PORT TOWNSEND — A Jefferson Transit route change and added bus stop now provide direct service to the Port Townsend Food Bank.
“This will make it a lot easier for people who don’t have a car to get here,” said Shirley Moss, food bank director, on Wednesday during the weekly distribution period.
“People have better access to us if they can be dropped off and picked up right out front.”
Before the route change in the public bus system last week, customers walked to and from a bus stop on Lawrence Street to get to the food bank at Mountain View Commons at 1919 Blaine St., difficult when lugging bags of groceries.
The No. 11 bus has rerouted to arrive at the food bank at 11 minutes after the hour heading south and three minutes after the half-hour heading north on Blaine Street.
Prior to the change, buses would travel on Lawrence Street to Kearney Street.
The new route has northbound buses taking Kearney Street until it ends at Blaine Street, turning right and then turning right again on Walker before turning left on Lawrence Street.
Southbound buses follow the reverse path.
Two stops — at Walker and Lawrence streets and at Kearney and Lawrence streets — have been eliminated.
Jefferson Transit Service Manager Lloyd Eisenman said the new route was ready to go about a month ago but was delayed by the repair of Walker Street between Blaine and Lawrence streets.
Eisenman said the impetus to change the route came from Moss and Burt Langsea, a former Jefferson Transit driver who is now a food bank volunteer.
The food bank distributes food Wednesdays to the general public and Saturdays to senior citizens, carefully orchestrating the pickup and drop-off in the zone adjacent to the building.
Several volunteers help customers load their food into their cars, but 10 minutes before the bus is to arrive, the bus stop is cleared and a sign put in place to allow the bus to stop, unload and load quickly.
Moss said managing an efficient pickup was a concern, but the presence of volunteers is expected to minimize the delay.
Adding the stop made the route about four minutes longer, Eisenman said.
It also has required some readjustment on the part of the drivers, one of whom apparently took the old route this past Wednesday and missed the stop in front of the food bank.
While Moss expects it will take awhile to get the word out, some already have noticed the benefit.
“This has already made a difference to me,” said John Cain, a local chef.
“I have back problems, and I used to have to walk quite a ways.”
“This is good for the Commons,” said John White, a Web developer.
“It makes it a little bit more convenient, a little easier to go to the library and the pool.”
The food bank stop is the only new stop so far this year, though Jefferson Transit officials hope to add another stop near Aldrich’s Market as soon as parking and access issues are resolved, Eisenman said.
For more information, visit www.jeffersontransit.com.
________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
