DRAFT

Washington State Public Transportation Plan
Chapter Three: Goals and Action Strategies
INCREASED DEMAND FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Demographic and economic trends point to increased demand for public transportation to
support access to jobs, services and community activities. The Tri-County’s Connector, for
example, provides a vital link to residents in Skagit County traveling to work at Boeing in
Snohomish and King Counties. This service allows residents to leave their vehicle at home,
reducing impacts on the road and wallet. Students from Western Washington University
in Whatcom County also use the Tri-County Connector as a cost-effective alternative to
driving themselves. From 2007-2013, ridership has increased 43 percent on the route from
Bellingham to Mt. Vernon, and increased 125 percent over the same period on the route from
Mt. Vernon to Everett. Similarly, ridership from Oak Harbor in Island County increased 131
percent, demonstrating that access to employment via the Tri-County Connector benefits
residents of small urban and rural areas.
By 2040, Washington’s population is expected to reach 8.8 million. In addition to needing
more buses and service hours, Washington state will be challenged to manage existing
roadways and infrastructure to move growing numbers of people and freight more efficiently.
Greater access to integrated multimodal transportation solutions can help maximize the
carrying capacity of Washington’s roadways and infrastructure.
EMERGING TRENDS
Washington’s future is likely to see an increase in the number of people who depend
entirely on public transportation. In addition to increasing numbers of low income people
in our population, millennials have lower rates of car ownership and are choosing public
transportation, and the population of those 85 and older continues to grow. The trend is
also likely to increase in suburban and rural regions as more low-income families are priced
out of the urban housing market and move to these areas for more affordable housing. An
additional factor is that Washington’s aging population is projected to account for more than
21 percent of the state’s total population by 2040.
Emerging technologies will also continue to impact both public transportation demand and
supply, just as they are changing the face of commerce and communications. Future public
transportation investment priorities will be influenced by a deeper understanding of these
changing markets and greater coordination between service providers and developers of
transportation infrastructure.
Land use decisions play a significant role in everyone’s access to public transportation. As
density increases for people living and working in urban areas, the demand for access to public
transportation continues to increase.
There are many examples of partnerships in both rural and urban areas that have resulted
in successful collaborations to meet local and regional demand. One example is Washington
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WSDOT | DRAFT October 2015 | WaTransPlan.com