Whatcom Transportation Authority

Whatcom Transportation Authority

Commenced operation	January 1, 1984 (1984-01-01)
Headquarters	4111 Bakerview Spur, Bellingham
Locale	Whatcom County, Washington
Service type	bus service, paratransit, vanpool
Routes	31
Fleet	60 buses, 38 paratransit vehicles, 38 vans
Annual ridership	5,242,852 (2014)
Website	ridewta.com

The Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) is the public transit authority of Whatcom County in northwestern Washington, based in the city of Bellingham. It provides bus service on 31 fixed routes, including branded "GO Lines" with 15-minute frequencies on weekdays, to cities in its service area. In addition to bus service, the WTA offers paratransit service and a vanpool programs.

The WTA is funded by a 0.6% sales tax within the Whatcom County public transportation benefit area (PTBA) and grants from the state and federal governments. Service began on January 1, 1984, using equipment bought from the Bellingham municipal transit system after a countywide authority was established a year earlier. The WTA carried 5 million total riders on fixed bus routes in 2014, averaging out to 17,000 weekday boardings.

History

The Whatcom Transportation Authority was created in 1983 and service in western Whatcom County, including the cities of Bellingham, Ferndale and Lynden, began on January 1, 1984. The city of Bellingham began operating its own municipal transit system in 1971 by taking over a failing private operator, funding it with a 0.3% sales tax within the city beginning in 1975. The system was absorbed into the new countywide public transportation benefit area, which adopted the same sales tax rate in 1983.

Services

Bus routes

GO Lines

The "GO Lines" are four corridors where local service combines for 15-minute headways on weekdays and are branded with a specific color by the WTA beginning in 2005.

• Blue Line (routes 105, 107, 108 and 190): Bellingham Station to Sehome Village, via Western Washington University
• Green Line (route 232): Bellingham Station to Cordata Station and Whatcom Community College
• Gold Line (route 331): Bellingham Station to Cordata Station and Whatcom Community College, via Bellis Fair Mall and Roosevelt
• Red Line (route 401): Bellingham Station to the Fairhaven Transportation Center via State Street and Fairhaven

County Connector

WTA Route 80X, known as the County Connector, is an inter-county route operated by the WTA and Skagit Transit that makes 8 daily roundtrips on weekdays and 4 daily roundtrips on Saturdays between Bellingham Station and the Skagit Transportation Center in Mount Vernon, with intermediate stops at park and rides along Interstate 5. There is also a shuttle bus that connects Route 80X to Western Washington University with 2 weekday roundtrips.

Fleet

The WTA operates a fleet of 60 full-size buses, 38 paratransit vehicles, and 38 vanpool vans.

Current Bus Fleet

As of December 31, 2013

Manufacturer and model	Image	Year	Fleet Numbers	Notes
Orion V		1995	840–842
		1997	844–846
Gillig Low Floor		2004	864–866
		2007	826–827
		2007	851–855
		2008	867–869
		2009	856–859
		2009	871–880
		2010	809–719
		2010	828–830
		2010	881–886
		2011	887–894
		2012	801–808	Diesel-electric hybrid bus

External links

• Official website