Pierce Transit
Encyclopedia
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 bus
es, 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.
, Buckley
, DuPont
, 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 bus
es 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.
Fares last updated on: 9/3/2011
Pierce County, Washington
right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...
. Based in Lakewood, Washington
Lakewood, Washington
Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 58,163 at the 2010 census.-History:Lakewood was officially incorporated on February 28, 1996. Historical names include Lakewood Center and Lakes District...
, it was founded in 1979. Operating bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es, SHUTTLE services for the disabled, vanpool
Vanpool
Vanpools are an element of the transit system that allow groups of people to share the ride similar to a carpool, but on a larger scale with concurrent savings in fuel and vehicle operating costs...
and a ridematching database for those who wish to carpool
Carpool
Carpooling , is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car....
, 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 miles (1,072.3 km²) area with a population of approximately 676,000. Areas served include Bonney LakeBonney Lake, Washington
Bonney Lake is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 17,374 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Bonney Lake is located at ....
, Buckley
Buckley, Washington
Buckley is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,354 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Buckley is located at near the communities of Enumclaw, Bonney Lake, and Wilkeson....
, DuPont
DuPont, Washington
DuPont is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 8,199 at the 2010 census.-History:The Nisqually tribe arrived in the area at least 5700 years ago, subsisting on shellfish from the beaches and salmon from Sequalitchew Creek...
, Fife
Fife, Washington
Fife is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,173 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1940, it was described as "Fife...at a valley crossroads in the midst of a thickly settled berry growing and truck-gardening district is represented by a string of markets, taverns,...
, Edgewood
Edgewood, Washington
Edgewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,387 at the 2010 census. Neighboring towns include Milton to the northwest, Federal Way to the north, and Puyallup to the south.-History:...
, Federal Way
Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south...
, Fircrest
Fircrest, Washington
Fircrest is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,497 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Fircrest ranks 60th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked....
, Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Gig Harbor
Gig Harbor, Washington
Gig Harbor is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,126 at the 2010 census....
, Lakewood
Lakewood, Washington
Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 58,163 at the 2010 census.-History:Lakewood was officially incorporated on February 28, 1996. Historical names include Lakewood Center and Lakes District...
, Milton
Milton, Washington
Milton is a city in King and Pierce counties in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 6,968 at the 2010 census. Milton borders the larger but younger town of Edgewood...
, Orting
Orting, Washington
Orting is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population as of the 2010 census is 6,746, according to the City of Orting.- History :...
, Purdy
Purdy, Washington
Purdy is a small unincorporated community north of the city of Gig Harbor, on the northern boundary of Pierce County, Washington. It is located on the shores of Burley Lagoon and Henderson Bay of the Carr Inlet...
, Puyallup
Puyallup, Washington
Puyallup, Washington is a city in Pierce County, Washington about five miles east of Tacoma. The population was 37,022 at the 2010 Census. Named after the Puyallup Tribe of Native Americans, Puyallup means "the generous people."-History:...
, Ruston
Ruston, Washington
Ruston is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 749 at the 2010 census.Although it is nearly indistinguishable from the adjacent city of Tacoma, the predominantly residential area still retains its status as a separate municipality long after it ceased to be a...
, South Hill
South Hill, Washington
South Hill is a census-designated place in Pierce County, Washington, south of the city of Puyallup. The population was 52,431 at the 2010 census. The name began as an informal description of the area's proximity to the Puyallup River valley...
, Steilacoom
Steilacoom, Washington
Steilacoom is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 5,985 at the 2010 census. Steilacoom is on the coast of Puget Sound, on a branch not visible on the map to the right...
, Sumner
Sumner, Washington
Sumner is a city in northern Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,451 at the 2010 census. Nearby cities include Puyallup to the west, Auburn to the north, and Enumclaw to the east.-History:...
, Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
and University Place
University Place, Washington
University Place is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. Its population was 31,144 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, University Place ranks 81st of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-History:...
