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STA’s Monthly Newsletter
December 2023
| | | Above: Printed route schedules. | January 2024 Service Change | |
The next service change will occur on January 21, 2024. There will be scheduling changes made to 16 routes, based on collected data, feedback, and analysis of the system.
The most notable change will be the implementation of seven-and-a-half minute frequency for City Line during weekday peak service hours, which are from 7-9 am and 3-6 pm. Peak periods are the times when transit is busiest, typically in the morning and afternoon and coinciding with business commutes and rush hour. This new peak frequency on City Line is an exciting addition to the region’s first BRT line that launched in July.
Service changes occur in order to adapt the transit service that STA offers in the most optimal way to the needs of the community.
“We regularly adjust schedules because of traffic conditions, rider feedback, and other requirements,” explained Karl Otterstrom, STA Chief Planning & Development Officer.
In order to keep the public informed about service changes, STA publishes notices of upcoming changes on its website, on buses, and on digital monitors at STA Plaza and other facilities.
“It’s an exciting time,” expressed Otterstrom. “With this service change, we’re moving closer toward full service for City Line.”
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Left to right: STA Board members — Liberty Lake City Council member Dan Dunne and City of Spokane Council member Zack Zappone — learning more about the battery-electric buses and the garage infrastructure that houses them. | Board Members Tour STA Boone Facilities | |
In preparation for the Connect 2035 strategic plan, there was an opportunity to invite and engage members of the STA Board of Directors to deepen their insight into STA’s operations.
Over the course of the next year, different themes and aspects of STA will be covered in board member tours. The first tour was recently held regarding STA’s bus operations and Boone facilities. Karl Otterstrom, Chief Planning & Development Officer at STA, provided some of STA’s background history as well as the transit operations that have existed in the Spokane region over the years.
Following this history, the board members went to the south garage facility. STA Senior Project Manager Jessica Kelch, who manages construction projects and development of the facilities master plan, pointed out improvements in the garage that the board had been involved in approving over the past year. These included decisions related to new purchases, improvements, contracts, and budgeting. One notable example Kelch drew attention to was the new diesel tanks installed earlier this fall.
Board members were able to see how the various projects they had approved worked in the day-to-day operations of the Agency.
After touring the south garage, the members proceeded to the Boone northwest garage. There they listened to Fleet Transition Manager Christian Bigger and Senior Vehicle Maintenance Manager Josh Stoddard discuss the new fleet of electric buses, how they worked, the charging infrastructure, and other aspects of the new garage specifically designed to house these buses.
Over the next year, these instructive tours will strengthen the foundation for strategic planning and collaborative decision-making at STA as it prepares for Connect 2035. The next tour in January will focus on dispatch operations.
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Above: New marker and shelter amenities at South Hill Park & Ride. | Improvements Come to South Hill Park & Ride | |
STA has been working to bring a series of improvements to the South Hill Park & Ride. The need for greater bus capacity prompted STA to study and design a solution, and construction work on the expansion was recently completed.
Previously there were three bus bays available for multiple routes. With the increased use and frequency of service, capacity at the park and ride became an issue for customer boarding and alighting.
To meet the needs of current and future service, a fourth bay has been added, which will allow more buses into the park and ride at the same time and provide smoother loading and unloading of passengers while not disrupting bus schedules. The bays will subsequently be renumbered, which will occur with the January service change.
“This is a great supplement to Route 4, which will receive its own bays,” noted Ryan Brodwater, Capital Projects Manager at STA.
Not only was the project finished on schedule, but wiring and infrastructure were installed for future technology improvements. New platform lighting was installed; existing shelters were replaced; and an entirely new shelter was added.
“The space looks sharp, and the expansion is a benefit to all South Hill riders,” Brodwater said.
| 2024 Service Revisions Update | |
STA has concluded its initial round of public outreach and, factoring in the feedback received from the public, has produced a draft recommendation report for its 2024 service revisions anticipated to take place in May and September 2024. The draft recommendation was subsequently presented to the Performance Monitoring & External Relations Committee of the STA Board of Directors at its December 6 meeting and published on STA’s website.
