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SUBJECTS › TRANSPORTATION › Public Transportation Funding
Updated 03/06

Public Transportation Funding  

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About Public Transportation Funding

The majority of the public transportation systems in Washington are operated by  special  transportation benefit districts which cover all or parts of 23 counties and  include 132 cities.  There are three municipal systems, Everett, Pullman, and Yakima,  and one metropolitan county system, King County Metro,  which includes 28 cities.  A regional transit authority provides transportation services between King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties.   Thirteen of the 39  counties have no transportation services serving unincorporated areas.   Source material for this page includes: 

Statutes

Public Transportation Systems by County

County Type Jurisdictions Included, Boundaries, and Governance Tax Funding   (Sales Tax Rate as of 1-05, Department of Revenue)
City Transit Authority (Ch. 35.95A RCW)
Seattle, King County Seattle Popular Monorail Authority,  Seattle Monorail Project 2002-2005 The Project was governed by a Board of Directors consisting of 9 appointed or elected members plus one ex officio member.  On November 8, 2005, Seattle citizens did not support Proposition 1, which concerned shortening the initial monorail line. As a result the the Seattle Monorail Project (SMP) was dissolved Motor Vehicle Excise Tax of  1.4 percent
City Transit Systems (Ch. 35.95 RCW)
Everett, Snohomish County  Everett Transit Everett only Sales Tax Rate .006  (Sales tax increase of .003 voted Sept. 04)
Pullman, Whitman County Pullman Transit

   2% of the gross income of the business of: (a)  selling or furnishing electric light and power; (b)  selling, brokering, or furnishing natural or manufactured gas; (c)  telephone business; (d)  solid waste collection service; and,  (e)  selling or furnishing water and sewer services. The transit portion of the utility tax was enacted by Ordinance No. 78-39 adopted by the City Council on September 19, 1978, and approved by the voters of the city at a special election conducted on November 7, 1978. (Pullman Municipal Code  6.15.055 (3)
Yakima, Yakima County City Transit

  Sales Tax Rate .003
County Transit  Authority (Ch. 36.57 RCW)
Grays Harbor Grays Harbor Transportation Authority - Grays Harbor Transit - County Transportation Authority serves entire county Aberdeen, Cosmopolis,  Elma, Hoquiam, McCleary, Montesano, Oakville, Ocean Shores, Westport  and unincorporated county Sales Tax Rate .006
Metropolitan County  (Ch. 35.58 RCW and Ch. 36.56 RCW)
King County Metro Transit All cities and towns in King County and Unincorporated area Initially operated by Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle 1972, 1992 merged with King County (retaining powers of  RCW 35.58) Sales Tax Rate .008
Public Transit Benefit Authorities (Ch. 36.57A RCW and Unincorporated County Transportation Benefit Area (RCW 36.57.100)
Asotin Asotin County Public Transit Benefit Area  (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) Created May 2003 Cities of Asotin and Clarkston, and all of the  unincorporated area of county. Three member board: Each entity involved has one representative who is an elected official. This consists of the City of Asotin, the City of Clarkston, each who have one councilmember, and one Commissioner from the County. Contracting with Valley Transit   Sales Tax Rate .002 Effective 4-05 November 2004 election.  Voters approved a proposition for a 0.2 percent sales and use tax for the Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA). A 5-year sunset clause requires the county to go before voters again in 2010 for continued funding. The new transit tax helps maintain and improve the county's public transit services and provides the matching funds needed to receive federal grants. (DOT)
Benton Ben Franklin Transit Ch. 36.57A RCW ) (PTBA - Cities of Benton City, Kennewick, Richland, West Richland and portions of unincorporated county area.  Finley area annexed April 2005 Sales Tax Rate .006
Chelan  Link Transit - Serves Chelan and Douglas Counties  (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) 1989 Cashmere, Chelan, Entiat, Leavenworth, Wenatchee, and unincorporated area of Chelan County,  East Wenatchee,  Rock Island, Waterville, and area of Eastmont, Orondo and Waterville school districts in Douglas County The PTBA Board of Directors was assembled to equal twelve members who are local elected officials from the two counties and the eight cities.  The Board is comprised of one representative from each city: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Chelan, Entiat, Waterville, Rock Island, Leavenworth, and Cashmere; and two representatives from Douglas County, and Chelan County Sales Tax Rate .004
Clallam Clallam Transit System - Countywide    (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) Formed on July 24, 1979 Forks, Port Angeles, Sequim  and all of the unincorporated areas. CTS is organized into three departmental areas: Operations, Maintenance, and Administration. Oversight of all agency operations is the responsibility of the General Manager. Legal counsel is at the disposal of the General Manager as needed. Agency policy oversight is the responsibility of an appointed panel of elected officials. The three municipalities within the service area (Forks, Port Angeles, and Sequim) and Clallam County each appoint two elected representatives to the CTS Board Sales Tax Rate .006
Clark C-TRAN - (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW )   Formed 1980

