Pullman Transit rolls on despite reductions

Pullman Transit is experiencing significant changes from the COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted in reduced routes, passengers and workforce.

Wayne Thompson, Pullman Transit Manager, said Pullman’s buses normally serve more than 7,000 passengers in the spring, but that number has dropped to 600.

Pullman Transit has reduced its routes in the city and on the Washington State University campus. Its Dial-A-Ride service that provides transportation to elderly residents is reduced to two vans instead of the normal four.

To prevent contact with the public, drivers have not been accepting fares from passengers.

In addition to losing fare revenue, Thompson said Pullman Transit has lost revenue from its service contracts with Pullman schools and WSU. Pullman Transit stopped providing school route services on March 16, and its contract with WSU has been reduced.

He said there have been three voluntary layoffs among his staff this spring.

Still, Thompson remains optimistic about his department recovering from these changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the amount of service hours lost the past month have been “minimal.”

“We’re just trying to hang in there until summer service,” which begins May 10, Thompson said.

Pullman Transit still receives funding through the utility tax, which Thompson said has remained a stable revenue source.

It also receives money from federal grants. Thompson said there is a plan in the federal government to reimburse rural transit systems like Pullman’s for lost revenue, but he is unsure how much money his department could receive.

All bus passengers are asked to maintain six feet of distance between each other and the bus driver, Thompson said. Staff continue to provide masks and sanitizer, he said, and some buses allow passengers to exit through the rear of the bus.

To help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, staff has doubled the amount of time spent washing and sanitizing its buses.

Thompson said Pullman is still on track to receive two 35-foot electric buses. He placed an order for the buses last month, and he said the production time takes approximately 16 months. This summer, Pullman Transit plans to start upgrading its facility to accommodate electric buses. The buses and the facility upgrade are being funded by grant money.

Anthony Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.