After the MVET was repealed, many transit agencies across the state were left scrambling for funds, since the MVET had been a long-standing source of their budgets. More importantly, it was a stable source of money, which can’t be said for the volatile and economically-dependant sales taxes that also contributed funds to the budget. A good number of agencies ended up having to cut back service and raise fares as a result. With the exception of 4 transit agencies (Grant Transit Authority, Link Transit, Pacific Transit, and Yakima Transit), every agency in the state has had to raise their local sales tax rate since 1999.

Here in the Tri-Cities, Ben Franklin Transit was able to survive for a few years after the MVET repeal, making minor changes and using money from reserves to preserve service. However, that couldn’t be a long term solution, and so in 2002 BFT had to go to the voters and ask for an increase in the sales tax. The rate at that time was only 0.3%, but BFT wanted to raise that up to 0.6% (0.9% is the maximum allowable by state law). As part of the process of trying to get voters to approve the increase, BFT made sure to let the public know just how much was at stake if the increase did not go through. Though the list is long, I’ll highlight several of the potential losses below:

• Cut all Saturday service
• Cut Route 10 (West Richland) and Route 45 (Kennewick)
• End of service cut back to 6PM (it was running until 7PM back then)
• All local routes would be cut back to 60-min frequencies
• Cut all Special Event Service (Fair Bus, Hydroplane Shuttle, etc)
• Cut Dial-A-Ride service back to the minimally required 3/4 mile zone
• Cut all Night Service/Taxi Feeder

*In the original list, BFT also proposed the shifting of Dial-A-Ride from “Door to Door” to “Curb to Curb” but that was removed.

Thankfully for BFT and the citizens of the Tri-Cities, the increase was passed by the voters and went into effect on July 1, 2002. After that, BFT saw minimal changes until the recession starting effecting the local economy. Again, BFT was able to hold off on drastic cuts, though minor cuts still did have to be made.

The reason I bring this all up is because BFT is facing a potential fare increase this year. Public hearings on the matter will be held at Three Rivers Transit Center on March 15th at 2PM and 5:30PM so riders can have the chance to comment and let their voice be heard. In the recent days, I’ve overheard a few riders complaining about how unfair the fare increase is to them. However, I think we need to look at the bigger picture. Depending on how you look at it, the economy may be recovering, but that doesn’t mean that we can let our guard down just yet. And we only have to look at our friends Community Transit and Pierce Transit (both who’ve had to undertake massive cuts to service/reductions to the area served) to be reminded just how lucky we really are.

Home to 5,510 (according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management’s 2011 estimate; 2010 Census calculated a population of 4,209), Connell is the biggest city in Franklin County after Pasco. Just like most Eastern Washington cities it holds roots in an agricultural history, but today it is perhaps best known as the home of Coyote Ridge Correctional Facility, the largest prison facility in Washington State. The jail itself can house some 2600 inmates, with a workforce of about 650 supporting the facility (guards, custodial, etc). Currently, transit doesn’t have much of a presence in Connell. There are a number of BFT vanpools that go to Coyote Ridge from the Tri-Cities, but those are only available to the employees using them. Before 2004, Greyhound had a stop in Connell, but that was cut out as part of a massive stop/route deletion effort undertaken that year while Greyhound struggled to return to probability in the post-9/11 economy. The bus that once stopped there still runs by on Highway 395 twice a day (once in each direction), but the occasional calls to reinstate the stop have gained little attention.

Having seen the resounding success of the recently launched Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter (talked about previously here and here and here), I thought it would be interesting to look further into what the route might look like, the sort of schedule that would be feasible, and the resources it would take to institute the service.

At the south end, the route would be anchored to the Tri-Cities at 22nd Ave Transit Center in Pasco. From 22nd Ave TC, the bus would head up 20th Ave and head straight onto Interstate 182, and then head north along Highway 395. While enroute to Connell, the bus would pass by Eltopia and Mesa, both small towns directly adjacent to the highway. The towns don’t have very large populations, so I think one option to serve the communities would be with a demand-response system, with the bus only stopping in the towns if someone calls and requests it. Once the bus arrives in Connell, it would take the exit for State Highway 260, and then head west into town. At Columbia Ave, the bus would turn right and head north. (As Columbia Ave was recently reconstructed and had sidewalks put in, this would be the best street for a bus to travel on. It also doesn’t hurt that Columbia Ave is the city’s main thoroughfare.) At the north end of town, the bus would turn right off Columbia Ave and head up Davis Way, which would bring the bus directly to Coyote Ridge. (To visualize this, I drew the route here on Google Maps with the markers showing stop locations; no stops in Eltopia are shown.)

