TransitThursday, November 5
Pierce County voters approve Prop 1, setting up 47% more bus service
The Daily Tacoma team
If you ride Pierce Transit, or just shop in its service area, here's the news: voters approved Proposition 1, based on initial results released Tuesday. The agency's sales tax rate goes from 0.6% to 0.9%, or 3 cents more per $10 spent, on April 1, 2027. Preliminary results showed 57.73% yes to 42.27% no.
Early returns showed Prop 1 ahead 57.73% to 42.27%
Preliminary results from Tuesday night, Washington Secretary of State
Pierce Transit Proposition 1 sales tax
Source: Tacoma News Tribune
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| Race | Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce Transit Proposition 1 sales tax | Yes | 74,314 | 57.7% |
| Pierce Transit Proposition 1 sales tax | No | 54,405 | 42.3% |
Pierce Transit says the money means 47% more local bus service, phased in from 2027 to the end of 2032. A spokesperson told The News Tribune it will take at least two to three years to buy roughly 60 buses and hire operators. Pierce Transit also plans four new routes and longer service hours.
- Senior free rides: start April 1, 2027
- Get a permit: Customer Service Center or myORCA.com
- Weekend service: 9 new Saturday and 14 new Sunday half-hourly routes
- Estimated first-year revenue: $64 million, 80% to expansion
Prop 1 lifts Pierce Transit's rate to 0.9%, still below Community and Intercity
Source: KNKX
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| Value | |
|---|---|
| Pierce today | 0.6% |
| Pierce with Prop 1 | 0.9% |
| Spokane Transit | 0.8% |
| Community Transit | 1.2% |
| Intercity Transit | 1.2% |
The rate hasn't moved since 2002. Voters rejected transit sales tax measures in 2012 and 2011 by a margin of less than 700 votes.
Sources: KOMO, Tacoma News Tribune, KNKX