Puyallup officials have a dream. As part of their plan to connect South Hill and downtown Puyallup, they’d like to start rapid bus service up and down Meridian Street.
They’d want the bus line to have a name, much like the MAX light-rail line in Portland or the EmX bus rapid transit line in Eugene, Ore.
It’s still preliminary, but the city has a name it is fond of – “EZRA,” short for “Easy Rider Area.” It also would honor Puyallup’s first mayor, Ezra Meeker.
The line would ideally stop every 15 minutes or so, making it a reliable transportation option for people looking to travel between downtown Puyallup and locations such as Good Samaritan Hospital, Pierce College or the South Hill Mall, said city spokeswoman Glenda Carino.
“It wouldn’t be just a bus,” Carino said. “It would be a branded bus that looks like a trolley or something like that. It would help with traffic congestion.”
The rapid bus line was a key component of the city’s proposal for a state LIFT grant, which it won last year. Puyallup will reap $1 million a year for the next 25 years.
The city is asking the federal government for $1.5 million to complete an engineering study in 2010. The EZRA study would take a year to complete.
Pierce Transit officials, who are partnering with the city, have also identified the project as a priority, said Lars Erickson, the agency spokesman.
The bus rapid transit line could connect Puyallup’s downtown Sounder commuter train station with businesses in South Hill, he said.
“We recognize that this has great potential to alleviate congestion and to help residents in the area to get to another transit facility, the Sounder station,” Erickson said. “It serves multiple purposes.”
Puyallup City Manager Gary McLean said the engineering study is the first step toward making the EZRA a reality. It would help identify where bus stops should go, how long the route should be and what the project would cost.
Right now city officials are estimating the total project cost will be about $50 million, Carino said.
“It’s all about making bus travel more comfortable, and way more frequent,” McLean said. “Hopefully it would come every 15 minutes, so you never even think of using your car to trek up and down Meridian.”
The EZRA moniker may be reconsidered, McLean said, but right now it’s helpful.
“Part of helping people understand it is to give it a name,” he said. “If they understand it, they start talking about it.”
Melissa Santos: 253-552-7058
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