PORT ANGELES — Clallam Transit has added five new vehicles to its on-demand interlink service that are larger and better able to accommodate a diversity of passengers than the vans they are replacing.
Board members had a chance to check out one of the white vans with a graphic design featuring evergreens against a backdrop of gray mountains at their regular meeting on Jan. 15.
The Ford Transit high-roof vans have a side-entry wheelchair lift and can transport up to two in wheelchairs and three foot passengers, one in a wheelchair and five foot passengers, or nine foot passengers at one time.
The Interlink vans now in use can carry just one in a wheelchair and three foot passengers, or two in wheelchairs and one foot passenger.
The new vans, which cost about $100,000 each, will be ready for service within two weeks, maintenance manager Gary Abrams said.
Clallam Transit also purchased 10 Ford Transits for Clallam Connect, its paratransit service, and will be ordering five more.
Interlink’s popularity with transit customers has continued to grow since it launched in December 2022, operations manager Jason McNickle said. In December, ridership in Forks was 91 percent greater than the same month in 2023. Ridership in Sequim was 18 percent higher as well, he said.
Total ridership in December on all of Clallam Transit was 62,934, the highest number in seven years, McNickle said.
Meanwhile, the board unanimously approved Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias as chair and Forks council member Jeff Gingell as vice chair during its election of officers for 2025.
Clallam Transit will wait until the city of Sequim finds a replacement for board member and vice chair Kathy Downer, who resigned from the Sequim City Council this month.
Sequim City Council member Rachel Anderson also serves on the board, and council member Brandon Janisse serves as an alternate.
In other news, a security guard from Security Services Northwest began patrolling the downtown Port Angeles Gateway Transit Center on Dec. 2.
They will patrol the area from noon to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The Clallam Transit board approved a two-year contract in October with the Sequim company for $76,000 in year one and $78,000 in year two to provide public safety and security services at the location.
Although a Port Angeles Police Department resource officer whose position is partially funded by Clallam Transit is stationed at the transit center, a rise in reported incidents of violent behavior, loitering and vandalism prompted the board to seek additional services from a private company.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
