Jefferson Transit plans to add Sunday service

Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 30, 2026

PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson Transit Authority will offer Sunday service starting this weekend as a part of a pilot program funded through the end of the year.

Sunday’s routing and scheduling will reflect Saturday’s with the exception of the Jefferson Transit Olympic Connection, which runs from Forks to Amanda Park in Grays Harbor. That route will not run on Sundays.

For qualifying riders, mostly those with medical needs, Jefferson Transit Authority’s (JTA) Dial-A-Ride program also will be extended to Sunday. For more information on how to apply, visit jeffersontransit.com/171/Dial-A-Ride.

Route information can be found at jeffersontransit.com/178/Routes-Schedules. Sunday fares, along with the rest of the week, will be free.

Sunday service was suspended in 2011 for two main reasons: low use and financial constraints.

“Currently, Jefferson Transit does not have those financial constraints,” JTA General Manager Nicole Gauthier said.

The funding for the pilot program comes from a Transit Support grant through the state’s Climate Commitment Act.

Because pilot programs are temporary, they often do not qualify for recurring state grants, which typically require a service to be established and permanent before funding can be unlocked.

“When — I’m going to say when — Jefferson Transit does formally adopt Sunday service, we would then be able to use a more stable stream of funding to help pay for that service,” Gauthier said.

While staff do not expect to see usage rates as high as Saturdays, they will be looking for trends of increased use throughout the summer and into the fall. For the service to continue, people will have to use it, Gauthier said.

The estimated yearly cost to operate Sunday service is $509,658.

“Going from six days of service to seven days of service required the agency to hire more drivers, hire more dispatchers, mechanics, supervisors,” Gauthier said.

The estimated yearly cost for the full week of Jefferson Transit service amounts to $7,240,325.65. Of that total, the agency’s Dial-A-Ride program accounts for $1,542,721.06, while the remaining $5,697,604.59 covers the fixed-route schedule, including the new Sunday pilot program.

While the agency’s working figures included a 2025 total of 265,535 riders, Gauthier noted the agency looks at such data with a grain of salt because it cannot currently track where individual riders board or exit.

Gauthier said she and her staff are doing everything they can to ensure the success and hopefully the full adoption of the program.

“The board will be reevaluating in December,” Gauthier said. “From there, we can make some decisions about if we keep it in a pilot status, if we adopt it into our regular service, or do we cease Sunday service all together.”

Since the public has provided strong input regarding an interest in the service, now is the time to use it, Gauthier said.

Staff will be active in promoting the new service, making use of social media ads, visiting community groups and utilizing their transit advisory group to help spread the word, Gauthier said.

Even if numbers are low, for certain routes, JTA strives to maintain service, Gauthier said, noting that rural residents do not have the same options of those in urban hubs.

“Ridership numbers for rural transit agencies are tricky,” she said. “In rural transit, a lot of times we’re the only option.”

Those traveling to Seattle via JTA will need to consider their routes more carefully. While Sunday service will include the Kingston Express to Kingston’s ferry terminal, Kitsap Transit’s Kingston Fast Ferry, which runs to downtown Seattle, does not run on Sunday, Gauthier said.

Riders can still catch the Washington State Ferry system’s Kingston to Edmonds ferry and then take public transportation to get to downtown Seattle, she said. Or, they can ride JTA Route 7 and transfer to Kitsap Transit in Poulsbo to get to the Bainbridge Ferry.

Riders also should plan their trips knowing that Clallam Transit does not have service on Sunday. While JTA will provide service to Sequim, no public transportation will be available in or beyond Sequim.

A celebration of the returned service will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the Haines Place Park & Ride, 440 12th St., Port Townsend. The event will include snacks, opportunities to speak with staff and see JTA’s electric vehicles up close.

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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@peninsuladailynews.com.