Public transportation plans

Statewide Human Services Transportation Plan

WSDOT completed the Washington Statewide Human Services Transportation Plan (PDF 5.5MB) in 2022. Its publication was the result of a multi-year engagement and planning effort that spanned the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.   

WSDOT engaged system riders and customers, transportation service providers, subject matter experts, and communities across the state to help address challenges to accessing human services transportation. The result is a plan that:

• Identifies unmet human-services transportation needs, gaps and barriers.
• Compiles best practices for improving human service transportation planning and service delivery as implemented both nationally and in Washington state.
• Develops strategies and recommendations to improve access and mobility, safety, and the user experience for people with special transportation needs.
• Focuses on delivering transportation services to people with special needs and to those who are unable to transport themselves due to physical or mental limitations, income, or age.

State Public Transportation Plan

We produce the Washington State Public Transportation Plan (PDF 5.2MB) as a 20-year blueprint to guide decisions and, ultimately, improve transportation performance. People throughout the state rely on transit, carpools, vanpools, walking and other options. Those transportation choices help families, communities, the economy and the environment to thrive. This page highlights the actions our partner organizations are taking to achieve the plan's goals and vision.

Local human services transportation plans

In 2013, numerous partners helped inform the statewide plan by identifying their own unique needs. These stakeholders included: 14 regional transportation planning organizations, as well as special needs transportation service providers, social service non-profits, Tribal governments and transportation organizations, veterans, local and regional transit agencies, and other municipal agencies.

In 2018, 18 regional transportation planning organizations submitted local human services transportation plans. These regional plans help identify statewide trends, needs and strategies for the 2021 statewide plan update.

Our public transportation community transportation planners provide training and guidance to all regional planning organizations across the state, and can be contacted directly with questions or to request a copy of these local plans. In 2021 WSDOT updated their guidance for these local planning efforts.

Coordinated Public Transit - Human Services Transportation Plan Guidebook (PDF 306KB) (updated July 2021)

Transportation Demand Management Strategic Plan

The Transportation Demand Management Strategic Plan (PDF 1MB) provides a vision to advance the agency’s demand management goals for a five-year period from 2019-2024. Transportation demand management (TDM) is a strategy that seeks a more efficient and affordable way to integrate our transportation system based on community-driven, public/private partnerships, and low-cost mobility solutions. The strategic plan provides the vision to carry these efforts forward. Using a WSDOT Practical Solutions approach, this plan was created with the support of the Commute Trip Reduction Board and it considers more equitable transportation solutions.

Transit development plans

Transit agencies in Washington state submit annual transit development plans to WSDOT (RCW 35.58.2795). We provide guidance and support to agencies as they develop their plans.

In 2022, we updated our guidance documents for transit development plans to streamline and clarify reporting requirements. The update includes a guidebook and an example plan, but does it not change the core requirements of the plans.

• Transit Development Plan Guidebook (PDF 528KB) (updated March 2023)
• Example Transit Development Plan (PDF 922KB)