Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

The agency’s plan to cut 10% of its workforce and 28% of its annual service hours in September received a backlash from the public, and spurred a union vote of no confidence in the CEO. The cuts are a result of a sales tax increase measure that was rejected by voters in November.

Sought to switch more than 100 nonunion employees to a market-driven salary system with annual raises awarded by merit only, not by cost-of-living or automatic step increases.

Board of directors voted to increase fares for all vanpool users by $2 instead of its initial plan to cut 40 vanpools that start and end outside the agency’s service area.

Passed a resolution directing staff to implement service reductions, including elimination of Saturday, Sunday, and holiday service and one bus route, on September 29, 2013. The cuts are a result of the loss of Proposition 1 in November.

SHUTTLE will stop serving many Pierce County neighborhoods because buses and shuttles can't serve cities that aren't part of Pierce Transit.

Looking into cutting in half or eliminating bus service in the most populous county it serves due to falling sales tax projections and previous service reductions causing a drop in ridership. However, if approved in November, a measure to increase the sales tax may help the struggling agency.

Tentative agreement would also require workers to pay more of their health care costs. Agreement doesn’t include cost-of-living pay increases, but does preserve “step” increases for union members during their first 10 years with the agency.

Awarded in four categories determined by annual ridership for public systems and one category for contracted systems, the awards recognize public transportation organizations for their positive and proactive safety and security programs that are dedicated to improving safety and security for the employees, passengers and the public.

As a result of the economic recession and failure of Proposition 1, the Board of Commissioners directed staff to implement a 35 percent reduction in service by October 2011 to address the agency's budget shortfall.

Board members authorized $16.9 million for the purchase of 24 40-foot hybrid buses from Gillig Corp., and $8.1 million for 10 60-foot clean diesel buses from New Flyer.