Getting a COVID-19 vaccine? Pierce Transit will give you a free ride
Pierce Transit will begin providing free bus rides to passengers traveling to and from COVID-19 vaccination appointments.
The public transit agency announced Wednesday that those getting the vaccine or volunteering at a vaccination clinic can get free round-trip bus rides with confirmation, starting Thursday, March 31.
The free ride includes travel to mass vaccination sites and other immunization locations like pharmacies and doctors’ offices.
A passenger needs to provide proof of a vaccine appointment through email, text or printed copy. Passengers can also just tell the bus driver they are going to or coming from a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, agency spokesperson Rebecca Japhet said.
“The ultimate goal of making this available is to reduce barriers for people who need transportation to access their appointment, so we wanted to make it as simple as possible, both for the rider and the bus driver,” she said.
The Washington State Department of Health reached out to Pierce Transit about providing free rides.
“Pierce Transit felt like it would be a helpful way to give more people access to vaccines and keep Pierce County moving forward in the fight against COVID,” Japhet said.
To plan a bus trip, call Pierce Transit’s Customer Service office at 253-581-8000 (option 1, then option 1 again), use Pierce Transit’s online Trip Planner or download the Transit app.
Pierce Transit continues to require masks and social distancing of passengers. Buses are cleaned at least once a day.
This story was originally published March 31, 2021 at 12:00 PM.
