Pierce Transit Explores Shrinking Boundary

After finalizing the 35% service cuts in October resulting from the failure of Proposition 1 in February, the Pierce Transit Board has signaled that it is time to consider redrawing the service boundary.

Last week the Board gave direction to staff to draw up a resolution calling for a Public Transit Benefit Conference.  The Conference of officials from incorporated cities and the County Council will hammer out a new transit service boundary over a period of six months.
Several key issues are at play here:

1. Taxation without Service - Communities that are paying significant amounts in sales taxes and not receiving any service don’t want to see that situation continue indefinitely, (Bonney Lake-Sumner Courier Herald)
2. High Costs in Suburban Pierce County - High per-rider costs of service in East Pierce County detract from Pierce Transit’s desire to focus resources where riders can be served efficiently, (here) and
3. Current transit service is not meeting demand - Tacoma and Lakewood riders periodically experience overcrowding and service spans that curtail mobility.  Many want to go back to the ballot to restore service levels, but such a move is unlikely to succeed without significant boundary revisions.

Red areas are more transit hostile.

Previous analysis shows the presence of 163 transit-hostile precincts in the agency’s 414 square mile service territory.  Transit-hostile precincts are areas where voters have rejected the last three transit measures since 2007 and also appear to have rejected a Pierce Transit ballot measure in 2002.  Transit-hostile areas include: Key Peninsula, Buckley, Graham, Orting, Bonney Lake, South Hill, and Mid-County.  In these areas average housing and employment densities are below what’s necessary for cost-effective transit service, even in the form of route-deviated BusPlus.  Also, the current extent of the boundary obligates deadheading of Shuttle vehicles from Lakewood to East Pierce County at significant public expense.


Further GIS analysis indicates that at least 100 of the most transit-hostile precincts will need to be removed to give Pierce Transit a shot at passing a ballot measure. If the City of Bonney Lake decides to stay within the district, it will present a barrier to restoring service.