Menu
Find a rewarding career, check out the many opportunities that await you HERE!
  • |
  •  

New partnership makes local bus pass available to every Tacoma Public Schools’ high school student

Tacoma Public Schools, the City of Tacoma and Pierce Transit have collaborated to provide all 7,900 Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) high school students the transportation they need to access cultural and other amenities all across Tacoma.

According to the agreement, every high school student in Tacoma will have access to an ORCA card loaded with a Pierce Transit bus pass, good for unlimited local bus rides from now until the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. Following the pilot program’s first year, the partners will review its success and discuss how to make it a sustainable model for connecting more youth to cultural experiences and activities.

The effort to provide bus passes for high school students is in support of a larger initiative called the Tacoma Whole Child Partnership, a community-driven effort to provide TPS students with quality experiences during out-of-school time and reduce transportation barriers for them to access after-school programs, field trips and arts, culture, heritage and science experiences at all grade levels. In anticipation of the agreement being announced today, the Tacoma Whole Child Partnership launched after-school activity buses for some elementary schools last fall, and the plan calls for phasing in transportation for more elementary schools in future years. In the middle school arena, the school district has provided those students with after-school activity buses for the past several years.

“We are blessed to have a large number of community partners who own the afterschool space and provide extended learning opportunities to our students beyond the school day,” said School Board President Scott Heinze. “What this agreement does is throw open the doors so that over time all students can benefit from the experiences offered by our Tacoma Whole Child Partnership organizations,” Heinze said.

The city’s funding contribution comes via Tacoma Creates, the voter-approved initiative designed to increase young peoples’ access to arts, culture, heritage and/or science experiences throughout Tacoma by reducing barriers to access and expanding offerings, particularly for underserved youth. Having access to transportation via a bus pass and aligned activity buses was identified as an important step toward opening those opportunities for students.

“By addressing this essential need for safe, reliable transportation we make it easier for young people to consider the many opportunities available through Tacoma Creates,” said Tacoma Mayor and Pierce Transit Board Chair Victoria Woodards. “As Tacoma evolves and grows, the way we come together as a community to support and empower our youth today will greatly factor in our join successes tomorrow.”
 
Tacoma Public Schools had already budgeted $415,000 for the 2019-2020 school year to purchase Pierce Transit local bus passes for a portion of their high school students. Under the new agreement, Tacoma Creates funding provides an additional $100,000 in support of the Tacoma Whole Child Partnership. That funding support bridges the gap, giving every TPS high school student access to an unlimited-rides bus pass.

Pierce Transit’s contribution to the partnership involved reaching an agreement with the partners that gives students unlimited access to the Pierce Transit system by having the passes cover unlimited trips, rather than a pay-by-the-trip approach. The agency will also order and load the ORCA cards and provide the City of Tacoma and TPS with regular ridership updates.

“This partnership is a win all the way around,” said Pierce Transit CEO Sue Dreier. “It will give students independence and an opportunity to learn how to use public transportation, as well as access to the many enrichment opportunities offered now and in the future.”

Tacoma Creates will provide additional funding for programming to cultural organizations in 2020, adding to the rich assortment of activities throughout the city that kids can enjoy.

“The long-term vision of the Tacoma Whole Child Partnership is that students will have access to our city’s amazing programs at every age level and bus transportation will never be a barrier to any Tacoma Public Schools student,” said City Council Member and Pierce Transit Board Commissioner Ryan Mello, a strong proponent for this initiative, “So every student in Tacoma Public Schools will have access to community-provided extracurricular activities and the transportation to get there.”

#

About the Tacoma Whole Child Partnership
The Tacoma community is committed to ensuring all young people have the skills, knowledge and attitude to achieve their dreams. Tacoma Public Schools, Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Tacoma Creates and Metro Parks Tacoma, along with multiple other community partners, are working together to provide aligned, equitable, high-quality social, emotional and academic development to students. Tacoma Whole Child community partners offer Expanded Learning Opportunities during non-school hours to provide safe places for students to learn new skills, build positive relationships, engage with local cultural, arts and athletic experiences, and connect with their community.

Back To News

© 2024 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


Close

Email Route


Close

Report Issue With This Planned Trip


Close