South King County Mobility Coalition 

The North King County Mobility Coalition (NKCMC) partnered with the University of Washington to conduct a study beginning in February 2023 entitled Cross-County Transportation Needs Between King and Snohomish Counties. This study aimed to examine barriers to cross-county transportation between King and Snohomish Counties, particularly for riders relying on paratransit and specialized transportation services. 

The study identified key obstacles and potential solutions to improve seamless, equitable transportation access across county lines through literature reviews, interviews with transportation providers and end-users, and a SWOT analysis. The project uncovered key challenges such as inconsistent funding, long transfer times, confusing eligibility criteria for paratransit services, and poor coordination between different transit agencies.

 Armed with these insights, our team set a clear goal: to create easily accessible, user-friendly resource guides that empower riders—especially older adults, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups—to navigate cross-county travel more efficiently. 

Building on North King County Mobility Coalition's Cross-county Transportation project findings, this initiative aimed to enhance the ease of crossing county and city lines in South King County. By addressing key recommendations from the original cross-county study, our project collaborated closely with the North King County Mobility Coalition to develop practical solutions that benefit transit riders and service providers.

The primary goal of this project was to create two comprehensive sets of transportation resource guides, one tailored for North King County and another for South King County. Each subregion received two distinct guides: 

1. Digital Resource Guide: Includes cross-county and local transportation options in South King County and parts of Pierce County. In-depth information is provided about each service.

2. Physical Resource Guide: This resource guide includes only King County-based transportation options. All transportation options featured in the guide offer cross-county rides except for two services. It provides high-level information about each service. 

The Cross-county Transportation resource guides were developed to bridge information gaps, improve coordination between transit services, and enhance mobility options for riders traveling between King and Pierce Counties. These resource guides aim to provide clear, up-to-date transportation options, especially for older adults, people with disabilities, and those relying on specialized services. They are distributed throughout the community and shared with strategic partners, ensuring widespread accessibility and impacts. 

The Cross-County Transportation project was a collaborative effort made possible by the South King County Mobility Coalition and its partners. Through bimonthly meetings and individual discussions, coalition members provided invaluable feedback to shape the project. We also worked closely with transportation service providers to verify and approve the information included in the resource guides, ensuring accuracy. A special thank you to our Find a Ride team for their crucial role in confirming service details and helping to shape the project’s scope. By uniting transit providers, community organizations, and technology partners, the coalition is empowering riders with reliable, user-friendly transportation information—making cross-county travel smoother and more accessible.

1.  Partner Engagement and Content Development

• Identify key collaborators and service providers to include in the resource guides.
• Refine content list based on partner mapping.

2.  Feedback Collection and Integration

• Gather feedback from coalition partners on content and structure. 
• Review and integrate suggestions for relevance and completeness. 

3.  Service Information Verification

• Confirm service provider details for accuracy. 
• Resolve discrepancies and validate information. 

4.  Resource Guide Drafting 

• Develop the initial draft with verified information.
• Organize content for clarity and user-friendliness.
• Gather feedback and implement revisions. 

5.  Design and Formatting 

• Enhance layout for readability and accessibility.
• Apply consistent branding and formatting.

6.  Finalization and Distribution

• Finalize resource guides and address remaining edits.
• Distribute resource guides via the KCMobility and Find a Ride websites, outreach events, and printed copies. 
• Promote through coalition newsletters and blog posts. 

The Cross-county Transportation Project has contributed to enhancing riders’ access to reliable transportation information in King and Snohomish/Pierce Counties. The development of the digital and physical resource guides, in collaboration with the North and South King County Mobility Coalitions, service providers, and the Find a Ride team, represents a significant step toward solving long-standing information gaps. These resource guides provide riders—particularly older adults and people living with disabilities—with clear, up-to-date information about transportation options, eligibility requirements, and service availability.  

While these guides provide valuable support for riders, they are not a complete solution to the persistent challenges of cross-county travel, such as transfer inefficiencies and limited coordination between transit agencies. However, they represent a critical tool in making travel more seamless and equitable. Looking ahead, maintaining, and updating the physical and digital guides will be essential for their continued usefulness. Additionally, fostering ongoing collaboration between partners will be key to developing more comprehensive solutions. By leveraging these guides and collective efforts, we can move closer to a more accessible and efficient regional transportation system.