Ben Franklin Transit

File:GM bus in Richland, Washington.jpg

The roots of public transportation in the Tri-Cities region can be traced back to the beginnings of the Hanford Site, which was opened in 1943 in the midst of World War II, and ultimately produced the plutonium used in the Fat Man bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan. General Electric, and later the Atomic Energy Commission, provided bus service as a way to bring its workers to and from the Hanford site to locales in the area, largely Richland.

In 1978, the voters of Benton County were asked to vote on a proposed county-wide bus system, but this measure was defeated, largely in part by the efforts of the Rockwell Hanford drivers, who feared that they would lose their jobs if the voters passed the proposal. (The Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA) officials later passed a resolution that the bus system would not compete with Rockwell Hanford). Two years later, a bus system proposal was brought to the voters again. However, this time officials largely scaled back the proposed service area to just Kennewick and Richland, and also included Pasco, located on the other side of the Columbia River in Franklin County. For a second time, the proposal was defeated. The next year saw better luck though, as the Benton-Franklin Public Transportation Benefit Area was officially formed on May 11, 1981, when voters in the service area voted to enact a sales tax levy of three-tenths of a cent to "finance a municipal corporation which would provide public transportation services in Benton and Franklin Counties."Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, WA). April 5, 1981. "Tri-City bus issue questions answered" by Bob Woebler. p. Second Page One. Microfilm roll (35 mm) viewed November 2, 2009. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9SMiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-IcFAAAAIBAJ&dq=tri-city%20bus%20issue%20questions%20answered&pg=1131%2C831640 Archive copy] via Google News Archive Search.Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, WA). May 20, 1980. "Tri-City voters approve mass transit system 2-1" by Bob Woebler. p. Front Page. Microfilm roll (35 mm) viewed November 2, 2009.{{cite web | url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/publications/manuals/fulltext/m0000/TransitSummary/2007PTSummary.pdf | title=Summary of Public Transportation — 2007 | date=November 17, 2008 | work=Washington State Department of Transportation | pages=73–78 | access-date=November 8, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110129041040/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/publications/manuals/fulltext/m0000/TransitSummary/2007PTSummary.pdf | archive-date=January 29, 2011 | url-status=dead }}

May 10, 1982, saw the first day of passenger service for Ben Franklin Transit, ending with 2,043 total riders. Ridership continued to slowly grow after that, as more routes were launched and more buses were put into service. Ben Franklin Transit would later buy out the franchise of Bassett Transit who had been running commuter bus service to the unsecured portions of the Hanford site, primarily the Energy Northwest Nuclear Power Plant. In 1998, Prosser Rural Transit was absorbed into Ben Franklin Transit.{{Cite news |author=Wells, Devona |title=Prosser-Tri-Cities bus service gets rolling |work=Yakima Herald – Republic (via Proquest) |date=Jun 16, 1998 |id={{ProQuest|372145794}} }} {{Link note |note=Library, school, or other organizational access required }}

• 1996 Benton City
• 1998 Prosser
• 2005 Finley

In 2007, Ben Franklin Transit was awarded the Governor's Award for Sustainable Practices.[http://www.kvewtv.com/ KVEWTV.com]. Apple Valley Broadcasting. October 5, 2007. "[http://www.kvewtv.com/index.php?story_id=3547 BFT Award]" by Christina Wu. Retrieved November 14, 2009.[http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/GovAward/winners_all.html Governor's Award for Sustainable Practices Winners 1992–2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091117010810/http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/GovAward/winners_all.html |date=2009-11-17 }}. [http://www.ecy.wa.gov/ecyhome.html Washington State Department of Ecology]. Retrieved November 14, 2009.

The new Administration building has received LEED Gold Certification

File:Ben Franklin Transit GM New Look.jpg

Originally operating with a fleet that largely consisted of used GM New Look buses bought from the Minneapolis, MN MTC (Metropolitan Transit Commission),{{Citation needed|reason=source needed for the seller of used buses|date=May 2013}} Ben Franklin Transit put out a bid in 1987 for 30 new buses. After some delays, mainly due to cost and budgeting at the time, the $4.5 million bid was awarded to the Gillig Corporation, who would build a total of thirty-three Gillig Phantom coaches (6 30 ft and 27 35 ft) at a cost of $135,759 each. In 1992, Gillig also won the contract to provide Ben Franklin Transit with eight 40-foot coaches which had been specified in the original order, but delayed due to cost. All subsequent bids afterwards for town coaches have been awarded to Gillig, with the exception of the nine Optima Opus coaches purchased in 2003–2004.

