What is the best way for you to learn about bus services? What do you need to know about expediting the passenger boarding? Answer: Send a short notice in multiple languages about significant changes. These notices can be posted inside the bus (in different language based on the majority of the race population in a particular district) and the bus stops in the affected districts. Publish free as "community information" in community newspapers in different languages. If you do not currently use the ORCA card, how can we encourage you to use? Answer: A-Encourage more shops such as Saar’s Market to provide free adult ORCA Cards with a certain amount of purchase. B-Consider linking up with the lottery. With a certain amount of Mega or Lotto purchase, adult ORCA Cards will be provided for free. C-With the termination of paper transfer tickets, the focus of education and promotion should be on such benefits as "within two hours", "free", "within Puget Sound", "can transfer to different bus company's bus of the same bus fare." Provide transportation assistance to low-income or no-income citizens. After the termination of the Free Ride Area, will it increase or decrease the number of times you take a bus in downtown Seattle? Answer: Yes. If there is a free shuttle in the future, where should this shuttle go? Answer: We suggest to make route number 99 a free shuttle route. In addition to maintaining the original downtown and Waterfront routes, expansion can be made to include routes to different hospitals: Harborview Medical Center, Pacific Medical Center, and Swedish Medical Center & Hospital. Other comments: Methods of transportation assistance to low-income or no-income citizens: Increase the number of tickets to all human services departments. It is limited to the poor people related to human services. If the transportation assistance can be expanded to proven low-income or no-income citizens, they can benefit even more directly. Follow the example of the current "Taxi Scrip program" practice to first review qualifications. Issue certification to those who are eligible. It can be stipulated that a maximum number of discounted or free "tickets" are allowed to be purchased monthly. In this case, those lowincome or no-income citizens will get to go out at least once a week! 10.
I know this issue has probably already been decided, but I think the Ride Free zone should NOT be eliminated. There are a lot of tourists who are not used to riding the bus who benefit from this service every day. I see them struggling to gather up dollars and change just to get on a bus. I use it all the time during lunch time to go from the Market area to Pioneer Square, and I think a lot of other people do too. I've seen on the news those tiny buses you plan on putting in place of regular buses for those who cannot afford the expense of the bus (the price is getting really costly), which is a very insufficient solution. Those small buses will run far less frequently than the regularly scheduled buses, so people will need to be standing there waiting forever---who in their right mind will do that--poor or not? But that is probably part of the master plan, to create a lack of success, so it can be eliminated in a year or two. I just want my tax dollars to go to a good public transportation system that benefits everyone--let's get more people out of their cars and sharing rides and the only way we are going to do that is with a good public transportation system that meets the needs of everyone. Thanks, Donna Williamson Seattle, WA