For a schedule, we can look at the precedent that has been set by Route 170, which connects the Tri-Cities to Benton City and Prosser. That route runs an hour in each direction, making it have a 2-hr headway, which is adequate for the demand of that route. The Tri-Cities to Connell route would also run this way, taking an hour to travel in each direction and having a 2-hr headway. Since running time may become a bit of an issue, particularly if a stop has been requested in Eltopia or Mesa, it could be set up so that the bus stops by request only. For example, if there were no riders on a northbound trip that needed to disembark at a stop in town, the bus could bypass downtown and head straight to Coyote Ridge. (The bus would still run through town on the southbound trip). This scenario would most likely be the best option, as it would keep the route within the time constraints while still leaving enough “padding” in the schedule.(Again, the route is visualized here on Google Maps.) For Mesa, a couple options to consider including having a scheduled stop for northbound only and then by request on southbound, or as mentioned before, strictly by request. As for departures times, we could have the bus leave Pasco on the half-hour at every even hour (6:30AM, 8:30AM, etc). Since Route 170 arrives/leaves Richland at :15 past the hour at every odd hour, we’d want to have the route structured so that riders could connect via Route 225 and ride all the way from Connell to Prosser (and even to Yakima) or vice versa if they wanted to. It would leave a 30-min layover for riders heading in a general eastbound direction, but that’s largely unavoidable. With all that said, here’s what the schedule could look like:

I should note that the last trip southbound from Connell (7:30PM) would also probably mimic Route 170 and run as a deadhead (though passengers can still ride) straight to the BFT Base in the Richland Y neighborhood. Riders needing to continue on to another destination in the Tri-Cities could make the connection via Night Service.

To run the route, it would take 14 service hours each day (not counting deadhead miles). Using the BFT cost calculation of $74.95 per service hour (which I don’t believe accounts for maintenance/fuel), the service would cost about $1,500/day, or $391,500/year (for Monday-Friday service only). Since BFT is trying to conserve costs as much as possible right now, instituting this route would probably mean reducing service elsewhere in the system, or trying to receive a grant from WSDOT (like the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter, which got a JARC grant covering half the cost of the route through 2013). In the case of the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter, driving is done by employees of HopeSource (though I think some runs may be operated by Yakima Transit drivers now), which reduces the cost to operate it. Given the current turmoil brewing between the BFT driver’s union and BFT admin, I don’t see a similar situation working out. Finding a vehicle to run the route wouldn’t be very difficult, as there are not one, not two, but seven MCI coaches (out of 8 total in the fleet) that sit dormant for just about the entire day. One coach is always running on Route 170 and a few are put into service to run school trippers, but beyond that the MCI’s are rarely used. It may be more capacity than is needed, but the MCI’s are at their best when on the highway, which is what the majority of the Tri-Cities to Connell route consists of.

Something else that’s important to consider is the potential for inter-agency connections. With the already existing connections that riders in the Tri-Cities already have, riders from Connell would also be able to connect to Walla Walla, Dayton, Pendleton, Hermiston, La Grande, Prosser, Yakima, and Ellensburg, and several other cities. However, there’s another link that could be explored. About 30 miles NW of Connell is Othello. It’s in Othello where the southern end of Grant Transit Authority’s routes stretch. Though it would probably take a grant to prod either agency to make the link, if there was a connection between Connell and Othello then riders could connect to Moses Lake, Ephrata, Soap Lake, Quincy, and even Cheney and Spokane. (This would also make a better case for a permanent link between Grant Transit Authority service in Quincy and Link Transit service in Rock Island, which in turn would open up even more connections.)

Like most proposals, the legwork that is required tends to be more than just mere speculation (which is pretty much what I’ve done), and it takes some serious number crunching and thought. However, I think that from a regional perspective, this potential route is one of the most crucial missing links for public transit. I do believe that someday, there will be a route that runs from the Tri-Cities to Connell, and I for one would like to make sure that it happens sooner than later.

Simply put, I think we can find a better way to serve this area.

There’s good reason to visit this issue too. The topic of bringing better service to this part of this city has been coming up a lot lately. Members of the CAC (Citizens Advisory Committee) have asked BFT to consider making changes to better serve North Richland, citing the need to encourage more use of transit by the local workforce. There has also been interest expressed in a worker/driver bus for Hanford, which as I explained in the February board meeting post is upsetting the driver’s union a bit. Regular bus service wouldn’t be able to serve the Hanford Reservation, but the North Richland area does have a lot of Hanford-related workers, particularly Battelle/PNNL, and so the more of those workers we can get out of cars the better.

The Current Routes

Route 23: As you can tell by the presence of the old BFT logo, Route 23 has remained unchanged for a long time. (Based on the verified info I have, it’s looked like this since at least January 1998, and probably even longer.) From Knight Street TC, the bus heads north on Goethals Dr, then east on Swift Blvd. Once on Swift Blvd, the bus serves the Richland Public Library. At Jadwin Ave, the bus turns left and heads north, passing by the Uptown Shopping Center and Chief Joseph Middle School, along with multiple apartment complexes. At the intersection with Highway 240, Jadwin Ave ends and the bus turns right to continue north along Stevens Dr (which is designed as a limited-access urban highway on this segment to help move Hanford traffic). At Stevens Center Place, the bus turns off and serves the office buildings there, which includes some Bechtel National offices. Once passed through the Stevens Center complex, the bus turns left off Garlick Blvd to head east on Spengler Rd, where immediately there is a bus stop to serve the Richland Mobile Home Park. The bus continues down Spengler Rd, until it turns right onto Carriage Ave, which is the last street before Spengler Rd intersects with George Washington Way (which is driven on by Route 26). On Carriage Ave, the bus heads south to Saint St. On Saint St, the bus then heads west, turning off at Newcomer Ave, which is the last  street before Saint St intersects with Stevens Dr (which Route 23 had previously gone north on). On Newcomer Ave, the bus continues heading south. Several blocks after turning on Newcomer Ave, the road curves and becomes an east-west street, renamed Newcomer St. On Newcomer St, the bus takes the very first right at Pike Ave. The bus travels south on Pike Ave for a short time before intersecting with McMurray St. On McMurray St, the bus heads west for a short distance before turning left at the intersection with Jadwin Ave. Finally, the bus travels south on Jadwin Ave along the same path traveled when headed north, turning west at Swift Blvd and south on Goethals Drive to end the trip at Knight Street TC, where it then switches to Route 26.

