The past, present and future are all part of the sequence of events that led to a two-tenths of one percent sales tax to support expansion of Twin Transit bus service appearing on many Lewis County ballots this fall.
According to proponents of the tax and the expansion of the footprint of the Lewis Public Transportation Benefit Area, residents of East County towns such as Morton and Mossyrock would be able to save their bus service currently provided by Lewis Mountain Highway Transit. Places such as Winlock, Vader and Pe Ell that aren’t presently on the Twin Transit route map would gain bus service, some for the first time.
Uncertainty about what the future holds for Twin Transit is what gives some people pause. Questions about how expanding the operation ties into plans for a multimillion dollar transit center in Centralia — as well as concern that as Twin Transit considers potentially reaching into neighboring counties, rural Lewis County could bear the cost — have entered discussions among some residents as election time draws near.
County residents not registered to vote in Centralia, Chehalis or Napavine will see the question on their ballots. The first two locales already pay the same amount into Twin Transit, while Napavine opted not to participate in the expansion initiative.
Organizations in support of the measure include the Transportation Choices Coalition and the Lewis County United Way.
“Lewis Mountain Highway Transit would come online for us on July 1, 2019,” Twin Transit General Manager Derrick Wojcik-Damers said. “We’re hoping that on the same date, we could bring on another route, then the next route six months after that.”
Supporters of expansion have used variations of the phrase “one penny on a five-dollar purchase” to illustrate the impact it would have on consumers. Funding would also be used to operate new Twin Transit routes in the same way they’re put toward the current operation.
“Our message has been that we believe expansion will create some real opportunities for people in Lewis County,” said Bobby Jackson, who serves as a Lewis County Commissioner as well as on the Twin Transit Authority Board. “I believe that transit is going to help set us up for the future, economically. It’s just one piece of the puzzle to help move Lewis County forward.”
Lewis County residents east of the Twin Cities who vote in favor of the sales tax will be voting to preserve the bus service currently provided by Lewis Mountain Highway Transit, which is slated to cease operations sometime next year.
The route that runs on U.S. Highway 12 between Chehalis and Packwood would not change in any way, according to Wojcik-Damers. Schedules, stops and fees would remain the same.
Packwood resident Carol Mathis volunteers at the senior center there and said losing bus service would be detrimental for seniors and students in East Lewis County. That said, many seniors are concerned that as Twin Transit continues to explore additional expansion opportunities with neighboring counties, east county residents may be left in the cold.
“I think most of us are concerned they’ll keep it the same price for awhile and then suddenly jack it up or cut us off since we’re at the end of the county,” Mathis said. “It don’t think any of us really thought about it until after (Twin Transit officials) left. It sounded really good that they would take over, keep the drivers and the routes, and it wasn’t until after he left that we went ‘wait a minute…’”
South and West Lewis County residents would benefit from the creation of new routes should the transit measure pass, according to proponents.
Twin Transit would create a new route that connects the Twin Cities with Toledo, Winlock and Vader. Pe Ell and West Lewis County would receive a hybrid service that includes some local coverage as well as the ability to schedule rides to the I-5 corridor in advance.
At a Chehalis City Council meeting on Monday, Wojcik-Damers touted the potential for Twin Transit to add connections to cities such as Tumwater and Kelso that sit across county lines.
Those routes would not be prioritized ahead of expanded Lewis County service, he clarified Wednesday, but would likely begin sometime in 2020.
“Having a countywide transit system in place creates opportunities for a community as a whole,” Wojcik-Damers said Monday.
Funds generated, should Lewis County residents sign off on the sales tax, would not be directly tied to infrastructure costs such as construction of a transit center near downtown Centralia that carries an estimated price tag of $7.4 million to more than $9 million.
Twin Transit officials have defended the scope of the project, which includes a dozen bus bays and a large administrative building, in part by citing the need to account for future growth of Twin Transit that could include partnerships with Greyhound and Mount Rainier National Park along with absorption of Lewis Mountain Highway routes that would use the new transit center as a stop in place of the current hub at the Centralia Train Depot.
The expansion planning process includes putting approximately $200,000 per year aside to eventually build an East Lewis County facility, Wojcik-Damers said.
“People know as far as things like summer and winter services at Mount Rainier, that’s a possibility, not a plan,” Wojcik-Damers said. “We’ve made it very clear that this is a Lewis County Transit System if it passes.”
Based on a study completed earlier this year by consulting group Nelson/Nygaard, Jackson said there would be enough tax revenue coming in to begin the expansion process. Buses wouldn’t enter new areas on Nov. 7, but the belief is that tax revenues would continue to increase to the point that future expansion would be possible.
“If we get the tax revenue, it will work because it will be putting buses in communities,” Jackson said. “It’s not so much about proving it, as it will happen if you vote for this. The proof will be in how many communities we thoroughly impact. We’re just starting out building the infrastructure, but it will be really up to time and how those things grow. Nobody can really predict that.”
