Intercity Transit outlined a multi‑phase redesign of bus service affecting Lacey and surrounding communities, saying it aims to boost frequency on core corridors, improve one‑seat rides and expand late‑night and neighborhood service.

“Imagine a better bus system,” Nick Demaris, chief communications and marketing officer for Intercity Transit, told the Lacey City Council work session on Oct. 28. Demaris said the redesign centers on investing in high‑demand corridors (for example the corridor between the Lacey Costco and the Capitol Mall) and using overlapping route schedules to produce 15‑minute frequency where demand is greatest.

The redesign builds on prior investments and a multi‑year program funded in part by Proposition 1. Intercity Transit staff said the proposal grew from public feedback that favored more and better service; the agency also extended a 0‑fare pilot through 2028 and argued that fare collection costs made some traditional fareboxes uneconomic. Staff showed maps and described an operational approach in which two routes overlap on a corridor so riders have a bus every 15 minutes even if each route runs every 30 minutes.

Agency staff said the plan is staged: Phase 1 (capacity building) added drivers and service hours; Phase 2 (commuter route changes) launched in September with new numbered commuter routes; Phase 3 (the large network redesign) is scheduled for May 2025. A public hearing and an equity analysis were scheduled to begin the board’s formal adoption process; staff said outreach will include open houses, platform outreach at transit centers and an interactive trip planner so riders can preview routes after the change.

Key service elements described to the council:
- Corridor investments and traffic‑signal prioritization to protect schedules and enable higher frequency on main corridors;
- One‑seat rides achieved by scheduling buses to run consecutive service segments without forcing transfers;
- New local services on Slater‑Kinney/Fifteenth, Henderson and Black Lake Boulevard to provide on‑street connections to the Lacey Transit Center and other hubs;
- Up to three BRT‑lite stations with real‑time signs and lighting on primary corridors;
- Expansion of Night Owl late‑night service beyond an existing Evergreen State College weekend agreement, and interest in on‑demand microtransit for low‑demand nighttime areas;
- Outreach and customer assistance programs, including transit ambassadors and a “Bus Buddies” partnership with Catholic Community Services to help riders learn routes.

Staff emphasized schedule design and boarding efficiencies (all‑door boarding under 0‑fare) to reduce dwell times and improve on‑time performance. Rob Lafontaine, Intercity Transit planning deputy director, and Spencer Zeman, bus‑stop coordinator, answered operational questions about schedule “puzzle‑making,” overlap reliability and locations where signal priority will be used.

The transit authority’s public hearing and equity analysis were set to begin next week; staff said the board will consider formal adoption following the hearing and that an extensive outreach period will follow before the full May 2025 service change. Demaris encouraged riders to use common trip‑planning apps (Google Maps, Transit) and Intercity Transit’s interactive planning tool to preview new routing.

Council and members of the public asked questions during the presentation about the effects of base access changes at Madigan Gate, bus stop construction and accessibility, how paratransit (Dial‑A‑Lift) boundaries will change (a three‑quarter‑mile buffer around new service segments), and how Bus Buddies and transit ambassadors will assist riders during the transition. Intercity Transit staff said many details (final stop locations, BRT‑lite station placements and the precise schedules) will be refined during the outreach period.

Next steps: staff said an open house will be held at the Olympia Transit Center and the formal hearing and equity analysis would proceed prior to any board adoption. Council members and members of the public were directed to Intercity Transit’s project web page for interactive maps and timeline documents.

Ending: Intercity Transit staff said the redesign is intended first to serve transit‑dependent riders while improving convenience for choice riders; they described the plan as a way to move more people more quickly on priority corridors without increasing fleet size dramatically.