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Whatcom Transportation Authority

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Whatcom Transportation Authority
A bus on Route 80X at Lincoln Creek Park and Ride
Commenced operation
January 1, 1984 (1984-01-01)
Headquarters4011 Bakerview Spur, Bellingham, Washington
LocaleWhatcom County, Washington
Service typeBus service, paratransit, vanpool
Routes32
Fleet68 buses, 61 paratransit vehicles, 18 vans
Annual ridership
3,938,351 (2025)[1]
General manager
Les Reardanz
Annual budget$55,266,081 (2026)[2]
Employees326 (2026)[2]
Websitewww.ridewta.com

The Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) is the public transit authority of Whatcom County in northwestern Washington, based in the city of Bellingham. It provides bus service on 30 fixed routes, including four branded "Go Lines" with 15-minute frequencies on weekdays. In addition to bus service, WTA offers paratransit service and vanpool programs. The agency carried over 3.9 million passengers on all its services in 2025.

WTA is funded by a 0.6 percent sales tax within the Whatcom County public transportation benefit area (PTBA) and grants from the state and federal governments. Service began on January 1, 1984, using equipment bought from the Bellingham municipal transit system after a countywide authority was established the prior year. WTA initially comprised Bellingham and its immediate surroundings, but expanded to other cities in Whatcom County by 1995. The agency began running inter-county buses to Skagit County in 2005.

History

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A public transportation benefit area for Whatcom County was formed in August 1983 through an agreement between the City of Bellingham and county government.[3] A conference of local political leaders had been convened three months earlier to address the need for a countywide transit system, which resulted in the agreement.[4][5] The new system would initially serve Bellingham, Sudden Valley, and other areas to the east while excluding Ferndale and other populated areas of the county.[6] The Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) name was adopted a month later and followed by a ballot measure for a 0.3 percent sales tax that was approved by voters in the November 1983 general election.[7][8]

The new bus system would incorporate and contract with the municipal Bellingham Transit Department, which was funded by a similar 0.3 percent sales tax within city limits but not eligible for additional revenue from the state government's motor vehicle excise tax.[9] The city government had formed the transit system in 1971 through a takeover of a private operator that was unable to continue providing service.[10] The city system was popular with local residents but increasing operating costs by the end of the 1970s led to cuts to routes and service.[4] Bellingham had previously been served by streetcars between 1891 and 1938, when they were replaced by diesel buses after a period of decline due to the popularity of automobiles.[11][12]

WTA began service within Bellingham on January 1, 1984, through a $1.4 million contract to lease the municipal system's equipment and retain their drivers.[9] By November, the existing 530 bus stops in the Bellingham Transit system were switched to a new blue design that was manufactured by inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary.[13] In the first year, WTA carried 1.28 million passengers, compared to 1.17 million passengers on Bellingham Transit buses in 1983.[10] The first major expansion of service to Sudden Valley was made in September 1985 alongside the debut of the agency's logo, decided through a public contest, and bus livery.[14] In November 1988, voters in Ferndale, Lynden, and areas along State Route 539 (Guide Meridian) approved a ballot measure to join the WTA service area. The Ferndale vote passed by 65 percent, while Lynden and the Guide Meridian corridor had a narrower margin in favor.[15][16] WTA ended its contract with the Bellingham Transit Department in 1992 and fully absorbed the former department's employees.[4]

A referendum to expand service to four other areas of Whatcom County—including the Lummi Nation, Point Roberts, Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas, was held in March 1995.[17] All four areas approved the referendum and were annexed into the WTA service area; they were initially served by dial-a-ride and demand-response service.[18] A fleet of four replica trolley buses was purchased by WTA in 1998 to run on local routes in Bellingham, Lynden, Ferndale, Blaine, and Birch Bay.[19] After the passage of Initiative 695 by state voters in 1999, which capped the motor vehicle excise tax used to fund local transit service, WTA made cuts to bus service and announced plans to pursue a sales tax increase.[20][21] The sales tax was raised to 0.6 percent through a ballot measure that was approved by voters in March 2002.[22]

