Three new buses are to begin ferrying passengers next month on the Grape Line between Pasco and Walla Walla, thanks to $1.9 million in federal stimulus money.
Grape Line, through a partnership between the Washington Department of Transportation and Greyhound, runs three roundtrips daily between the cities. The service, which began in November 2007, picks up passengers in Touchet, Wallula, Burbank and College Place and in the two cities.
A one-way trip from Walla Walla to Pasco or from Pasco to Walla Walla costs $6.50 and take a little less than two hours, according to the Grape Line website.
The three 20-passenger buses are being painted and undergoing other final preparations, according to the Department of Transportation. They are scheduled to begin service in January.
Each is equipped with high-back reclining seats, a wheelchair lift, two wheelchair stations, a bike rack for two bicycles and luggage storage areas. The same model of bus currently is used on the Dungeness Line on the Olympic Peninsula, according to the Department of Transportation.
Grape Line is part of Travel Washington Intercity Bus Service, which is designed to link travel hubs and give more commuting options for commuters in Washington's rural areas, according to Steven Abernathy, the Department of Transportation's Intercity Bus Program manager.
In Pasco, the Grape Line provides connections with Greyhound, Amtrak and Ben Franklin Transit; in Walla Walla, it offers connections with Valley Transit, Milton-Freewater Bus and Columbia County Public Transportation.
Transportation officials said when the Pasco-Walla Walla service started that the gradual withdrawal of Greyhound and its franchise operators since the late '80s on many rural and urban routes made it necessary for the Department of Transportation to step in to take care of important transit corridors in the state. Greyhound discontinued intercity bus service to Walla Walla in August 2004.
The $1.9 million in grants to the Travel Washington Intercity Bus Program for the new buses came through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to DOT.
Similar stories:
Bus line between Pasco, Walla Walla still growing
Bus line between Pasco, Walla Walla still growing
The Grape Line buses that make three roundtrips daily between Walla Walla and Pasco celebrated four years in service this week.
Ridership continues to grow, from 448 passengers in 2007 to more than 8,800 passengers in 2010. To date, the Grape Line has served more than 27,700 passengers.
The buses have connections to Greyhound, Amtrak, Ben Franklin Transit, Valley Transit and Tri-Cities Airport.
4 YEARS: Pasco-Walla Walla bus line increased 8,352 passengers since '07
4 YEARS: Pasco-Walla Walla bus line increased 8,352 passengers since '07
The Grape Line buses that make three roundtrips daily between Walla Walla and Pasco celebrated four years in service this week.
Ridership continues to grow, from 448 passengers in 2007 to more than 8,800 passengers in 2010. To date, the Grape Line has served more than 27,700 passengers.
The buses have connections to Greyhound, Amtrak, Ben Franklin Transit, Valley Transit and Tri-Cities Airport.
'New' transit buses hit Tri-City streets
'New' transit buses hit Tri-City streets
Ben Franklin Transit riders will see some newer buses decorated with a blue wave taking over routes.
Six of the 11 buses Ben Franklin Transit recently acquired from Seattle's Sound Transit already have replaced some of the agency's older buses.
Ben Franklin Transit received the buses for $1 each, not including the cost of buying parts from Sound Transit and transporting the buses to the Tri-Cities, said Kathy McMullen, the transit agency's service development manager.
Possible cuts to school funding could leave kids on the curb
Possible cuts to school funding could leave kids on the curb
Red lights flashing on a big yellow bus, doors opening and a small boy skipping into his dad's arms -- it is a scene that played out at Kennewick's Aspen Hills apartment complex Friday, much like it does every weekday in neighborhoods across America.
But yet another round of state budget cuts threaten to make that scenario ever rarer -- or nonexistent -- in Washington.
To stave off a projected $2 billion budget shortfall, Gov. Chris Gregoire last week sent a list of cost-cutting ideas to legislators for consideration during the upcoming Nov. 28 special session. One of the options is to cut state money to local districts for busing kids.
Weather predictions have holiday travelers dashing through fog
Weather predictions have holiday travelers dashing through fog
Holiday travelers may not want to sing Let it Snow in the next few weeks if they plan to leave home for the holidays.
The number of people traveling for Christmas and New Year's is expected to be the second highest in the past decade, according to AAA.
About 30 percent of the U.S. population, or 91.9 million Americans, are expected to travel 50 or more miles between Friday and Jan. 2. That's up 1.4 percent from last year.
Print
Email Story
