By RYAN LANCASTER
Staff Reporter
In their April 20 meeting the Spokane Transit Authority board of directors unanimously voted to adopt bus service reductions as recommended by STA staff, changes that are scheduled to take effect in September.
The plan is estimated to save nearly $3 million a year through route efficiencies and eliminations throughout the service area, according to the agency. STA communications manager Molly Meyers said while making cuts is never easy they were deemed necessary to make up for falling sales tax revenues.
“There was a lot of conversation dealing with the angst of having to make this decision,” she said about last Wednesday's meeting. “Unfortunately we find ourselves in this position at a time when gas prices are going up and the demand for public transit is up.”
The recommendations were developed after nearly a year of review and public comment. A preliminary proposal had included the elimination of Medical Lake routes, which would have left hundreds of riders and more than 50 paratransit users without public transit access. The STA ultimately found ways around such drastic measures and, though West Plains routes will see changes this fall, most riders will still have at least some bus service.
In Cheney, route 65 will be revised to operate as a commuter/peak service route with six trips during both the morning and evening peak period. The 66 bus will become the primary daily connection to Spokane and a new route, 68, will operate in a two-way pattern along First Street, Betz Road and Washington Street seven days a week.
The 67 to Medical Lake and Geiger Boulevard will be discontinued, leaving Geiger Corrections Center with no public transit service. Bus 62 will provide weekday service to Medical Lake with service to the hospitals only during non-peak times. Limited late night and weekend service to the city will be provided by route 61 coming from Airway Heights via Brooks Road. The 61 will no longer service the West Spokane Industrial Park and will go as far as the Fairchild Air Force Base Exchange on weekdays only.
A more thorough list of changes can be found at http://www.spokanetransit.com. The STA plans to release further details later this summer about the routes and schedules as they will exist in September.
Ryan Lancaster can be reached at [email protected].
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