About Pierce Transit Proposition 1
What Your YES Vote Delivers:
Free Fares for Seniors
Many seniors are on a fixed income and eventually age out of driving. This measure will help seniors age with grace and live more independently. It will also keep transit free for youth.
Four New Bus Routes
New service to Northeast Tacoma, the Port of Tacoma, East Tacoma, and Puyallup — areas with limited or no coverage today.
More Frequent Service
No more waiting an hour for the next bus. This measure eliminates hourly routes on weekdays, replacing them with more frequent, convenient service so riders can count on transit — not plan their lives around it.
Three STREAM Lines
Frequent, easy-to-use transit running every 15 minutes throughout most of the day on three of the county's busiest corridors in Tacoma, Lakewood, and University Place.
Later Hours
Most routes will run until 10 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and 8 p.m. on Sundays — so transit works for shift workers, students, and evening activities.
Regional Connections
Better links to Sounder commuter rail, express buses, and the light rail network expanding into Pierce County — including Tacoma Dome Station.
Expanded Special Event Service
Expanded service to regional events like the Puyallup Fair and concerts at the Tacoma Dome or Dune Peninsula, and pilot projects to evaluate new service in new areas around seasonal or special needs.
Local Dollars, Local Service
Every cent raised stays right here. These funds are legally restricted to local bus service in Pierce County and cannot be redirected to regional or statewide projects.
Who Proposition 1 Matters to:
Photo Credit: Tacoma On the Go
People Who Can’t Drive: Youth, Seniors, and People with Disabilities
For residents who can't drive or can't afford to drive, a reliable bus is a lifeline to jobs, healthcare, and family. Thanks to a new Statewide program, all youth under 18 now ride Pierce Transit for free. This proposal will ensure that youth continue to ride free indefinitely. It will also extend free fares to seniors, a win that 83% of Pierce County voters understandably support!
People Who Drive and Hate Traffic
More people on the bus means fewer cars on the road. Expanded transit is the most direct way to fight congestion on Pacific Avenue, Meridian, or 6th Ave., and the other corridors you drive every day.
Commuters & Regional Travelers
Light rail has expanded to Federal Way, and light rail to Tacoma is on its way. But getting to and from those stations depends on local transit being frequent and reliable. This measure strengthens Pierce Transit's connections to Sounder and light rail — making it easier to get to jobs across the region and to bring regional workers right here to Pierce County.
Working People & Employers
Businesses need workers who can show up on time. Expanded Pierce Transit service — running more frequently, on more routes, later into the evening — gives employees reliable options to reach job sites across Pierce County. And commuting workers will have better local connections to Sounder commuter rail, regional buses, and light rail.
“Reliable public transit is essential infrastructure for working people. When transportation is one of the biggest expenses families face, investing in more frequent, dependable service helps workers reach their jobs, apprenticeships, childcare, and healthcare while supporting the union workforce that keeps Pierce County moving.
The Pierce County Central Labor Council endorses this ballot measure by a unanimous vote of its delegate body. Let's invest in the people who make our community work every day.”
— Nathe Lawver, Secretary-Treasurer of Pierce County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Why It’s an Investment Worth Making
The Economic Impact of Transit
Transit is infrastructure our entire economy depends on — not just the people riding the bus. Every local dollar invested in Pierce Transit unlocks millions more in state and federal matching grants. Expanded service helps employers attract and retain workers, supports growth in our business districts, and makes Pierce County a stronger competitor for new jobs and investment.
Pierce Transit's local funding has been underinvested in and frozen in the past, even as neighboring regions have invested more and pulled ahead. This is our opportunity to catch up — and build a transit system fit for the next 20 years that can fuel our growing local economy.
What You’ll Pay
Proposition 1 asks for three cents on every $10 of taxable purchases — a 0.3% sales tax increase. Pierce Transit's local funding rate has not changed since 2002.
“Frequent, reliable local transit is a critical tool for business competitiveness. When companies look to locate or expand here, they demand strong workforce access and infrastructure.”
— Michael Catsi, President & CEO, Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County