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What's New

Service Change is coming!

RESTORED SERVICE: STARTS MARCH 12, 2017

More to Smile About! After a comprehensive route analysis, including valuable input from the public, Pierce Transit is rolling out expanded bus service. We've detailed which routes will be affected starting March 12, 2017. With buses running later at night, buses arriving more often, and more direct service, you will find more to smile about!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE




CEO Newsletter
ceo newsletter

May 2017

Dear Community Member,

Summer is almost upon us, and with the season will come a new pilot service Pierce Transit will operate from June 2 through Sept. 3, called the “Downtown to Defiance Trolley.” The Trolley will run from downtown Tacoma, along Ruston Way, to Point Ruston, to Point Defiance Park (with stops at the Visitors Center and the Zoo & Aquarium), and back to downtown, with many stops along the way in both directions. The service will operate on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, as well as the Third Thursdays of each month. The new Trolley is a partnership funded by the City of Tacoma, Metro Parks Tacoma, South Sound Together, Point Ruston, the Port of Tacoma and Pierce Transit, with Travel Tacoma and other organizations also providing support.

The goals of this project include enhancing South Sound’s economy by drawing more people to our area’s attractions and businesses; showcasing our region’s assets to tourists as well as local and regional residents; strengthening awareness of South Sound as a desirable place to live, work and play; increasing transit ridership; and helping alleviate the parking squeeze, especially at Point Defiance and along Ruston Way.

You are invited to a special Downtown to Defiance Trolley kickoff event on Friday, June 2 at 9:30 a.m. on Tollefson Plaza, 17th and Pacific in downtown Tacoma. The event will feature remarks from representatives of the Trolley partner organizations, booths and other festivities. The first 50 people at the event will receive a $10 pre-loaded ORCA card and a commemorative lanyard. After the kickoff event many of us will hop on a Trolley at 10:30 a.m. for the first trip to Point Defiance and back. We hope you will join us and invite others to the festivities to help us kick off this new service. CLICK HERE to download an electronic version of the invitation.

Here are some additional Downtown to Defiance Trolley details:

  • Days of service: June 2 through Sept. 3 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with service also on the third Thursday of each month (June 15, July 20 and Aug. 17) for Art Mingle days.
  • Route: Runs from downtown Tacoma along Ruston Way, to Point Ruston and on to Point Defiance, including stops at the Visitors Center and the Zoo & Aquarium. The route then runs back to downtown Tacoma with stops along the way.
  • Fare: $1 adults and youth; $.50 senior/disabled with Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP). All day passes: $5 adults; $2.50 youth; $2.50 senior/disabled with RRFP. Riders may purchase All Day Passes on the Trolley. ORCA cards may be used but must be purchased in advance.
  • Other perks: Trolleys have bike racks, are ADA accessible, and well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome on the Trolley.

After the summer Pierce Transit will evaluate ridership and other factors to determine the viability of offering the Downtown to Defiance Trolley service in future years. The success of this project depends on everyone coming out to ride and inviting their family, friends and others to give it a try as well. We encourage you to visit our Downtown to Defiance Trolley webpage for more details, including a Trolley promotional video, and share the information with your colleagues.

I also hope you will come out and try our newly-restored bus service that spans the entire Pierce Transit service area. In March Pierce Transit restored 35,000 hours of service and restructured its routing system. Many bus routes now have 30-minute service at peak commute times and mid-day, and many now operate until 10 p.m. on weekdays. Whether you are looking for more frequent bus service, need a ride home later at night or simply want to take a relaxing ride along the waterfront to some of the area’s best attractions, you’ll find more to smile about with this new Pierce Transit service.

It’s going to be a great summer!

Warmest regards,

Sue Dreier
CEO, Pierce Transit



Operator Of The Month



Sherry April 2017 Operator of the Month

“I have wonderful passengers and the best coworkers. Thank you all for your love and support.”




