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- August Riders Wanted list
Enhancing service by improving frequency from 30 to 15 minutes on a bus route may not seem like a lot, but it means our riders will spend less time standing at bus stops and shelters, and arrive at their destinations according to the schedule.
Intercity Transit uses Language Link interpreter services for customers with limited English proficiency which provides us with the ability to serve customers in over 200 languages. If you need help in your native language, please call Customer Service at 360-786-1881. Customer Service is open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
You can attend our LIVE webinar scheduled for:
Thursday, May 31, from 3 to 4 p.m.
Register here.
After this date, we will make the recorded webinar available on our website.
Yes. We have Open Houses planned at the following dates and locations:
Wednesday, May 30
4 – 6:30 p.m.
Timberland Regional Library
500 College Street SE, Lacey
Monday, June 4
4 – 6:30 p.m.
Timberland Regional Library
7023 New Market Street, Tumwater
You may submit your comments or suggestions by going to servicechanges@intercitytransit.com and fill out the online web form. Comments will be reviewed daily by Intercity Transit staff and evaluated to see if the changes can be incorporated into the proposed service changes. New FAQs will be added on our website at www.intercitytransit.com/servicechanges to address new questions that might come out of the comment period. You will receive an email confirmation letting you know that we received your comment or suggestion.
We will take public comments on the proposed service changes up until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 20, 2018.
Q: Can you extend Route 94 to provide more service in and beyond Yelm?
A: Currently, Intercity Transit is looking at proposed service changes that would not require additional funding. Many riders who travel to, from and around Yelm have requested additional service. We are considering how to add service in Yelm should funding become available. We encourage Yelm riders to continue to follow our IT Road Trip community engagement process and learn about the progress we are making toward providing additional service in Yelm. Information can be found at www.itroadtrip.net.
The proposed changes are “revenue neutral” – meaning they do not require new funding.
Q: Will the proposed Route 612 stop at the Martin Way Park N Ride?
A: Yes. The proposed Route 612 will stop at the Martin Way Park N Ride. This will provide an opportunity for local riders to park and ride Northbound for longer commuter trips and park locally as an option to paying for downtown Olympia parking to save money.
Q: Why are you not stopping at the Tacoma Dome on the proposed 612 Express route?
A: We are currently looking at designing Express services to best support northbound commuters -- working people who leave and return to Thurston County daily. Express service is not designed to meet everyone’s trip needs. Northbound commuters would be able to stay on Intercity Transit’s Express (612 Route) as far as 10th and Commerce. Pierce Transit provides frequent service to the Tacoma Dome and downtown Tacoma, as well as the Lakewood Park N Ride and Lakewood Transit Center. With the proposed Route 612, riders could make transfers at Lakewood or at 10th and Commerce to reach destinations in downtown Tacoma or Seattle. Link light rail, operated by Sound Transit, runs every 12-24 minutes providing access to and from Seattle departing from the Tacoma Dome.
Q: How many riders are you transporting each day on this route?
A: We are currently averaging 696 boardings on weekdays for the combined routes.
Q: Will the fares for the routes change?
A: No.
Q: Will there be additional buses added to this route?
A: Under the proposal, weekday frequency will increase to 15 minutes during AM/PM peak hours for certain trips, so there will be more bus activity on the proposed Route 612, however because of changes elsewhere in the system, Intercity Transit will not be buying or using more buses to support this change.
Q: Are you adding any stops to this route?
A: No.
Q: Are you taking any stops out of this route?
A: Yes. Under the proposal 19 bus stops would no longer be served by weekday Express service.
Q: How will I make a transfer to downtown Olympia if I am riding the proposed Route 68?
A: If the new proposed Route 68 is implemented, riders of Route 68 would make a transfer at Tumwater Square onto Route 13 to continue to Capitol Campus and then downtown. Although transfers may not be as convenient, buses on Route 13 leave Tumwater Square frequently. Route 68 riders should be able to make a fairly easy transfer to reach Capitol Campus.
Q: How many riders are you transporting each day on this route?
A: We are currently averaging 784 boardings on weekdays.
Q: Will the fares for the routes change?
A: No.
Q: Will there be additional buses added to this route?
A: Under the proposal, weekday frequency will increase from 60 minutes to 30 minutes, so there will be more bus activity on the proposed Route 68. However, because of changes elsewhere in the system, Intercity Transit will not be buying or using more buses to support this change.
Q: Are you adding any stops to this route?
A: Yes. The proposed Route 68 will serve all 42 bus stops that are currently served by Routes 12, 43 & 44 that are located between Tumwater Square and Capital Mall.
Q: Are you taking any stops out of this route?
A: Yes. The proposed Route 68 will no longer serve the 24 bus stops located along Capitol Way between Tumwater Square and the Olympia Transit Center as they will be served by Route 13, as well as Dash and Olympia Express (proposed Route 612).
Q: How many riders are you transporting each day on this route?
A: We are currently averaging 1,379 boardings on weekdays.
Q: Will the fares for the routes change?
A: No.
Q: Will there be additional buses added to this route?
A: No.
Q: Are you adding any stops to this route?
