Pierce Transit to roll out plans to increase bus service

Pierce Transit will roll out proposals to substantially change some of its bus routes at three upcoming public meetings.

Riders and other interested people can get a look at the agency’s proposals:

▪ Tuesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m., Wheelock Library, 3722 N. 26th St. in Tacoma. The site is served by bus routes 11, 16 and 51.

▪ Wednesday, 6-8 p.m., Salishan Family Investment Center, 1724 E. 44th St. in Tacoma. The site is served by Route 41.

▪ Oct. 25, 3-5 p.m., Pierce Transit Building 5, 3720 96th St. SW in Lakewood. The site is served by routes 48 and 300.

The agency, which operates buses throughout Pierce County and into parts of King County, has been analyzing its system and taking public suggestions for changes during the past few months.

“Of the nearly 1,000 responses received, the two most-requested improvements were increased frequency (having the bus arrive more often) and a longer span of service on weekdays,” Pierce Transit said.

Agency officials said they have heard that call and increased frequency and span of service on many routes.

Last month, Pierce Transit announced changes and expansion on 13 routes, including those along the Sixth Avenue-Pacific Avenue, South 19th Street-Bridgeport and Lakewood-South Hill lines.

Those changes are part of a plan to restore 59,000 service hours by the end of 2017. That would bring to 502,000 the hours of service the agency provides annually.

Pierce Transit provided 622,000 hours of service annually before the recession took hold and five cities left the agency's service area, drying up sales tax revenue and other sources of funding.

This story was originally published October 16, 2016 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Pierce Transit to roll out plans to increase bus service."