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Residents say Raven bus scheduling and border waits limit access to urgent appointments
Summary
Public commenters said Raven bus schedules and staffing make urgent medical trips difficult; the meeting cited a case where a rider's bus returned at 2:45 p.m. for a 3:45 p.m. appointment and a 17-minute border delay at Blaine that afternoon exacerbated travel issues.
During the public comment period a resident raised concerns about the Raven bus and its schedule, asking why providers cannot use the bus for urgent needs. Committee members explained the Raven schedule (local pickup at 9 a.m.; service to Bellingham on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a local Friday-morning route) and noted driver scheduling constraints.
The resident said a recent case involved the Raven returning at 2:45 p.m. for a passenger whose appointment was at 3:45 p.m., making the trip impractical. The chair added that border traffic contributed to travel time that day, reporting "it was 17 minutes at the Blaine border to get into Blaine this afternoon." Members suggested scheduling tips and reminded residents to try to arrange midday appointments when possible.
Next steps: staff will continue to explain Raven scheduling limits and encourage residents to coordinate appointments with available routes; specific transit staffing and schedule change requests would require follow-up with Raven operators.
