Pierce Transit Debuts Improved Frequency and Routes on March 12

Route 500 is among several Pierce Transit routes slated for frequency improvements on March 12.

After approving the restoration of 59,000 annual service hours in April of last year, Pierce Transit took a long and hard look at its existing route network, with some help from the public. The result is a service change scheduled for Sunday, March 12, which will affect 31 routes and add 35,000 service hours that were cut during the recession, building upon a service change from September. Some routes will be deleted and replaced with re-aligned routes, while others will see frequency bumps and later weeknight service. To make sense of the overhaul, Pierce Transit has released an interactive map of major changes that can be sorted route-by-route or by the type of service improvement; individual routes also have dashcam videos (example: Route 53), showing the drivers' view of modified routes.

With Pierce Transit lagging behind peer agencies to the north, and a real need for better transit service to serve Pierce County's growing population, the change will be yet another leap forward in our regional transit system. Pierce Transit is also jumping on new transit technologies, mostly funded by FTA loans, like rideshare partnerships, on-board Wi-Fi, electric buses, and better security. An additional 10,000 service hours could be added in the September 2017 service change, to complete Pierce Transit's goal of 59,000 restored service hours in 2016 and 2017.

The full list of changes is below, after the jump.

• Route 1 (6th Ave-Pacific): Weekday and Sunday running times are improved on trips using Pacific Avenue on the new Interstate 5 overpass.
• Route 3 (Lakewood-Tacoma): The route will replace Route 300 on South Tacoma Way, with direct service between Downtown Tacoma, Tacoma Mall and Lakewood. New connectivity will be added at SR-512 Park & Ride.
• Route 4 (Lakewood-South Hill): Buses will use 100th Street SW between Lakewood Transit Center and SR-512 Park & Ride instead of 108th Street SW. Weekday evening service will be extended to 10 p.m. via three new trips.
• Route 10 (Pearl Street): Buses will no longer serve N Vassault Street, with all trips instead staying on N Pearl Street. On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes, and evening trips will be extended to 10 p.m.
• Route 11 (Pt. Defiance): Buses will be re-routed in North Tacoma to reduce duplication with other routes and replace all of Route 14. On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes, and evening trips will be extended to 10 p.m. On weekends, a new round-trip will be added in the morning. On St. Helens Avenue, Routes 11 and 16 will combine for 15-minute frequency between the Stadium District and Downtown Tacoma.
• Route 13 (N 30th Street): The Proctor District terminus will be modified with a new loop using N Union Avenue.
• Route 14 (Proctor District): Route 14 is eliminated in favor of service from Route 11.
• Route 15 (Downtown to Pt. Defiance Trolley): A new seasonal trolley shuttle will run every 30 minutes from June 2 through September 3, between Downtown Tacoma and Point Defiance on Ruston Way. It will be the first such service on Ruston Way since 1991.
• Route 16 (North End): Buses will no longer serve N Stevens Street and N 11th Street, in favor of serving higher-ridership areas on N Pearl Street and N 26th Street. On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes until 6 p.m., and evening trips will be extended to 10 p.m.
• Route 28 (S 12th Street): On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes, and evening trips will be extended to 10 p.m.
• Route 41 (S 56th Street-Salishan): Buses will no longer serve the 72nd Street Transit Center, instead continuing west on S 56th Street to the Tacoma Mall. On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes, and evening trips will be extended to 10 p.m. On weekends, trips will begin on Commerce Street instead of terminating at Tacoma Dome Station.
• Route 42 (McKinley Avenue): On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes, and evening trips will be extended to 10 p.m.
• Route 45 (Yakima Avenue): On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes, and evening trips will be extended to 10 p.m.
• Route 48 (Sheridan-M Street): Buses will use Yakima Avenue instead of G Street (serving Hilltop), and Steilacoom Boulevard in Lakewood (serving Clover Park Technical College). On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes, and evening trips will be extended to 10 p.m. On Yakima Avenue, Routes 45 and 48 will combine for 15-minute frequency north of S 38th Street.
• Route 51 (Union Avenue): Route 51 is eliminated due to low ridership and performance, as well as overlapping routes. Route 206 will provide service to the Springbrook neighborhood of Lakewood.
• Route 52 (TCC-Tacoma Mall): Weekday evening service will be extended to 10 p.m.
• Route 53 (University Place): Route 53 will no longer run from Tacoma Mall to Downtown Tacoma, which is covered by other existing and modified routes. On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes until 6 p.m., and evening trips will be extended to 10 p.m. Some weekday trips will continue from Tacoma Mall as Route 55.
• Route 54 (S 38th Street-Portland Avenue): Buses will continue on S 38th Street instead of serving S Yakima Avenue and S 48th Street. On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes, and evening trips will be extended to 10 p.m.
• Route 55 (Tacoma Mall): Weekday evening service will be extended to 10 p.m. Two new trips on Sunday will be added.
• Route 56 (S 56th Street): Route 56 is eliminated in favor of service on Routes 41 and 54.
• Route 57 (Union-S 19th Street-Hilltop): Weekday evening service will be extended to 10 p.m. Three new trips on weekdays and two new trips on weekends will be added.
• Route 101 (Gig Harbor Trolley): Season service returns for the summer, from June 1 through September 4. Possible detours on Route 100 (TCC-Gig Harbor-Purdy) may impact service on Route 101.
• Route 202 (72nd Street): Weekday evening service will be extended to 10 p.m.
• Route 206 (Pacific Highway-Tillicum-Madigan): Buses will serve the Springbrook neighborhood of Lakewood in place of Route 300. On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes, and evening trips will be extended to 10 p.m.
• Route 212 (Steilacoom): Weekday evening service will be extended to 10 p.m.
• Route 214 (Washington): Weekday evening service will be extended to 10 p.m.
• Route 300 (S Tacoma Way): Route 300 is eliminated in favor of service on Routes 3 and 206. Service to Joint Base Lewis-McChord will be provided by the base-operated GO Transit shuttle.
• Route 400 (Puyallup-Tacoma): Two new trips will be added on weekdays.
• Route 402 (Meridian): On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes.
• Route 500 (Tacoma-Federal Way): On weekdays, mid-day trips will run every 30 minutes, and evening trips will be extended to 11 p.m.
• Route 501 (Milton-Federal Way): Departure times will be adjusted.

The service changes will restore a decent grid of 30-minute frequency bus routes across most of Tacoma and to major cities in the county, as seen in the map below. To celebrate the service change, Pierce Transit will provide free service from March 12 to March 18.

Map of Pierce Transit routes by mid-day weekday frequency, as of March 2017. (Pierce Transit)