The community is invited to join Pierce Transit, the city of Puyallup, and the Puyallup Community Investment Team to celebrate the launch of a new bus route dedicated to serving downtown Puyallup and South Hill.
Pierce Transit’s new “Puyallup Connector” Route 425 begins service at 10:00 a.m. June 8. Fares are $2.00 for adults, .75 cents for youth 18 and under, and .75 for discounted card holders.
The Puyallup Connector service utilizes two visually-distinct 25-foot vehicles, with artwork and graphics that reflect the unique history of the City of Puyallup. Puyallup residents will now have 30 minute service to key destinations, including Puyallup Sounder Station, Puyallup Public Library, Puyallup City Hall, Good Samaritan Hospital, Wildwood Park, Senior Housing Assistance Group Center, Group Health Medical Center, Mel Korum YMCA and South Hill Mall.
The public can get a sneak preview of the colorful new vehicles and the new route at the Puyallup-Sumner Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on June 7 at 10:00 a.m. at the Puyallup Farmer’s Market (330 S. Meridian, Puyallup). The ceremony will be located curbside between the Pioneer Park Pavilion and the Puyallup Library. After the ribbon-cutting, about 15 lucky first-come, first-served passengers can be the first to ride the Puyallup Connector for about an hour, returning to the Farmer’s Market at the end.
The Puyallup Connector is the fourth demonstration project approved by the Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners as part of its focus on innovative and tailored community solutions. “Innovative and tailored community solutions includes partnering with community influencers through a Community Investment Team (CIT) approach. This works because the community engages in the success of the service as much as Pierce Transit does,” says Pierce Transit CEO, Lynne Griffith. “No one knows the community better than people and businesses within that community, so PT taps that knowledge through the CIT.”
The Puyallup CIT is comprised of representatives from the City of Puyallup, Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce, Puyallup Main Street Association, Puyallup Senior Center, Pierce College at Puyallup, Senior Housing Assistance Group, Washington State Fair, and Puyallup residents who ride the bus regularly. The successful collaborative process drew upon the support and leadership of Pierce Transit Board Member and Vice Chair, Steve Vermillion, also a member of the Puyallup City Council.
The CIT and Pierce Transit have worked closely to ensure the design would meet community needs while providing convenient connections to routes 400, 402, 409, 410, 495 and 503.
The new service will be tested and evaluated as a one-year demonstration project from June 8, 2014 to June 6, 2015. Toward the end of the demonstration period, the Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners will consider the efficiency and effectiveness of the route to determine if the Puyallup Connector will be added to regular service.
To support Puyallup’s active summer season, from June 8 through September 27, 2014, The Puyallup
Connector will run with 30-minute frequency from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. to serve guests of Concerts in the
Park. On Saturdays, service will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 6:00 p.m. to accommodate the Downtown
Farmer’s Market schedule.
From Sept. 28 – June 6, 2015, the Puyallup Connector serves downtown Puyallup and South Hill, Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
For a route map and more information about the Puyallup Connector, visit Pierce Transit’s website.
