RiverCities Transit (Washington)

RiverCities Transit is a public transit system serving the cities of Longview and Kelso in Cowlitz County, Washington.

RiverCities Transit
Commenced operation1975 (1975)[1]
LocaleCowlitz County, Washington
Service typeBus service
Routes7
Fuel typeDiesel
OperatorCowlitz Transit Authority
Websiterctransit.org

History
A bus in Longview

Public transportation service in Cowlitz County began in 1975, with the purchase of a private bus company by the cities of Longview and Kelso. The two cities partnered with the Cowlitz County government to organize a public transportation benefit area in 1987, and a 0.1 percent sales tax to fund the bus system was approved by 77.3 percent of voters on September 16, 1987.[2]:21 The existing service, then named the "Community Urban Bus Service" (CUBS), was transferred to the Cowlitz Transit Authority on January 1, 1988.[2]:43

In 2008, CUBS put a 0.2 percent sales tax increase up for public vote, seeking $2 million in additional annual revenue to continue running service and expanding frequency and hours of operation.[3] The increase was approved by voters, bringing the total sales tax to 0.3 percent.

The Cowlitz Transit Authority adopted a 10-year "Transit Enhancement Plan" in 2010, proposing a re-branded system with more frequent service and newer buses.[4] In 2011, CUBS began exploring a re-brand, complete with a new name, using an online poll.[5] "RiverCities Transit" was announced as the winner later that month,[6] and a new blue-and-gray color scheme was adopted for the system's bus fleet the following year.[7] A new route system, focusing on corridors where buses run every 30 to 60 minutes, debuted in August 2013;[8] an express route between Longview and Kelso debuted earlier that year in April, reducing travel times.[9]

Services

Bus routes
As of October 2015[10]
Route Inbound
terminus		 Outbound
terminus		 Via Frequency Saturday
service		 Notes
31 Longview Transit Center 32nd Avenue & Maryland Western Longview 60 minutes
30 minutes (peak)		 Yes
32 Longview Transit Center 30th Avenue & Larch Downtown Longview 60 minutes
30 minutes (peak)		 Yes
33 Longview Transit Center Heron Pointe Lower Columbia College 60 minutes Yes
44 Heron Pointe Three Rivers Mall Ocean Beach Highway, Longview 60 minutes No Express service along Ocean Beach Highway
45 Longview Transit Center Three Rivers Mall Downtown Longview, Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center 30 minutes Yes "Circulator" loop
56 Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center Three Rivers Mall Kelso 60 minutes No
(Use route 57)		 Runs in the opposite direction as route 57[11]
57 Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center Three Rivers Mall Kelso 60 minutes Yes Runs in the opposite direction as route 56

Fleet
As of March 2014[1]:20
Year Manufacturer Model Fleet
Numbers		 Qty. Capacity Fuel Type Notes
1998 Gillig Phantom 30' 42-29 1 29 Diesel
2002 Gillig Phantom 35' 42-01–42-04 4 35 Diesel
2003 Gillig Phantom 35' 42-05–42-06 2 35 Diesel
2009 Gillig Low Floor 35' 42-07 1 32 Diesel
2011 Gillig Low Floor HEV 35' 42-09 1 32 Diesel-electric hybrid
2013 Gillig BRT 35' 42-10–42-13 4 32 Diesel

References
  1. 2013 Annual Report and 2014-2019 Transit Development Plan (PDF) (Report). RiverCities Transit. August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  2. Planning, Research and Public Transportation Division (December 1988). Public Transportation in Washington State, 1988 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  3. Fischer, Amy M.E. (October 22, 2008). "Election primer: CUBS eyes expansion, seeks sales tax increase". The Daily News. Longview, Washington. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  4. Fischer, Amy M.E. (November 27, 2010). "CUBS officials release roadmap for future service". The Daily News. Longview, Washington. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  5. Fischer, Amy M.E. (December 8, 2011). "Bus service seeks public's opinion on new name and logo". The Daily News. Longview, Washington. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  6. Fischer, Amy M.E. (December 29, 2011). "New bus service name chosen in decisive vote". The Daily News. Longview, Washington. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  7. Fischer, Amy M.E. (November 11, 2012). "RiverCities Transit buses getting facelift". The Daily News. Longview, Washington. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  8. Fischer, Amy M.E. (August 1, 2013). "RiverCities Transit set to begin revamped route system". The Daily News. Longview, Washington. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  9. Fischer, Amy M.E. (April 11, 2013). "RiverCities Transit to begin express route from West Longview to Kelso". The Daily News. Longview, Washington. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  10. "System Map". RiverCities Transit. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  11. "Route 56/57". RiverCities Transit. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
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