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The Agency Council on Coordinated Transportation (ACCT) is a partnership of members from the legislature, state agencies, transportation providers and consumer advocates whose mission is to direct and promote activities that efficiently use all available state and community resources for special needs transportation across the state. The legislature created ACCT in 1998 to facilitate coordination and eliminate cross-jurisdictional and government program barriers to transportation. The ACCT Council concentrates on three critical areas: Identify and Address Barriers, Focus on Results, and Increase Advocacy.
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IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS BARRIERS
National Rural Transportation Conference
The 17th National Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation Conference will be held October 22-25, 2006 in Stevenson. The conference offers a valuable experience for anyone who is interested in learning about the latest work being done nationally in rural and intercity transportation.
The conference will offer opportunities focusing on coordination and planning, medical transportation, hazard and security planning, funding and financial management, technology, and program management.
Register now at www.trbruralconference.org
INCREASE ADVOCACY
ACCT Presents to House Committee
The House Transportation Committee held a work session on July 11 to discuss Special Needs Transportation. The ACCT Chair, Paula Hammond, opened the discussion with an overview of the work being done in the state. Other ACCT members speaking were Doug Porter (DSHS), Michael Harbour (Intercity Transit), Margaret Casey (City of Seattle) and Marilyn Mason-Plunkett (People for People).
Prior to the meeting, people with disabilities and their advocates held a demonstration on the Capital Campus, outside the John L. O'Brien Building. They stressed that improved access to public transportation is crucial for people with disabilities to lead independent, high quality lives. At the transportation access demonstration ACCT staffed a table to provide information on public transportation projects.
Margaret Casey Appointed to Council
Governor Gregoire appointed Margaret Casey to ACCT May 30th, representing consumers of special needs transportation. Casey is currently with Aging and Disability Services in Seattle, where she works on issues facing seniors and persons with disabilities. Casey leads a local coalition working on transportation coordination. Previously she spent 22 years lobbying the legislature on a wide variety of issues including human services, budget, corrections and education.
FOCUS ON RESULTS
Statewide Regulation for Special Needs Transportation
WSDOT recently asked the Utilities and Transportation Commission to include consistent regulation of all Special Needs Transportation providers within their agency request legislation to update RCW 81.66.040. Currently, only non profits are regulated.
ACCT has been working for several years to create a statewide system in which all providers have to meet similar standards no matter where they are located or what kind of business they are. Please contact Chris Rose at WUTC 360.664.1206 to comment.
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