10.03.22

Cantwell Celebrates Growth of Spanaway Transportation Capacity at Transit Groundbreaking Ceremony

Cantwell: “(This) is the first new transit center in Pierce County in decades, and that is long overdue”

SPANAWAY, WA. – Today, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined fellow lawmakers, local officials and Pierce Transit representatives for the groundbreaking of the new Spanaway Transit Center and Park & Ride. Spanaway Transit Center will serve as the southern end of the line for Pierce Transit’s current Route 1, Pierce Transit’s highest ridership route.

“This transit center is the first new transit center in Pierce County in decades, and that is long overdue,” Sen. Cantwell said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “That is why Representative Strickland and I both fought very hard to secure a $3 million Congressional Direct Spending award for the Spanaway Transit Center … This is a perfect location to spend these dollars. Let's make sure that commuters here in Spanaway get to their workplace, get where they need to go -- so that it can keep the economy growing in the future.”

Sen. Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Tacoma) secured $3 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for the Spanaway Transit Center through the Fiscal Year 2022 Omnibus Appropriations bill. Another $3.27 comes from Federal Transit Administration formula funding. The total cost of the project is $24 million.

“As a long-time advocate of high-quality public transit, I was pleased to secure federal funding to make it more accessible for those who need it most – including residents of south Pierce County,” said Rep. Strickland. "I thank Pierce Transit for making this project happen. This key transportation and commercial corridor will improve transit access and connections for seniors, students, and working families.”

Located on Washington State Route 7, the new Spanaway Transit Center, expected to open in 2023, will provide access to public transit for the 55,000 people who live within a half-mile of the corridor. The population of this region is expected to grow 23% by 2040.

The transit center will serve as a crucial connector to transport residents of South Puget Sound to downtown Tacoma. From there, riders can transfer to the Sounder Train, and connect to communities as far north as Everett.

The Spanaway Transit Center will eventually serve as the southern end of the line for Pierce Transit’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line. The Pierce BRT is expected to start service in 2027.

Route 1 provides service to primarily underserved communities and transports 2,238 daily riders. Daily ridership is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels of over 4,000 daily riders.

A video recording of the groundbreaking ceremony is available HERE. Audio of the ceremony is available HERE. A transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks can be found HERE.

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