Pierce Transit

Founded	1979
Headquarters	3701 96th St SW, Lakewood
Service area	Pierce County
Service type	bus service, paratransit
Routes	36
Fleet	270
Fuel type	Compressed natural gas
Website	piercetransit.org

Pierce Transit, in full the Pierce County Public Transportation Benefit Area Corporation, is the public transit authority of Pierce County, Washington. Based in Lakewood, Washington, it was founded in 1979. Operating buses, SHUTTLE services for the disabled, vanpool and a ridematching database for those who wish to carpool, Pierce Transit's system is connected with surrounding regional transit systems, including ferries and trains.

Services

As of 2009, Pierce Transit served a 414-square-mile (1,070 km²) area with a population of approximately 676,000. Areas served include Bonney Lake, Buckley, Fife, Edgewood, Federal Way, Fircrest, Fort Lewis, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Milton, Orting, Purdy, Puyallup, Ruston, South Hill, Steilacoom, Sumner, Tacoma and University Place. In 2008, 19 million people utilized its services. 272 wheelchair-accessible buses circulate between 3,300 bus stops, 626 bus shelters and 28 park-and-ride lots. Additionally, Pierce Transit runs 11 transit centers and stations. Pierce Transit also provides vanpool, ridematching and express transportation between counties. Disabled passengers who are not able to use Pierce Transit's buses have access to a special transportation system called SHUTTLE.

Organization

In 1979, a 0.3% sales tax was created by popular vote to fund public transportation. Pierce Transit was accordingly formed to manage transit. In 2002, after Initiative 695 eliminated the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax (another funding mechanism for local transit in Washington State), that funding was replaced with an additional 0.3% sales tax to fund transit operations. Pierce Transit is operated by nine-member Board of Commissioners composed of elected officials throughout the county. The Board of Commissioners operates under a Chief Executive Officer, Lynne Griffith.^[1] A staff of approximately 1,000 man the five departments, with over 50% working in Transit Operations.

Fares

• Ages 5 and under ride free with a fare paying passenger.
• Passengers aged 6 to 18 pay youth fare.
• Summer Youth Pass only valid on Pierce Transit from June to August.
• Passengers 19 and above pay adult fare unless they have a valid regional reduced fare permit.

Fares last updated on: 12/8/2014 ^[2]

Facilities

Transit Centers

Bus routes

Fleet

Bus

	Make	Model	Purchased	Retired	Qty.	Fleet Numbers
	New Flyer	C40LF	1998	Retired	45	101-145
			2000	in service	21	146-166
			2002	in service	18	167-184
			2004	in service	20	185-204
			2005	in service	10	205-214
			2006	in service	15	215-229
	New Flyer	C40LFR	2007	in service	10	230-239
			2009	in service	11	240-250
	New Flyer	C30LF	2004	Reserve fleet	13	305-317
			2005	in service	10	320-329
	Chance	AH-28	2000	in service	3	330-332
	Gillig	Low Floor HEV	2011	in service	9	501-509
			2013	in service	6	510-515
			2014	in service	6	516-521
			2015	in service	10	251-260
	Orion	05.515	1996	Retired	15	828-842
	Gillig	Phantom	1999	Reserve fleet	11	8035, 8043-8044, 8055-8057, 8059, 8063, 8066, 8068, 8069

• Buses ordered after 2002 feature low floors and/or air conditioning.

Shuttle/Bus Plus

	Make	Model	Purchased	Retired	Qty.	Fleet Numbers
	Ford E450	ElDorado Aerotech	2004	Partially retired	49	5001-5049
	Ford E450	ElDorado Aerotech	2005	in service	30	5801-5809, 5050-5070
	Ford E450	?	2006	in service	5	5071-5075
	Ford E450	ElDorado Aerotech	2007	in service		5810-5819, 5076-5100

Vanpool

Ferry

• Steilacoom-Anderson Island Ferry

Adjoining Transit Agencies

• King County Metro
• Kitsap Transit
• Intercity Transit
• Washington State Ferries

Police

Pierce Transit contracts with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department for police services. There are currently 10 patrol deputies assigned full-time to Pierce Transit. Pierce Transit became the first Transit System in Washington State with its own Police Department (Pierce Transit Department of Public Safety) in 2009. The command staff of Pierce Transit Police include a Deputy Chief and a Supervising Sergeant (both provided by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department - under contract) and the Transit Police Chief (non-contracted). The Pierce Transit system is also patrolled by 10 specially commissioned Peace Officers (Public Safety Officers).

Crisis

In 2012, Pierce Transit argued that it was in an unsustainable state due to its reserves running out, and as a result, must cut service by 53% in order to become sustainable again. Pierce Transit argued that if taxes within its service area were increased by 0.3%, Pierce Transit would not have had to cut service, and instead could have improved service by 23%. ^[3] Opponents of the 0.3% tax increase in Pierce County (also known as Proposition 1) advertised a sales tax increase to 10.1% (the "highest on the West Coast"), but in reality that rate would have only applied to motor vehicles due to the state motor vehicle sales and use tax. ^[4] Most taxable goods and services would have been taxed at the rate of 9.8%. Opponents also argued that funds may have been mismanaged (the average annual employee compensation for Pierce Transit is $93,546) ^[5] Pierce Transit proposed a similar increase in sales tax in 2011, which was eventually rejected by the public. ^[6] Proposition 1, proposed in the 2012 general election, has also been rejected by the public.^[7]

References

External links

• Official Website