Intercity Transit riders heading to Lakewood and Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM) will have two new route options for their commute starting in September.
The transit agency will introduce two routes to replace Route 620, which goes from Olympia Transit Center to SR-512 Park & Ride in Lakewood, according to an update by Rob LaFontaine, the agency’s planning deputy director, to the Intercity Transit Authority on Wednesday, June 4.
The first route will be a weekdays-only direct route to Lakewood Station and SR-512 Park & Ride with a stop at Martin Way Park & Ride in Lacey.
The second route will be available every day of the week and will take longer as it will make diversions to Lacey Transit Center, Hawks Prairie Park & Ride, and at the Madigan Gate at Berkeley Street in Tacoma, where a connecting ride via Pierce Transit may take riders to JBLM.
LaFontaine said the second route will be financially supported by a regional mobility grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation. Intercity Transit staff will be working in the coming months to finalize an agreement for the grant.
LaFontaine added they will work with the marketing team to help communicate with riders how the two routes differ to ensure that they know which one to take.
After his presentation, Authority member Brian Hess, a Yelm City Council member, asked whether riders would have to pay for the connecting trip to JBLM since Intercity Transit’s service is fare-free.
General Manager Emily Bergkamp said the fare from the Madigan Gate is $2 and a dollar for individuals with disabilities.
LaFontaine’s update was part of his briefing on the agency’s transit development plan, a state-mandated compilation of planning documents.
The documents contain plans for planned operation changes, which is why the two new routes were presented.
The document also includes the agency’s financial plan and performance measures, as well as describes how the agency’s goals align with the state’s broader transportation goals and the comprehensive plans of several jurisdictions within the agency’s service area.
The compilation also includes the agency’s capital improvements program and transportation improvement program. The agency adopted the newest versions of both documents at the same meeting.
The capital improvement plan details all construction improvements and acquisitions of more than $10,000 in value. Meanwhile, the transportation improvement program lists all projects of regional significance, which would require state or federal funding.
LaFontaine said staff will present the transit development plan to the agency’s community advisory committee on June 16 before putting it to a public hearing on July 16. Intercity Transit staff plans to return the plan to the board for final approval on Aug. 6.
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Dogmom
I fail to understand why Thurston County taxpayers are paying to go to 2 destinations that are not in Thurston County. Even $2 a person or $1 if disabled will hardly cover the extra time and fuel to go that far. The traffic will probably add at least another half hour to the commute. That adds up pretty fast. Is Pierce County Transit footing the bill for any of this?
Supposedly it will be supported by a grant from Washington State Transportation but it is still taxpayers that pay for that grant from D.O.T. is it not?
I'm glad that Intercity Transit has so much taxpayer money that they can build new facilities that no one wants to work out of, like the transfer station downtown(last I heard was that it was sitting empty but maybe that has changed by now) and all the money being spent on building new facilities on Pattison between Martin Way and Pacific and yet they keep asking for more money in their budget.
Doesn't any agency try to live within their generous budget or just keep spending and want taxpayers to keep paying?
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