Grant Transit Authority

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Grant Transit Authority
FoundedNovember 1996 (November 1996)
Headquarters116 W 5th Ave
Moses Lake, Washington
LocaleGrant County, Washington
Service typeBus service
Routes13
Annual ridership39,215
Fuel typeDiesel
General ManagerGreg Wright
Websitegranttransit.com

The Grant Transit Authority is a public transit operator in Grant County, Washington. It operates 13 routes, including intercity services that converge in the city of Moses Lake.

History[edit]

A GTA bus at Ephrata station

Grant Transit Authority began as a demonstration project with 4 buses in November 1995. The project, deemed a success after one year, led to a November 1996 vote to establish a public transportation benefit area (PTBA) to fund a permanent system. The vote passed, creating a 0.2 percent sales tax and allowing regular service to begin and expand the following year.[1]

The PTBA boundaries were expanded in 1998 to include Quincy, which had opted out of the 1996 vote, thus encompassing all of Grant County.[1] The Grant Transit Authority previously partnered with a local non-profit organization, People for People, for operations but became independent in October 2013.[1]

In 2015, construction began on a new transit center in downtown Moses Lake.[2] The transit center opened on August 1, 2017, with an indoor waiting area, a customer service desk, and several bays.[3] The Grant Transit Authority debuted inter-county commuter services during the same month, connecting Moses Lake to Ellensburg and Wenatchee on weekdays.[3][4] Several routes were consolidated in a major service change that took effect in April 2019.[5]

Fares[edit]

  • Regular Fare: $1.00
  • Reduced/Senior: $0.50
Monthly Passes[6]
  • Adult: $25
  • Student: $20
  • Reduced/Senior: $15

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "History". Grant Transit Authority. 2001. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  2. ^ Sukola, Tiffany (September 11, 2014). "GTA proposes Moses Lake transit center". Columbia Basin Herald. Retrieved July 15, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ a b Schweizer, Cheryl (August 1, 2017). "Grant Transit Authority opens doors at multimodal facility". Columbia Basin Herald. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  4. ^ Hyland, Natalie (August 12, 2017). "New Grant County buses running between Ellensburg, Moses Lake". Ellensburg Daily Record. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  5. ^ Pinkerton, Rachal (March 29, 2019). "GTA to change routes Monday". Columbia Basin Herald. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  6. ^ "Bus pass & Scheduling Information". Grant Transit Authority. Retrieved July 15, 2016.

External links[edit]