Clallam Transit to create advisory committee

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 27, 2026

PORT ANGELES — Clallam Transit commissioners unanimously approved establishing a Community Advisory Committee on a trial basis to expand public input on transit planning and rider issues.

They also discussed last week how to enforce limits on bulky items brought onto buses.

A special committee composed of commissioners Mike French and Amy Miller, Clallam Transit General Manager Jason McNickle and transit staff was tasked by the board in February with developing guidelines for the structure and operation of the advisory group.

The group initially will operate for 18 months and include up to 15 members who will represent a range of transit riders and communities across the county. Commissioners said it is intended to broaden public outreach and encourage engagement.

The group will focus on gathering feedback about services, identifying concerns and recommending improvements.

Its role is advisory only, McNickle said.

Commissioner Mark Ozias said the CAC could help provide valuable insights on transit plans and other agency decisions.

“There are a couple of things throughout the year where we would particularly appreciate and benefit from public input,” Ozias said. “I would like to think that this group would provide a better conduit than we previously had.”

Staff is in the process of preparing application materials that will be available for those interested in being appointed to the CAC.

Bulky items

Operations Manager Taron Lee said there is a growing concern involving passengers who bring wagons, carts and other large items onto buses. The issue has created safety risks, slowed boarding and unloading, and caused scheduling delays, particularly on crowded commuter and school routes, Lee said.

“It’s getting more and more difficult,” Lee said, noting that bike carts brought onto buses during the past three months have broken windows.

The issue has created difficulties for passengers who need access to the ADA seating area as well, because it often is crowded by people’s oversized belongings.

Lee said the agency already has language in its code of conduct prohibiting items that obstruct aisles, block seats or interfere with access to buses, but staff are considering whether policy changes might be needed.

Rick Burton, a transit operator who sits as a non-voting member on the board, said drivers are concerned about the increasing size and frequency of the excessive items people bring with them — many so large they require the boarding ramp to be deployed because they won’t fit in the entry door.

“There needs to be a limit on the size of these things coming on the buses,” he said. “We can’t be putting wagons on the bus.”

Lee said staff plans to review policies used by other transit agencies before they make recommendations to the board. Some agencies prohibit wagons entirely, he said, while others require carts to be collapsible.

“My opinion would be consistency,” Lee said, referring to whether drivers should have discretion in allowing oversized items. “Every driver is going to differ.”

Ozias said the agency has to balance compassion with maintaining a safe and reliable transit system.

“I really appreciate both the empathy as an agency and that, as drivers, we have tried to model,” Ozias said, “but at the same time appreciate that we have to have boundaries.”

Ridge shuttle

The Hurricane Ridge Shuttle will begin operating for the season on Sunday and continue through Sept. 7. The shuttle will run seven days a week and depart on the hour from the Gateway Transit Center between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. with stops at the Lake Angeles and Switchback trailheads.

The fare is $1 each way, and riders ages 18 and younger ride free. A valid National Park pass is required to board. Additional information and schedules are available at www.clallamtransit.com/hurricaneridge.

Also last week, customer service representative Samantha Paulsen was recognized at the agency’s employee of the quarter, less than a year after she was hired last August.

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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.