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From: Kris Colcock via NFBWATlk <<a href="mailto:nfbwatlk@nfbnet.org">nfbwatlk@nfbnet.org</a>>
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To: "NFB of Washington At Large Chapter List." <<a href="mailto:nfbwatlarge@nfbnet.org">nfbwatlarge@nfbnet.org</a>>, NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List <<a href="mailto:nfbwatlk@nfbnet.org">nfbwatlk@nfbnet.org</a>>, NFB of Washington List Clark County Chapter <<a href="mailto:cccnfbw@nfbnet.org">cccnfbw@nfbnet.org</a>>, Greater Seattle Chapter List NFB of Washington State <<a href="mailto:nfbsea@nfbnet.org">nfbsea@nfbnet.org</a>>
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Cc: Kris Colcock <<a href="mailto:kris@colcock.com">kris@colcock.com</a>>
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Date: 05/16/2025 4:18 PM PDT
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Subject: [NFBWATlk] Fwd: Transit rider representation - recruitment and training for transit boards
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---------- Forwarded message ---------
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From: Anna Zivarts <<a href="mailto:annaz@dr-wa.org">annaz@dr-wa.org</a>>
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Date: Fri, May 16, 2025 at 12:42\u202fPM
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Subject: Transit rider representation - recruitment and training for
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transit boards
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To: Kris Colcock <<a href="mailto:kris@colcock.com">kris@colcock.com</a>>, Marci Carpenter <<a href="mailto:Mjc59@comcast.net">Mjc59@comcast.net</a>>
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Hi Kris and Marci,
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I\u2019m working to put together a series of online trainings and an
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all-costs-paid in-person training for transit riders who live in parts of
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the state covered by our new PTBA law.
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Below is some more information as well as a form for people who are
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interested \u2013 would you mind sharing this to the NFB of WA and NFB members
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at large lists?
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*Do you rely on transit or paratransit? *
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*Would you like to make transit work better for your community?*
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In the 2025 legislative session, Washington legislators passed HB 1418
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<<a href="https://disabilityrightswa.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=10485&action=edit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://disabilityrightswa.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=10485&action=edit</a>>
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which allows transit agencies governed under the PTBA structure to appoint
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two voting members to their governing boards, one who is transit-reliant
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and one from an organization that serves transit-reliant communities.
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These transit agency boards formerly were composed only of locally elected
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officials, many of which don\u2019t often ride transit. While many transit
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agencies support citizen advisory committees (CACs) for community member
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input, there is no assurance that community feedback will be incorporated
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into decision-making.
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Twenty-one out of Washington State\u2019s transit agencies are governed under
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this PTBA structure. These agencies include: Whatcom Transit, Valley
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Transit, Twin Transit, TranGo, Skagit Transit, Spokane Transit, RiverCities
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Transit, Pierce Transit, Pacific Transit, Mason Transit, Lewiston/Asotin
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County Transit, Link Transit, Kitsap Transit, Jefferson Transit, Island
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Transit, Grant Transit, Garfield County Transit, Community Transit,
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Columbia County Transit, Clallam Transit, C-TRAN, and Ben Franklin Transit.
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Why this matters:
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For people who can grab their keys and drive where they need to go,
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transportation isn\u2019t a major concern. But for those of us who can\u2019t drive
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or can\u2019t afford to, transportation access is something we think about
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daily. We care deeply about how transit works because it is such a major
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part of our day and can make the difference between getting to do the
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things that connect us to our communities, like running errands, seeing a
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friend, or getting to an appointment. Which is why we should be included in
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making transit work better for our communities.
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We want to hear from you!
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If you\u2019re a transit rider or work for an organization that serves transit
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riders in one of the PTBA areas, please complete this form
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<<a href="https://forms.gle/JChxDAemcgDs49CLA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://forms.gle/JChxDAemcgDs49CLA</a>>. We are looking at hosting a series
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of online trainings as well as an in-person all-costs-paid convening to
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provide support and training for potential future board members.
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Questions: Text or call Anna Zivarts at 206.718.8432
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*Anna Zivarts*
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Disability Rights Washington <<a href="http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/</a>>
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206 718 8432 (cell) | <a href="mailto:annaz@dr-wa.org">annaz@dr-wa.org</a>
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315 5th Avenue S, Suite 850 | Seattle, WA 98104
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Donate to support our work <<a href="http://www.donatetodrw.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.donatetodrw.org/</a>>
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Inform <<a href="https://disabilityrightswa.org/survey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://disabilityrightswa.org/survey/</a>> our 2025 advocacy
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priorities. We want to hear from you!
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[image: Disability pride flag in corner, DRW logo in other corner. Inform
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our 2026 advocacy priorities. We want to hear from YOU!
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disabilityrightswa.org/survey] <<a href="https://disabilityrightswa.org/survey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://disabilityrightswa.org/survey/</a>>
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