PORT TOWNSEND — Provide better commuter service while eliminating as many bus transfers as possible to streamline routes.
That’s Jefferson Transit’s goal, with the help of its riders.
With ridership up 10 percent in 2007 and 10 percent more this year, Jefferson Transit General Manager Dave Turissini said a comprehensive plan process now under way will allow the agency to meet riders’ needs through their suggestions.
“When we started to examine existing services as part of this process, we quickly learned that we had spent a lot of resources on circulation within Port Town-send and not enough on getting people into Port Townsend or other destinations for work,” Turissini said.
“We needed to address a more comprehensive approach to what services we provide.”
The plan became focused on developing services that would be commuter-friendly, both to commuters within Jefferson County and to those leaving the county for work.
Circulation within Port Townsend would be examined and developed to provide direct access to identified destinations from all points in the city without having to transfer at the Haines Place Park and Ride.
Currently, all services coming into Port Townsend from the rest of Jefferson County and more than half of the services that circulate within Port Townsend require a passenger to transfer at the Haines Place Park and Ride next to Kah Tai Lagoon to complete a trip within Port Townsend.
Earlier, later trips
In addition to making those routes more direct, the agency examined adding earlier and later commuter trips that would provide more options for Seattle-bound commuters on weekdays.
For example, Turissini said, riders coming into Haines Place Park and Ride have to transfer to another bus to go to popular destinations along Lawrence and Water streets.
“Now, if you are coming in from Sequim and want to get to Lawrence Street, you have to get off the Sequim bus and take the shuttle to Lawrence,” he said.
“With the new model it means that once you get to the park and ride, you can go directly up to Lawrence.
“We will have hybrids of existing service to get more people to where they want to go, and quicker.”
Turissini said he expects that additional trips would provide service for more individuals while offering a “safety net” to existing users, giving them options in case they miss their regular buses.
When Jefferson Transit surveyed commuters headed to Seattle, they requested an earlier morning trip to get to Seattle and a later evening trip home, Turissini said.
While the commuter services being considered are straightforward, the new service considerations for Port Townsend present greater changes to existing service.
The concept calls for the elimination of the Route 11 shuttle as a stand-alone route.
Instead, existing shuttle trips would be added onto most incoming trips from the county — routes 1, 6, 7 and 8 — allowing direct access through the Haines Place Park and Ride into Port Townsend destinations.
All other Port Townsend routes: 12-Fort Worden, 13-Castle Hill and 14-North Beach would be eliminated and combined into two new routes.
One major change
Not surprisingly, the two new routes, in concept, look much like a combination of the existing Port Townsend routes, with one major difference:
All passengers would have direct access to all identified destinations in Port Townsend while minimizing, if not outright eliminating, the need to transfer to complete a trip in town.
“No one likes change,” said Turissini.
“However, we believe that these changes will provide better service to everyone while reducing our operating expenses. The changes provide equivalent service with reduced operating miles.”
None of the proposed route changes will take effect until July 1 at the earliest, he said.
‘Stump the Bus’
To allow everyone to see how the proposed changes would affect anyone, the transit agency is sponsoring a “Stump the Bus” campaign.
During a series of public meetings, Jefferson Transit is challenging individuals to bring their current travel needs to the meeting and have transit officials show them how the changes would directly affect them.
Turissini said in most cases the proposed service will offer equivalent travel times and will often shorten travel time and distance within Port Townsend.
“The whole concept is to move people as effortlessly as possible, giving them one more reason to leave their cars at home,” he said.
Public meetings on the proposals are at 6:15 p.m. Jan. 6, and 1 p.m. Jan. 13 at Port Townsend Community Center main room, 620 Taylor St., and 2:15 p.m. Jan. 12 at Port Ludlow Beach Club, 121 Marina View Drive, Port Ludlow.
Additional meetings will be scheduled in the Tri-Area/Port Hadlock vicinity to make up for meetings conducted or canceled during snowy weather.
Those needing transportation to any of the meetings can contact Jefferson Transit at 360-385-4777 to arrange for a complimentary ride.
The draft plan, including maps, is available online at www.JeffersonTransit.com.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
