Pierce Transit Info!

March 28, 2023

 Pierce Transit Key Messages & Topics April 2023 

Ride Fare Free on April 22 

  • • Pierce Transit will offer fare free riding privileges on Saturday, April 22, to promote our services and support Earth Day. 
  • • Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations. 
  • • Pierce Transit will jointly promote this year’s event and encourage ridership to the 15th Annual South Sound Sustainability Expo on the University of Washington Tacoma campus. 
  • • The free rides are valid on regularly scheduled Pierce Transit fixed route bus service, SHUTTLE paratransit, and on-demand Runner services. 

ORCA LIFT Comes to Pierce Transit 

  • • Effective April 1, 2023, Pierce Transit began accepting ORCA LIFT adult fare payment on bus and Runner services. 
  • • ORCA LIFT is a reduced adult fare program offered to individuals that meet the eligibility requirements of up to, or equal to, 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. 
  • • If you qualify, you will pay $1 per one-way trip on Pierce Transit buses and Runner services (Tideflats, Ruston, Spanaway, JBLM)
    • • Qualified individuals pay reduced adult fare per one-way trip for the following transit agencies: o Sound Transit services such as ST Express, Link Light Rail, Sounder Commuter Rail 
    • o King County Metro Buses, Water Taxi, Seattle Monorail, Seattle Streetcar 
    • o Kitsap Transit buses 
    • o Everett Transit buses 
    • o Community Transit buses 
    • • The following enrollment facilities are available to submit applications in person: o Pierce South Community Service Office on 72nd Street in Tacoma 
    • o Pierce North Community Service Office on South State Street in Tacoma 

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  • o Lakewood Community Service Office on Main Street 
  • o And at five Community Health Centers located in Tacoma, Lakewood and Spanaway. 

Puyallup Community Service Office is virtual only; call 877-501-2233. 

For information and to apply online, open your favorite search engine and search for ORCA LIFT [if viewing this document on a computer or smartphone, click here for a direct link]. 

Podcast Episode Focuses on ORCA LIFT 

  • • Our latest episode of the South Sound Connected podcast focuses on how ORCA LIFT supports community connections and regional access for qualified passengers. 
  • • The episode features a discussion with Pierce Transit and Sound Transit reps on how the ORCA LIFT program works and how it has impacted riders around Puget Sound. 
  • • Tune in by following this link or searching for South Sound Connected on your favorite podcast platform. 

Out in the Community 

  • • Come see the Pierce Transit bus decorated for spring at the Daffodil Parades in downtown Tacoma and Puyallup on April 1. 
  • • We will have our outreach booth at the following events this month: o first Puyallup Farmers Market of the season on April 15. 
  • o the South Sound Sustainability Expo on April 22 (we’ll also have an electric bus there). 

It Pays to Vanpool with Pierce Transit 

  • • Now is a great time to start vanpooling with Pierce Transit. 
  • • New vanpoolers get their first calendar month free. This is an ongoing new rider incentive.
    • • Pierce Transit has several additional incentives available now through June 30, 2023, or while supplies last: o Join or start a new vanpool and receive a $100 Amazon gift code. 
    • o Current vanpoolers can earn a $100 Amazon gift code by becoming a vanpool driver or recruiting riders. 
    • o Vanpool drivers that start parking their vanpool vehicle at home can earn a $200 Amazon gift code. 

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  • • Check out our webpage, PierceTransit.org/vanpool-rewards for more information on how to earn vanpool rewards. 

Free Youth Transit Pass Reminder 

  • • Youth ages 18 and under can now ride fare free on public transit throughout our region. 
  • • Regional transit partners, including Pierce Transit, offer free rides to youth. 
  • • Since launching in September, we have provided ORCA cards to thousands of local youth, and are looking to reach every young person who needs this free service. 
  • • In fact, in the first two months of 2023 we recorded a nearly 13 percent increase in youth rides over that time period in 2022, representing nearly 15 percent of all boardings. 
  • • Those youth with an ORCA card are strongly encouraged to register the card online at myORCA.com or by stopping by our Customer Service Center at Tacoma Dome Station. 
  • • Take a look at our webpage, PierceTransit.org/FreeYouthPass, for more information on how to get your card and access these free transit rides for youth. 

Ride Runner to Connect with Your Community 

  • • Pierce Transit Runner is an on-demand service that offers a quick, car-free transportation solution, typically in areas with limited transit options. 
  • • There are four Runner zones serving Pierce County, providing connections to Ruston and along Ruston Way, the Tideflats, JBLM and in the Spanaway/Parkland/Midland area. 
  • • Runner can help you get to shops, appointments, work and entertainment. 
  • • For more information on Runner services, including hours and fares, visit PierceTransit.org/Runner. 

A Career Awaits at Pierce Transit 

  • • We have an ongoing need for bus drivers, mechanics, public safety officers as well as opportunities that you’d see at any large company – in accounting, payroll, HR, and IT. 
  • • Pierce Transit is a great place to work, offering excellent training and benefits such as health insurance and a generous retirement plan. 
  • • If you know someone looking for a rewarding job with excellent benefits and training, please encourage them to visit PierceTransit.org/careers to apply 
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