HISTORY OF MCT

The statute authorizing establishment of the Mason County Public Transportation Benefit Authority (PTBA) was approved by county voters on November 15, 1991.

A commitment was made to provide bus service to the entire county beginning on the first day of service, December 1, 1992. With only one city incorporated in the county, this meant providing basic transportation service to a large geographic area with very few urban-level concentrations of population. The authority began with five wheelchair accessible vans that provided service on a general public dial-a-ride system.

In May 1993, in response to the enthusiastic reception given Mason County's new bus service, it was decided to move ahead to a mix of routed and dial-a-ride service. Today, Mason Transit operates a regional system with destinations in adjacent counties making connections to six transit systems (Kitsap, Jefferson, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Intercity and Pierce). Dial-a-ride services and eight (8) routes operate from 7:30 am to 8:30 pm Monday through Saturday.

Since 1998, Mason Transit has contracted with the Shelton School District to provide transportation to the general public as well as school children, connecting school routes with the transit routes so people could transfer to various destinations. In 1999 North Mason School District also became involved. Folks in Mason County have embraced this unique transportation and ridership is growing.

Mason Transit also provides bus services with four coaches originating in Mason County to Kitsap County for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard employees under the Worker/Driver Program. With the expansion of our vanpool program in 2005, 15 new vanpool vehicles were acquired with 13 in service at this time.

Today, the system has over 40 vehicles consisting of coaches, body on chasis, vans with seating capacity ranging from 12 persons up to 45. Ridership for Mason Transit has grown from 60,000 during its first full year of operation in 1993 to over 390,000 in 2007.

Mason Transit administers a Volunteer Driver program which is partially funded through the Lewis Mason Thurston County Area Agency on Aging. Through the use of volunteers, citizens who are unable to use regular transit are provided essential transportation to kidney dialysis and cancer treatment centers as well as medical appointments in Olympia, Bremerton, Tacoma and local destinations. Volunteer drivers donate their time, and are reimbursed at a per mile rate for use of their personal vehicle.

In June 2003, Mason Transit purchased a facility and serves as the central base located on Johns Prairie Road in Shelton, Washington.