Sustainability at Pierce Transit

Sustainable transit reduces a community’s environmental footprint from transportation and enhances its quality of life by making travel more enjoyable, affordable and timely. At Pierce Transit sustainability is a core value, addressed in terms of both the services we provide and how we operate.

Pierce Transit plays a key role in reducing the number of single-occupant vehicles on the road and the pollution they generate. In 2019, our customers skipped 9.3 million car trips, taking Pierce Transit buses, paratransit rides or Vanpools instead. Pierce Transit’s commitment to sustainability is reflected throughout the conception, planning, design, construction and operation of our system. We believe sustainability practices must make good business, public, and environmental sense by balancing the community’s economic, social and environmental needs.

APTA Sustainability Commitment silver level logo

The APTA Sustainability Award

Pierce Transit has pledged to adopt sustainable business practices and strategies. We track, measure and report progress. We administer these practices on an ongoing basis to continually improve them over time. As a signatory to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Sustainability Commitment, Pierce Transit actively supports and responsibly serves our community. In July 2025, Pierce Transit received Silver-level recognition from APTA recognizing the agency’s outstanding sustainability achievements. This award represents Pierce Transit’s years of work in sustainable operations, innovative planning, commitment to transitioning to a zero-emissions fleet, and reducing its carbon footprint in Pierce County and the Puget Sound region.

Executive Order No. 1

Read an overview of actions we take agency wide to reduce, reuse and recycle.

APTA Pledge

Download to view Pierce Transit’s commitment to sustainability.

spotlight on business 2025 award winner badge

Environmental Steward Award

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber’s Spotlight on Business Environmental Steward Award recognizes organizations leading the way in sustainability and environmental responsibility. These businesses set measurable goals to reduce impact, improve efficiency, and inspire a greener future for Pierce County. From amongst the three finalists, Pierce Transit was selected as the winner of the Spotlight on Business Environmental Steward award. The organization was recognized for driving sustainability for nearly half a century; Pierce Transit continues to set the pace for green mobility in the region.

By combining technology, infrastructure, and education, Pierce Transit demonstrates that sustainability isn’t a department; it’s a spirit and lens that moves people forward.

group of three people with an award

Pierce Transit CEO Mike Griffus accepting the award.

sustainability infographic

Dedicated Green Team

Pierce Transit’s Green Team comprises representatives from a variety of departments including Data Analytics, Marketing, Communications, Maintenance, Safety & Training, Community Development, ADA Eligibility and Planning. The goal of the Green Team is to establish sustainability outcomes for the agency and develop best practices, benchmarks and data collection protocol to measure outcome attainment.

The Green Team works to:

  • Improve public awareness of our agency’s sustainability efforts
  • Emphasize modernization
  • Increase community partnerships
  • Expand our community experience

Data collection protocol includes:

  • Identify potential areas of improvement
  • Develop matrices to measure data
  • Increase employee awareness of PT sustainability practices, as well as awareness in community
  • Quantify results to demonstrate success, areas needing further development

We believe that making sustainable strides benefits all by expanding regional connections, helping improve local air quality and enhancing our brand.

electric bus

Our Fleet

The majority of Pierce Transit’s buses run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) which offers lower emissions than diesel or standard fuel. Pierce Transit now has nine battery electric buses in its fleet: three Proterra and six GILLIG. These zero-emission buses offer a smooth, quiet ride and save on fuel costs and tailpipe emissions

Idling Reduction

In 2018, Pierce Transit approved a vehicle idling policy intended to protect the health of our employees, passengers, and communities; conserve fuel, reduce pollution and harmful effects to the environment; prevent premature engine wear, and minimize operating costs. This policy applies to every Pierce Transit-owned vehicle. Here’s a summary of what it covers:

Pierce Transit vehicles will not be parked with the engine operating for more than five minutes unless it is essential for the performance of work.

This limit applies to all Pierce Transit vehicles, unless the vehicle is idling under specific circumstances to be clarified by supervisors (including outdoor temperature extremes).

In cases where the operator must leave the vehicle and interior and/or clearance lights must remain ON, certain rules apply.

