secured.
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 rides beyond ¾ of a mile around fixed route service operating under adverse conditions 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:
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. Failure to comply with Kitsap Transit's Rules of Conduct may result in loss of riding privileges for a period of time commensurate with the infraction(s).
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:
Write to us at:
Kitsap Transit ACCESS
200 S. Charleston Blvd.
Bremerton, WA 98312
The following details may help us to thoroughly investigate your comments:
| Updated:
May 10, 2013
Phone: (360) 479-7272 or 1-800-422-2877 TDD (360) 377-9874 |
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