Route 26: Though the graphic for this route is more modernized, it too has been unchanged for a long period of time. From Knight Street TC, the bus heads east on Knight St, passing the Federal Building and the Richland Post Office. At the intersection with George Washington Way, the bus turns left and heads north. While heading north on George Washington Way, Route 26 passes many destinations, including the Richland Police Department, Richland City Hall, the Uptown Shopping Center and multiple other stores, Jefferson Elementary School, multiple apartment complexes and numerous houses, and Hanford High School. At the intersection of George Washington Way and Sprout Rd, the bus turns right to head east on Sprout Rd, which then brings it to the WSU Tri-Cities campus. (It’s at this point where the off-peak/peak routing for Route 26 differs.) During off-peak hours, the bus continues all the way down Sprout Rd to Harris Ave, where it then turns right and heads south. After passing several riverfront residences, the bus turns left to head west on Spring Rd, and then left again to head south on Davison Ave. At Snyder St, the bus turns right and heads west to reconnect with George Washington Way. Finally, the bus heads south along George Washington Way and then west onto Knight St to end the trip at Knight Street TC, where it then switches to Route 23. During peak hours, the bus turns left at Wazzu Pl (the street at the western edge of the parking lot), then travels north through the campus property by way of the very windy Crimson Way, where it passes by the Consolidated Information Center (WSU Library and PNNL-managed Hanford Technical Library). At the intersection with 1st St, the bus continues north along Port of Benton Blvd, passing by the offices of multiple Hanford-related companies. At 11th St, the bus turns left and then re-intersects with George Washington Way. After turning right and heading north for a short distance, the bus turns left and heads west on Horn Rapids Rd. At Q Ave, the bus turns left and heads south, passing through the middle of the Battelle/PNNL campus. At Battelle Blvd, the bus turns right, serves a stop directly in front of the PNNL building (at the north end of Einstein/W Ave), then heads south on Einstein/W Ave. When intersecting with 5th Ave, the bus turns left and then left again at Q Ave. The bus then continues north along Q Ave, passing through the Battelle/PNNL campus again. At Horn Rapids Rd, the bus turns right and then right again at George Washington Way. At the intersection with Sprout Rd, the bus turns left to head towards the WSU Tri-Cities campus. However, this time the bus continues on to Harris Ave and follows the same route that is always followed by Route 26 during off-peak hours.

Problems With the Current Routes

Let’s start with Route 23. As I’ve said in my complete BFT revamp post, the 23 is a strong performer. However, I’ll be the first to admit I don’t like the circuitous route it takes when heading south from Stevens Center towards Jadwin Ave. Part of the issue stems from the bus serving the Richland Mobile Home Park. In the early days of BFT service, the residents of this area pressed hard to get the 23 up there, and as far as I know it’s been there ever since. Every time I’ve ridden the 23, I’ve seen someone boarding/alighting (or both) at that stop. And because of topography the bus stop location is pretty inflexible, since the next stop east is at the bottom of a small hill. Since BFT planners made the decision to have the bus serve a stop on the south side of Spengler St, the bus was stuck going east and the circuitous route back to Jadwin Ave was the result. The simple solution would be to just have the bus simply go east on Spengler St, south on Carriage Ave, and then west on Saint St to reconnect with Stevens Dr. Part of the reason that isn’t the case is because of Stevens Dr being designed as a limited-access urban highway in that area, along with the potential for traffic signal delays at the Jadwin/240 intersection. However, Newcomer Ave/St is not a bus friendly street. It’s not unusual to see the bus have to let a car coming from the opposite direction pass by first because of the narrow street width/cars parked on the street. Largely because of the time that is wasted on the turnback loop for Route 23, often it will be running behind and arrive late at Knight Street TC. This really becomes an issue during peak hours, though the high number of people boarding/alighting are also to blame for that.

In Route 26′s case, the issue is split between the off-peak/peak routes. In the case of the off-peak 26, it’s not so much that there’s a problem with the route, but more of what I see as a waste of service. If the WSU Tri-Cities campus was directly located at the corner of George Washington Way and Sprout Rd, we could just keep the 26 on George Washington Way. However, because the campus was built at the end of Sprout Rd (next to the river), the 26 has to run down there. That’s part of the reason why the 26 is stuck doing it’s turnback loop on Harris Ave/Spring St/Davison Ave/Spengler St. (It doesn’t continue down Spring St since there isn’t a street light at the intersection with George Washington Way there.) The other reason is to bring the bus closer to Hanford High School. I think that may be an unnecessary endeavor, as the bus already serves Hanford High with a stop at Hanford St and George Washington Way, as well as some school trippers that run directly to/from Knight Street TC. With the peak 26, the issue is that the route is among the most circuitous in the BFT system. As I explained earlier in the post, the bus meanders quite a bit through the area. It also adds a half-hour of service time when running on the peak routing, which requires an additional bus to be dispatched for the 23/26 and then ends up taking away service hours that could be used elsewhere.