A: Yes. Ten new bus stops are anticipated to be added to Route 62A under the proposal. They would be generally located in northeast Lacey on Orion Drive between Meridian Road and Willamette Drive, as well as on Willamette Drive between Orion Drive and Marvin Road.
Q: Are you taking any stops out of this route?
A: Yes. Under the proposal eight bus stops would be removed from Route 62A generally along the north side of Martin Way between Meridian Road and Marvin Road (see map at www.intercitytransit.com/servicechanges).
Q: How many riders are you transporting each day on this route?
A: We are currently averaging 465 boardings on weekdays.
Q: Will the fares for the routes change?
A: No.
Q: Will there be additional buses added to this route?
A: No.
Q: Are you adding any stops to this route?
A: No.
Q: Are you taking any stops out of this route?
A: Yes. Under the proposal one bus stop located at St. Francis House would be removed .
Q: How many riders are you transporting each day on this route?
A: We are currently averaging 616 boardings on weekdays.
Q: Will the fares for the routes change?
A: No.
Q: Will there be additional buses added to this route?
A: No.
Q: Are you adding any stops to this route?
A: Yes. Four new bus stops are anticipated to be added to Route 47 under the proposal. They would be located on Kaiser Road between 7th Avenue and Harrison Avenue, as well as Harrison Avenue between Kaiser Road and Cooper Point Road.
Q: Are you taking any stops out of this route?
A: Yes, under the proposal 10 bus stops would be removed from Route 47. See map at www.intercitytransit.com/servicechanges.
Q: How many riders are you transporting each day on this route?
A: We are currently averaging 51 boardings on weekdays.
Q: Will the fares for the routes change?
A: No.
Q: Will there be additional buses added to this route?
A: Under the proposal, weekday service will increase to cover the day without gaps in service, so there will be more bus activity on the proposed Route 42. However, because of changes elsewhere in the system, Intercity Transit will not be buying or using more buses to support this change.
Q: Are you adding any stops to this route?
A: Yes. The proposed Route 42 will serve all 29 bus stops that are currently served by Route 43/44 located between South Puget Sound Community College and the Olympia Transit Center, as well as two new stops located on Dr. Nels Hanson Way.
Q: Are you taking any stops out of this route?
A: Yes. The proposed Route 42 will no longer serve five bus stops generally located along RW Johnson/21st between 29th and Black Lake Boulevard.
Q: How many riders are you transporting each day on this route?
A: We are currently averaging 395 boardings on weekdays.
Q: Will the fares for the routes change?
A: No.
Q: Will there be additional buses added to this route?
A: Under the proposal, weekday frequency will increase from 60 minutes to 30 minutes, so there will be more bus activity on the proposed Route 12. However, because of changes elsewhere in the system, Intercity Transit will not be buying or using more buses to support this change.
Q: Are you adding any stops to this route?
A: Yes. The proposed Route 12 will serve all 43 bus stops that are currently served by Route 43 located between Linwood and 7th and the Olympia Transit Center.
Q: Are you taking any stops out of this route?
A: Yes. The proposed Route 12 will no longer serve the 36 bus stops located along 2nd Avenue, Custer Way and Capitol Way, as they will be served by Route 13 and the proposed Route 68.
We are looking at long-term service planning and will keep our riders and the community informed as information is available. Most of the changes that are being considered are coming from suggestions made by the community and riders during our 2017 IT Road Trip outreach effort, but that will take additional funding to implement. Road Trip planning is ongoing, and additional public engagement activities will be publicized this spring and summer. To learn more and sign up for our mailing list to be kept informed of upcoming new changes, go to www.itroadtrip.net.
Our fleet is aging. Many of our buses are over 15 years old when they were built to run for 12 years. We will replace eight of our oldest buses in 2019 with new buses, and replace another six buses in 2020. Altogether, we are ordering 14 new buses to help support service to our customers.
Additionally, we have ordered 12 new paratransit vans for our Dial-A-Lift service. These vans will go into service during 2018 and will be run on propane to increase efficiency and lower carbon emissions into the air.
Yes. There are several construction projects going on that Intercity Transit is managing to help improve the customer experience. They include:
- Bus stop and shelter improvements are being made at 33 sites.
- Tumwater Square improvements include better customer access and safety with improved sidewalks, bus shelters, street crossings and a dedicated bus lane. Construction began in March and should be completed by May, 2018.
- Underground Storage Tank Replacement Project
- Olympia Transit Center Expansion
To learn more about our construction projects, go to www.intercitytransit.com/construction and follow our progress.
We maintain ongoing conversations with local jurisdictions and other partners about where bus stops should be located. We look at our own ridership data and we take public suggestions into consideration. As a transit system, we are granted “use of public right away” for installing bus stops, shelters and sidewalk improvements. Because those transit amenities sit on city or county land, those agencies have a lot of influence on where buses are allowed to stop. Other considerations regarding bus stop improvements include whether or not they are accessible locations by bus and if the location meets American Disability Act (ADA) standards for people with impaired mobility and sight. We also consider safety issues like traffic patterns and whether or not our bus passengers can safely cross the streets near a proposed bus stop or shelter. A lot of thought and careful consideration goes into those decisions.
