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    1. Bus
    2. Infrastructure

    Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners selects BRT system name

    Sept. 17, 2020
    The system name, Stream, will apply to the line being planned now, as well as future Pierce Transit BRT lines planned along Routes 2, 3, 4 and 402.
    Related To: Pierce Transit
    Pierce Transit
    Pierce Transit is planning the South Sound’s first BRT line along a 14.4-mile portion of Pacific Avenue/SR-7 between downtown Tacoma and Spanaway.
    Pierce Transit is planning the South Sound’s first BRT line along a 14.4-mile portion of Pacific Avenue/SR-7 between downtown Tacoma and Spanaway.

    The Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners has selected the name Stream for the agency’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

    Pierce Transit is planning the South Sound’s first BRT line along a 14.4-mile portion of Pacific Avenue/SR-7 between downtown Tacoma and Spanaway. The corridor is currently served by Pierce Transit’s Route 1, which has the agency’s highest ridership. The project is approaching 60 percent design, with construction slated to begin in late 2021.

    Since the name was chosen for an entire BRT system, it will apply to the line being planned now as well as future Pierce Transit BRT lines planned along Routes 2, 3, 4 and 402. Each line will also have an individual name to set it apart, much like Community Transit’s BRT system is named “Swift,” and each line is referenced by a different color.

    Pierce Transit employed a professional firm to assist with research for a system name; the firm has helped vet names for other BRT systems, including Sound Transit’s. The work included interviewing stakeholders, conducting an analysis of other lines, developing a brand strategy and platform, and vetting potential names for things such as trademark and use in other locations. Now that the system name has been selected, branding and other system-identifying elements will move forward.

    "Over time, Tacoma has grown and become a hub for regional travel that is well served by Sounder trains, regional buses and, in the future, regional light rail," said Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards. Mayor Woodards is a member of the Sound Transit Board and is the chair of the Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners. "Pierce Transit's new BRT line will provide Tacoma and other communities throughout the region with several options to ease traffic congestion."

    There is already $95 million committed to the Pierce Transit BRT project, including $60 million from Sound Transit 3, plus state funding and other grants. Pierce Transit is requesting federal funding to cover the remaining costs of the project. If fully funded, service could get underway as early as 2024.