Rider Rules of Conduct

Code of Conduct – Garfield County Transportation Authority (GCTA)

Please do:

  • Follow the driver’s instructions.
  • Respect others.
  • Be reasonably clean
  • Use your headphones at a respectable level.
  • Sit back and relax.
  • Fasten your seat belt.

Please don’t:

  • Block the aisles.
  • Eat on the bus.
  • Smoke or use tobacco.
  • Shout or swear.
  • Bring alcohol or drugs on the bus.
  • Carry weapons.
  • Litter on the bus.
  • Bother others.

Suspension of Service:
A rider’s privileges may be suspended for any of the following infractions on any GCTA vehicle or property.
• Smoking or carrying a lit pipe, cigar, or cigarette (unless in a designated smoking area). This includes E-Cigarettes and Personal Vaporizers.
• Discarding or dumping litter in places other than the recognized receptacles.
• Consuming alcoholic beverages.
• Loud, raucous, unruly, harmful, or harassing behavior.
• Engaging in other conduct that is inconsistent with the intended purpose of the transit facility, station, or vehicle. (RCW 9.91.025)

Notification of Policy:
Information regarding GCTA’s ADA policy is available to the public in our brochures, in all GCTA vehicles, in our Dispatch Office, by mail, or email.

Complaint Process:
GCTA is committed to providing safe, reliable, and accessible transportation options for the community. Garfield County Transportation Authority has established a Customer Complaint Policy and customers wishing to file a complaint and/or obtain a COPY of the Customer Complaint Policy may contact Garfield County Transportation Authority at (509-843-0200), in person at Garfield County Transportation Authority administration office located at 32 A Port Way, Pomeroy, WA  99347
or online at GCTA.org. (RCW 46.07b)

Title VI Policy – Civil Rights Act of 1964:
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Garfield County Transportation Authority is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of its transit services on the basis of race, color or national origin, as protected by Title VI in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Circular 4702.1.A. If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination under Title VI, you may file a complaint. A copy of the full Title VI Policy may be obtained by calling 509-843-0200, writing to the address below, or sending an email to Director of Operations:  [email protected]. The complaint may be filed in writing with Garfield County Transportation Authority at the following address:

Garfield County Transportation Authority
Title VI Coordinator
32 S Port Way
Pomeroy, WA 99347

 • No Shows/Cancellations:
Buses are often fully booked at this time due to the large number of riders using our service.  Our office is staffed from 6:00 am to 4:00 pm. If you need to cancel your ride please call our office at 509 843-0200 at least one hour before your scheduled pick up time to cancel that ride.  Failing to cancel a ride will be considered a “No Show”. If the office is not staffed you may call and report the cancellation on our voice mail, as the drivers check all messages prior to leaving the office.  When you make that cancellation, please acknowledge whether r not you are a cancel for the entire day or just for the morning.  Passengers that no-show in the morning without calling in to the office, will automatically assume a cancellation of the afternoon ride.  We will not turn the bus around for a passenger who had a no-show on their morning trip so if you want that ride to Pomeroy, it is crucial that you let our office know well in advance.  Additionally, if you no-show 3 times in 90 days you face the possibility of being removed from the schedule for 30 days and possibly permanently if repeated no-shows occur. 

• Daily Pick-Up Times:
When you schedule a standing reservation to ride daily, you are given an approximate pick-up time. If you miss your bus on any of the morning runs, the bus will not be turned around.  It is suggested that you show up at least 5 minutes early for your bus as the bus will not have time to wait beyond your scheduled time.   We are a demand response* service and not fixed route.  This means that our routes/times can change at a moment’s notice due to add-ons calling in for pickups after their appointments.  We try our best to get everyone picked up as close to their return pick up time as possible, but it simply does not always work out due to the type of service we offer. 

*Demand Response does not mean you have a right to DEMAND a ride; it is a term used throughout the transportation community to identify a service that is flexible to meet a current need.

• Daily Pick-Up Locations:
Due to the large number of public riding our buses, we have had to make some changes to our pick-up and drop-off points to help alleviate passengers having to ride around on the buses for extended periods of time.  We have tried to make pick-up points in all areas of town, so that nobody must walk too far to meet up with the bus.  Riders need to plan to get to one of our pick-up points at least 5 minutes before their scheduled time.  We simply do not have time to provide door-to-door service for all our riders runs.  The same holds true for pick-ups in Clarkston.  You must catch the bus at one of our regular stops.  Once returning to Pomeroy, you will be dropped off at or close to the destination you were picked up at in the morning. The only exception is on our last bus that does not return to town until after 6:00pm.  This last bus will drop off closer to if not at your actual home.

Our last run of the day from Clarkston does not have a specific time of departure, our departure time depends on the riders on the last run. Our departure time will be based on the last commuter picked up for the return trip. If you need a ride to Pomeroy and did not ride on an earlier bus you MUST made have arrangements the day before.

When the driver arrives at the specified location, the rider has three minutes to board the bus.

Note: GCTA will pick up and drop off riders at a private residence for local transports within Garfield Couty. GCTA WILL NOT pick up or drop off riders at a private residence in Columbia, Asotin and Nez Perce Counties.

• Inclement Weather/Winter Months:
During inclement weather please prepare to receive a phone call from GCTA office regarding scheduling.  Inclement weather and road conditions may result in an earlier pickup time.  Please call GCTA at 509-843-0200 for updates.  When you get up and see that there is snow and/or ice on the roads, you must be prepared for the bus to arrive up to 15 minutes prior to your scheduled pick-up time.  This does not mean that the bus will arrive early, however it does take longer to get around during inclement weather so the buses will leave the garage earlier.  We do not have time to call everyone to let you know that the buses leave earlier.  You must be responsible for yourself and realize that due to bad roads the bus may arrive early.

Note: GCTA will be adding security cameras to all our vehicles in the very near future for the safety of our passengers and drivers.

Office Hours

Monday – Friday
6:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Call Us

(509) 843-0200