Intercity Transit will reduce evening hours, frequency
Just over a month ago, Intercity Transit was coming off its first months implementing a zero-fare policy and celebrating a 20-percent rise in ridership for January 2020 over January 2019. But, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of public transit as it has changed everything else about the way we live.
With social-distancing mandates keeping people home and out of potentially crowded settings such as public buses, IT ridership has dropped 60% since February, spokesperson Nicky Upson told The Olympian.
The agency has adjusted its services in response to the outbreak of the new coronavirus several times since mid-March, according to its website.
In its latest move, IT announced it will reduce its evening service hours starting Friday, April 3. Bus service will now end between 8:30 and 9 p.m. — the time those final routes begin and end varies. In normal times, some routes will run until after midnight, Upson said, calling this “a significant reduction.”
People who need transportation to and from jobs deemed essential or who need to make essential trips outside of the reduced hours can work with IT to see if accommodations are possible, Upson told The Olympian.
“We’re doing our best to enable people to get where they need to go and discourage the nonessential trips,” Upson said.
Among other changes, IT’s DASH shuttle between downtown Olympia and the Capitol Campus and its “The One” route between Capital Mall in west Olympia and the Martin Way Park & Ride in Lacey were discontinued March 16 until further notice. Many routes are operating on reduced or weekend service levels, and riders are required to enter through the rear door to protect drivers.
Staff disinfect the buses daily with “hospital-grade disinfectants,” according to IT, evaluate vehicles if there are cleanliness concerns, and remove them from service for thorough cleaning when necessary.
Upson said IT has not laid off or furloughed any of its employees, and that it’s providing supplemental paid medical leave for employees who are medically fragile, need to care for a family member, or are experiencing similar situations.
A comprehensive list of changes to IT and the last inbound/outbound times for routes is available online at https://www.intercitytransit.com/COVID-19-response. To see whether IT can accommodate an essential trip outside of its current service hours, call customer service at 360-786-1881.