Need a lift? Intercity Transit is set to expand bus service Sept. 20
The One is coming back.
The crosstown bus service, which offers limited stops and faster travel times, is set to return, along with other route enhancements, on Sept. 20, Intercity Transit announced.
Development director Eric Phillips called it a planned expansion, but it’s also being done out of necessity and has been made possible by more bus operators returning to work.
IT General Manager Ann Freeman-Manzanares explained in May that IT would have to operate at about 30 percent of its pre-COVID-19 level because of the pandemic’s effect on the workforce.
Some drivers, she said in May, weren’t working because they fell into a category that made them more vulnerable to the coronavirus, either because of their age or an underlying health condition. Some also had vulnerable family members at home, or were caring for a child. Some retired or retired early because of the virus.
Freeman-Manzanares said the previous low for bus drivers was 115, but Phillips said Wednesday that it’s back up to 200. With the additional drivers, he said IT is now operating at closer to 40 percent of its pre-COVID-19 level.
Another reason for the expansion is to make sure buses have the appropriate social distancing and are not too crowded.
And still there’s another: The One will augment service on the Martin Way corridor, a stretch of road that generates about one-quarter of IT’s ridership, Phillips said.
Here’s what riders can expect on Sept. 20
▪ The One will operate 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily with 30-minute frequency to supplement busy routes that operate on Martin Way. Combined with Routes 62A and 62B, this will increase service along Martin Way between the Olympia Transit Center and the Martin Way Park & Ride to every 15 minutes.
▪ Route 13: 11 new trips will be added to this route from downtown Olympia to Tumwater, increasing frequency to every 30 minutes.
▪ Route 42: The route near South Puget Sound Community College will be adjusted to continue along Mottman Road with four new stops, instead of entering Crosby Loop. Four new trips will be added to the revised schedule, bringing frequency to every 45 minutes.
▪ Route 94: Five trips will be added to the current schedule, increasing frequency to Yelm to every 75 minutes.
▪ Routes 45, 60 and 67 are set for minor schedule adjustments to improve on-time performance.
This story was originally published September 3, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
