FAQs

Spokane Transit Authority (STA) is a municipal corporation formed in 1981 when the region’s voters approved the establishment of a Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA). The regional board of Directors is primarily composed of elected officials from the jurisdictions within the PTBA, including Spokane County. Specifically, there are nine voting elected officials, two ex-officio elected […]

Spokane Transit provides Fixed Route bus service on 40 different routes with 147 buses, 28 of which are hybrid (diesel-electric) vehicles. The agency provided 10,264,971 bus rides in 2017, a 0.03% increase over 2016. STA’s Paratransit Service provides origin-to-destination, shared ride transportation for people who are disabled if the effects of their disabilities prevents them from using the regular bus.

The 2017 fleet:       Fixed Route Bus      Diesel Buses (99)      60 and 61-Foot Articulated Diesel Buses (20)      Hybrid Buses (28)       Paratransit      Lift-Equipped Vans (112 – includes vans contracted through MV)       Vanpool      Vans (105)

Ridership is evenly split between males and females. The majority of riders are between the ages of 19 and 34. Most riders use the bus five days a week and have ridden for three years. Our riders: 33% students, 46% employed, 11% unemployed, 10% retired or homemakers. Sixty-eight percent of riders would not have regular

Spokane area voters approved the formation of a public transportation benefit area in 1981.

Much like a fire or school district, the PTBA is a special taxing district established by Washington State for the purpose of providing public transportation. Spokane Transit is the provider of public transportation services within the PTBA and is considered a municipal corporation. Click on the following link to read more about the PTBA: Public Transportation

The Board of Directors provides legislative direction for STA and its administrators and approves its policies, budgets and long-term plans. The Board has the authority to levy sales taxes with voter approval up to 0.9%. In 2016, after more than 35 years at the effective rate of 0.6%, voters approved a phased-in 0.2% increase to

Each city’s governing body and the Spokane County Commissioners appoint elected officials to serve on the STA Board.

STA employs approximately 560 individuals. The fixed route bus division accounts for 71% of the employees. Sixteen percent work in Paratransit and Vanpool and 13% of STA’s employees are in administrative positions. E. Susan Meyer has been the Chief Executive Officer of Spokane Transit since June 2005. Approximately 84% of Spokane Transit’s employees are represented by unions. Amalgamated

Click here to view STA’s estimated operating budget.