In 2006 Ben Franklin Transit entered into an agreement with O2Diesel to test a blended fuel that included both bio-diesel and ethanol.[http://www.redorbit.com/redOrbit]. October 19, 2006. "[http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/699044/o2diesel_to_begin_testing_new_ethanol__biodiesel_blend_with/index.html O2Diesel to Begin Testing New Ethanol – Biodiesel Blend With Ben Franklin Transit of Richland, Washington]". Retrieved November 14, 2009.[http://www.kvewtv.com/ KVEWTV.com]. Apple Valley Broadcasting. March 7, 2007. "[http://www.kvewtv.com/index.php?story_id=1743 BFT Buses Run on Alternative Fuels]" by Brian Flores. Retrieved November 14, 2009. This experiment lasted for approximately 1 year but was ended due to cost and supply problems.

An electric bus from Complete Coach Works, converted from a 2005 Gillig Low Floor, was introduced into service in mid 2013.{{Cite news |author=Folsom, Geoff |url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/business/article32124963.html |title=Ben Franklin Transit's electric bus to hit Tri-City streets |work=Tri-City Herald |publisher=McClatchy |date=May 17, 2013 |accessdate=March 20, 2016 }} It primarily operated during weekday peak hours on the 23/26 pair. In a press release CCW announced a new battery pack that is being retrofitted into this bus.{{cite press release |author= |title=Complete Coach Works Upgrades ZEPS Electric Battery Pack |url=http://completecoach.com/complete-coach-works-upgrades-zeps-electric-battery-pack/ |location=Riverside, CA |publisher=Complete Coach Works |date=July 1, 2016 |access-date=2016-09-24}}

BFT Holiday Bus

In recent years, Ben Franklin Transit introduced its Holiday Bus Program to engage with the community during the holiday season. These specially decorated buses, adorned with festive lights and holiday-themed designs, provide free rides to passengers as part of the program. The initiative has become a symbol of community connection and holiday spirit, receiving positive feedback from riders and residents alike.

One such example is a brightly decorated Gillig Low Floor bus with holiday artwork and lights:

This program demonstrates BFT's ongoing efforts to enhance the transit experience while fostering a sense of community engagement.

There are 18 routes which serve a specific local area as well as routes which provide a connection between the cities.[http://www.bft.org/routes/ Ben Franklin Transit: Routes & Maps]

The KML file gives a rough approximation of the service area. The PTBA boundary is contiguous with the populated areas, as well as many voting precincts that fill in the gaps.{{Attached KML}}

Fares are either by exact cash or pre-purchased ticket or pass. Upon payment of fare, a transfer valid for 3 hours after arrival at the next transit center can be requested. A day pass is also available from the driver.{{cite web |url=https://www.bft.org/fares/fares-information |title=Ben Franklin Transit – Fares Information |work=Ben Franklin Transit |accessdate=17 May 2019}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite news |author=Kuiang, Hau |url=http://www.kvewtv.com/article/2007/sep/18/richland-honors-green-organizations/ |title=Richland Honors Green Organizations |work=KVEWTV.com |publisher=Morgan Murphy Media |date=September 18, 2007 |accessdate=2016-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416003859/http://www.kvewtv.com/article/2007/sep/18/richland-honors-green-organizations/ |archive-date=April 16, 2016 |url-status=dead }}
• {{Cite web |url=http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/o2diesel-corporation-amex-otd-809514.htm |title=O2Diesel Provides Year End Update and Future Outlook |work=Market Wired |date=January 11, 2008 |accessdate=2016-04-02 }}
• {{Cite news |url=http://www.metro-magazine.com/resources/met504improved.pdf |title=10 Most Improved Transit Systems |work=Metro Magazine |page=2 |date=May 2004 |accessdate=2016-04-02 }}
• {{Cite news |url=http://www.metro-magazine.com/bus/news/283304/l-a-metro-wins-top-apta-roadeo-award |title=LA Metro wins top APTA Roadeo award |work=Metro Magazine |date=May 8, 2009 |accessdate=2016-04-02 }}

• {{Cite web |url=https://www.bft.org/services/ |title=BFT System Guide}}
• {{Cite web |url=https://www.bft.org/services/connect/ |title=BFT Connect}} via Last Mile + Night/Sunday
• {{Cite web |url=https://www.bft.org/services/dial-a-ride/ |title=BFT Dial-A-Ride}} Tri-Cities ADA Paratransit
• {{Cite web |url=https://www.bft.org/services/prosser-benton-city-demand-response-service/ |title=BFT Prosser/Benton City Demand Response}} Rural CONNECT & ADA Paratransit
• {{Cite web |url=https://www.bft.org/services/vanpool |title=BFT Vanpool}}

Category:Tri-Cities, Washington

Category:Bus transportation in Washington (state)

Category:Transportation in Benton County, Washington

Category:Transportation in Franklin County, Washington

Category:1981 establishments in Washington (state)

Category:Transit agencies in Washington (state)