Possible Changes

As I explained at the beginning of this post, a lot of focus for this revamp is not only strengthen Routes 23 and 26, but to do so while bringing better service to the North Richland area. With that in mind, I have a few options to consider, each with their strengths and weaknesses.

-A “loop” is perhaps the simplest revision that could be incorporated. Both buses would leave Knight Street TC at the same time, with Route 23 heading up Jadwin Ave/Stevens Dr and Route 26 heading up George Washington Way. At Battelle Blvd, Route 23 would turn right and head east, while Route 26 would turn left and head west. At the corner of Q Ave, the bus running as Route 23 would turn into Route 26 and vice versa, with the bus that left Knight Street TC as Route 23 returning as Route 26, and the bus that left as Route 26 returning as Route 23. However, this option would present a couple of issues. Service on Route 23 would no longer cover Stevens Center or the Richland Mobile Home Park, and service on Route 26 would no longer cover the WSU Tri-Cities campus or Port of Benton Blvd. These destinations would still be within a 10 minute walk of a bus stop, and paratransit would not be affected, but this option has too many cons to make it worthwhile.

-Another option would be to keep each route on their current corridors (Route 23 on Jadwin/Stevens, Route 26 on GW Way), but simplify the routes and have their northern ends oriented around the Battelle/PNNL campus. There are multiple variations on how the buses could traverse the North Richland area, but for a general guideline, they would go something like the example pictured on the right. For Route 23, the route would still leave and arrive at Knight Street TC via the same direction currently used. When travelling north, Route 23 would head north on Stevens Dr, then turn right to head east on Spengler Rd. On Spengler Rd, the bus stop for Richland Mobile Home Park (abbreviated as “RMHP” on the map) would be moved further west. The bus would then turn onto Stevens Center Place and go through the complex, heading west to reconnect with Stevens Dr and continue heading north. At Battelle Blvd, the bus would head east, passing by the main PNNL building. At Q Ave, the bus would turn left to head north, passing through the middle of the Battelle/PNNL campus. Turning left at Horn Rapids Blvd and then left again at Stevens Dr, Route 23 would then head south towards the Jadwin/240 intersection. It would then turn left to continue south on Jadwin Ave, and then finally end the trip at Knight Street TC. For Route 26, the new route would be a consolidated version of the off-peak/peak routings. When heading northbound, the route would follow Knight St east, and then turn left onto George Washington Way and head north. At Sprout Rd, the bus would turn right and head east towards the WSU Tri-Cities campus. Just as the peak 26 currently does, the bus would turn left at Wazzu Pl and then left again at Crimson Way. At the end of Crimson Way, the bus would continue north along Port of Benton Blvd, and then turn left at Battelle Blvd. When reconnecting with George Washington Way, the bus would turn north for a little bit more, and then turn left at Horn Rapids Rd. Making another left turn, the bus would head south on Q Ave, passing through the middle of the Battelle/PNNL campus. At Battelle Blvd, the bus would turn left and head east for a short distance to reconnect with George Washington Way again. Finally, the bus would turn right and head south and then end the trip at Knight Street TC. There are multiple variations on the directions/roads that the routes could travel through the North Richland area, but there are a few destinations that largely dictate the possibilities of how the routes can be designed. (The names are underlined with red on the map.) With Route 23, ideally the bus wouldn’t have to meander off Stevens Dr to serve the Richland Mobile Home Park and Stevens Center. However, unless there was a convenient bus stop at the corner of Stevens Dr and Spengler St (like the curb cut at the corner of Saint St), it would be a hard sell, particularly for the mobile home park. In the case of Route 26, I would prefer to have the bus running all the way north on George Washington Way, but the location of the WSU Tri-Cities campus prohibits that. Even if the bus were to go down Sprout Rd, serve the campus, and then turn around to head back to George Washington Way, the time consumed on that maneuver would actually be more than the time spent heading north along Crimson Way towards Port of Benton Blvd. Also, with all the Hanford-related employers on Port of Benton Blvd, moving the bus off that road would be a bit contradictory to the goal of getting more people in this area out of their cars.

