The Pierce Transit Board of Directors got an earful from more than 50 citizens who are concerned over potential reductions in bus and transportation services.

The directors held a public hearing June 14 to hear testimony for two proposed system redesign alternatives.

The first alternative is based on the local sales tax Pierce Transit currently receives - 6 cents for every $10 purchase or 0.6 percent. This alternative includes reductions throughout the system. Many routes would be reduced to peak service only or would be eliminated all together.

The second plan is based on increased funding. Pierce Transit officials are asking for a 0.3 percent increase in funding, which would bump their overall revenue to 9 cents per $10 spent. This increase would allow for higher departure frequencies, more direct service and new routes.

The two alternatives have been developed, with input from citizen forums, throughout the past year, explained Pierce Transit Senior Planner Tina Lee.

“We tried to develop plans that would allow us to remain financially sustainable in the future, but also planned for public values and uses,” Lee said.

Many who shared testimony rely on public transportation for their medical and employment needs. Others told the directors that any cuts to public transportation would also mean cutting independence for elderly and developmentally disabled people.

Steilacoom resident Denise Eddington utilizes public transportation to get to her job as a life skills special education instructor in the Clover Park School District. She said the reduction plan would severely impact herself and many of her developmentally disabled students.

“The reductions in local service limits the time students can be at a job site. This limits their opportunities for work,” Eddington said. “The reductions also limit access to the community, leisure and recreation opportunities. It decreases independence for all folks with disabilities.”

Barbara Christenson has lived in Edgewood for nearly 40 years and utilizes the bus frequently. Her husband suffers from seizures, so he relies on public buses as his primary mode of transportation. Her main concerns were proposed cuts to routes 402, 501 and 500, which primarily serve her city.

“These major reductions in routes puts Edgewood and Milton back in the dinosaur ages,” Christenson told the directors.

Julia Petersen is a program and partnership coordinator for Downtown: On The Go!, a partnership among commuters, businesses and residents that offers services, resources and programs. Petersen told the directors that the group favors the growth alternative plan because of its potential to add to Tacoma’s economic development.

“Tacoma is the economic engine of the Puget Sound; alternative one is not an option,” Petersen said. “People will not tolerate service that isn’t direct and efficient.”

This is a quick breakdown of Pierce Transit’s two service alternative plans:

Alternative one - reduction plan:

The two routes that primarily affect Fife, Milton and Edgewood residents are numbers 500 and 501. Route 501 would operate from the Tacoma Dome Station via 20th Street to Valley Avenue East, 70th Avenue East, and Milton Way to Meridian/SR-161. The route will then operate south via SR-161 to the Puyallup Sounder Station. Service to the Federal Way Transit Center would be eliminated.

• During peak hours (6-8 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.), route 501 would operate hourly. Route 500 would operate all day.
• The span of hours for all services would be reduced. Most weekday routes would operate from about 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday routes would operate from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• A significant number of services would operate at reduced frequencies. Generally, buses that came by every 30 minutes will come by every hour.
• Due to reduction in available hours to operate services, some routes would be fully or partially eliminated.
• A number of routes would operate every hour in the peak hours only, from about 6-8 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.

Alternative two - growth plan:

This plan will also include major improvements to weekend frequency and connections to transit centers in Lakewood and South Hill. Express service will be expanded to include limited stops between downtown Tacoma and Roy ‘Y’ park and ride. Increase in frequency to routes serving north Tacoma would also improve.   

• Route 501 would have the same changes as described in the alternative one reduction plan, however, connections to the Federal Way Transit Center would be improved.
• A new route 503 would be added during the summer season. This route would operate on SR-161 from the Puyallup Sounder Station to the Federal Way Transit Center to accommodate staff and guests at Wild Waves Theme Park.
• Peak commuter times would continue every 15 minutes. Many local routes would increase to 15-minute frequency during high volume times from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. During midday, those same routes operate every 30 minutes.
• Pierce Transit would add “community connectors” providing expanded local service in smaller vehicles to north Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Sumner, Bonney Lake and Prairie Ridge.