Transportation and Interpreter Services

The inability to access jobs, health care, education, social services and childcare can combine to exclude people from participating fully in society.  Hopelink’s transportation division works to remove barriers and improve access through the operations of the transportation and interpreter services brokerage and direct services.

PROGRAMS

Dial-a-Ride Transit (DART)

Hopelink operates DART under a contract with King County Metro.  DART uses smaller buses to serve 14 routes in areas with smaller streets and fewer riders.  Although DART is available to the general public, many riders are from low income families that are highly dependent on public transportation for commuting to work or accessing basic services such as shopping and health care.

Transportation Brokerage

Hopelink uses public transit passes, gas cards, mileage reimbursement, volunteers, and contracted taxi and wheelchair van providers to coordinate service to the clients of a wide range of agencies, at no cost to the rider:

• DSHS -- Rides to and from medical appointments for low income King County residents on Medicaid assistance,
• Harborview Medical Center – All non-emergency patient and staff transportation and package delivery,
• Northwest Kidney Center – Non-Medicaid patient transportation,
• Lifelong AIDS Alliance – Non-Medicaid patient transportation, and
• Auburn, Kent, and Northshore School Districts – McKinney-eligible transportation, allowing homeless children to stay in the same school they attended prior to becoming homeless, and special education student transportation.
  

Interpreter Services Brokerage

Hopelink partners with DSHS to broker Spoken Language Interpreter Services when requested by DSHS contract service providers or DSHS staff. The interpreter services brokerage also arranges for interpreters for non-Medicaid patients of contracting medical facilities.