Wash.’s Pierce Transit announced MultiCare Health System will be the South Sound Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line’s official sponsor. Transportation can affect access to health care services, social services, employment, and educational opportunities. In line with both organizations’ missions, their agreement will improve quality of life and help build healthy communities.

“Transit not only provides a great way to travel, it also promotes a healthy lifestyle, so the partnership between Pierce Transit and MultiCare is a natural one,” said Pierce Transit CEO Mike Griffus. “This new transportation option will give people a fast and convenient way to get to medical appointments, jobs and other important destinations while also supporting a cleaner environment.”

The 14.4-mile portion of the South Sound BRT line, tentatively scheduled to open in 2025, will serve a corridor currently served by Pierce Transit’s Route 1, which has the agency’s highest ridership. The line will travel through six federally recognized Opportunity Zones and serve a very diverse community; almost 22% of individuals living in the area are below the poverty level, and 7% speak a language other than English in the home. The new line also passes three MultiCare medical facilities to support easy access to health care services.

As the BRT line’s naming sponsor, MultiCare’s name will appear on BRT buses, at stations, and on other BRT items, such as tickets and ticket vending machines. The organization will also have naming rights to two BRT stations near MultiCare locations and at the Tacoma Dome Station transit hub. Other organizations may sponsor stations along the line, but MultiCare remains the exclusive sponsor of the line itself. MultiCare will also work with Pierce Transit on an official name for this BRT line. The name will be distinct from the name “Stream,” selected by the Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners to apply to Pierce Transit’s BRT system overall, including this and future BRT lines.

The agreement signed by Pierce Transit and MultiCare spans 28 years.