Sourcing Our Fuel

Pierce Transit currently purchases its compressed natural gas (CNG) through a distributor, United Energy Trading, on the open market. As the market fluctuates, so does the price of gas per therm (a unit of heat equivalent). By purchasing several years’ worth of gas at a time, Pierce Transit was able to lock in a reduced rate, significantly saving the agency money and allowing it to reinvest a portion of those savings to reduce overall carbon footprint.

As good stewards of public funds, Pierce Transit seeks such opportunities to reduce costs.

What is Pierce Transit’s Carbon Footprint

There are different methods used to calculate the carbon footprint of a transit agency. Carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by an entity’s actions. Some agencies use the number of vehicles in their fleet, how much fuel is used for those vehicles, and the cost of utilities that support the vehicle operation.

Pierce Transit has chosen to take a more comprehensive approach that includes not only fleet vehicles but commute trips taken by employees in personal vehicles and in vanpools and carpools. Considering not only the operations of the agency but the associated travel made by its employees gives a more holistic picture of resource use. Calculating the agency’s true carbon footprint, and planning ways to reduce that footprint, captures all aspects of service.

Pierce Transit’s Carbon Footprint Evaluation

bus and employee vehicles

To that end, Pierce Transit is working with an industry expert to examine data we currently collect on resource use and process that to establish the carbon footprint baseline. Having a clear understanding of the starting point then empowers the agency to make smart decisions on what bus specifications, bus types, and other resources to procure. That is where reinvesting a portion of fuel savings comes into play.

Sustainable Fuels

At Pierce Transit, we are committed to using sustainable fuels to power our buses, including renewable diesel (R99), renewable natural gas (RNG), and electricity. In 2023, we made a significant switch from geologic natural gas (CNG) to RNG. This fuel is produced from organic waste sources such as dairy farms and landfills, which generate methane—a potent greenhouse gas—during decomposition. By adopting RNG, we not only offset the use of geologic natural gas but also capture and repurpose methane, preventing it from entering the atmosphere and thereby reducing carbon emissions.

Our fleet also utilizes electricity, primarily generated from renewable hydropower, to further our commitment to sustainability.

Looking ahead, Pierce Transit is planning to explore hydrogen as a fuel source as part of our Zero Emissions Bus Transition Strategy. In the near term, we are focused on continuing to electrify our fleet, with a goal of achieving 20% electrification by 2030. Our commitment to these initiatives underscores our dedication to reducing our environmental impact and advancing sustainable transportation.

Electric

Pierce Transit has installed LED lighting at Tacoma Dome Station parking garages, transit centers, and at headquarters on our bus lot. This new lighting provides brighter illumination, movement- and daylight-sensitive fixtures to reduce time lit, and lower utility bills.

With efficiency and sustainability in mind, Pierce Transit provides Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (EVs) to employees for use when travelling to meetings or running agency errands. There are charging stations set aside for these cars at our headquarters. We also recently installed electric vehicle charging stations for employees to charge their personal vehicles; these are very popular and encourage employees to go electric.

Hybrid electric vanpool vehicles are now part of our fleet, available for community use. Tacoma Public Utilities partnered with Pierce Transit to become the first recipient of 8 plug-in Vanpool vans for their employees.

Recycling

Large mixed recycling bins are provided around our headquarters, in high-use areas, and each employee is offered a small desk-side bin for daily collection. Employees are reminded of which items to recycle and which to throw away.

In order to encourage recycling efforts in our Maintenance department, bins are placed throughout the shop, near the offices and break room.

Fluids used in the operation of our buses and fleet vehicles, along with materials used for parts and repairs, are recycled. Cardboard boxes and packaging materials from our parts warehouse are, too.

Water used in our bus wash is also recycled. The water is collected and processed through a filtration system. The only water wasted is that remaining on the coaches when they leave the bus wash.

Water

Our agency avoids purchasing water or other beverages in single-use plastic bottles whenever possible.

Those teams that work out in the community during summer months are provided with insulated cooler jugs they can refill with water throughout the day.

Maintenance staff have large coolers of water and Gatorade available at several stations in their shops. Bus operators are provided with reusable bottles and cups and the Employee Wellness Committee awards insulated water bottles and other containers to employees who participate in wellness challenges.

Filtered water bottle filling stations are available throughout our headquarters and, as of year-end 2021, have saved using 54,309 plastic bottles.