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Whatcom Transportation Authority

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Coordinates: 48°47′12.5″N 122°26′56″W / 48.786806°N 122.44889°W / 48.786806; -122.44889
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Whatcom Transportation Authority
Commenced operationJanuary 1, 1984 (1984-01-01)
Headquarters4111 Bakerview Spur, Bellingham48°47′12.5″N 122°26′56″W / 48.786806°N 122.44889°W / 48.786806; -122.44889
LocaleWhatcom County, Washington
Service typebus service, paratransit, vanpool
Routes32 (includes 4 GO routes)
Fleet62 buses, 42 paratransit vehicles, 39 vans
Annual ridership4,703,807 (2019)[1]
Websitewww.ridewta.com

The Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) is the public transit authority of Whatcom County in northwestern Washington, based in the city of Bellingham. It provides bus service on 28 fixed routes, including four branded "GO Lines" with 15-minute frequencies on weekdays. In addition to bus service, the WTA offers paratransit service and a vanpool programs.

The WTA is funded by a 0.6% sales tax within the Whatcom County public transportation benefit area (PTBA) and grants from the state and federal governments. Service began on January 1, 1984, using equipment bought from the Bellingham municipal transit system after a countywide authority was established a year earlier.

History

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The Whatcom Transportation Authority was created in 1983 and service in western Whatcom County, including the cities of Bellingham, Ferndale and Lynden, began on January 1, 1984. The city of Bellingham began operating its own municipal transit system in 1971 by taking over a failing private operator, funding it with a 0.3% sales tax within the city beginning in 1975. The system was absorbed into the new countywide public transportation benefit area, which adopted the same sales tax rate in 1983.[2]

The WTA reduced its service by 14 percent in 2010 due to reduced revenue during the Great Recession; service was later restored in 2017. The agency responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 by cutting 30 percent of service, which was restored in June 2021.[3]

Predecessors

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Public transportation in Whatcom County has a rich history dating back to the late 19th century. The first significant mode of public transit was the streetcar, which began operating in the 1890s. The Bellingham Bay Improvement Company ran the electric streetcars, connecting various neighborhoods to the central business districts of Bellingham. This system expanded in the early 20th century, playing a crucial role in the urban development of the area.[4][better source needed]

The streetcar system continued to be the main form of public transportation until the 1920s and 1930s when automobiles and buses began to take over. In 1938, the last streetcar line was discontinued and replaced with diesel buses, signaling the end of the streetcar era.[4]

Private bus operators initially filled the void left by the streetcars. However, these private services struggled financially and operationally. By the 1940s and 1950s, several attempts to stabilize and improve bus transit were made, but with limited success.

In 1971, Bellingham took over a failing private bus company, establishing a municipal transit system funded by a 0.3% sales tax introduced in 1975. This system laid the foundation for a more extensive regional approach to public transportation.[2]

Services

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In 2022, the WTA carried a total of 3.1 million passengers on all of its services, with 94 percent on its 28 fixed bus routes. The fixed-route boardings increased by 70 percent over the previous year, but remained 65 percent of the 2019 ridership figures. The busiest fixed route in 2022 was Route 331, which connects Bellingham Station to Cordata Station and is branded as the Gold Line.[3]

GO Lines

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The "GO Lines" are four corridors where local service combines for 15-minute headways on weekdays and are branded with a specific color by the WTA beginning in 2005.[5]

A fifth GO Line, the Red Line from Bellingham Station to the Fairhaven Transportation Center, was removed in March 2017.[9] Plans to convert one of three existing GO Lines to bus rapid transit was proposed in a 2023 feasibility study.[10] The study proposes completion of a bus rapid transit line by 2031 with transit signal priority, limited stops, and high frequencies.[11]

County Connector

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WTA Route 80X, known as the County Connector, is an inter-county route operated by the WTA and Skagit Transit that makes 9 daily roundtrips on weekdays and 5 daily roundtrips on Saturdays and Sundays between Bellingham Station and Skagit Station in Mount Vernon, with intermediate stops at park and rides along Interstate 5. There is also a shuttle bus that connects Route 80X to Western Washington University with 3 weekday roundtrips.[12][13]

Fleet

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The WTA operates a fleet of 64 full-size buses, 52 paratransit vehicles, and 35 vanpool vans.[14] As of 2017, their entire bus fleet consists of Gillig Low Floor 40-foot (12 m) buses that seat 32 to 40 passengers. Eight units ordered in 2012 are diesel-electric hybrids.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Performance Reports". Whatcom Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Local Transit Statewide" (PDF). Public Transportation in Washington State (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. December 1988. pp. 102–105. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "2022 Service Performance Report". Whatcom Transportation Authority. July 2024. pp. 2–6, 10. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Bellingham grew up along its streetcar lines Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  5. ^ "The GO Lines". Whatcom Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  6. ^ Paben, Jared (January 30, 2008). "Campus passes boost WTA bus ridership". Bellingham Herald. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  7. ^ "WTA to Hold Public Hearing on REVISED Service Reduction Proposal". Whatcom Transportation Authority. May 2010. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  8. ^ "New Service and Changes to Service As of March 19, 2017" (PDF). Whatcom Transportation Authority. March 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  9. ^ Mittendorf, Robert (March 8, 2017). "Bus routes, schedules changing – what about the one you ride?". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  10. ^ Schwartz, Ralph (April 22, 2023). "Buses every 5 minutes in Bellingham?". Cascadia Daily News. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  11. ^ "Rapid Transit Study". Whatcom Transportation Authority. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  12. ^ "County Connector". Whatcom Transportation Authority. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  13. ^ "County Connectors". Skagit Transit. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  14. ^ "Appendix A: List of Rolling Stock, Facilities and Equipment" (PDF). Whatcom Transportation Authority 2016 Report and Transit Development Plan 2017 – 2022 (Report). Whatcom Transportation Authority. July 20, 2017. pp. 25–33. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  15. ^ "2017 Report & Transit Development Plan 2018–2023" (PDF). Whatcom Transportation Authority. August 16, 2018. pp. 25–29. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
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