PORT ANGELES — Clallam Transit will present a basket of goodies and passes for free rides for a year to its 20 millionth fixed-route rider next week.
The count is getting close, said Clint Wetzel, operations manager for the countywide public bus service that transports an average of 3,100 people daily, on Friday.
“It’s either going to be late Monday afternoon or early Tuesday morning” that the 20 millionth rider will get on a bus, Wetzel said.
Wetzel updates ridership throughout each day as bus drivers bring in their count sheets.
Even so, the rider tapped as the 20th millionth will be a “guesstimate,” though a close one, he admitted.
Prize for passenger
That rider, who will get on a bus at The Gateway transit center at Front and Lincoln streets in Port Angeles, will be given a year’s worth of passes and ride free for a year anywhere in the system.
A monthly premium pass for all routes costs $36. So the yearlong pass is worth $432.
General Manager Terry Weed and some of the Transit board members will be on-hand as the rider also receives a basket of items businesses have donated, Wetzel said.
The system carried its 5 millionth rider in 1990.
Its 10 millionth passenger boarded a bus May 1, 1998, and its 15th million passenger boarded Nov. 10, 2005.
The bus service began providing service in October 1980.
Then, it had only one route, which was between Port Angeles and Sequim, employed 13 people and carried a little more than 700 riders per day.
15 routes
The bus service — which celebrated its 30th anniversary Oct. 13 — now operates 15 routes throughout the county from Diamond Point and Sequim Bay in the east to LaPush and Neah Bay in the west.
Clallam Transit now has 68 full- and part-time fixed-route employees and carries about 920,000 passengers annually.
Rides cost $1 for adults and 50 cents for youths, disabled people and seniors.
Route changes affecting Port Angeles, Sequim and Forks went into effect Monday.
Clallam Transit, faced with a $400,000 budget deficit, cut several low-ridership bus trips to save costs.
For more information, visit www.clallamtransit.com or phone 360-452-1315 or 800-858-3747
Clallam Transit offices are at 830 W. Lauridesen Blvd., Port Angeles.
