Manager Talks Twin Transit Expansion at Chehalis City Council Meeting

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Twin Transit is kicking its public outreach campaign into high gear as many Lewis County residents get ready to vote on a ballot measure that would fund expansion of the bus system to cover the entire county.

General Manager Derrick Wojcik-Damers gave a presentation in front of the Chehalis City Council on Monday that outlined the logic behind the initiative as well as an update on plans to build a large transit center in downtown Centralia.

Chehalis and Centralia residents will not vote on the proposed two-tenths of a 1 percent sales tax that would fund expansion, as they already pay it into the existing Twin Transit system. Napavine residents will also not see the question on their ballots, as city leaders there chose not to participate. All other areas of Lewis County will have the option to vote to tax themselves for bus service.

“The ballot question is not about expansion, it’s about taxation,” Wojcik-Damers said near the end of his presentation. “It costs money to have a bus, two pennies on a $10 purchase. Because (Centralia and Chehalis residents) already pay that tax, they don’t have any reason to vote on it. The law says the tax has to be the same in all areas of a transit district. That way, it is equitable.”

Expansion talks came about earlier this year when Lewis Mountain Highway Transit announced it would cease operations in 2019. Twin Transit would absorb that agency, which serves the eastern part of Lewis County, should voters approve the ballot measure.

Wojcik-Damers said nothing would change for riders who use Lewis Mountain Highway Transit. Fares, routes and schedules would remain identical.

“It’s a turn-key operation that wouldn’t require any planning on the part of Twin Transit,” he told the councilors.

Twin Transit would also create a new route connecting the Twin Cities with Toledo, Winlock and Vader. A limited route would connect Pe Ell and West Lewis County to the Interstate-5 corridor, with residents there having the ability to schedule additional rides east in advance.

Once communities within the county are connected via Twin Transit bus lines, Wojcik-Damers said the conversation could move to the creation of a regional transit system. Bus lines as far north as Olympia and as far south as Longview could be in play.

“It’s important to get everyone connected, but there’s also a need for a place for people to go,” Wojcik-Damers said.

Members of the Chehalis City Council chose to direct all of their questions and comments toward the other significant part of the docket — a proposed transit center on North Pearl Street less than a block from Centralia City Hall.



The scope of the project as well as the estimated price tag of $7.4 million using only state grants and north of $9 million with federal funding has raised more than a few eyebrows in the Twin Cities.

“The size of the center does seem alarming a little bit,” Chehalis Mayor Dennis Dawes said. “I guess I’d like to look back and see what we started out with 40 years ago as to where we are now. Do we need to build it for what it is now and for the next 40 years? … I just want to make sure we’re realistic with what we need compared to growing pains.”

Wojcik-Damers responded by stating that both cost estimates included a standard contingency cushion of 20 percent. Additionally, federal dollars would come with a lower matching requirement, but a higher project cost due to the Buy America standards that require recipients to source all practical components domestically.

Conceptual designs of the planned transit center show 12 bus bays built into the layout as well as a large administrative building. Twin Transit currently operates six bus lines, including the recently added Sunday Express. 

Wojcik-Damers cited the potential of drawing Greyhound into using the new facility as well as talk that the Washington State Department of Transportation is looking to add a Southwest Washington route to its Travel Washington Intercity Bus Program as reasons to build big. 

He later clarified that he has not yet spoken to Greyhound to gauge its interest, but noted the nationwide bus network has a history of contracting with centralized transit hubs when possible.

“We have not talked to them because we don’t have a facility,” Wojcik-Damers said in response to a question from Chehalis Mayor Pro-tem Terry Harris. “I feel it would be kind of outlandish to have conversations about bringing people into a facility that doesn’t exist yet … we feel that if we had the transit center developed, we could easily have a conversation with them.”

Conversations have taken place between Twin Transit and Mount Rainier National Park officials regarding their desire to add a bus service to offset the increase in cars that have clogged up park roads.

Wojcik-Damers said Twin Transit could explore the idea of operating a shuttle service for the park, with those services tailored for summer and winter activities.