-Lastly, there would be the option of instituting an express route running between Knight Street TC and the North Richland area. It’s important to note that this option could be instituted as soon as tomorrow if BFT so wished, and it would have no impact on service hours, bus dispatches, or staffing. Routes 23 and 26 would remain unchanged and continue running as they currently do. However, the peak-extension that the 26 currently has would be deleted, and instead it would be shifted to the express route, which we’ll call Route 26X. Departing Knight Street TC at the same time, Routes 26 and 26X would both follow the same path when heading northbound. However, the key difference is that the 26 would be making all the stops along the way, but the 26X would have zero stops until North Richland. In the graphic on the left, you’ll see the red markers which indicate the locations of the stops for Route 26X. All of these are stops that are currently in existence, so the infrastructural work for this change would be very minimal (minus the removal of stops on the east side of Q Ave, as well as the one at Einstein/6th). You may also notice that there is a red marker to the left which isn’t on the route’s path. That’s the location of a current stop on the peak 26 in front of the PNNL building. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep that stop for the 26X, but it is still a key location, so I thought it would be best to note it. Once headed southbound back to Knight Street TC, Route 26X would still not be making any passenger pick-ups, but it could do drop-offs if requested. I don’t think this would be a big issue, as in my experience from riding the peak 26, very few if any riders from the North Richland area disembark before the bus arrives at Knight Street TC. Using the same parameters of the existing schedule for Route 26 (view it here on BFT’s website), Route 26X would run 6 times during each peak period. AM Peak would see a departure from Knight Street TC every 30 minutes from 6:15 to 8:45, while PM Peak would see a departure every 30 minutes from 3:15 to 5:45. Something else that could be considered with this restructure is adding a 6:15 departure for Route 26. It’s not absolutely crucial, but I know it’s a trip that would be used by riders. This could even be a good application for my Drop-Off Only idea, though I still think it’d be better to have the buses running later in the first place.

In Conclusion…

Each of these options has their strengths and weaknesses. However, I do think that one of these options, or even a hybrid, would leave service for riders of the existing routes unaffected while still improving access to transit for the North Richland area. Personally, I would like to see the 2nd option instituted, but one of its biggest downfalls is the minimal spare time it allows, which could lead to late buses and missed connections. That’s why I think the last option, creating Route 26X, would be the best way to go.

What are your thoughts on this? Leave a comment below, or send me a tweet to @ziggzagzac.

If I had to summarize this month’s board meeting, I would simply say this: It is going to be an interesting year for BFT.

Ever since I started regularly attending the board meetings, the attendance has always been rather sparse. For most meetings, it was only myself, another rider and DAR driver who are also regular attendee’s, and a representative from the CAC (Citizen’s Advisory Committee). At last night’s meeting, people had to listen in from outside the meeting room, as somewhere between 60-70 fixed-route and DAR drivers had shown up to the meeting. Something that hasn’t been getting much discussion in the public face (or rather, something I really didn’t know much about) is this underlying tension between the unionized drivers and the admin/board.  From what I’ve gotten from things I’ve overheard/talks with drivers, it’s not just one issue but a multitude. When the union contracts were last renegotiated, only the mechanics got a raise of 2.5%. Other unionized employees did not see a raise. (I think there were also some non-unionized employees who saw raises.) The union seems to also be upset for the continued study that’s being put forth into the feasibility of a Hanford worker-driver bus program, something which they have been adamantly against since Richard Bloom (the West Richland board representative, now former employee at Hanford) first proposed it. When the public had to leave the meeting room for an executive session, I went outside as all the drivers did so too. Someone who I presume is the Teamster’s president (the union that represents both fixed-route and DAR drivers) was addressing all the drivers that showed up. I didn’t hear the entire conversation, but I caught bits and pieces of it. From the sound of it, there’s going to be some drivers picketing either this Sunday, or sometime soon. The one crucial thing I should mention is that in the drivers contract, there is a strict “no-strike” clause in it. However, if what I was told by one driver today is true, then there is no current contract between the drivers and BFT, and unless I’m mistaken there would be no ability to enforce a no-strike rule. All I know is that things are going to get interesting…

Beyond all this, there was other things addressed at the meeting.

Sometime in May, BFT is going to be conducting its first onboard survey of riders in 4 years. (For a timeline reference, that would have been before routes/service hours started to be cut.) Staff are still working on a final version of the survey, getting input from the Planning & Marketing Committee as well as the CAC. Kathy McMullen, BFT’s Service Development Manager, said that they want to have the survey put out sometime in May. The survey will be handed out by drivers on board buses, who will collect completed surveys and hand them in to staff.  Tri-City Taxi, the contractor for Night Service and Taxi Feeder, will also be giving these surveys to riders of those services. It was also noted that Vanpool will be conducting the survey by email and paper copies. I really hope that BFT does decide to also conduct the survey on its website, as the more results they can get, the better information they’ll have.

Also important to riders is the possibility that we’ll be seeing a fare increase this year. BFT had said that a fare increase would be considered for 2012 last year. With the prospect of record prices for gas and diesel, as well as continually increasing costs for operations, I think it’s almost a guarantee we’ll be seeing the fare increase. Public hearings, talks with the CAC and Administration & Finance Committee, and legal notices/public releases will all be conducted as part of the process. If the fare increase is adopted, it’ll result in a 20% increase for most fare media (with some exceptions). To see the whole list, you can view this photo. The bright side is that things aren’t “bad” for BFT, which can’t be said for other agencies like MBTA. When the subject becomes more relevant, I’ll have a full-on post covering it.