WTA opened its new headquarters and maintenance facility in July 2002 after four years of construction.[23] The campus spans 67,000 square feet (6,200 m2) and includes administrative offices, maintenance garages, fuel stations, and parking; it consolidated seven rented facilities in Bellingham and cost $14.3 million to construct.[24] WTA introduced its "Go Lines" on three corridors in August 2005 to promote areas with service at a frequency of every 15 minutes during the weekday.[25] A month later, the County Connector system was launched by WTA with Skagit Transit and Island Transit using funding from the state government. The first route connected Bellingham to Mount Vernon with eight round trips on weekdays and four on Saturdays.[26][27]

WTA reduced its service by 14 percent in 2010 due to reduced revenue during the Great Recession; service was later restored in 2017. The agency responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 by cutting 30 percent of service, which was restored in June 2021.[28] During the pandemic, WTA and the Port of Bellingham funded an emergency passenger ferry to connect Blaine with Point Roberts, which had become isolated due to restrictions on cross-border movement and the area's lack of road connections to the rest of the United States.[29] The agency increased the fare for its fixed route services to $2 for adult passengers on September 1, 2026; the previous fare of $1 had been unchanged since 2008.[30][31]

Services

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A WTA bus in the Bellingham Pride Parade

WTA serves 776 square miles (2,010 km2) in western Whatcom County, which comprises seven incorporated cities and additional unincorporated areas. It has 32 fixed bus routes, rural flexible zones, on-demand paratransit, and vanpool services. The agency also operates higher-frequency service on its "Go Lines" and within the Western Washington University campus during the school year.[1] In 2025, WTA carried a total of 3.9 million passengers on all its services, with 94.2 percent on its fixed routes.[1] The busiest fixed route in 2022 was Route 331, which connects Bellingham Station to Cordata Station and is branded as the Gold Line.[28] The flexible zones are rural areas with limited demand-responsive services that are provided once or twice a week with advance reservations.[1]

The system's main hub is Bellingham Station, a transportation hub on Railroad Avenue in Downtown Bellingham that opened in 1980 and has 10 bus bays. It incorporates a former freight railroad building that was built in 1900 and renovated into a customer service center and waiting room for passengers.[32][33] In 2025, WTA purchased the former Bellingham Public Market for use as a future hub to replace Bellingham Station, which regularly reaches capacity. The new hub is scheduled to begin construction by 2030.[34] A secondary hub, Cordata Station, opened in February 2009 and serves northern Bellingham and is near the Whatcom Community College campus.[35]

Go Lines

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The Go Lines are four corridors where local service combines for 15-minute headways on weekdays and are branded with a specific color by WTA. They were introduced in 2005.[36]

The Plum Line was added in 2008 but cut in 2010 during service reductions during the Great Recession;[38][39] it was then reinstated in 2017.[40] A fifth Go Line, the Red Line from Bellingham Station to the Fairhaven Transportation Center, was removed in March 2017.[41] Plans to convert one of three existing GO Lines to bus rapid transit were developed in a 2023 feasibility study, which proposed the addition of transit signal priority, limited stops, and high frequencies.[42] The locally preferred alternative, chosen in 2026, is to add transit signal priority and corridor improvements to the existing Go Lines instead of a separate bus rapid transit system.[43]

County Connector

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Route 80X, known as the County Connector, is an inter-county route jointly operated by WTA and Skagit Transit that runs between Bellingham Station and Skagit Station in Mount Vernon, with intermediate stops at park and rides along Interstate 5. It has nine daily round trips on weekdays and six on weekends.[44] The service is subsidized by the state government and is part of a network that serves Island, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties.[45]

Fares

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WTA fares are paid using cash or with the Umo Mobility Platform, which includes a smart card and mobile app.[30][46] A reduced fare card is available for senior citizens, Medicare users, and people with disabilities who apply through a state or local agency. Fares are capped using the Umo platform, allowing passengers to automatically use a pass when they reach the daily or monthly threshold.[30] Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College students receive unlimited rides on WTA bus routes through agreements with the agency.[30][47] A proposal to disband the Western Washington University agreement and introduce a reduced fare for college students was announced in 2025.[48]