Serves Vancouver and urban growth boundary area, election precincts 915, 960, and 646, and the city limits of  Battle Ground, Camas, La Center, Ridgefield, Vancouver, Washougal, and Yacolt.    Boundaries were reduced in  October 2005 see Proposed Boundary Reduction  C-TRAN's Board of Directors is comprised of elected officials from various city and county governmental offices. The nine members consist of: all three Clark County Commissioners;  three representatives from the Vancouver City Council; and  one representative each from the Camas/Washougal, Battle Ground/Yacolt, and Ridgefield/La Center City Councils

Sales Tax Rate .006
Columbia Columbia County Public Transportation (CCPT) Formed 2005 Countywide including Dayton and Starbuck Sales Tax Rate .004
Cowlitz Community Urban Bus Service (CUBS)  serves Kelso and Longview urban area (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) Formed 1987 Kelso and Longview Cowlitz Transit Authority - two representatives from Longview, two from Kelso and one from Cowlitz County


 Sales Tax Rate .001
Douglas  Link Transit -  Serves Chelan and Douglas Counties (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) See Chelan County East Wenatchee,  Rock Island, Waterville, and area of Eastmont, Orondo and Waterville school districts in Douglas County Sales Tax Rate .004
Franklin Ben Franklin Transit (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) See Benton County Pasco Sales Tax Rate .006
Garfield Garfield County Transportation  – Unincorporated county Transportation Benefit Area serves Garfield County (RCW 36.57.100)    
Grant Grant Transit Authority – Countywide   (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) Formed 1996 Coulee City, Electric City, Ephrata, George, Grand Coulee,  Hartline, Krupp, Mattawa, Moses Lake, Quincy, Soap Lake,  Warden, Wilson Creek,  and unincorporated areas of Grant County. Board composed of one representative  from each jurisdiction Sales Tax Rate .002
Island Island Transit - Countywide   (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) 1983 Coupeville, Langley, Oak Harbor  and unincorporated part of county Board of Directors and citizen advisory board Sales Tax Rate .006
Jefferson Jefferson Transit  - Countywide  (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) 1981 Port Townsend and unincorporated part of county The Jefferson Transit Authority Board consists of five members who represent Port  Townsend City and Jefferson County government. Sales Tax Rate .006
Kitsap Kitsap Transit - Countywide  (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) Bremerton, Port Orchard,  Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island,  and unincorporated areas of county