Over in Benton City, a proposal to move the Benton City Park-and-Ride is being considered. This was brought up a couple of months ago, but with communications now being formalized, things are starting to move forward. Currently, the Benton City P&R is located at the corner of Dale Ave and 9th St. (See the map here.) The city wants to move it two blocks east to a property at the SW corner of Dale Ave and 7th St. The main reason for this possible move is because a local pharmacy approached the city about using the property to expand their business. The reason that BFT has to be involved is because when the P&R was originally constructed, the stipulation for BFT’s financial contribution was that they got a 20-year lease on the property. Personally, I don’t see any reason for this move, but I won’t be surprised if it happens. However, there is one important factor that has to be considered. Benton City also has a P&R located at Exit 96 off I-82, which is also next to the intersection of State Highways 224/225. The intersection has become a bit of a bottleneck, and so WSDOT has been working on ways to redesign the intersection. The solution they (currently) plan to go with is a 5-branch roundabout, which require the current P&R to be relocated to a property just east of the area (See the map here.) This effort is going to require a lot of inter-agency work to come up with a solution favorable for all involved. My hope is that BFT sticks to their guns and doesn’t get the short stick in the process.

For the Vanpool program, BFT was able to get a grant from WSDOT to help pay for 14 replacement vans. The grant will cover 70% of the cost, with local match covering the rest. However, the purchase in total will be for 31 replacement vans, most of which have been in service for a long time and are overdue to be retired. The purchase sadly will not be an opportunity to expand the Vanpool fleet, which there is an obvious demand for, but it’s still a good step that does have to be taken. It was also mentioned that local non-profits will have the opportunity to purchase the vans being retired for $500.

Next week, I’m hoping to have some more info about everything going on with the union, and I’ll have another post on that.

One of the reporters for local TV station KAPP (Yakima) and KVEW (Tri-Cities), David Mance, posted a tweet about how the Greyhound station in Yakima would be moving from its current downtown location to the AM/PM gas station and convenience store at the corner of Fruitvale Blvd and 40th Ave, effective starting February 14th.

Let’s get the obvious issue out of the way first…

The current downtown location has a ticket office, passenger waiting area, bus bays, etc. It’s in a central location, near the convention center and  multiple dining/shopping options. And did I mention it’s smack dab downtown? Plus, the Yakima Transit Center is just 3 blocks away, offering connections to all Yakima Transit routes (including service to Selah and Ellensburg) and the Yakima-Prosser Community Connector.

The new location has zero available passenger amenities on site (though there are several restaurants in the vicinity). Presumably, ticketing will be available inside the convenience store, though I don’t know what sort of arrangement will be in place with the store. (Possible cut of ticket sales?) Lastly, just two bus routes (Route 7 and Route 9) offer service to the location.

Suffice to say, this is a bit of a downgrade in station quality for the residents of Yakima. (…which is not to say Greyhound is a high-class monocle wearing spectacle, but you get the idea.)

There’s not much information coming out about this, so I’m left guessing the reasons behind this move. I’m sure part of it is a staffing issue. Currently, the Yakima Greyhound station is open from 9AM to 12:30PM and 2:30PM to 5:30PM daily. (Only the evening eastbound trip arrives when the station is closed.) I don’t know if the station is staffed directly by Greyhound or an agent representing them, but it’s no secret the company is looking for ways to cut costs where it can. It may have something to do with the building itself. I have never set foot in the building myself (I never stepped off the bus when riding Greyhound to/from Seattle), but it’s pretty obvious the facility is ready for a remodel. According to Greyhound spokesman Timothy Stokes in Cincinnati, Greyhound does own the station and will move to sell it after moving the stop to the AM/PM. He also said that “the move will improve service because the market offers food around the clock and the freeway is nearby.”

The thing that bugs me about this is what I see as a growing trend for Greyhound stops in this part of the country. On the Seattle-Stanfield OR route alone, only the Seattle and Pasco stops will have dedicated facilities after the Yakima stop is moved next week. In Ellensburg, Sunnyside, and Stanfield, the stops are all located at truck stops/gas stations on the fringe of town right next to an interstate exit. For intercity buses to be successful, passengers need to have easy access to them.

Curious what others thought of this move, I combed the web searching for reactions. These are just some of them:

“Too bad. My favorite part of Greyhound is unique vintage bus stops like Yakima’s.”
“All the things are use to know in Yakima are slowly going away.”
“Great…another empy building downtown!!”
“Great news for the taggers.”
“That is a better location. You could get shot waiting for a bus where it is now.”

I think I’ve made it clear what I think of this move. What do you think? Leave me a comment below, or send me a tweet to @ziggzagzac.

@Yakima_Herald: State rules Yakima-Ellensburg bus service is legal http://bit.ly/A9uS6z

Suffice to say, I had questions. So, I read on…

Apparently, since the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter launched service, one of it’s competitors has made the argument that the service illegally overlapped his. That competitor is Richard Johnson, owner of Central Washington Airporter (part of Bellair Charters, provider of the “Airporter Shuttle” service). He claims the subsidy that WSDOT gave to Yakima Transit/HopeSource allows “the agencies [to use] taxpayers dollars to undercut private industry.”

However, Mr. Johnson’s argument is moot because of a law enacted in 2009. It states that the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission is excused from regulating such services if they are found to be in the public interest and are funded by the state Department of Transportation (WSDOT). I’d say from the hefty ridership that the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter has seen since first starting (it’s been running two buses side by side on some trips for additional capacity), the public interest has definitely been met.

