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Submitted by Mason Transit Authority

Ridership on Mason Transit buses and Dial-A-Ride is up significantly since the first of the year, giving the transit authority a good reason to celebrate June’s Ride Transit Month.

Since January, fixed route bus ridership has nearly doubled to 13,131 riders in May. Dial-A-Ride, an on-demand service, served 2,114 riders and has grown 62%. Mason Transit recently started offering online apps for Dial-A-Ride scheduling, and for bus tracking and route information.

“We have worked to make transit easier to use and more convenient,” said Amy Asher, general manager of Mason Transit. “We also know that climbing gas prices have given people greater incentive to ride. Within Mason County, transit is free. That’s helping a lot of families manage their budgets!”

Some of the largest growth in bus ridership has been on the Shelton to Olympia and Bremerton routes. With a gas price of $5.39 a gallon, for example, the cost of commuting the 44-mile round trip from Shelton to Olympia for the month of June adds up to $237 in gas (at 22 miles per gallon). Doing the same commute by bus costs $30 with the monthly out-of-county pass. Taking transit saves the commuter more than $200 a month.

Dial-A-Ride is a free service within Mason County that is open to anyone. The service uses smaller shuttle buses to pick up riders and take them nearly anywhere in the county. The service is scheduled ahead through the scheduling app or a phone call. People can use the service for everything from going to doctor’s appointments to visiting area parks.

More information about Mason Transit’s bus and Dial-A-Ride services can be found at the Mason Transit Authority website. 

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