Update: Pierce Transit Preservation Plan Would Preserve Service to SAMI, Point Defiance, Improve North End Service

In response to a general thumbs down to their first "growth" proposal, Pierce Transit today released the details of their new proposed "preservation alternative," which would, in exchange for a slight tax increase, preserve and improve service in key areas of the city including the North end and downtown.

Originally identified for elimination, routes 16 and 11 will under the new proposal continue to provide service to and from a number of North end schools and shopping districts, and expand to a 15 minute schedule (from the current 30) during peak hours. In addition, the number 13 will, if voters approve a ballot measure, run through Stadium, Old Town, and the Proctor shopping district and then turn back through the UPS area. Running on a 20 minute peak schedule, UPS students and neighborhood residents would be able to ride the 13 to Old Town and the beach directly for the first time. (Definitely a plus for Tacoma Mamas in my neighborhood.) The 16 and 11 would run down 21st and 6th through the UPS area, while the 13 would take part of the 16's old route down North 15th street.

I haven't had time to review all the plans for other routes yet, but you can review the maps yourself at pttomorrow.org.

Original story:

No Bus Service to SAMI, Point Defiance, Public Hearing Tonight
...and drastic reductions in service to Stadium High School and SOTA. If proposed system changes go through, Pierce Transit will eliminate routes 11 and 16, ending service to Point Defiance Park, the Science and Math Institute and radically changing transit access to downtown for North End residents.

It's difficult to tell from the unreadable street names on the proposed route maps, but it appears direct service to downtown will also no longer be available to UPS students.

Downtown will be reachable via the Number 1 (which runs down 6th ave and stops about every 30 feet) or the new number 700, which appears to skip past the Proctor business district and does not go to TCC. Wilson High School's service would also drastically change, to be serviced by a route that starts at the Mall and detours all the way out to N 45th Street before looping back and ending up at TCC. There will be no direct service that I can see from TCC to downtown. That's a lot of changes effecting a lot of students, a population which historically relies on transit.

A public hearing on these proposed route changes will be held tonight at 4pm...in Lakewood.

http://piercetransit.org/agenda.htm#hearings

Since anyone who actually attends school or commutes via the bus can't be there, I hope a few people will show up to express their frustrations regarding this plan. I'm a pedestrian/transit rider today and I pick my children up here in Tacoma at 3:30, so I'll have to read about the hearing tomorrow.