In the comments on a previous Yakima Herald’s story on this matter, someone made an interesting point: “I would think that it depends on the schedule each service is offering. I think the local guy has his nose out of joint that he didn’t think to expand his service until the city dove in and took the chance to try it. Had it not been a resounding success, we would never be hearing about this suit now.” I’m inclined to agree with the commenter. I don’t think Mr. Johnson would be making such a fuss about this if the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter wasn’t doing so well.

Now, I don’t want anyone to think I have anything against Mr. Johnson or his company. I’ve always had a good experience when using CWA’s services (which also happen to include the Grape Line and the Gold Line), and I wish them nothing but success. However, in the case of the Yakima-Ellensburg intercity corridor, the previously existing bus services (Airporter Shuttle and Greyhound) weren’t cutting it, so the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter helped fill that gap and increased travel between the two cities. In the long run, that benefits everyone, including Mr. Johnson.

(Tweets are arranged to follow “threads.” To make it easier to understand, [notes] are added where needed.)

@ziggzagzac: Saw 2 more ex-[Sound Transit] coaches in service today. Found out that I have pics of one in its former life. That’ll be a fun before/after comparison.

@ziggzagzac: I’m sure if I dig around [Seattle Transit Blog]‘s Flickr pool, I’ll find pics of all the ex-ST coaches that BFT bought. It’s nice to use my own pics though.

@transitdude: didn’t they get reprinted?

@ziggzagzac: Repainted?… Nope: http://www.flickr.com/photos/65822868@N08/6540859059/

@oranv: I once saw a Party Bus on the [Highway] 520 bridge and mistaken it for a Community Transit articulated bus.

@danielmwarwick: I’ve heard Snohomish County throws one hell of a party…

@oranv: they got Snohos

@danielmwarwick: and SnoCones

@ziggzagzac: Ain’t no party like a Snohomish County party ’cause a Snohomish County party don’t stop!

@safesler: Except on Sundays.

@ziggzagzac: Just mobilize the party and rock out on the [King County Metro Route] 358. How could that possibly go wrong?

@safesler: And continue the fun to the [King County Metro Route] 150!!! Ballin’, yo!

@ziggzagzac: No more #150problems cause it’s a #150party! Bonus, all the supplies are probably on the bus.

@danielmwarwick: soon there will also no longer be #99problems

@ziggzagzac: ”I’ve got #99problems but a bus ain’t one…” (*hopes the reference is understood)

@safesler: Boom box, cans, silly string (or what looks like it), ugly sweaters, entertainment…yep.

@danielmwarwick: no party on Sunday because they’re recovering from Saturday night

@transitdude: sad. No Sunday party.

@oranv: Disco Bus on a Saturday night is all you need.

A couple of things I’ll note… The Sunday mentions are in reference to the unpopular decision Community Transit (the transit agency for Snohomish County outside of Everett) made to completely cut all Sunday service starting in June 2010. While it makes fiscal sense (less ridership impact, more money saved vs frequency reductions), most if not all transit nerds and advocates would agree it was a poor decision. The mentions of KCM Routes 358 and 150 are a little simpler. Both routes are famous in the Seattle area for attracting the more unsavory groups of transit riders, particularly the 358. (Check out some of the stuff posted by Twitter user @RoxThe358, it’ll explain it better.)

The thing about transit humour, as Oran pointed out, is that it is very localized. For example, a joke about the riders of KCM Route 358 probably makes very little, if any, sense to someone who lives in Cincinnati. Another example, a tongue-in-cheek remark about Toronto’s “Red Rocket” doesn’t mean much to a resident of Los Angeles. As users of transit, we’re more likely to be spending more time getting to our destinations, and are going to have to do that in close quarters with just about every member of society imaginable. For many riders, humour can be the only thing that keeps them going on a daily basis. If we can’t laugh at the “company” we’re sharing a ride with, why would we want to keep using transit?

So readers, I’ll ask you… What is the funniest thing about your local transit agency? Is it a route, an agency nickname, a particular rider, or something else? Leave a comment below, or send me a tweet to @ziggzagzac.

*And yes, I realize I’ve been spelling it as “humour.” I’m Canadian… It’s just how I roll. ;)

Below, I have a list that I will be updating as often as possible on delays/detours/service cancellations for transit services in the region.

Update #1 (10:33AM): Information for Ben Franklin Transit/Grapeline/Link Transit/Valley Transit/Yakima Transit has been updated.

Update #2 (1:26PM): No changes to report. Some minor delays may still be occuring.

Update #3 (5:25PM): Information for Grapeline has been updated.

Update #4 (11:39PM): Information for Grapeline has been updated.

Update #5 (4:10PM SAT): Unless there is a major change in the weather, this will be the last update. All services are back to normal. Ben Franklin Transit, Grapeline, and Link Transit have been posting timely updates on their websites (links below), so always double-check to be safe.

