Juneau aging commission chair says paratransit must improve now or change contractors

The chair of the Juneau Commission on Aging says the city's paratransit service needs to improve immediately or move to another contractor, according to draft testimony to the Assembly in the commission's Oct. 20 meeting packet.

"We are running out of time," Chair Deborah Craig wrote. Her draft proposes a phone survey of riders, a risk assessment similar to an ADA audit or a transfer of the contract back to the previous provider, Catholic Community Services, with a transition period. The commission's agenda lists Craig presenting on the service at its Oct. 20 meeting.

Capital AKcess is the city's free paratransit service for riders who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Assembly awarded the contract to Ground Transportation Solutions as the lowest bidder in September 2025, and the company took over Nov. 1, 2025, city records show.

Craig's draft says startup requirements in the contract were not met, including door-to-door service, staff training and multiple phone lines with voicemail. She writes that Capital Transit told her the city manager's office has begun reviewing complaint logs from both the former and current contractors.

The packet includes no response from Ground Transportation Solutions or the city.

Craig has taken her concerns to the Assembly before. In July, she told members she called Capital AKcess 25 times to arrange a symphony outing for Pioneer Home residents last December, and that the city renewed the contract in June. In September, she asked the Assembly to require fixes or end the contract.