Our Mission Is to Serve

Pierce Transit improves people’s quality of life by providing safe, reliable, innovative and useful transportation services that are locally based and regionally connected.

A Message From Pierce Transit CEO Mike Griffus

Pierce Transit is proud to serve our community as your local public transportation provider. In 2025, Pierce Transit delivered more than 7 million rides for people heading to work, medical appointments, grocery shopping, visits with friends and other important destinations. We are an innovative agency, working to provide creative transportation services such as the Runner that connects people to transit in areas that don’t currently have robust service, and Stream Community Line, a high-capacity, rapid bus service between downtown Tacoma and Spanaway.

Ridership on Pierce Transit continues to grow as people discover how easy and affordable it is to use – ridership increased 4% in 2025 and we have now returned to our pre-COVID service levels. We are also focused on sustainability, having reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 19 percent since 2017. In 2025, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) honored Pierce Transit with a nationwide Silver-level Sustainability Commitment award, and we received the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber Spotlight on Business Environmental Steward Award.

We focus on keeping our employees and customers safe, with a dedicated public safety force, plus more than 1,000 cameras throughout our system and many shelters with lighting. We keep our customers top-of-mind, with a Customer Experience Plan focused on continually improving our riders’ experiences and a Strategic Plan that is guiding our work over the next six years.

I am proud to serve as Pierce Transit’s CEO and hope you will join me on board soon to experience our exceptional service.

mike griffus
Mike Griffus

Our Board

Pierce Transit is governed by a ten-member Board of Commissioners. The Board is made up of elected officials representing thirteen jurisdictions, Pierce County and one non-voting Union Representative.

Executive Finance Committee

The Committee serves as a sounding board to the Agency on various policy matters and approves contracts up to its allowed authority established by the Board of Commissioners.

Service Delivery & Capital Committee

The SDCC’s role is to provide additional oversight on items such as the operational service needs of the system, the customer experience and significant capital projects.

Community Transportation Advisory Group

The Pierce Transit Community Transportation Advisory Group (CTAG) is a nine-member advisory group that provides input to the Board of Commissioners.

Public Notices, Events & News

A Brief History

Founded in 1979, Pierce County Public Transportation Benefit Area Corporation (Pierce Transit) is a nationally recognized leader in the public transportation industry. Pierce Transit covers 292 square miles of Pierce County with roughly 70% of the county population. Serving Washington’s second largest county, Pierce Transit provides four types of service, Fixed Route, SHUTTLE paratransit, Rideshare and Runner that help get passengers to jobs, schools and appointments.

Financing

Primary sources of operating and capital revenue:

  • 0.6% Local Sales Tax
  • Passenger Fares
  • Federal Transit Administration
  • Sound Transit for regional service
  • Pierce Transit is a separate municipal corporation, not part of the City of Tacoma, Sound Transit, or Pierce County.