The 2025 Annual Report
Improving Lives with Local Transit
CEO MESSAGE
2025 was Pierce Transit’s 45th anniversary and we had a great year.
We released Destination 2045, our Long Range Plan shaped by feedback from you and your neighbors. We opened the Spanaway Transit Center to better serve people who live and work in South Pierce County. We welcomed business leaders and community partners to a summit at the top of the Tacoma Dome Station garage. We honored Transit Operator Delmar Sherrell as our Employee of the Year. We heard from many customers about the positive impact Pierce Transit has on their lives. It was a year of celebration, connections and planning exciting things to come. You’ll hear more about it here in our Annual Report.
Mike Griffus
Pierce Transit CEO
ENHANCED SERVICE FOR YOU
Introducing the Spanaway Transit Center
In August 2025, we celebrated the opening of the Spanaway Transit Center. This is Pierce Transit’s first new public transit facility since the final phase of Tacoma Dome Station opened in 1998. The new Transit Center serves as the southern terminus for Route 1 and Stream Community Line, providing transit connections to those living and working in South Pierce County.
Stream has fewer stops than Route 1, which runs along the same corridor, offering those who commute to and from downtown Tacoma a quicker and more direct ride. It also provides a great way to connect to other local and regional transit services at Tacoma Dome Station, the region’s largest multi-modal transit hub. Stream service also offers upgraded amenities, such as enhanced shelters with lighting, digital next bus information, and an accessibility “text-to-speech” feature to hear when the next bus will arrive.
2025 Strategic Plan Highlights
25%
Our goal to increase number of ORCA Business Accounts, ensuring more employers can provide transportation resources to their workers
Pierce Transit is working to provide the community more of what they need, with what we have available. We launched our Bus System Recovery Plan in Summer 2023 to strategically increase transit service based on riders’ needs and new travel patterns across the community. The Plan focuses on a phased approach to roll out more service on evenings and weekends, and more frequent service. In 2025, we designed improvements based on the Plan.
We hope you will keep an eye on our progress by visiting our Strategic Plan Accountability Dashboard.
BY THE NUMBERS
There For You, One Ride at a Time
 Bus |
 Rideshare |
 SHUTTLE |
 Runner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,039,888 Boardings |
388,390 Boardings |
316,646 Boardings |
87,192 Trips |
| 5,582,584 Miles of Service |
3,509,334 Miles of Service |
2,698,866 Miles of Service |
686,506 Miles of Service |
| 420,621 Hours of Service |
106,880 Hours of Service |
172,155 Hours of Service |
34,776 Hours of Service |
RESPONSIBLY MANAGING FINANCES
Doing a Lot with Less
We keep dollars circulating locally: in 2025, Pierce Transit budgeted $28 million in local dollars to attract $96 million in capital grant funding, to achieve a 243% return on investment. These funds supported 79 projects, from vehicle replacements to facility improvements and safety and technology upgrades.
Pierce Transit maintains a healthy funding reserve, carries no debt, and has a balanced budget. Eighty-five percent of Pierce Transit’s employees are related to direct service on the street; just 15 percent serve in administrative roles. The majority of funding for Pierce Transit’s services comes from local sales tax, with the agency receiving sixth-tenths of a penny on each dollar spent on qualifying purchases within our service area. This is the lowest rate collected among similar-sized transit agencies in Washington, and has not changed since 2002.
Our peers in Thurston and Snohomish counties receive double that funding rate, allowing them to provide more frequent service that starts earlier and runs later in the day. Pierce Transit provides the highest level of service possible within its funding limitations.
Pierce Transit’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the 2024 fiscal year has been awarded the Government Finance Officers Association’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. This is the highest level of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and it is the 41st year in a row Pierce Transit has attained this honor.
BUILDING A STRONGER PIERCE COUNTY
Pierce Transit’s Good to Give Committee is made up of employees who volunteer their time to support those in need in communities we serve.
The Committee continued its efforts in 2025 by assisting with packing food at the Emergency Food Network, cleaning up a section of South Tacoma Way through the Adopt-A-Street litter control program, registering employees to donate at several BloodWorks Northwest blood drives, gathering a busload of school supplies at a Stuff the Bus donation drive for local students, conducting fundraising events with proceeds going to HopeSparks and HopesCloset, stocking the Lakewood Rotary Little Free Pantry in Tillicum, running a very successful employee campaign and gathering Suit Her Up clothing donations for the United Way of Pierce County.
Helping When Times Get Tough
Buckley Connector provided a critical connection for residents between Buckley and Enumclaw while emergency repairs were made to the White River bridge.
During the federal government shutdown in Nov. and Dec. 2025, we provided fare free bus rides to federal workers. We covered $23,210 in Rideshare fees for federal employees. Eighty-three Rideshare groups were affected and 169 people had their fares waived.
Offering You Fare Free Days
Every so often, Pierce Transit welcomes our community members to board without paying a fare, inviting them to try transit and celebrate with us. In 2025, we provided “free rides” days on Transit Equity Day, Earth Day, the first day of June/Ride Transit Month, Black Friday (to encourage folks to shop local), and New Year’s Eve, to provide a safe transportation alternative.
SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION
Million Milers
Safety in service provision is perhaps best personified by those inducted annually into our Million Mile Club. In 2025, Operator John Walker joined the ranks of those who have achieved 12 or more years of consecutive preventable accident-free driving.
