Link Transit

{{short description|Bus operator in Chelan and Douglas counties, Washington, U.S.}}

{{Infobox bus company

| name = Link Transit

| logo = Link Transit logo.svg

| logo_size = 150px

| image =

| image_size =

| image_caption =

| company_slogan = Connecting Our Communities

| founded = {{start date|1989|11|21}}

| commenced = {{start date|1991|12|16}}

| 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{{cite web |title=About Link Transit |url=http://www.linktransit.com/more-link/about/about-link-transit |publisher=Link Transit |accessdate=April 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420230936/http://www.linktransit.com/more-link/about/about-link-transit |archive-date=April 20, 2016 |url-status=dead }}

| ridership = 3,610 (2014)

| annual_ridership = 987,376 (2014)

| fuel_type = Diesel

| leader_type = General Manager

| leader = Nick Covey

| website = {{URL|https://www.linktransit.com/}}

}}

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.

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.{{cite web |last=Kimpel |first=Thomas |date=September 27, 2013 |title=2013 Public Transportation Benefit Area Population Estimates |url=http://www.ofm.wa.gov/pop/special/ptba.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=Washington State Office of Financial Management |accessdate=April 21, 2016}} 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. Link Transit was initially a fare-free system until February 2000.{{cite news |last=Wheat |first=Dan |date=November 17, 1999 |title=No more free rides: Link board approves rider fees, drastic service cutbacks |page=A1 |work=The Wenatchee World}}

Routes

File:Link Transit 810 at Columbia Station.jpg

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.{{cite web|title=SkiLink |url=http://www.linktransit.com/services-programs/skilink |publisher=Link Transit |accessdate=April 21, 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421023619/http://www.linktransit.com/services-programs/skilink |archivedate=April 21, 2016 }}{{cite web |title=All Routes |url=http://www.linktransit.com/routes-maps |publisher=Link Transit |accessdate=April 21, 2016}}{{cite book |date=July 6, 2015 |title=Link Transit Ride Guide |url=http://www.linktransit.com/images/stories/routes/BOOK%2044.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=Link Transit |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907181400/http://www.linktransit.com/images/stories/routes/BOOK%2044.pdf |archivedate=September 7, 2015 |accessdate=April 21, 2016}}{{rp|3}} Link Transit also operates one dial-a-ride service in Leavenworth.{{cite web |title=DART Services |url=http://www.linktransit.com/services-programs/dart-services |publisher=Link Transit |accessdate=April 21, 2016}}

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=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Route

! class="unsortable" | Inbound terminus

! class="unsortable" | Outbound terminus

! class="unsortable" | Via

! Bi-directional

! Saturday service

! class="unsortable" | Notes

| colspan=2 align=center | Columbia Station

| Methow Street, Crawford Avenue, Miller Street, Russell Street, Ferry Street

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| Columbia Station

| Walmart

| Cherry Street, Western Avenue, Fifth Street, Wenatchee Valley College, Maple Street

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| colspan=2 align=center | Columbia Station

| Ninth Street, Wenatchee Valley College, Western Avenue, Washington Street

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

8W/8E

| colspan=2 align=center | Columbia Station

| Wenatchee Valley Mall, Olds Station Park and Ride, Central Washington Hospital

| {{yes}}

| Routes split by direction

| colspan=2 align=center | Wenatchee Valley Mall

| Eastmont Avenue, 4th Street, Kentucky Avenue, 3rd Street, 5th Street, 8th Street

| {{partial|Yes
(route 12)}}

| {{no}}

| Running in opposite direction as route 12

| colspan=2 align=center | Wenatchee Valley Mall

| 8th Street, 5th Street, 3rd Street, Kentucky Avenue, 4th Street, Eastmont Avenue

| {{partial|Yes
(route 11)}}

| {{no}}

| Running in opposite direction as route 11

=Intercity routes=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Route

! class="unsortable" | Inbound terminus

! class="unsortable" | Outbound terminus

! class="unsortable" | Via

! Off-peak service

! Saturday service

! class="unsortable" | Notes

| Columbia Station

| Manson

| Orondo, Chelan

| {{no}}

| Columbia Station

| Manson

| Entiat, Chelan

| {{yes}}

| Columbia Station

| Leavenworth

| Olds Station, Cashmere, Peshastin

| {{yes}}

| Columbia Station

| Rock Island

| East Wenatchee

| {{yes}}

| Columbia Station

| Malaga

| {{yes}}

| Columbia Station

| Waterville

| East Wenatchee, Orondo

| {{no}}

| Columbia Station

| Ardenvoir

| Olds Station, Entiat

| {{no}}

| Columbia Station

| Cashmere

| Olds Station

| {{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.

class="wikitable sortable"

! Route

! class="unsortable" | Inbound terminus

! class="unsortable" | Outbound terminus

! class="unsortable" | Via

! Saturday service

! class="unsortable" | Notes

| Columbia Station

| Wenatchee Valley Mall

| Mission Street

| {{yes}}

| Replaced route 19

| Columbia Station

| Wenatchee Valley College

| Worthen Street, Riverside Drive, Fifth Street

| {{yes}}

| Columbia Station

| Wenatchee Valley Medical Center

| Wenatchee Avenue

| {{yes}}

| Replaced route 9

| Wilkommen Park and Ride

| Icicle River Road

| Highway 2

| {{yes}}

| colspan=2 | 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).{{cite news |date=December 22, 2014 |title=Link Transit launched Five Battery-electric Trolleys |url=http://www.masstransitmag.com/press_release/12029899/link-transit-launched-five-battery-electric-trolleys |magazine=Mass Transit Magazine |accessdate=September 16, 2016}}{{cite web |date=August 2011 |title=Electric Trolley Buses Cut Energy Use, Emissions at Link Transit |url=http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/CLEAN_ENERGY_Wenatchee_Link_Transit_case_study.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=Federal Transit Administration |accessdate=September 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202143114/http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/CLEAN_ENERGY_Wenatchee_Link_Transit_case_study.pdf |archive-date=February 2, 2016 |url-status=dead }} In 2016, the FTA awarded a $3.8 million grant to Link Transit to purchase additional electric buses to replace older diesel vehicles;{{cite news |date=July 21, 2016 |title=Feds to give Link $3.8 million for more electric buses |url=https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2016/jul/21/feds-to-give-link-38-million-for-more-electric-buses/ |work=Wenatchee World |url-access=subscription |accessdate=September 16, 2016}} Link Transit awarded a four-bus order to BYD Auto for their K9 electric buses.{{cite press release |date=March 22, 2016 |title=Link Transit Orders First 4 BYD Electric Buses |url=http://www.byd.com/usa/news-posts/link-transit-orders-first-4-byd-electric-buses/ |publisher=BYD Auto |accessdate=September 16, 2016}}

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.{{cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Dave |date=March 15, 2018 |title=LINK Transit first in nation with wireless e-bus charging |url=http://www.kpq.com/link-transit-first-nation-wireless-e-bus-charging/ |publisher=KPQ |accessdate=April 4, 2018}}

=Current Bus Fleet=

:{{As of|2014|12|31|df=US}}{{cite report |date=August 18, 2015 |title=Transit Development Plan 2015—2020 And 2014 Annual Report |url=http://www.linktransit.com/images/stories/about/Approved%202015-2020%20TDP%20&%202014%20Annual%20Report.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=Link Transit |accessdate=April 21, 2016}}{{rp|26–29}}

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Manufacturer

!Model

!Fleet Numbers

!Fuel Type

!class="unsortable"|Notes

1999

|Gillig

|Phantom

|327–332

|Diesel