Administration

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The agency has a budget of $55.3 million for 2026 and 326 full-time equivalent employee positions. A collective bargaining agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union covers operators.[2] WTA's headquarters is the Maintenance, Operations and Administration Building (MOAB) in northeastern Bellingham. It also owns Bellingham Station, Cordata Station, and two park-and-ride lots in Ferndale and Lynden.[1] The agency's general manager is Les Reardanz, who retired from the United States Navy Reserve as a rear admiral in 2022.[49] The board of directors has ten members—nine elected officials from jurisdictions within the service area and one non-voting representative from the Amalgamated Transit Union.[1]

Fleet

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As of 2025, WTA has 68 full-size buses, 61 paratransit vehicles, and 18 vanpool vans. These include buses that are diesel–electric hybrids as well as battery electric models.[1] Eight units ordered in 2012 are diesel-electric hybrids.[50][51] WTA took delivery of its first electric battery buses from Gillig in May 2021 and tested a model from Proterra the following year.[52]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Whatcom Transportation Authority 2026–2031 Transit Development Plan". Whatcom Transportation Authority. August 6, 2026. pp. 7–16. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "2026 Budget". Whatcom Transportation Authority. November 20, 2025. pp. 6–10. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Bus area plan gets approval". The Bellingham Herald. August 9, 1983. p. 5B. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 Boyle, Chuck (April 2005). "A Brief History of WTA" (PDF). Whatcom Transportation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2006. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  5. ↑ Partlow, Bob (June 1, 1983). "Bus line closer to expansion". The Bellingham Herald. p. 1A. Retrieved September 7, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Partlow, Bob (June 1, 1983). "Bus line closer to expansion". The Bellingham Herald. p. 1A. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Bus system gets name". The Bellingham Herald. September 8, 1983. p. 1C. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Valandra, Steve (November 9, 1983). "Voters pave the way for expansion of bus system outside city". The Bellingham Herald. p. 5A. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 Anderson, Kathie (January 2, 1984). "Bus system changeover to be slow". The Bellingham Herald. p. 1A. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 "Local Transit Statewide" (PDF). Public Transportation in Washington State (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. December 1988. pp. 102–105. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Street Cars Served Patrons Many Years". Evergreen Century. The Bellingham Herald. April 26, 1953. p. 2. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Harris, John (February 8, 1998). "New trolleys offer trip back to Bellingham's past". The Bellingham Herald. p. A1. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Anderson, Kathie (November 18, 1984). "City sees hope in sewer plant fight". The Bellingham Herald. p. 10E. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Anderson, Kathie (August 4, 1985). "Bus system to offer new look, new routes". The Bellingham Herald. p. 4B. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Buell, Douglas (November 9, 1988). "Expansion of transit service earns approval". The Bellingham Herald. p. B4. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Robinson, Eric (November 30, 1988). "Transit expansion to reach 'corridors'". The Bellingham Herald. p. B1. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Mullen, Leo (March 12, 1995). "Four county areas vote Tuesday on expanded transit". The Bellingham Herald. p. A1. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Logg, Cathy (March 15, 1995). "Voters OK county transit plan". The Bellingham Herald. p. A1. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Pizzillo, Ericka (April 1, 1998). "New summer trolley to link Blaine and Birch Bay". The Bellingham Herald. p. A4. Retrieved September 7, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Stark, John (July 7, 2000). "Budget cuts curb bus service". The Bellingham Herald. p. B1. Retrieved September 7, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ Stark, John (November 22, 2001). "WTA seeks sales tax hike". The Bellingham Herald. p. B1. Retrieved September 7, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Stark, John (March 14, 2002). "Bellingham votes key to bus tax hike". The Bellingham Herald. p. A1. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ Donaldson, Jim (July 18, 2002). "WTA adds east county runs". The Bellingham Herald. p. A3. Retrieved September 7, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ Clawson, Paula (June 10, 2000). "Building starts for WTA's $14.3 million home". The Bellingham Herald. p. A6. Retrieved September 7, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ Cohen, Aubrey (September 25, 2005). "'Go Lines' gather speed". The Bellingham Herald. p. B1. Retrieved September 7, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ Cohen, Aubrey (September 7, 2005). "Mt. Vernon bus route opens". The Bellingham Herald. p. A3. Retrieved September 7, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ Sanderson Jones, Iris (September 1, 2005). "County Connector smart and cheap". The Bellingham Herald. p. 13. Retrieved September 7, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. 1 2 "2022 Service Performance Report". Whatcom Transportation Authority. July 2024. pp. 2–6, 10. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  29. ↑ Gallagher, Dave (August 21, 2020). "Here's when Point Roberts residents can ride a Port ferry to Blaine Harbor". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  30. 1 2 3 4 Alden, Charlotte (August 14, 2026). "Whatcom bus fares increase Sept. 1. What to know". Cascadia Daily News. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  31. ↑ Mittendorf, Robert (December 1, 2025). "Whatcom Transportation Authority seeking first bus fare hike in nearly 20 years". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  32. ↑ Tsalaky, Teressa (February 17, 1988). "Bigger Bellingham bus terminal mainly will benefit drivers". The Bellingham Herald. p. B1. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ Showalter, Rachel (July 10, 2025). "Transit transformation: WTA envisions new hub at vacant Bellingham Public Market". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  34. ↑ Alden, Charlotte (October 2, 2025). "Bellingham public market property to become new bus station, housing". Cascadia Daily News. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  35. ↑ Walters, Anna (February 3, 2009). "Cordata bus station opens". The Bellingham Herald. p. A1. Retrieved August 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ "GO Lines". Whatcom Transportation Authority. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  37. ↑ "2026 Service Changes". Whatcom Transportation Authority. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  38. ↑ Paben, Jared (January 30, 2008). "Campus passes boost WTA bus ridership". Bellingham Herald. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  39. ↑ "WTA to Hold Public Hearing on REVISED Service Reduction Proposal". Whatcom Transportation Authority. May 2010. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  40. ↑ "New Service and Changes to Service As of March 19, 2017" (PDF). Whatcom Transportation Authority. March 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  41. ↑ Mittendorf, Robert (March 8, 2017). "Bus routes, schedules changing – what about the one you ride?". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  42. ↑ Schwartz, Ralph (April 22, 2023). "Buses every 5 minutes in Bellingham?". Cascadia Daily News. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  43. ↑ "Rapid Transit Study". Whatcom Transportation Authority. Retrieved September 11, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Route 80X". Skagit Transit. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  45. ↑ Cole, Gina (February 6, 2013). "Regional transit officials worried over state funding". Skagit Valley Herald. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Contact Your Local Transit Agency". Cubic Corporation. September 2025. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  47. ↑ "Student Bus Pass". Western Washington University. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  48. ↑ Mittendorf, Robert (November 26, 2025). "Whatcom County bus agency wants to reduce fares for college students". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  49. ↑ Showalter, Rachel (November 11, 2022). "Navy Reserve Rear Admiral retires, but continues to serve Whatcom in this way". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  50. ↑ "2017 Report & Transit Development Plan 2018–2023" (PDF). Whatcom Transportation Authority. August 16, 2018. pp. 25–29. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  51. ↑ "Appendix A: List of Rolling Stock, Facilities and Equipment" (PDF). Whatcom Transportation Authority 2016 Report and Transit Development Plan 2017 – 2022 (Report). Whatcom Transportation Authority. July 20, 2017. pp. 25–33. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  52. ↑ Kempe, Ysabelle (June 10, 2022). "WTA wants electric buses, but it's a 'very complicated' transition". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
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48°47′12″N 122°26′56″W / 48.78667°N 122.44889°W / 48.78667; -122.44889

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