{"id":22145,"date":"2020-04-08T12:19:08","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T19:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/?p=22145"},"modified":"2020-04-08T12:19:14","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T19:19:14","slug":"oly-transit-requiring-reservations-due-to-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/oly-transit-requiring-reservations-due-to-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Oly Transit requiring reservations due to COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nBY SARA GENTZLER<\/a>APRIL 07, 2020 01:47 PM,\u00a0UPDATED APRIL 07, 2020 01:47 PM\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nIntercity Transit will suspend its regular bus service and require advance reservations for people who need transportation for \u201cessential trips\u201d starting Monday, April 13, the agency announced Tuesday.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe public transportation agency, which serves Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Yelm, cites Gov. Jay Inslee\u2019s \u201cStay Home, Stay Healthy\u201d emergency order in its announcement and says the move is aimed at limiting the risk of COVID-19 exposure for customers and employees.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe Olympia and Lacey transit centers will close to the public while regular bus service is paused, according to an IT press release. Dial-A-Lift, a door-to-door service for people with disabilities, will still be available for essential trips.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cWe are absolutely committed to serving our customers and our community throughout this crisis,\u201d said General Manager Ann Freeman-Manzanares in a prepared statement. \u201cTo do that in our current environment, we have to make adjustments to ensure the health and safety of our riders and our employees.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nEssential trips, according to the press release, include trips to grocery stores, pharmacies, and medical appointments, along with transportation for essential employees who work for essential businesses.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nRepresentatives will be vetting trips to ensure they\u2019re essential, according to IT.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nWhen The Olympian asked via email whether trips would be considered essential for people experiencing homelessness who rely on public transit to get to the shelter where they stay or to support services, an IT spokesperson replied that the agency is coordinating with local social service providers.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\u201cIntercity Transit is working closely with local social service providers to ensure the populations they serve \u2014 including, but not limited to, individuals with limited income, homeless populations, people with disabilities, the senior community \u2014 will be able to coordinate with us for essential trips under this new service delivery model with case-by-case flexibility,\u201d spokesperson Nicky Upson wrote in an email.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nService providers can contact IT on a client\u2019s behalf, Upson said.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nRiders can make reservations two to five days in advance \u2014 not the day-of, according to the agency \u2014 and trips will run between 7 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nThe agency will use its many types of vehicles to complete the trips, it says, which will be detailed and disinfected each night. It plans to \u201cre-evaluate whether fixed route service will be restored and to what level\u201d when the end date for the governor\u2019s order draws nearer. Last week, the governor extended his order to May 4.\n\n\n\n\n
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HOW TO RESERVE A RIDE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nReservations can be made two to five days ahead of a trip by:\n\n\n\n\n