Yes. We have plans to improve lighting at 33 new bus stops this year to enhance safety for our passengers.
In all, we’ll be removing approximately 31 bus stops based on the service changes proposed.
We’ll be adding an estimated 16 new bus stops as a result of the proposed service changes.
Yes. The proposed service changes will help our buses get to the planned stops with more regularity by reducing the number of stops the bus makes on each trip.
Yes. Analysts have told us that with the rate of growth in Thurston County, we should expect to add 6-7% additional time to our Express bus schedules every year to accommodate increased traffic congestion.
We have promoted the use of alternative modes of transportation for more than 35 years. We encourage people to use bus services, vanpool services and walk or bike to work, school, shopping and to other destinations within our service area, which includes the cities of Tumwater, Lacey, Olympia and Yelm.
Yes, for some routes. After 9 p.m., more evening hours will be added on Route 12 along Little Rock Road and on Route 13 along Capital Way.
A large number of riders traveling form Lacey to other destinations like South Puget Sound Community College and the Westside (Capital Mall area) currently must go through downtown Olympia to make this trip adding extra time. Route 68 will be able to travel from east Lacey to east Olympia without going through downtown Olympia providing an option that reduces travel times. Fifteen minute service will still be offered between downtown Olympia and Tumwater Square.
Route 12: Proposed changes will increase frequency from 60 minutes to 30 minutes all day.
Route 68: Proposed changes will increase frequency from 60 minutes to 30 minutes all day.
Express: Proposed changes will increase frequency to every 15 minutes during peak hours southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon.
Yes. On most routes we are adjusting the schedules to better align with the amount of time it takes the bus to travel from stop to stop. Traffic congestion over the years has lengthened travel time and we have not yet adjusted our schedules to reflect the additional travel time needed to navigate traffic. New schedules will more accurately reflect true travel times and allow buses to stay on schedule.
Yes and no. Thurston County is expected to see between 100,000-170,000 new residents in the next 20 years. We are planning for this anticipated growth to provide transit service for the community to get to and from their homes and work or shopping. While we are looking ahead at future growth, the proposed changes are designed to address current service needs.
We are anticipating 30-40 percent growth in our ridership over the next 20 years. We currently have just over 4 million passenger boardings a year. These proposed changes will help us align routes with residential and business growth patterns in our service area to prepare for more ridership.
Thirteen of our 25 routes will be changing under the proposed service changes:
|
Routes Changing under Proposal |
Routes Not Changing |
| 12 | 13 |
| 42 | 21 |
| 43 | 41 |
| 44 | 45 |
| 47 | 48 |
| 60 | 49 |
| 62A | 64 |
| 62B | 66 |
| 68 | 67 |
| 94 | 620 |
| 603 | Nightline (411) |
| 605 | DASH |
| 612 |
Yes. By adjusting routes and schedules to provide reliable on-time performance, our passengers can expect the bus to arrive according to the schedule.
We are proposing a restructure of some of our services. This process includes some of the following:
- Resources will be shifted to support service where there is greater customer demand based on ridership numbers.
- We will adjust routes by ensuring services do not overlap but complement each other.
- Service will be reduced where there are few riders and little demand.
For riders in our system who use routes that are changing, the proposed changes should:
- Improve schedule reliability or on-time performance.
- Add increased frequency on some routes.
- Provide service from Lacey to SPSCC and the Westside without a downtown Olympia transfer.
- Provide more direct and consistent Express service design.
We looked at ridership data which shows us where ridership and demand is growing and also where service demand is changing. We also looked at forecasts for housing and employment to verify bus service is being offered in the areas that can support transit service. And finally, we examined on-time performance and travel times on our bus routes to confirm schedule predictability.
No. The proposed service changes do not include any changes to the current fare for local bus, Dial-A-Lift or Express bus services.
The September 23, 2018, proposed service changes are primarily a response to traffic growth in the region, which causes travel delay that results in buses running late. Our riders frequently share frustration about arriving late to work or appointments as well as missing transfers to other routes. In addition to on-time performance, we also looked at requests and suggestions gathered last year during our outreach. For more information see the IT Road Trip.
The maps of the proposed service changes linked below show both the approximate locations of the bus stops that will be added and removed. The exact location of new bus stops is still being studied and won’t be determined until later this summer after the final plans are approved. If your route is changing, we recommend that you contact Intercity Transit Customer Service a week or two before the service change to verify your route, bus stop, and schedule changes. Below is a link to the maps by route:
Route 12:
Route 42:
Route 47:
Route 60:
Route 62A:
Route 68:
Thirty one bus stops along Capitol Way will no longer be served by Route 68, but will be served by Route 13.
Route 612 - Express service:
For the week of April 2nd, the following work will occur:
- The contractor will continue to complete the permanent fencing around the paved area;
- Work continues in the unleaded fueling canopy area to get ready for the startup activities for the week of April 16th;
- Clean up around the site to remove forms and miscellaneous supplies;
- Lube Room fluid collection system installation work; and
- Installing the E-stops in the Maintenance Building.