PORT ANGELES — Clallam Transit System’s 2026 draft budget projects new staff positions and expanded services as the agency prepares for some of its most significant growth in the past decade.
Finance Manager Cherie Huxtable presented the $17.1 million operating budget forecast at Wednesday’s board meeting, noting the agency remained under budget for 2025 while planning for a “full steam ahead” expansion next year that reflects operational changes, most significantly the implementation of recommendations included in a 2021 comprehensive operations analysis.
Phase one of the expansion is targeted for mid-March, with service increases of 22 percent on weekdays and 44 percent on Saturdays. Operating hours would extend from early morning until nearly 8 p.m., supported by the hiring of eight additional fixed-route operators, bringing the agency’s total to 51.
“We think we can very well get that done,” interim General Manager Jason McNickle said. “We just want to make sure it’s sustainable and that we can grow in that direction.”
Commissioner Jeff Gingell asked whether the budget included possible route extensions to the West End, such as the Hoh Rainforest and Rialto Beach.
Huxtable said that although they are not in the budget, they could be added later through a budget amendment.
McNickle added that any expansion into those areas would require coordination with Olympic National Park, Jefferson Transit and local tribes.
Gingell also raised the possibility of improving service between the West End and the Strait Shot shuttle, which links Peninsula residents with the Bainbridge-to-Seattle ferry.
“I’ve talked to so many people who want to do the Strait Shot,” Gingell said. “But for them to connect, they’re either driving all the way to Port Angeles, or if they take the existing routes from Forks early in the morning, they’re waiting for a really long time.”
McNickle said he and interim operations manager Taron Lee are working on improving service to and from Forks as part of the operations analysis.
“We are looking at those schedules, trying to make sure that you can leave in the morning and come back in the afternoon on the Strait Shot and get back to Forks,” he said.
New positions proposed for 2026 include a grants and procurement specialist and funding for a permanent general manager.
Rick Burton, the transit driver representative on the board, recommended creating a training and safety coordinator position to support operator education and compliance as service expands.
“As we’re adding routes, I think that’s something we should look into,” he said. “Most other transit agencies have these.”
The preliminary list of capital projects includes vehicle replacements, facility maintenance and upgrades to underground fuel storage tanks that are more than 30 years old.
Maintenance manager Gary Abrams said the agency has five diesel buses on order and 12 new paratransit vehicles.
He cautioned commissioners that the 30-year-old Clallam Transit operations building would require ongoing maintenance.
“Stuff is deteriorating,” Abrams said. “When we come to you and say we need $50,000 for new fuel pumps, just know there will be those things in the future.”
He added that rising construction costs have pushed a needed HVAC system upgrade from $200,000 to $300,000.
In her monthly financial report, Huxtable said fare revenues for 2025 are projected to meet the $306,000 budget target by December. Sales tax revenues, which are the agency’s largest funding source, are forecast at 2 percent above the 2025 budget.
Community participation
Commissioners weighed two options for expanding community participation on the board: by adding two members or creating a new advisory committee. The first would add a regular transit rider and a representative from a community-based organization, increasing the number of members from eight to 10.
Discussion focused on the appointment process, training, vetting and how the new members would participate in executive sessions that involved personnel, contracts and litigation matters.
Burton was among those who urged caution. He questioned the need to alter an organizational structure that has worked since the agency’s inception 45 years ago, noting that new members could add to bureaucracy and more work for staff without improving representation.
Navarra Carr, a Port Angeles City Council member who sits on the Clallam Transit board as an alternate, supported exploring the idea. She said the board lacks the voices of people who depended on public transit.
Commissioners also discussed forming an advisory committee instead that would allow for broader input from riders, tribes, veterans and community groups.
The board agreed to have staff develop a proposal by January that outlines how a pilot advisory panel could operate under existing bylaws.
Commissioners are expected to approve the 2026 budget at their next meeting on Dec. 17. They will not meet in November.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