• Ben Franklin Transit: Some buses are running on schedule today, though most are facing minor delays of only a few minutes. Route 47 has resumed regular route today, and is now serving Garfield Hill again. Route 50 is not serving the Comfort Inn and Shopko stops. The bus will proceed directly to Grandridge Blvd after serving the JC Penny stop. Route 67 will serve the CBC Campus in Pasco by request only; Route 225 is unaffected.
• Central Transit (Ellensburg): No information has been reported at this time. Expect bus to be delayed (if it is running).
• Community Connector (Yakima to Prosser Bus): All service for Friday, 1/20, has been cancelled.
• Grapeline (Walla Walla to Pasco bus): All service for the rest of Thursday, 1/19, has been cancelled. For Friday , 1/20, all service has been cancelled. For Saturday, 1/21, the 6:35AM Walla Walla departure and the 9:55AM Pasco departure have been cancelled. Service for the rest of the day is still scheduled to run, but that is subject to change.
• Link Transit (Wenatchee/Chelan and Douglas Counties): Most buses are running close to on time today, some minor delays may be seen.
• Union Gap Transit: No information has been reported at this time. Expect bus to be delayed (if it is running).
• Valley Transit (Walla Walla): In response to my Facebook post, the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin says that Valley Transit reports “everything is on schedule as normal for today.” To be on the safe side, expect minor delays.
• Yakima Transit: No changes have been reported, but expect some minor delays.

If you have any questions/need information, don’t be afraid to call the Customer Service phone number for your transit agency. They are there to help you in any way they can. But please do be patient as they will most likely be receiving many calls.

What’s that?

I’ll let this quote from TCC’s site explain:

You as [a] citizen lobbyist are the most powerful tool we have to be successful in pushing forward good policies in Olympia and we need your support.  We are shooting to have the largest transportation advocacy day ever. This will be an all day event, register today.

Our morning will be a great time to get trained and informed on what is going on with transportation in Olympia this year.  It is also a great time to connect with like minded advocates from across the state.  The afternoon will be dedicated to meeting with your legislators.

The whole point is to show the legislators of Washington State that we the citizens care about transit, and want them to care about transit too, by “[bringing] Washingtonians more and better transportation choices — real opportunities to take a bus, catch a train, ride a bike, or walk.”

The west side of the state, being more liberal-minded and friendlier to transit, tends to be well represented at this event each year. The east side of the state, including the Tri-Cities, is more conservative-minded and isn’t as friendly to transit. That’s not to say that this side of the state doesn’t have people who truly believe in the power of transit and everything it encompasses (I think the existence of my blog helps make that point). Via tweets sent from @TranspoChoices, I found out that participants from Zillah, Dayton, and Dixie (all small Eastern Washington towns) have signed up for TAD2012. For my part, I’m working on seeing if I’ll have the chance to attend and participate. However, I fully encourage anyone and everyone who lives in Washington, especially Eastern Washington, to sign up and go to Olympia on January 31st to make your voice heard.

To sign up and learn more about TAD2012: http://transportationchoices.org/action/transportation-advocacy-day-2012

As the service day for fixed-route and paratransit will be over in less than 2 hours, there shouldn’t be any major problems tonight. If the snow starts accumulating rapidly tonight, delays could be possible for Night Service riders. As a fellow user of Night Service, I’d advise all other users to be patient, but also don’t be afraid to call and check in for the status of your ride (especially if you’ve haven’t been picked up 20 minutes past your scheduled time).

For tomorrow, there’s no way to know how things will be running until we see the conditions firsthand. My advice is prepare for the worst. If you don’t have to leave your house, then don’t. Stay nice and warm inside, enjoy a hot cocoa, and enjoy a good movie or a book. If you do have to leave your house, be prepared for buses running late. Each and every driver at BFT puts safety as their first priority, so they will most likely need to drive slower to adapt for the conditions. Also expect buses to be missing connections at transit centers. If you can get on a bus that interlines with a route that will get you close/directly to your destination, that’ll be your best bet.

For detours, I’m not aware of any “snow route” system that BFT may have (though I’m going to try and find out for future reference). The only specific detour I can report on is for Route 47. Almost always, when the snow falls, Route 47 will be detoured off Garfield Hill and instead run up/down 19th between Garfield and Olympia, and then up/down Olympia to 27th to continue the normal route, so expect the bus to be doing that. Buses may be detoured on a case by case basis. Your best bet to catch a bus is if you are on a road that has been plowed.

If you have any questions, or need information on anything, don’t be afraid to call Customer Service at (509) 735-5100. Understand that many people will be calling them, so it may be busy. I do ask that you be as patient as possible with the Customer Service agents, they work very hard and strive to help you as much as they can.

On my part, I’ll try and tweet any information that I find out via @ziggzagzac. If it’s major information, I’ll update this post below.

UPDATE (11:07AM): Buses are running between 10-20 minutes behind schedule right now. Route 47 is on the detour I mentioned when originally posting this. (No service on Garfield Hill, detouring via 19th between Garfield/Olympia and Olympia between 19th/27th.) Route 50 is also on detour, with no service to the stops at Comfort Inn and Shopko. The bus is proceeding directly to Grandridge Blvd after leaving the JC Penny stop.

Ben Franklin Transit phone numbers
(All start with area code 509)

Customer Service: 735-5100
Dial-A-Ride: 735-0160
Night Service: 545-0684
Vanpool: 943-5442
Prosser (General Demand/Dial-A-Ride): 786-1707
Business Office: 735-4131