Pierce Transit awarded state funding for new Tacoma Tideflats/ Port of Tacoma service

The State of Washington has awarded Pierce Transit $568,000 for the 2021-23 biennium, with the potential for another $568,000 in the following biennium, in Regional Mobility Grants to provide on-demand public transportation service to the Port of Tacoma Manufacturing Industrial Center. The project will create a transit connection between the Tideflats and Port areas to other local and regional transit services in Tacoma.

The Port of Tacoma currently has no local transit services, yet there are more than 8,500 jobs based in the Tideflats area. The concentration of jobs and high social equity populations in this area have resulted in underserved transit-dependent and choice riders. Providing on-demand service in this area will assist companies with employee transportation needs, provide congestion relief and offer access to jobs and life services for those needing transportation connections. The goal is to use battery electric vehicles for this service, which will run in an area of high environmental sensitivity.

The state funding will allow Pierce Transit to design a project that provides a transit connection to the Port of Tacoma Manufacturing Industrial Center by:

Providing on-demand service with service hours commensurate with employer work shifts
Providing app-based and phone-in access for requesting rides
Providing wheelchair-accessible vehicles to ensure equity of access
Allowing fare payment via an ORCA card to support employer-provided transit benefit programs
Connecting to the Commerce Street and Tacoma Dome Station transit hubs to support local and regional transit connections
Creating ridership and boarding location data to help inform improvements to future transit service

“This service will provide a great alternative for people who have been driving their car to a job in this part of Tacoma,” said Pierce Transit CEO Sue Dreier. “It will also open doors to new job opportunities for people who don’t own a personal vehi-cle. We are very grateful to our Pierce County legislative delegation for making the funding of this service a priority and are excited to get it up and running.”

The state funds will be available to Pierce Transit starting later this summer. Between now and then the agency will design the service and make a public announcement with its details before it gets underway. Agency staff will also work directly with employers in the Port and Tideflats areas to ensure they and their employees are aware of the service.

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Trip Planner Tips - Entering Locations

To create a trip plan you need to enter both a starting location (origin) and an ending location (destination). For information about stops, schedules, or service at a specific location, you only need to enter one location.

The Trip Planner recognizes most street intersections and addresses as well as many landmarks in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties. If what you entered is not immediately recognized, the Trip Planner will offer you a list of options. You can choose one of the options, but if your intended location is not there, select the "Revise Original Entries" link to return to the entry page and change the entries you have already made.

Addresses

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You don't need to type in the city. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type Conifer & Jones instead of Conifer Circle & Jones Boulevard.)
You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 3rd & Main instead of 3rd S & S Main. But type 34th & West Viewmont for 34th W & West Viewmont Way W.)
Some streets are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby intersection or a landmark.

Landmarks

Government Sites: Pierce County Health Dept, Pierce Co Sheriffs Office, Tacoma City Hall

Major Commercial Sites: Tacoma Mall, Sheraton Hotel

Transportation Facilities: Sea-Tac Airport, Greyhound Bus Depot

Schools & Colleges: Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Community College

Sports & Leisure: Cheney Stadium, Pt Defiance Zoo

Medical Facilities: Group Health, Tacoma General Hospital