Andrew Austin reports that Pierce Transit is paying $0.71 a gallon for their CNG-powered buses. The sales-tax decline is still hurting them, though.
At the moment, the CNG decision seems to be a good one, and someone at PT should get some sort of medal.
UPDATE: Thanks to commenter BobbyZ, I found this article from 1996 where the Seattle Times puts a little halo around Councilwoman Maggie Fimia, who opposed the plan to buy CNG buses that was then backed by Councilmembers Larry Phillips and Greg Nickels. Buying those buses, after all, wouldn’t have been “cost-effective.” Where have I heard that rhetoric recently?
Sea-Tac has converted almost 100% of its vehicles to CNG … they will even let the public use their CNG refill station (provided you have a CNG vehicle of course)
We have Maggi Fimia to thank for leading the charge to halt CNG expansion at Metro years ago.
Like most anti-rail activists, Fimia made a big stink about the short term costs, ignoring long term benefits.
However, many parts of Pierce County have spotty service, as I discovered when doing a transit adventure the other day. I took the 54 to Fauntleroy, the ferry to Vashon, the 118 down the island, the ferry to Pt. Defiance, the 11 to downtown Tacoma, and the 590 back to Seattle. Or at least that was what was supposed to happen. The Tahlequah-Pt. Defiance ferry was 30 min late and that ended up making my trip 2 hours later then anticipated because of the lack of frequent service on Pierce Transit…
True, but it’s also a smaller city. There are options other than the 11 if you take a long but nice walk through Point Defiance to Old Town and then up the hill to Division.
CNG is a huge winner for Pierce cty, but other deeper systemic issues still sit unsolved. Access to ST express service is made difficult by Pierce Transit’s love affair with the inherently-freeway-challenged 10th and Commerce station. Many PT routes within Tacoma run only twice an hour, and don’t exactly make a whole lot of sense (routes zigzag in and out of side streets instead of staying on arterials). I propose a solution: extend the Tacoma Link up 6th Avenue to a new Pearl Street park and ride.
Consider:
1. Better access to Tacoma Dome Sta., so better access to 590 series service and Sounder (May I live to see the day that I can ride to Seattle on a Saturday afternoon – I’m a New Yorker; trains are a way of life)
1a. (Bonus) Better access to Dome lessens need for 590 service into already clogged Downtown, help traffic
2. Drivers coming from across the Narrows on Rt. 16 can park at Pearl and ride into town, possible express bus or bridge toll discount to encourage use
3. The redevelopment/revitalization of run-down parts of 6th Ave (for instance, b/w MLK and Sprague, at/near Pearl)
4. Continued growth for already revitalized parts of 6th Ave (e.g., 6th Ave shopping district, Upper Downtown)
4a. (Bonus) Downtown Link riders will have better access to a lot more of Tacoma (e.g., UW-Tacoma students, downtown residents)
5. Ability to create entirely reorganized route network within central Tacoma to serve currently-underserved places (N 21st, Ruston Way, et al)
Disadvantages:
1. 6th may have spots where it’s not wide enough to accommodate two street-grade tracks
2. Building at Pearl Street near Rt 16. Again.
3. Some neighborhoods (Proctor, Stadium) will feel left out
But, none of those qualifies as big-time project-killer status.
Downtown Tacoma has matured out of its infancy, but is at a critical moment in its growth. It is up to the city leaders to prevent regress and continue to bring Tacoma into the big time.