Link Transit is the public transit authority of Chelan and Douglas counties in the U.S. state of Washington. It operates fixed bus and paratransit services between 17 communities in the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee metropolitan area, including the cities of Chelan, Leavenworth, Waterville and Wenatchee. In 2014, Link Transit carried 987,376 passengers on its 18 bus routes.[1]
 | |
| Founded | November 21, 1989 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operation | December 16, 1991 |
| Headquarters | 2700 Euclid Avenue Wenatchee, WA 98801 |
| Locale | Wenatchee–East Wenatchee metropolitan area |
| Service type | Bus service, paratransit |
| Routes | 18 |
| Stops | 573 |
| Fleet | 65 buses and paratransit vehicles[1] |
| Daily ridership | 3,610 (2014) |
| Annual ridership | 987,376 (2014) |
| Fuel type | Diesel |
| General Manager | Nick Covey |
| Website | linktransit.com |
It is one of only two public transportation benefit areas, along with Ben Franklin Transit in the Tri-Cities, to cover more than one county.[2] The Chelan-Douglas Public Transportation Benefit Area was founded in November 1989 and a 0.4% sales tax was approved by voters in September 1990 to fund a bus system. The Link Transit moniker was adopted shortly before bus service began on December 16, 1991.[1] Link Transit was initially a fare-free system until February 2000.[3]
Routes
Link Transit operates 18 bus routes, with service operating from Monday through Sunday. 3 of these routes are "trolley" routes using trolley-replica buses branded as "The Current", running electric battery buses and not charging fares; 6 are intercity routes connecting Wenatchee to outlying communities via major highways; and one is a season route to the Mission Ridge Ski Area, branded as "SkiLink", which is free for pass holders to the resort.[4][5][6]: 3 Link Transit also operates one dial-a-ride service in Leavenworth.[7]
Most of these bus routes connect to the three main transit centers in Wenatchee and its suburbs: Columbia Station, Wenatchee Valley Mall in East Wenatchee, and Olds Station Park & Ride. Most routes also operate in loops with one-way segments.
Bus routes
| Route | Inbound terminus | Outbound terminus | Via | Bi-directional | Saturday service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia Station | Methow Street, Crawford Avenue, Miller Street, Russell Street, Ferry Street | No | Yes | ||
| 5 | Columbia Station | Walmart | Cherry Street, Western Avenue, Fifth Street, Wenatchee Valley College, Maple Street | No | Yes | |
| 7 | Columbia Station | Ninth Street, Wenatchee Valley College, Western Avenue, Washington Street | No | Yes | ||
| 8W/8E | Columbia Station | Wenatchee Valley Mall, Olds Station Park and Ride, Central Washington Hospital | Yes | Yes | Routes split by direction | |
| 11 | Wenatchee Valley Mall | Eastmont Avenue, 4th Street, Kentucky Avenue, 3rd Street, 5th Street, 8th Street | Yes (route 12) | No | Running in opposite direction as route 12 | |
| 12 | Wenatchee Valley Mall | 8th Street, 5th Street, 3rd Street, Kentucky Avenue, 4th Street, Eastmont Avenue | Yes (route 11) | No | Running in opposite direction as route 11 | |
Intercity routes
| Route | Inbound terminus | Outbound terminus | Via | Off-peak service | Saturday service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Columbia Station | Manson | Orondo, Chelan | No | No | |
| 21 | Columbia Station | Manson | Entiat, Chelan | Yes | Yes | |
| 22 | Columbia Station | Leavenworth | Olds Station, Cashmere, Peshastin | Yes | Yes | |
| 23 | Columbia Station | Rock Island | East Wenatchee | Yes | Yes | |
| 24 | Columbia Station | Malaga | Yes | Yes | ||
| 25 | Columbia Station | Waterville | East Wenatchee, Orondo | No | No | |
| 26 | Columbia Station | Ardenvoir | Olds Station, Entiat | No | No | |
| 28 | Columbia Station | Cashmere | Olds Station | Yes | Yes | |
| 40 (SkiLink) | Olds Station | Columbia Station, East Wenatchee | Mission Ridge Ski Area | No | Yes | Seasonal route, only operates from November to April primarily on weekends |
Shuttle and urban routes
Shuttle routes are fare-free and run at higher frequencies.
| Route | Inbound terminus | Outbound terminus | Via | Saturday service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Columbia Station | Wenatchee Valley Mall | Mission Street | Yes | Replaced route 19 |
| B | Columbia Station | Wenatchee Valley College | Worthen Street, Riverside Drive, Fifth Street | Yes | |
| C | Columbia Station | Wenatchee Valley Medical Center | Wenatchee Avenue | Yes | Replaced route 9 |
| D | Wilkommen Park and Ride | Icicle River Road | Highway 2 | Yes | |
| E | Johnson and Columbia (Chelan) | Lakeside Park, Don Morse Park | Yes | Seasonal service during summer | |
Fleet
Link Transit operates electric buses, powered by batteries, on its "Current" frequent routes in Wenatchee and East Wenatchee. The first batch of five buses manufactured by EBus was delivered in 2014 and funded by a $2.9 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).[8][9] In 2016, the FTA awarded a $3.8 million grant to Link Transit to purchase additional electric buses to replace older diesel vehicles;[10] Link Transit awarded a four-bus order to BYD Auto for their K9 electric buses.[11]
Link Transit received its BYD electric buses in 2017 and outfitted one with an experimental wireless 200 kW charger, the first of its kind in the United States.[12]
Current Bus Fleet
| Year | Manufacturer | Model | Fleet Numbers | Fuel Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Gillig | Phantom | 327–332 | Diesel | 329 is retired. |
| 2000 | Chance | AH-28 | 504, 507 | Diesel | Formerly used on trolley routes |
| 2003 | Gillig | Low Floor | 333–337 | Diesel | |
| 2004 | Gillig | Low Floor | 305–308 | Diesel | |
| 2005 | Gillig | Low Floor | 309–312 | Diesel | |
| 2007 | Gillig | Low Floor | 313–315 | Diesel | |
| 2008 | Gillig | Low Floor | 316–326 | Diesel | |
| 2010 | EBus | 22T | 803–806 | Electric battery | Branded for "The Current" trolley routes |