Grant Transit Authority Explained

Grant Transit Authority
Headquarters:116 W 5th Ave
Moses Lake, Washington
Locale:Grant County, Washington
Service Type:Bus service
Routes:13
Annual Ridership:39,215
Fuel Type:Diesel
Leader Type:General Manager
Leader:Greg Wright

The Grant Transit Authority is a public transit operator in Grant County, Washington. It operates 13 routes, including intercity services that converge in the city of Moses Lake.

History

Grant Transit Authority began as a demonstration project with 4 buses in November 1995. The project, deemed a success after one year, led to a November 1996 vote to establish a public transportation benefit area (PTBA) to fund a permanent system. The vote passed, creating a 0.2 percent sales tax and allowing regular service to begin and expand the following year.[1]

The PTBA boundaries were expanded in 1998 to include Quincy, which had opted out of the 1996 vote, thus encompassing all of Grant County.[1] The Grant Transit Authority previously partnered with a local non-profit organization, People for People, for operations but became independent in October 2013.[1]

In 2015, construction began on a new transit center in downtown Moses Lake.[2] The transit center opened on August 1, 2017, with an indoor waiting area, a customer service desk, and several bays.[3] The Grant Transit Authority debuted inter-county commuter services during the same month, connecting Moses Lake to Ellensburg and Wenatchee on weekdays.[3] [4] Several routes were consolidated in a major service change that took effect in April 2019.[5]

Fares

Monthly Passes[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2001 . History . Grant Transit Authority . July 15, 2016.
  2. News: Sukola . Tiffany . September 11, 2014 . GTA proposes Moses Lake transit center . . July 15, 2016 .
  3. News: Schweizer . Cheryl . August 1, 2017 . Grant Transit Authority opens doors at multimodal facility . Columbia Basin Herald . December 22, 2019.
  4. News: Hyland . Natalie . August 12, 2017 . New Grant County buses running between Ellensburg, Moses Lake . . December 22, 2019.
  5. News: Pinkerton . Rachal . March 29, 2019 . GTA to change routes Monday . Columbia Basin Herald . December 22, 2019.
  6. Web site: Bus pass & Scheduling Information . Grant Transit Authority . July 15, 2016.