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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
ACCT Implements New Federal Requirements
ACCT staff are currently working with transportation providers and planning organizations across the state to implement a new federal planning requirement for federal public transportation grant recipients.
The recently passed Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) requires the establishment of locally developed, coordinated public transportation plans for all human services transportation programs. Applicants for WSDOT’s public transportation grant program are required to participate in the planning process with their local Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) or Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
Stakeholder groups that include the RTPOs/MPOs,public transportation providers, non-profit human
services agencies, health providers, large employers,
and consumers will develop and implement the plan.
Because of ACCT’s efforts over the past several
years, many areas in the state already have a
coordinated transportation coalition in their
community with most of the required stakeholders.
ACCT encourages anyone that is interested in being
involved to contact their local RTPO/MPO. Please
contact ACCT staff for information or assistance.
INCREASE ADVOCACY
New ACCT Council Member
J. Page Scott was appointed as an ad hoc member of the ACCT Council representing the state's MPOs and RTPOs. The Council membership is officially established through legislation, but due to the current human service transportation planning efforts by MPO/RTPOs, the Council invited the state MPO/RTPO Coordinating Committee to appoint a representative.
Ms. Scott is the Executive Director of the Yakima Valley Conference of Governments. Previously she managed the statewide MPO/RTPO program at WSDOT headquarters in Olympia. Ms. Scott brings with her a strong transportation and planning background with ten years experience working for local governments.
FOCUS ON RESULTS
Australian Website to use ACCT Guide
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has granted permission to VolunteeringAustralia.org to include ACCT's Volunteer Drivers: A Guide to Best Practice Practices on their website. The volunteer guide continues to be one of ACCT's most widely accessed publications. People from all over the United States already use the guidebook to establish volunteer transportation programs. Now it will help people in other countries.
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