Limited Access Connections, Pierce County, Washington, 2016-2019
5 minutes Date Enacted: Mar 1, 2016 Date Launched: May 15, 2018 Dates given are approximate. Pilot Project Timeframe: 1 year, extended + 6 months through end of 2019
Summary
2016 Entry
The Pierce Transit is planned to collaborate with a rideshare partner, Pierce College Puyallup, and Sound Transit, for the pilot program, Limited Access Connections. The pilot program is comprised of a three-pronged approach of (i) first/last mile solution in and between traditional zones, (ii) guaranteed rides home, and (iii) rides to Park-and-Ride to reduce parking demand. The program is planned to extend service hours and provide access to transit for riders who have limited transit options. This pilot program is one of FTA’s MOD Sandbox 1.0 program.
June 2019 Update
The transit agencies and Pierce College Puyallup partnered with Lyft, and launched on May 15, 2018. Pierce Transit has wayfinding signs at the station, and did an extensive outreach campaign to residents and regular commuters when it launched in the previous months. the Users enter a code into their app (call-in concierge service is available for wheelchair accessible vehicles and non-smartphone users, too) and if they are in one of the qualifying zones during service times (the college service is for late night trips), they receive free fare, as described below. The service area map, the table below, the wayfinding signs, and the promotional videos are all shown on the Limited Access Connections website.
| Description | Promo Code | Days & Times | Focus |
| Puyallup Commuter & Fife Commuter | 18FIFEPUY | Days Monday-Friday Times 5am-7pm |
In East Puyallup, to/from the Puyallup Sounder Station; in Fife, provide connection to/from specific bus stops along Route 501 or Puyallup Sounder Station to those customers who cannot otherwise reach transit. Route 501 travels via Valley and 70th Ave only on some weekday trips. |
| Guaranteed Ride Home | 18RAIDERS | Days Monday-Friday Times 8:30pm – 10:30pm |
From Pierce College Puyallup to destinations within the East Puyallup zone and South Hill Mall Transit Center. |
| Browns Point / NE Tacoma Connection | 18TDS | Days 7 Days Times 9am – 4pm |
When Route 63 is not operating, to the Tacoma Dome Station multimodal facility. |
| Parkland/Spanaway Midland University Place |
18SPANPARK 18MIDLAND 18UPLACE |
Days 7 Days Times 5am – 10:30pm |
Provide connection to specific bus stops and transit centers to riders in Parkland/Spanaway, Midland, University Place who cannot otherwise reach transit. |
The zones were extended, and the pilot was recently extended to at least December 2019.
For more information see the FTA Mobility On Demand Sandbox.
Contributed through a partnership between the Shared-Use Mobility Center, ITS America and the Federal Transit Administration’s Mobility on Demand Program.
Updated June 2019