Jefferson County Transit Port Townsend, Washington

Activating Voters: Winning Campaigns in Small Communities

Washington State

Jefferson Transit History

• Service began June 30, 1980 • Service subsidy of .3% from county sales tax revenues • Three county service by 1988 • Transit Park & Ride opens in 1995 • Voter approved increase of sales tax subsidy to .6% in 2000 • Port Townsend Visitor Information Center relocated to the Park & Ride in 2008 • Economic downturn in 2009 leads to service reductions in neighboring counties • Voter approved increase of sales tax subsidy to .9% in 2011

Jefferson Transit Connecting Services • Clallam Transit:  Access to the Olympic National Park  Connections to ferry to Victoria, B.C.

• Kitsap Transit  Access to the largest metropolitan area on the Olympic Peninsula  Connections to WSF to Seattle

Public Transportation to Sea-Tac International Airport • Jefferson Transit • Kitsap Transit • Washington State Ferries (eastbound) • Sound Transit Light Rail Total $1.50

$2.00

Free $2.50

$6.00

Return Trip add • Washington State Ferries (westbound) Total $6.90 $12.90

Sales Tax Levy Campaign Message • Transit integral to the local economy o Tourism is a growth industry-weekend service essential o Commuters: 20 minutes to 3 hours • Transit integral to local social services o Aging population growth demands/deserves public infrastructure o We will all eventually use Dial-A-Ride • Transit integral to local environmental goals o Goal to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2020

Jefferson County Demographics

• Population: 29,300 • Port Townsend (only incorporated city) 8,945 • Median annual income: $46,780 • Median home value: $386,365 • Median age: 47.1

• Unemployment rate: 11.1%

Jefferson County Workforce Demographics • Wage and salary sources account for a declining 30% share of the personal income in Jefferson County • 8,200 residents work in the county • 1,500 residents commute out of county • 1,096 residents have incomes below the poverty line • 427 residents have incomes below 50% of the poverty line

Means of Transportation to Work • S.O.V.

• Carpool • Work at home • Walk • Bicycle • Bus • Ferry 69% 12% 10% 5% 2% 1% 1%