For the last five weeks Pierce Transit's Citizen Review Committee, which represents a diverse set of interest groups and geographies in Pierce County, has been meeting to study the facts and to provide detailed recommendations to help with the PT Tomorrow system redesign process. The group has been charged with answering two critical questions that will help determine the fate of Pierce Transit. These questions are:
"Should Pierce Transit put a ballot measure to the voters for an additional 0.3% sales tax?"
"Is the form of the bus redesign what we really want?"
If Pierce Transit does not find additional revenue, transit riders will face service cuts in the realm of 57% (previously covered in the PT Doomsday Scenario). None of us wants to see that happen.
The second question is more complicated. This process must produce a system that reflects the values of riders and residents in Pierce County that came out of the initial portion of the PT Tomorrow (namely a joint-emphasis on social service and economic development). Further, it has to be qualitatively and quantitatively a better system than now, while using roughly the same amount of money. And finally, it has to be able to gather enough political support to win at the polls. More after the jump.
Citizens correct Course of Pierce Transit
When the Committee first saw the draft redesign a number of us were concerned that it was a step in the wrong direction that frankly shafted North Tacoma, pulled service out of Downtown Tacoma and turned Tacoma Dome Station into a mega-transit center, and that it added too much service to the periphery - outside of the urban core. The Committee was also concerned that the plan did not address how it would help economic development or urban infill.
At our last two meetings we worked to propose changes to these maps. We also grappled with the tradeoffs between geographic coverage, frequency, and span/days of service. In the end there was a consensus on doing all of the following:
- Emphasize higher bus frequencies over geographic coverage
- Have the network support the intentions of growth management
- Preserve regional connections to Olympia, Vashon Ferry, and Federal Way
- Don't cut weekend service, but tailor frequency and hours of service on each route to fit ridership and make it cost effective
- Create a network with connections between routes at their midpoints (in Tacoma)
- Decentralized transfers in Downtown Tacoma with a simple grid system
- Include a dedicated route in Downtown Tacoma to help pedestrians and bicyclists up the hill
- Deemphasize transit centers as time points and as places where routes must connect
- Determine the cost of additional Shuttle/Bus Plus service
- Assume that the Tacoma Mall Transit Center is no longer used; routes will then be dispersed throughout the Mall area and connect to other destinations
The Committee has adjourned for three weeks to give Pierce Transit's planners a chance to make changes and digest additional input from the community. We will reconvene at the end of the month and then work for another two weeks to make additional changes. The Committee will make recommendations to the Pierce Transit Board about the redesign/revenue question in May.
More analysis on these recommendations tomorrow.
More analysis on these recommendations tomorrow.