Now public commenting continues with a second survey, which opened on December 11 and will close on January 10, 2024.
“The survey responses help us better understand the needs and concerns of our riders who are affected by proposed changes,” commented Karl Otterstrom, Chief Planning & Development Officer.
The 2024 service revisions continue the implementation of work identified in the STA Moving Forward strategic plan (STAMF) and other initiatives of the STA Board. This includes completing planned service levels on City Line, more service to northeast Spokane, and other increases of service.
The Agency continuously revisits and adjusts its system to offer the best service to riders while taking stock of available and anticipated resources. More significant changes are vetted through a service revisions process that includes multiple steps for input and review, culminating in action by the STA Board of Directors.
“We want to hear from the public,” emphasized Otterstrom. “We take it seriously. All of this is done to serve the public.”
The survey on the draft recommendation may be found here: spokanetransit.com/projects/2024-service-revisions/. STA is also inviting written comments that may be submitted by emailing routefeedback@spokanetransit.com until January 18, 2024. Finally, comments may be directly posted into an interactive map of the proposed route changes found on the 2024 service revisions webpage.
Once the survey closes next month, a public hearing will be held on January 18 before a final recommendation is put together and presented to the Board at its February 15 meeting. If approved, the proposed changes will take effect in May and September 2024.
| | Santa Makes a Surprise Stop at STA | | |
On a cold, Wednesday winter morning, a special guest gave a warm welcome to all those at the STA Boone campus and STA Plaza downtown. Santa Claus was seen spreading high fives, candy canes, and holiday cheer to all.
Santa visited the Boone campus first, ringing his trusty bell down every hallway. He made sure to stop by every department along the way and gave out candy canes. From there, Santa took Route 22 to STA Plaza. Riders were shocked to see him boarding the bus rather than his sleigh with his reindeer. He passed out candy canes and posed for pictures with riders.
When he arrived at the Plaza, Santa made his way to the front counter, where he greeted the Customer Service Representatives and eventually made his way upstairs to the rest of the Customer Service team and part of the Planning department and visited with customers while continuing to spread holiday cheer (and of course, candy canes).
Santa’s visit is always a welcome and fun way to celebrate the holidays as the year comes to a close. A simple act of kindness like a candy cane or high five can go a long way.
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STA will operate on Sunday / Holiday service on the following days:
- New Year’s Day — Monday, January 1, 2024
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Monday, January 15, 2024 *
* Please note that for MLK Jr. Day, service will start two hours earlier from the posted Sunday/Holiday schedule on most routes (routes 4, 6, 20, 21, 25, 33, and 90 will operate as posted as they already have early morning service on Sunday / Holiday).
Routes running early will follow the posted intervals during that two-hour timeframe (for example, if service is posted to start at 8:30 am and run every 30 minutes, then on this day, service will begin at 6:30 am with service frequency at 7:00 am, 7:30 am, and 8:00 am). STA implemented this holiday schedule adjustment to make service more convenient for those commuters working on this federal holiday.
Check your specific route schedule to see how service may be affected.
To stay informed about any delays, rerouting, or cancellations that may also affect your commute, please sign up for STA Notifications, our text and email notification system for detours and cancellations: spokanetransit.com/notifications/. You can select which routes you wish to be notified about as well as the time of day that you would like to receive notifications. Please note that at this time, our notifications do not include when a specific stop is closed. However, by being alerted to whether a route is detoured, you can check if your usual stop falls within the detour and adjust accordingly.
For more assistance, please call customer service at 509-328-RIDE (7433), and any representative can assist you. They are open Monday - Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday and Holidays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Upon request, alternative formats of this document will be produced for people who are disabled.
Contact (509) 325-6094
(TTY Relay 711),
or ombudsman@spokanetransit.com.
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