Recent recipients include:
Ivan Gopsha and Robin Daves for 2024
Richard Sprinkle, Joseph Carlson, Duane Lacy, Charles Stango for 2023
Smooth Operator
These Smooth Operators have demonstrated exceptional skill, sound judgment and a commitment to driving safely over the past year.
- Charles Bodah
- Lori Cogar
- Jevon Eaglefeather
- Kelly Flork
- Luther Green
- Chris Hammond
- Terry Jones
- Heidy Mason
- Bonnie Mitchell
- Valentina Yanchak
SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS
Our Sustainability Commitment
Public transit is, by nature, environmentally responsible because it moves large numbers of people efficiently, reducing the number of individual cars on the road and lowering gasoline consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, and air pollution.
In 2025, Pierce Transit received local and national recognition for its sustainability efforts, further solidifying the agency’s position as a national leader in protecting the environment through innovative sustainability practices. In July, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) awarded Pierce Transit with its nationwide Silver-level Sustainability Commitment award for continuously advancing environmental, social, and economic sustainability goals. In October, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber Spotlight on Business Environmental Steward Award recognized Pierce Transit for leading the way in sustainability and environmental responsibility. It is given to businesses that set measurable goals to reduce impact, improve efficiency, and inspire a greener future for Pierce County.
By investing in public transit systems, our community conserves energy, uses infrastructure more effectively, and creates long-term economic and environmental benefits for future generations.
By investing in public transit systems, our community conserves energy, uses infrastructure more effectively, and creates long-term economic and environmental benefits for future generations.
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Development & Outreach
Every day, our agency engages with the community while providing transit services. However, to educate the community about what we do, and to best gather impactful community feedback on what is important to our customers, we find face-to-face engagement provides an enriched exchange of ideas.
In 2025, our Community Development team, along with employees from across the agency, attended 124 Outreach events and 350 Community engagements. These included employer events such as wellness and job fairs, networking events, market booths, festivals and cultural celebrations, presentations and transit education sessions, attendance at chamber events and neighborhood meetings. These activities allow us to share the latest transit news and service options, as well as listen to people sharing their perspectives and input.
UPCOMING PROJECTS
Gig Harbor Connector
Gig Harbor Connector service will roll out in June to serve popular destinations around Gig Harbor. Along with our year-round Route 100, the Connector provides an easy ride between uptown and downtown on select days during summertime. Leave parking hassles behind and enjoy the Harbor by bus.
Soccer Fan Events
2026 is a big year for world-class soccer in our area with Seattle hosting several international matches. The Puyallup Tribe is hosting watching parties in partnership with the City of Tacoma and Pierce County! Pierce Transit will provide the Fan Zone Express, connecting community members from Tacoma Dome Station and the Tacoma Dome parking lots to the viewing location; details are at PierceTransit.org/SEA26.
Preview Service Change
Pierce Transit makes changes to its bus service twice a year, and customers can preview the next service change, before it occurs, on our website at PierceTransit.org/service-change. At the March 2026 service change, we extended Stream Community Line to Commerce Street Station, and increased frequency on Route 1 and 3 to every 15 minutes between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays.
Plan ahead and check this page to see if the routes you use will be adjusted.
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Governed by Your Community Leaders
Pierce Transit is currently governed by a 10-member Board of Commissioners consisting of nine voting members made up of elected officials representing Pierce County, Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup, University Place and the smaller cities and towns in Pierce County, and one non-voting union representative.
Kristina Walker
Board Chair,
Commissioner
Tacoma City Council
Rosie Ayala
Board Vice Chair, Commissioner
Pierce County Council
Lauren Adler
Commissioner
Puyallup City Council
Paul Bocchi
Commissioner
Mayor of Lakewood
Olgy Diaz
Commissioner
Tacoma City Council
Doug Fagundes
Commissioner
Represents cities of Auburn, Edgewood, Fife, Milton, Pacific, Ruston, and Steilacoom
John Hines
Commissioner
Tacoma City Council
John Hoheusle
Commissioner
Non-voting Labor Representative
Ryan Mello
Commissioner
Pierce County Executive
Shannon Reynolds
Commissioner
Fircrest City Council
Represents cities of Fircrest, Gig Harbor, and University Place
BOARD CHAIR MESSAGE
Here’s to another 45 years of getting our community where they need to go!
2025 marked the 45th anniversary of Pierce Transit connecting our community. I was honored to attend the grand opening of our “birthday present” to those we serve: the first new Transit Center since 1998, located in Spanaway. This facility supports local and regional transit connections to riders in south Pierce County, as well as provides a comfort station for our operators.
In this Annual Report, you’ll find the numbers that give testament to our efforts, showcasing trips provided, miles travelled, service hours delivered and funding utilized. But part of our anniversary celebrations included digging deeper into the stories behind those numbers: communities served, opportunities realized, connections established and needs met. Over the next year, we’ll be sharing more of these stories to help illustrate the impact public transit makes in all of our lives, whether we ride the system or just enjoy lighter traffic because of it.
Kristina Walker
Pierce Transit Board Chair
Tacoma City Councilmember
IMPROVING LIVES WITH LOCAL TRANSIT
Who Benefits? Everyone.
Thanks again for taking the time to read Pierce Transit’s 2025 Annual Report. In it you’ve seen how a wide variety of people benefit from local transit. Here are a few more ways we improve lives in our community:
Local Business
Transit brings people to the front doors of our local businesses and services. A recent Pierce Transit rider survey shows more than 89 percent of riders take trips that benefit our local economy.
