Community Transportation Navigators
Community Transportation Navigator Program Overview
The Community Transportation Navigators (CTN) program uses a peer-to-peer approach to provide trusted transportation information and outreach education to hard-to-reach communities. This model empowers and encourages community champions to use their networks and ensure their local communities receive culturally inclusive information and resources.
History of the CTN Program
Through this planning process, the Inclusive Planning Steering Committee—made up of transit agencies, community members, and human service representatives—identified Community Transportation Navigators as a key strategy. The program is grounded in the idea that community members with lived experience are well positioned to support their peers, especially people navigating unique transportation needs related to language, disability, housing, immigration, or other barriers.
Health Through Housing and The CTN Program
King County’s Health Through Housing (HTH) Initiative creates emergency and permanent supportive housing for people experiencing, or at risk of, long-term homelessness. In partnership with host cities, King County aims to develop up to 1,600 service-enriched housing units across the region. HTH converts former hotels and other buildings into affordable apartments with 24/7 onsite staffing and services such as case management, employment navigation, transportation access, and health care connections.
Please see the
HTH Statistics Dashboard to learn more about the program’s impact.
Hopelink and King County Metro’s HTH CTN program helps residents at King County HTH sites access transportation, transit education, and trip-planning support.
Navigators—all with lived experience of homelessness—serve as trusted onsite resources who build relationships with residents and connect them to transportation options that support mobility, independence, and quality of life.
The program supports residents by:
· Connecting them with transportation resources and options
· Providing transit education and trip-planning assistance
· Building trusted relationships onsite and providing peer to peer support
· Supporting greater mobility and access across King County
Culture Cohorts
The Hopelink Mobility Team and King County Metro expanded the Community Transportation Navigator Program through cultural cohorts serving Filipino community members, Muslim immigrant and refugee women, Afghan community members, and Spanish-, Russian-, and Ukrainian-speaking older adults and people with disabilities.
Launched between 2023 and 2026 in partnership with King County Metro and WSDOT, these cohorts use culturally responsive outreach to help participants access transportation resources,
build confidence using local transit, and address mobility barriers.
Community Transportation Navigators receive training on regional transit systems, resources, trip-planning tools, and mobility options so they can provide personalized support and practical solutions for the communities they serve.
Empower, Educate, Enroll, Engage
CTN Core Pillars
Empower: Creating trust by building strong relationships to support individuals and partners riding transit while enabling others to make changes that improve mobility access and freedom.
Educate: Providing accurate and updated information on transit system changes by connecting community members to personalized resources and alternative services.
Enroll: Eliminating administrative barriers for community access to reduced fare options and eligibility requirement programs.
Engage: Initiating ongoing discussions and listening to community feedback and concerns while providing alternatives and options.
The Afghan Cohort (Sep 2025 - Current)
Lina (pictured on the left)
Lina Rauf Bayat is an Afghan American community advocate from Kabul with four years of experience as a Community Navigator for King County Public Health. She previously worked with the Afghan Health Initiative and Adams Interpretation Services. Fluent in Dari, Pashto, and English, she holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and has focused her career on supporting immigrant and Muslim women communities. Her community service experience makes her a strong fit for Hopelink’s Community Transportation Navigator role.
Contact: Lina Bayat, LBayat@hopelink.org
Tuba (pictured on the right)
Tuba Saad is an Afghan immigrant who moved to the U.S. in 2019 after completing her undergraduate studies in Afghanistan. Raised in a large family, she values community, support, and service. She volunteers in human services, tutoring immigrant women in digital literacy through the International Rescue Committee and coaching Afghan women in English through Afghan Advantage. Passionate about education, empowerment, and positive change, her motto is, “Let’s connect and make a difference together!”
Contact: Tuba Saad, TSaad@hopelink.org
The Spanish Cohort (May 2026 - Current)
Manuel Perez (pictured on the left)
Originally from Victoria de Durango, Mexico, Manuel brings strong community ties and years of experience helping refugees, immigrants, older adults, and people with disabilities access programs and services. As an immigrant in Seattle, he understands the challenges of language barriers and the importance of culturally responsive support, which inspires his commitment to helping others. As a Community Transportation Navigator, he looks forward to sharing transportation information in a safe, effective, and meaningful way.
Contact: Manuel Perez, MPResendiz@hopelink.org
Gloria Ramirez (pictured on the right)
Gloria Ramirez is an Indigenous ñuu savi woman from Mexico, fluent in Sahim, Sau, and Spanish, who moved to the U.S. in 2003. As a visually impaired community leader, she understands the importance of accessible public transportation and reliable transit for independence. Her outreach experience and work with the Spanish-speaking community make her an excellent Community Transportation Navigator.
Contact: Gloria Ramirez,
GRSantiago@hopelink.org
The Russian, Ukrainian Cohort (May 2026 - Current)
Kamit Satkeev (pictured on the left)
Originally from Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine, Kamit has experience in education, technology, community support, and Hopelink’s Transportation Department. With an M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from Kyiv, he now supports students as a Youth Education Specialist at the International Rescue Committee. His skills and commitment to helping diverse communities access resources make him a strong fit for Hopelink’s Community Transportation Navigator role.
Contact: Kamit Satkeev,
KSatkeev@hopelink.org
Maia Barladean (pictured on the right)
Originally from Moldova, Maia moved to San Diego in 2019 and later settled in Seattle. Her caregiving experience with older adults and people with disabilities showed her the isolation caused by limited transportation. Hopelink’s Community Transportation Navigator Program is a natural fit for her passion to help older adults, people with disabilities, refugees, and immigrants in Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking communities use transportation to gain independence and improve quality of life.
Contact: Maia Barladean,
MBarladean@hopelink.org
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Get Involved with CTN:
Please contact Program Manager Sandy Phan at SPhan@hopelink.org to learn more about getting involved with the program!
Our Funding Partners
