Capital Transit launching audit of Juneau paratransit contractor, minutes say

Capital Transit is launching a compliance audit of the contractor that runs Capital AKcess, Juneau's paratransit service for riders certified under the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to draft minutes of the Juneau Commission on Aging's Oct. 20 meeting. Commission Chair Deborah Craig is contacted regularly with complaints about the service. She took them to Capital Transit, and the agency said it is launching the audit, the minutes say.

Some riders have been reluctant to complain because they worry about retribution, such as not getting rides as arranged, the minutes say.

Paul Kelly, then the commission's liaison to the Assembly, told the Assembly on Oct. 26, "we will be conducting a compliance audit of the contract." He also said city staff are asking anyone with complaints to contact Capital Transit.

Capital AKcess is free door-to-door service for people whose disabilities keep them from using the fixed-route buses. It runs within three-quarters of a mile of a Capital Transit route.

Ground Transportation Solutions took over the service Nov. 1, 2025. In July, Craig told the Assembly the company had struggled for nine months to provide services as the contract requires, including missed pickups and trouble making reservations, and that the contract was renewed in June. In October, she said service must improve now or move to a different contractor.

At the Oct. 20 meeting, commissioner John Brett of the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) said the organization has launched a shuttle service and tried without success to work with Capital AKcess. He called the problem a safety issue for seniors in Juneau.

The commission meets Nov. 17, when it is set to approve the October minutes.