Helpful Tips
TO HELP US PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE
Arrive at your stop a minute or two ahead of the time the bus is due. Our drivers make every effort to operate on schedule, but errors occur. Watches and clocks seldom agree and an error of a minute or two may result in a missed bus.
Wait for buses at designated bus stops at the far side of the intersections not in the middle of the block. This is an important safety factor for other traffic on the street that often must wait while the bus is loading. As an added help to the drivers, please flag the bus as it approaches.
Have the exact change or pass ready when boarding. Having the exact fare ready will help us give you on-time service. Drivers do not carry change.
Please refrain from smoking, littering and consumption of food or drink on the bus. This results in a more pleasant and enjoyable ride for everyone. Animals, other than service animals, must be kept in an approved pet carrier.
WHO CAN USE DIAL-A-RIDE
Dial-A-Ride is provided to persons 70 years of age or older, and to others who are not able to ride regular Valley Transit Fixed Route buses due to a disability. Passengers share the bus with others traveling in the same general direction and the trip may take longer than traveling alone. Reservations must be made by calling 509-527-3779, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday – Friday one to fourteen days before you plan to travel. Same-day reservations are accepted only on a space-available basis. Dial-A-Ride is provided Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dial-a-Ride services are impacted by holiday closures, visit this page for more information.
WHAT IS A SAFE AND ALLOWABLE FLAG STOP?
When waving down a bus for a flag stop, you must stand in a highly visible area, that is not obstructed by a parked car or some other immovable object. The bus must be able to pull out of traffic to pick you up, and if there is nowhere for the bus to safely do so, they will not be able to accommodate your requested flag stop. A bus also cannot stop at an intersection to pick up passengers, and will not stop for flag stops in the downtown corridor (Walla Walla Core or the Walla Walla University core on College Avenue between 4th Street and Whitman Street). Below is an image that shows in general safe places to flag a bus down might be.
As you see depicted, a bus cannot pick you up if you are waiting on a closed street, at an intersection, or if you are hidden by a sign or tree. This does not mean that you cannot wait for a bus under a tree, only that as the bus approaches, you need to step out to make yourself fully visible as you flag the bus down. Always look for an open and easily visible area that has at least 50 feet of clear space directly in front of you that would allow your bus to safely pull in to pick you up.
If the driver can see you, but you are not located in a safe place for them to stop, they will try to find a nearby safe place to stop, but this will mean that you need to walk to where the bus parks. A bus will never allow you to board while they are still in the traffic lane.
DRIVER ASSISTS SERVICE AVAILABLE
The Dial-A-Ride driver assists passengers from the door of their residence to the door of their destination, as conditions warrant. Please be on-time. The van will wait up to five minutes only at a pick-up location as a convenience to other passengers who are also on a schedule. A second van will not be sent to the same address for that reservation. Attendants necessary to aid mobility are welcome to accompany passengers at no charge. Dial-A-Ride is not an ambulance service and cannot provide emergency transportation.
SERVICE REQUESTS
Be ready at least 15 minutes before pick-up. Let us know when you make your reservation if you have a disability or special needs. Wear your seat belt while in the van. Seat belt use is required unless you provide a signed medical release. Provide your own wheelchair if needed, which must be in a safe operating condition. Some size limitations apply such as width, length and weight. Remember, we are not allowed to operate a passenger’s self-propelled wheelchair. Provide a wheelchair ramp from your porch if there is more than one-step. Do not ask the driver to make schedule or destination changes.
TRAINING VIDEOS:
A Guide to Using our App
Video Description:
Video tutorial on how to use the Walla Walla Valley Transit Trip Planner and Mobile app. The video opens at an outdoor bus shelter before transitioning to animated phone mockups displaying the app stores and the iTransitNW mobile interface. On-screen demonstrations guide the viewer through typing start and end addresses into the trip planner and viewing route itineraries and stop locations on a local map. Additional screens show how to access live route tracking with estimated bus arrival times, followed by animated graphics highlighting phone assistance and a physical, printed route guide brochure.
Trip Planning (in reverse)
Video Description:
Video tutorial on how to plan a trip using Valley Transit’s printed route guide and schedule. The tutorial walks viewers through the reverse-planning method to meet a scheduled arrival time, using a step-by-step example of traveling from Bridge Street to a 9:00 AM class at Walla Walla Community College. It demonstrates how to locate the nearest neighborhood stop on the route map, factor in walking or mobility-device travel time, identify the need for a transfer at the central Transit Center, and read timetable schedules to calculate exact departure times.
Valley Transit Plus Services
Valley Transit Main Services