Transit
Universal Access
(Work in Progress)
Transit Service Hours per Capita in Urban vs. Rural Areas
% of WA Population within ½ Mile of Frequent Transit Service
(Work in Progress)
Number of Transit Agencies Operating Fare-Free Service
Out of 32 public transit agencies.
Key Points
• Universal Access means transit that's usable by everyone, regardless of geography or ability to pay a fare.
• A housing strategy tied to transit only scales statewide if the transit network itself expands beyond a handful of urban areas.
• Fare-free service removes cost as a barrier for the riders who need transit most.
• Goal: a growing share of WA's population within walking distance of frequent service, and rural service hours per capita closing the gap with urban areas.
What is it?
Universal Access means transit is available and usable by everyone, regardless of where in the state they live or whether they can afford a fare. This priority covers geographic reach, how much of WA’s population actually lives close enough to frequent service to rely on it, the spread of fare-free service that removes cost as a barrier to riding, and the gap in service levels between urban and rural areas.
Why Universal Access Matters
A housing strategy that depends on transit access only serves the residents living in the relatively small footprint where frequent transit already exists. Expanding that footprint is what allows transit-oriented housing to scale beyond a handful of well-served urban corridors into a statewide strategy. Fare-free service matters for the same reason cost-burdened renters matter elsewhere in this platform: transit that requires a fare a low-income rider cannot reliably afford is not actually accessible to the people who need it most. The urban-rural service gap also matters directly to housing affordability, since rural and smaller communities often have the most room to grow but the least transit infrastructure to support that growth without forcing car dependency on new residents.
Where We Want to Be
The goal is a substantial and growing share of WA’s population living within walking distance of frequent transit service, expanding the footprint where transit-oriented housing is a realistic strategy rather than a niche option limited to a few large cities. Fare-free service should grow from a handful of agencies to a meaningfully larger share of the state’s transit systems, removing cost as a barrier to ridership. Service hours per capita in rural areas should close the gap with urban areas over time rather than remaining a fraction of it, ensuring rural and smaller communities are not left out of the access this priority is meant to guarantee. The vision is a transit system where geography and income determine convenience, not whether transit is a viable option at all.