. In 2008, 19 million people utilized its services. 272 wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
-accessible bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es 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. A staff of approximately 1,000 man the five departments, with over 50% working in Transit Operations.Fares
| Service | Adult | Youth | Senior/Disabled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local | $2.00 | $0.75 | $0.75 |
| Olympia Express | $2.50 | $2.50 | $1.25 |
| Monthly Local Pass | $72.00 | $27.00 | $27.00 |
| Summer Youth Pass | N/A | $27.00 | N/A |
- 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: 9/3/2011
Transit Centers
- 512 Park and Ride
- 72nd St Transit Center
- 10th and Commerce (Downtown Tacoma)
- Lakewood Transit Center
- Lakewood Sounder Station
- Parkland Transit Center
- South Hill Mall Transit Center
- Tacoma Dome Station
- Tacoma Mall Transit Center
- TCC Transit Center
Bus routes
- 1 6th Ave-Pacific Ave
- 2 S 19th St-Bridgeport Way
- 3 Lakewood-Tacoma
- 10 Pearl St
- 11 Pt Defiance
- 13 N 30th St
- 14 Proctor District
- 16 UPS-TCC
- 28 S 12th St
- 41 Portland Ave
- 42 McKinley Ave
- 45 Yakima Ave
- 48 Sheridan-M St
- 51 Union Ave
- 52 TCC-Tacoma Mall
- 53 University Place
- 54 38th St
- 55 Tacoma Mall-Parkland
- 56 56th St
- 57 Tacoma Mall
- 62 NE Tacoma
- 100 Gig Harbor
- 102 Gig Harbor-Tacoma Express
- 202 72nd St
- 204 Lakewood-Parkland
- 206 Pacific Hwy-Tillicum
- 212 Steilacoom
- 214 Washington
- 300 S Tacoma Wy
- 400 Puyallup-Downtown Tacoma
- 402 Meridian
- 409 Puyallup-Sumner
- 410 112th St
- 495 South Hill Mall-Puyallup
- 496 Bonney Lk-Sumner
- 497 Lakeland Hills
- 500 Federal Way
- 501 Milton-Federal Way
Bus
| Make | Model | Purchased | Retired | Qty. | Fleet Numbers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Flyer | C40LF | 1998 | in service | 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 | in service | 20 | 300-319 | |
| 2005 | in service | 10 | 320-329 | |||
| Orion | 05.515 | 1996 | in service | 15 | 828-842 |
- Buses Starting with the fleet number 167 and above are Pierce Transits first low flow buses with air conditioning equipped.
Shuttle/Bus Plus
| Make | Model | Purchased | Retired | Qty. | Fleet Numbers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford E450 | 2004 | in service | 49 | 5001-5049 | ||
| Ford E450 | 2005 | in service | 30 | 5801-5809, 5050-5070 | ||
| Ford E450 | 2006 | in service | 5 | 5071-5075 | ||
| Ford E450 | ElDorado ElDorado National ElDorado National is a bus manufacturer owned by Thor Industries. Heavy-duty buses are built in Riverside, California, and cutaway buses and mobility vans are built in Salina, Kansas.-Products:* Aerotech and similar lines of cutaway buses... Aerotech |
2007 | in service | 5810-5819, 5076-5100 |
Vanpool
| Make | Model | Year | Retired | Qty. | Fleet Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford | E350 | 2002 | out of service | 1 | 4116 |
| 2003 | most out of service | 24 | 4140, 4143, 4144, 4146-4148, 4151-4153, 4155, 4157, 4158, 4160, 4161, 4163-4165, 4167-4171, 4176, 4179 | ||
| 2006 | in service | 67 | 7095-7161 | ||
| Ford | E350XL | 2005 | in service | 48 | 7014-7061 |
| 2008 | in service | 23 | 7226-7248 | ||
| Chevrolet | Astro | 200X | most out of service | 12 | 4122, 4123, 4127, 4129-4136, 4139 |
| Chevrolet | Express | 2007 | in service | 56 | 7162-7217 |
| 2008 | in service | 15 | 7218-7225, 7249-7255 | ||
| 2010 | in service | 64 | 7256-7319 | ||
| Dodge | Grand Caravan | 2005 | in service | 14 | 7000-7013 |
Adjoining Transit Agencies
- King County Metro
- Kitsap TransitKitsap TransitKitsap Transit is a public transportation agency serving Kitsap County, Washington, USA. The system is based in Bremerton, Washington and is overseen by a nine-member board composed of the three county commissioners, the mayors of the four incorporated cities in Kitsap County and two Bremerton City...
- Intercity TransitIntercity TransitIntercity Transit is a public transportation service organized as a municipal corporation that services Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, and Yelm, Washington, an area of approximately...
- Washington State FerriesWashington State FerriesWashington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...