Pierce Transit needs more resources to meet rider needs and avoid looming service cuts.
Transit in Pierce County is at a crossroads. Everyone in Pierce County deserves to be able to take transit to get quickly and reliably where they need to go. But Pierce Transit’s service does not meet the needs of those who live or work in Tacoma, Fircrest, Lakewood, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Parkland or Spanaway.
Only two buses run every 15 minutes most of the day. The rest of the routes run infrequently and stop running early in the evening. And too many bus stops lack shelter or adequate lighting.
The lives of Pierce County’s youth, seniors, disabled riders, and working families have been made harder by infrequent buses, insufficient service, and undignified bus stops. People are stuck waiting for buses to arrive, or risk running late to jobs and appointments. This is because of previous County leaders who didn’t champion transit or invest in the system.
Pierce Transit is also facing the same cost pressures that transit agencies are facing across the country. Buses cost significantly more today than they did before the pandemic, and operators deserve to make a fair wage. Those cost pressures mean that Pierce Transit’s bus service faces cuts if we don’t win more funding for the agency.
Reliable and frequent transit will put more opportunities within reach of Pierce County residents. It can connect people to education, comprehensive whole-child initiatives, and the jobs that sustain families and communities. Compared to other counties in Puget Sound and across the state, Pierce County is falling behind when it comes to delivering the equitable transit service its residents deserve.
Snohomish County’s sales tax rate for transit is at 1.2%. Pierce County’s is just half of that. While Community Transit in Snohomish County has invested in new bus rapid transit lines and frequent bus service, Pierce Transit runs substantially less bus service than it did 15 years ago and has stretched its dollars to maintain the service it has.
This year, we have an opportunity to fix that. The Pierce Transit Board is considering a ballot measure in November 2026 that would expand funding for local public transit. Pierce Transit has publicly unveiled a long-range plan that would expand bus service, make routes more frequent, and create new transit connections to light rail.
Transportation Choices Coalition (TCC) and Tacoma On the Go are partnering with a broad coalition to advance a major ballot measure in Pierce County that will fund the urgently needed public transit investments that Pierce Transit has proposed.
Piece Transit has not asked its voters to fund better service for nearly 15 years when a measure failed in 2012 by only 600 votes. We know this next attempt can succeed.
A poll TCC conducted last October found that 54% of voters would support a sales tax increase that would expand transit to new neighborhoods, extend how long the buses run, implement new bus transit lines, and connect to light rail. And that was before Federal Way Link light rail opened at Pierce County’s doorstep. This ballot measure will need a strong campaign to win, and transit champions are ready to do the work.
The political landscape has also changed: Pierce County has grown by over 10% since the last attempt. It has elected leadership and a Pierce Transit Board that are transit champions. And the need for reliable, efficient transportation options has never been more urgent.
It’s past time to win better transit for the residents of Pierce County. One of the most important actions we can take to further mobility justice in this state is to get Pierce Transit’s buses running more often. Let’s make it happen this November.
Please join us. Sign up for newsletters from Tacoma On the Go and Transportation Choices Coalition to follow along with the campaign as it comes together and take action.
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Transportation Choices Coalition brings people together to advocate for safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation across Washington.
Founded in 1993, TCC is Washington State’s only statewide policy and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to making transportation accessible. We work to expand equitable access to transit, walking, rolling, and biking — by advancing policy solutions, funding strategies, and building cross-sector coalitions that improve how people get to jobs, school, services, and opportunity. We pass policies that support more transit, bike, and pedestrian improvements at the state, regional, and local levels.
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Tacoma On the Go envisions a Tacoma where everyone can walk, ride, bike, and roll with dignity. We are Tacoma’s resource, convener, and advocate for safe mobility for all. We do this by:
- Advocating for transportation equity for all, regardless of background, ability, or circumstance
- Educating about transportation choices other than driving alone.
- Encouraging use of transit, ridesharing, biking, walking, and flexible work arrangements.
- Championing transportation choices and policies that promote community livability.
Kirk Hovenkotter
Kirk Hovenkotter is executive director of Transportation Choices Coalition, the only statewide policy and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to making transportation accessible in Washington state.
Laura Svancarek
Laura Svancarek is executive director of Tacoma On The Go.
