PORT TOWNSEND – Lugging food home from the Port Townsend Food Bank will soon be a simpler task for car-less folks.
An agreement between the food bank and Jefferson Transit will have buses stopping right next to the bank on Wednesdays, the day the food bank serves the public.
On a trial basis, buses will carry paying passengers from the Haines Place Park and Ride to the business park where the Port Townsend Food Bank is located, 731 W. Park Ave.
“I want people to use it because it’s a trial thing, and if people aren’t using it, they’ll stop it,” said Port Townsend Food Bank Assistant Manager Shirley Moss.
Dave Turissini, Jefferson Transit general manager, echoed Moss’ sentiment.
“If people aren’t using it, we’ll have to pull it,” Turissini said.
“As long as we see it is being used on a consistent basis, that’ll keep it going.
“It’s truly use it or lose it.”
Those using the new service on Wednesdays to the food bank will still pay regular fare.
That is $1.25 for the day for the general public and 75 cents for senior citizens, those with disabilities and kids younger than 18 years old.
Buses going to the food bank on Wednesdays will leave the Park and Ride at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
The ride takes 10 minutes.
Buses will then pick people up from the food bank at 1:20 p.m. and 2:20 p.m.
The buses will have “Special” on their destination sign, and will set up at the Number11 downtown shuttle departure site.
The buses will stop on South Park Avenue at the intersection with West Park Avenue to load and unload passengers.
The trial period will last until Oct. 6.
Moss said the need for the special stop became apparent after the food bank moved from the more centralized location at the Port Townsend Community Center uptown about a year and a half ago.
Although the new location provides a permanent and better place to store the food, it is less convenient for those who don’t have their own transportation, Moss said.
She said she began asking Jefferson Transit for the special service after seeing a single mother come to the food bank with her child.
The woman was on foot.
“She could only carry the food that the food bank gave her in one arm and her baby in another,” Moss said.
“That’s when I thought, we really need to get a bus here.”
The boxes of food weigh about 40 pounds.
Moss said the food bank serves an average of 150 people every Wednesday.
Anyone interested in donated food or volunteering at the bank can phone the Port Townsend Food Bank at 360-531-0275.
