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Valley Transit (Washington)
Public transit operator in Walla Walla, Washington, U.S. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Valley Transit is a public transit operator in Walla Walla County, Washington. It operates 10 routes in the cities of Walla Walla and College Place. Since 2022, Valley Transit's buses have been fare-free.
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History
Valley Transit was founded as the Walla Walla County Public Transportation Benefit Area in 1979, becoming the county's public transportation benefit area. A 0.3 percent sales tax was approved by voters on March 18, 1980, allowing for service to begin on January 5, 1981.[2] In its first year of operation, the system carried 435,500 passengers.[3]
Until 1997, Valley Transit operated an intercity route to Milton-Freewater, Oregon, through an intergovernmental agreement;[4] it has since been replaced by a bus operated by the city government of Milton-Freewater.[5]
On February 9, 2010, a 0.3 percent increase in sales tax was approved by 76 percent of voters to fund existing service and prevent service cuts.[6][7] In March 2020, Valley Transit eliminated its normal routes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced service to hour-long loops and a series of shuttles. Fares were also temporarily eliminated.[8] Normal services were restored in March 2023 after staffing levels had recovered.[9]
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Routes

As of 2023[update], Valley Transit operates 10 routes in Walla Walla and surrounding communities. These routes generally run every 30 to 60 minutes from Monday to Saturdays.[10]
The agency also connects to several intercity bus routes, operated by other providers, at the Walla Walla Transit Center in downtown Walla Walla:[11]
- Travel Washington's Grape Line, operating 3 daily round trips to Pasco
- Kayak Public Transit, operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
- Milton-Freewater Bus to Milton-Freewater, Oregon
- Columbia County Public Transportation to Dayton and Prescott
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Fares
Valley Transit began offering fare-free bus and dial-a-ride service during the summer in the mid-2010s to boost ridership.[12][13] The fare-free service was extended to year-round beginning in 2022 as part of a four-year pilot program funded by the state government's Move Ahead Washington package.[14]
The agency's fares were formerly 50 cents for passengers aged 5 years or older and free to those under 5 (up to three per fare-paying rider). Monthly passes and ticket books were also offered.[10] Valley Transit began using smartphone payments through Token Transit in 2018.[15]
References
External links
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