Pierce Transit Adopt a Stop Program AdoptAStop_shelter


YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Pierce Transit has more than 3,000 bus stops and shelters throughout Pierce County. Each one is part of a community. By volunteering as an Adoptee for the Adopt A Stop program you can make a difference in yours.

IT’S EASY TO GET STARTED

  1. Choose a bus stop.
  2. Contact us
  3. Get your supplies. We’d like to thank you in person for volunteering when we give you your supplies. Come to Pierce Transit’s headquarters in Lakewood—or, we can meet you at another location. We’ll go over the program and present you with your welcome packet, which includes safety supplies.
  4. Report your activities once a month.

TO THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING

After your stop is adopted, your name will appear on a sign which will be posted at that stop. You may also receive recognition in one or more of our publications. Recycling is encouraged, and any profit from the sale of recyclable items is yours to keep.

GET STARTED TODAY!

Adopt A Stop Program Coordinator

adoptastop@piercetransit.org

253.983.3455


Adopt A Stop Program Overview
Expectations & Safety Tips
Agreement to Adopt A Stop
Participant Activity Report



Heard a “Talking” Bus Yet?trax_tilt_small

Listen for automatic stop and route announcements while traveling on Pierce Transit and Sound Transit buses. Route and destination announcements required by the Americans with Disabilities Act are made by the new automatic announcement system we call trax each time a bus door opens at a stop. In addition, upcoming stop names are announced on the buses to keep passengers informed about the next stop coming up on that route.

Pierce Transit needs your help to ensure that the trax system is helpful and useful to you, our riding public. Please report any problems with the timing of stop announcements, interior volume, or pronunciation issues so we can look into fixing them. Report problems by filling out a customer comment card (located at
the front of the bus), sending an e-mail to PTcustomer@piercetransit.org, or filling out our online form. When reporting issues with announcements, please be as specific as possible. Include the route, direction of travel, time of day, vehicle number and a complete description of the problem.

© 2017 Pierce Transit, All Rights Reserved. Site Design and Development by SiteCrafting.

Trip Planner Help

Trip Planner Tips - Entering Locations

To create a trip plan you need to enter both a starting location (origin) and an ending location (destination). For information about stops, schedules, or service at a specific location, you only need to enter one location.

The Trip Planner recognizes most street intersections and addresses as well as many landmarks in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties. If what you entered is not immediately recognized, the Trip Planner will offer you a list of options. You can choose one of the options, but if your intended location is not there, select the "Revise Original Entries" link to return to the entry page and change the entries you have already made.

Addresses

  • You don't need to type in the city along with the address. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
  • You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type 110 Jones instead of 110 Jones Boulevard.)
  • You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 1000 Main instead of 1000 S Main. But type 1000 West Viewmont for 1000 West Viewmont Way W.)
  • Some streets and addresses are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby location, such as an intersection or a landmark.
  • You should not enter the suite number or apartment number.  Just the house number and street name (Example: type in 401 Broadway instead of 401 Broadway Avenue Suite 800).

Intersections

  • The "&" symbol is the only character used between two street names to show an intersection. (Examples: 1st & B, James & Madison)
  • You don't need to type in the city. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
  • You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type Conifer & Jones instead of Conifer Circle & Jones Boulevard.)
  • You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 3rd & Main instead of 3rd S & S Main. But type 34th & West Viewmont for 34th W & West Viewmont Way W.)
  • Some streets are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby intersection or a landmark.

Landmarks

Government Sites: Pierce County Health Dept, Pierce Co Sheriffs Office, Tacoma City Hall

Major Commercial Sites: Tacoma Mall, Sheraton Hotel

Transportation Facilities: Sea-Tac Airport, Greyhound Bus Depot

Schools & Colleges: Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Community College

Sports & Leisure: Cheney Stadium, Pt Defiance Zoo

Medical Facilities: Group Health, Tacoma General Hospital


 

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