Intercity Transit seeks public input on its draft six-year Transit Development Plan. Information review and comment is encouraged now through July 18.  The comment period will culminate with a public hearing on Wednesday, July 18, 2012, at 5:30 p.m., at Intercity Transit’s business office, 526 Pattison Street SE.

The Transit Development Plan (TDP) reports on the annual operating budget, capital investment, and business strategies of Intercity Transit and is submitted to the Washington State Department of Transportation in the fall, as required by state law.  The TDP is updated annually with staff and citizen input, including the nine-member Intercity Transit Authority, the governing board for the transit agency. 

The TDP provides a summary of Intercity Transit’s 2011 activities with operational highlights for the past year. It also provides a summary of service and facility changes anticipated for the next six years as required by the State of Washington. Based on a financially constrained budget as directed under state policy, the 2012 through 2017 financial model forecasts limited operational revenue levels, a direct result of the prolonged economic downturn and the uncertainty as to how quickly the economy will recover.  The document, therefore, does not show any increase (or decrease) in services for the next six years and maintains a standard bus replacement schedule for aging buses and vans.  The 2012-2017 plan reflects some capital project expenditures to complete infrastructure improvements and anticipates a modest growth in the agency’s vanpool program requiring additional vanpool vehicle purchases.

Members of the public are encouraged to comment at the public hearing, and/or
• by mail to P.O. Box 659, Olympia, WA  98507 (attn: TDP),
• by e-mailing tellus@intercitytransit.com, or
• by calling Intercity Transit's comment line, 360-705-5852. 

The deadline for submitting comments is Wednesday, July 18, 2012, at 4 p.m.  The public hearing will be held at the Intercity Transit business office, 526 Pattison Street SE, served by transit routes 62A, 62B and 66. Copies of the Transit Development Plan are available for public review at the Olympia Transit Center (360-786-1881 or customerservice@intercitytransit.com), Intercity Transit's business office (360-786-8585), and at local Timberland Libraries in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Yelm.