Whatcom Transportation Authority
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| Headquarters | 4111 Bakerview Spur, BellinghamCoordinates: 48°47′12.5″N 122°26′56″W / 48.786806°N 122.44889°W |
| Locale | Whatcom County, Washington |
| Service type | bus service, paratransit, vanpool |
| Website | ridewta.com |
Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) provides public transportation services throughout Whatcom County in Northwest Washington State. Services include fixed routes, Specialized Transportation (paratransit), and a vanpool program.
Service Area
WTA serves the city of Bellingham as well as the smaller towns and communities of Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine and Birch Bay, Lummi Nation, Sudden Valley, Kendall, Everson, Nooksack and Sumas. WTA also cooperates with Skagit Transit in neighboring Skagit County, to provide service between Bellingham and Mount Vernon.
WTA plays a major role transporting students to and from Western Washington University, as well as to three other local colleges, middle schools and high schools.
Fixed Route Bus Service
WTA’s fixed route service features 30 routes, including a network of four high-frequency corridors within Bellingham. Service is offered seven days a week, with more limited service on Saturdays, Sundays and evenings.
Specialized Transportation (Paratransit) and Vanpools
WTA's Specialized Transportation (paratransit) service area and span of service mirror those of fixed routes. WTA provides an average of 600 Specialized Transportation trips per weekday.
WTA also coordinates an active vanpool program, with 34 vanpools currently in service.
Ridership
• In 2013, WTA provided 4.9 million fixed route boardings, or approximately 17,000 boardings per weekday.
• Students from Western Washington University comprise 38% of WTA's fixed route ridership.
• Between 2002 and 2012, ridership increased by 84%.
• In 2008, WTA was recognized by the Federal Transit Administration for achieving the highest annual ridership increase in the nation.
Fleet and Facilities
WTA’s fleet includes 65 full-size buses (including eight hybrid electric buses), 37 Specialized Transportation minibuses, and 39 vanpool vans.