 Sales Tax Rate .008
Lewis Twin Transit - PTBA serves Centralia and Chehalis  area  Centralia and Chehalis Sales Tax Rate .001 LPTBA residents approved increasing Twin Transit's 0.1 percent sales and use tax to 0.2 percent effective 4-05
Mason Mason County Transportation Authority - Countywide  (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) Shelton and unincorporated portions of county Board of 6 - 3 from county, three from city, also citizens advisory board Sales Tax Rate  .006
Pacific Pacific Transit System - Countywide  (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) Ilwaco, Long Beach, Raymond, South Bend and unincorporated areas of county. Sales Tax Rate .003
Pierce  Pierce Transit - Countywide (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW )  1979 Auburn (Pierce), Bonney Lake, Buckley, DuPont, Eatonville, Edgewood, Fife, Fircrest, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Milton (Pierce), Orting, Pacific (Pierce) Puyallup, Ruston, Steilacoom, Sumner, Tacoma and University Place, and unincorporated areas of Pierce County.  Governed by a Board of Commissioners comprised of nine elected officials representing the City of Tacoma, Pierce County, Lakewood, University Place/Puyallup (a rotating appointment) and the smaller towns and cities of Pierce Transit's service area. Sales Tax Rate .006
Skagit Skagit Transit (SKAT) - (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) Anacortes, Burlington, Concrete,  Hamilton, La Conner, Lyman, Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley, and part of unincorporated county?  The governing board is comprised of the three county commissioners and six elected officials representing the cities of Mount Vernon, Burlington, Anacortes, and Sedro-Woolley. Sales Tax Rate .002
Snohomish Community Transit Serves urban and rural areas of Snohomish County, except Everett  (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) Began service Oct. 4, 1976 All cities in county  except Everett have voted to join the agency: Formed by Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Brier, Woodway, Marysville and Snohomish;  Monroe and Lake Stevens in 1977; Stanwood, Granite Falls, Mukilteo and Sultan in 1979; Arlington in 1980; Gold Bar, Index and Startup in 1981; Oso and Darrington in 1982; Mill Creek in 1983 and Bothell in 1992. Sales Tax Rate .009
Spokane Spokane Transit (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) 1980   Airway Heights, Cheney, Medical Lake, Millwood, Latah, Liberty Lake, Spokane, and Spokane Valley, as well as portions of the unincorporated county surrounding those municipalities.  It is governed by a Board of Directors composed of nine elected officials from the jurisdictions within the PTBA There are about 456 employees at Spokane Transit Sales Tax Rate .006
Thurston Intercity Transit - PTBA serves  Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, and urban growth area (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW) Lacey, Tumwater, Olympia, and Yelm and their urban growth areas.  Intercity Transit is governed by an eight-member Board of Directors. The Authority consists of five elected officials representing the Thurston County Board of Commissioners, the Cities of Lacey, Tumwater, Olympia, and Yelm. Three members of the Authority are Citizen Representatives appointed by the Board. Sales Tax Rate .006
Walla Walla Valley Transit - (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) College Place,   Walla Walla, Parts of Walla Walla County 7 member board of directors comprised of two Walla Walla County Commissioners, three Walla Walla Council members, and two College Place Council members. Sales Tax Rate .003
Whatcom Whatcom Transportation Authority -Countywide  (PTBA - Ch. 36.57A RCW ) Bellingham, Blaine, Everson, Ferndale, Lynden, Nooksack, Sumas, Nooksack 7 member board of directors with the Whatcom County Executive, one Whatcom County Council member, the Mayor of Bellingham, two Bellingham Council members, an elected representative from Lynden, Everson, Nooksack, or Sumas, and an elected representative from either Blaine or Ferndale Sales Tax Rate .006
Regional Transit Authorities
King, Pierce, Snohomish County Sound Transit Regional Transit Authority 1996 See Maps of Sound Transit District Boundary. King ( 3.72 MB) Pierce ( 3.9 MB) Snohomish ( 4.59 MB) Snohomish County Subarea: Includes the cities of Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo and Woodway. North King County Subarea: Includes the cities of Seattle, Shoreline and Lake Forest Park. South King County Subarea: Includes the cities of Algona, Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Normandy Park, Pacific, SeaTac and Tukwila. Since 1990, this has been the fastest growing area of King County. East King County Subarea: Includes the cities of Beaux Arts, Bellevue, Bothell, Clyde Hill, Hunts Point, Issaquah, Kirkland, Medina, Mercer Island, Newcastle, Redmond, Renton, Woodinville, and Yarrow Point. Pierce County Subarea: Includes the cities of Bonney Lake, DuPont, Edgewood, Fife, Fircrest, Lakewood, Milton, Orting, Puyallup, Ruston, Steilacoom, Sumner, Tacoma and University Place. Sound Transit is governed by an 18-member Board of Directors; 17 members are local elected officials, and the 18th member is the Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary. Local elected officials include mayors, city council members, county executives, and county council members from within the Sound Transit District. Currently, the Sound Transit Board includes three members from Snohomish County, ten from King County, four from Pierce County, and the State Transportation Department secretary. The RTA Tax is a 0.3 percent motor-vehicle tax and a 0.4 percent sales tax
Counties without Transit Services in Unincorporated Areas
Adams,  Ferry, Kittitas,  Cowlitz, Klickitat, Lewis,  Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, San Juan, Stevens, Wahkiakum, Whitman, Yakima