Adams Co. transportation improvement discussed

RITZVILLE — Improving public transportation in Adams County, and getting the word out about what is available, was the subject of a meeting called by QUADCO Regional Transportation Planning Organization to discuss transportation issues and needs Monday.

Madelyn Carlson, chief executive officer for the People for People transportation network, said the organization is contracted to provide some public transportation services in Adams County. A review of the existing service is scheduled for 2022.

People for People is the organization hired by QUADCO, which represented interests in Adams, Grant, Kittitas and Lincoln counties, to help improve public transportation in the region.

Bob Walsh, mobility coordinator for People for People, said the organization has two fixed bus routes in Adams County. Both are available Monday through Friday.

One takes passengers from Othello and Connell to Pasco, Kennewick and Richland and back. The second takes passengers from Moses Lake to Warden and Othello and back.

Two other routes require advance reservations. One takes passengers from Othello to Ritzville and back and is available Tuesday and Thursday. Reservations must be made 24 hours in advance.

The second is for people traveling from Odessa to Ritzville and Moses Lake, and is available Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Reservations are required 48 hours in advance.

All are free to passengers, although donations are accepted.

Adams County passengers also have access to a reservation service to Spokane. That service has a fee of $2 one-way or $3 round trip.

But informing people of the services available has been difficult, said Amanda Zepeda, mental health director for Adams County. Walsh said the original plan was to offer buses by reservation more frequently, but the service was underutilized.

Administrators use various methods to get the word out, Carlson said, but there are still many people who haven’t heard of People for People or its services. Among the recommendations for improving outreach were additional use of social media and working with other community groups, like churches, to promote the services. Jan Oliver of People for People said more promotional materials should be available for non-English speakers.

Rosenda Henry of People for People said promotion should be in languages other than Spanish. She discovered that many residents of Othello speak different dialects of Spanish, and that segment of the population wasn’t getting needed information.

Ritzville Food Pantry director Carol Ewing said some of her clients have told her the bus isn’t convenient for their schedules, which limits their use.

Corey Fedie, chief executive officer for East Adams Rural Healthcare, said the COVID-19 pandemic has affected how people use services of all kinds, including public transportation. Some people are still limiting their contact with others, and don’t want to use transport that’s not their own vehicle, he said.

Carlson said the pandemic has changed how some services are delivered. There’s more opportunity for telehealth visits, cutting down on trips to medical facilities. In addition, more people are shopping online and as a result reducing shopping trips, she said.

Fedie said EARH is working on getting a mobile clinic that would allow people to have an in-person visit with a healthcare professional without traveling. That might reduce the need for public transportation, he said, since people will have access to healthcare closer to home. But it may also increase the need, as people who may have put off treatment now need additional care.

The mobile clinic should be in service by the end of the year, Fedie said.

People who want to know more about transportation services currently available in Adams County can check the People for People website, www.pfp.org.