King County Metro is pleased to announce the 11 members of its newest advisory group, the Access Paratransit Advisory Committee (APAC). The Access Paratransit Advisory Committee will advise Metro, the King County Executive, and the King County Council on transit issues, policy, and performance related to Metro’s Access paratransit program, including matters of equal access to public transportation for persons with disabilities.
The work of this new committee will enhance the Access paratransit program by providing guidance to Metro on what to prioritize and on developing a vision for ongoing improvements. The committee was appointed by the King County Executive and each will serve two-year appointments.
The Access Paratransit Advisory Committee members are as follows:
| District | Name | |
| 1 | District 1 | Kristina Sawyckyj |
| 2 | District 2 | Clark Matthews |
| 3 | District 2 | Dorene Cornwell |
| 4 | District 3 | David Egan |
| 5 | District 4 | Deborah Artis |
| 6 | District 5 | Colleen Malone |
| 7 | District 6 | Jamilah Ibrahim |
| 8 | District 6 | Leonard Williams |
| 9 | District 7 | Ginger Kwan |
| 10 | District 8 | Joe Welinske |
| 11 | District 9 | Christina Schaefer |
Metro received 184 outstanding applications for this committee. The 11 approved members come from across the county, with representation from each district. All the members also are connected to Metro’s Access program as either a current or past customer (72%), family member of a current or past customer, and/or through their work in disability advocacy, education, or technology access.
A majority of the members (82%) have a disability, 72% of members are over the age of 50, almost half of the members (45%) identity as a person of color, and 18% identify as LGBTQIA+.
The Access Paratransit Advisory Committee is specifically charged with:
- Providing advice and counsel on Access paratransit service and identifying opportunities for continued improvement
- Aiding in the development of long-range planning efforts
- Serving as a resource for transit promotion
- Developing and delivering an annual report each August on Access, which will include:
- A review of and comment on the Metro’s annual performance metrics and trends relevant to Access
- Assessment and feedback on information from customer surveys distributed by the Metro relevant to Access
The Access Paratransit Advisory Committee will build off of the work of the previous Access Community Advisory Group (2016) and the Access Task Force (2017 – 2019). Metro convened the Access Task Force as a procurement workgroup when developing terms for a new Access contract. The selected contractor, MV Transportation, began operating in October 2019.
Following the discerning input provided by the Access Task Force during the procurement process, the King County Council commissioned Metro to form the Access Paratransit Advisory Committee to continue to promote responsiveness and accountability to the community. The committee was established by King County Ordinance #18838 in November 2018.
The first public meeting of the Access Paratransit Advisory Committee will take place on December 14, 2020. Visit the the Access Paratransit Advisory Committee webpage for public meeting notices and other information and updates.
About King County Metro’s Access Paratransit Service
King County Metro’s Access Paratransit Service provided 10,111,164 miles of rides for over 14,000 registered riders in 2019. Access is Metro’s American Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit program for persons whose disabilities prevent them from using Metro’s traditional service. The Access program is intended to offer a comparable level of service to that provided by regular transit service. Metro is committed to providing equal access in all its services. Learn more at the Accessible Services webpage.
I Wish I Had Been Notified Of Being On This Board But Unfortunately I Never Do
I wish Intercity Transit had this (they don’t 😭). But they will soon enough.