Metro and Bellevue deliver

transit info in many languages

Language barriers often prevent non-English speaking residents from understanding and using the transportation options available in their community. So, King County Metro Transit and the City of Bellevue are testing a new concept in the Crossroads area that provides neighbor-to-neighbor transportation advice.

Residential Transportation Coordinators (RTCs) are multi-lingual individuals trained and paid by Metro to help their neighbors find transportation solutions that work for them. The Bellevue RTCs all live or work in the Crossroads neighborhood, and speak several languages including: Spanish; Vietnamese; Korean; Mandarin/Taiwanese; Russian; Khmer; Thai; French; and English. 

Over the past decade, the City of Bellevue has experienced substantial growth in non English-speaking populations, and much of this growth has occurred within the Crossroads community. Data from the 2000 Census shows that 24.5 percent of Bellevue residents were born outside of the United States. In the Crossroads area, more than 35 percent of residents identified themselves as "foreign born." 

During the next year, the new RTCs will familiarize their Crossroads neighbors with transportation topics, such as finding bus routes, setting up carpools and vanpools, applying for a reduced-fare permit, and signing up with Flexcar. The Crossroads RTCs are: George Chang; Anh Lee; Hector Martinez; Daniel Kim; Sary Math; and Regina Markarova. 

As part of the program, the RTCs participate in a transportation resources workshop and receive a workbook to help them quickly find requested information. Most of their work is done by phone, but the RTCs also visit with people at community meetings and social events. Crossroads residents can contact the RTCs in their neighborhood by calling (425) 943-6786.

The RTC project in Crossroads is a joint effort between Metro, Bellevue, and Hopelink, a Bellevue-based social service agency. It is one of three projects associated with the “Crossroads In Motion” program that will be rolled out early this fall to expand information about transportation for non-English speakers or those with limited English skills.

The other components of the program are enhanced bus stop signage and a neighborhood bus guide sent directly to Crossroads residents. These two information pieces will use universal symbols and maps with a phone number for non-English speakers to obtain additional information from the RTC. The city also has a Spanish-language web site to help inform Spanish-speaking residents about Bellevue services. 

Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by King County.
By visiting this and other King County Web pages,
you expressly agree to be bound by terms and conditions of the site.
The details.