Dear Community Member,

Welcome to the second edition of Pierce Transit’s Moving Forward e-newsletter. Thank you for the opportunity to keep you informed about new initiatives and services we are implementing in our community.

Sue Dreier
CEO, Pierce Transit

Improved Services Began Sept.11

On Sunday, Sept. 11 Pierce Transit restored and imporved its service to include additional night service and increased frequency on a number of routes. Overall, we are added about 15,000 hours of on-street service this month. Among other improvements, we added 25 new trips to three of our busiest routes and extended Route 51 to reach the Springbrook neighborhood in Lakewood. We also added three additional trips from Tacoma Community College and four more trips to the Tacoma Dome Station. To learn about these other route improvements, CLICK HERE.

Service Analysis Update

Pierce Transit is conducting a comprehensive analysis of our fixed-route bus service to help form recommendations for future improvements and efficiencies. Over the summer we held three open houses and asked the public how we might prioritize service enhancements. We also sought feedback using a “Build Your Own System” web tool, which garnered 861 responses. We are now compiling the feedback and examining data. Next we will craft recommendations for our Board of Commissioners regarding service enhancements and approximately 34,000 additional service hours, to be implemented next Spring.

Pierce Transit Receives Electric Bus Grant

Pierce Transit Receives Electric Bus Grant

In July we learned that the Federal Transit Administration had awarded Pierce Transit $2.55 million to purchase the agency’s first-ever, all-electric, zero-emission buses and related infrastructure. We applied for the very competitive Low or No Emission Vehicle Deployment Program grant earlier this year and were one of just 20 agencies nationwide to receive it. We hope to have at least two electric buses on the road by early 2018. Many thanks to those who wrote letters of support for our grant, including: U.S. Sens. Murray and Cantwell; U.S. Reps. Kilmer, Heck, Smith and Reichert; Gov. Jay Inslee; Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy; Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland; the Washington State Transit Association; the Puyallup Tribe; the Puget Sound Asthma Coalition; Downtown On the Go; Transportation Choices Coalition; Puget Sound Regional Council; Pierce Conservation District; Puget Sound Clean Air Agency; the Western Washington Clean Cities Coalition and electric bus maker Proterra.

Why We Do What We Do

Each month Pierce Transit recognizes an “Operator of the Month” who has gone above and beyond in providing excellent service to our customers. Here are a few customer comments about Moe, Pierce Transit’s most recent Operator of the Month:

• “I have been commuting to Seattle for almost 17 years and have very seldom found a bus driver that is so connected with the passengers. Moe’s bus is always lively and full of laughter. At the end of the day when we are tired and cranky, he is a breath of fresh air. He greets everyone with a smile and says ‘good night’ with a smile.”
• “We love Mo! There is no other driver like him. We have so much fun with him as our driver. His laughter is contagious…there is no one else who can put up with the likes of us at that hour of the morning but good ole’ Moe. Thank you, Moe, for being a thoughtful and caring driver.”
• “Thank you for giving us this driver. Reliable, on-time transportation is what an employee needs when commuting by bus for work.”

We receive comments like these regularly about our bus Operators. I am proud to lead an agency that provides this kind of service and delivers a positive experience for our customers.