Pence-Cole Valley Transit Center (also Valley Transit Center or VTC) is a transit center and former proposed site of a light rail station in the Spokane Transit Authority route system. It is one of Spokane Transit's three primary transit centers, along with the Spokane Community College and STA Plaza, and is the main transit hub for Spokane Valley.
Pence-Cole Valley Transit Center | |
|---|---|
| STA transit center | |
 Valley Transit Center October 2023 | |
| General information | |
| Location | 10501 E 4th Ave., Spokane, WA 99206 |
| Coordinates | 47°39′15″N 117°15′47″W / 47.654061°N 117.262960°W |
| Owned by | Spokane Transit Authority |
| Bus stands | 10 |
| Construction | |
| Parking | 236 spaces |
| Bicycle facilities | Bicycle lockers |
| Accessible | Yes |
| History | |
| Opened | 1989 |
| Passengers | |
| 1,815 (avg. weekday, 2022)[1] | |
History
editIn the early 1980s, then-unincorporated Spokane Valley and its surrounding area was home to over 90,000 residents but was served by just two bus routes. At the time, public transportation in the Spokane region was controlled by the City of Spokane's owned and operated Spokane Transit System. Therefore, both routes headed toward Downtown Spokane, making transfers and connections within the Valley impossible. Riders had to needlessly travel 7 miles out of direction just to make a connection to the other route serving the Valley. Additionally, due to funding issues with the existing system, routes destined for outside city limits were in danger of being eliminated on April 1, 1981.[2] To save transit service outside Spokane city limits, voters approved a plan on March 10, 1981, to replace the City of Spokane's owned and operated system with a new, county-wide transit system, known as Spokane Transit Authority.[3] Voters overwhelmingly passed the measure by over 70 percent. Voter eligibility represented over 90 percent of the residents in Spokane County.[4]
A second major purpose of the county-wide taxpayer funded transit system was to radically transform and develop public transportation outside the city limits of Spokane. The Pence-Cole Valley Transit Center was a cornerstone of that plan.[5] The construction of the transit center, which opened in 1989, enabled localized transit to be a possibility for Spokane Valley. Numerous local routes were developed, as well as regional routes that allowed passengers to travel directly to major activity centers around the Spokane region, without having to pass through Downtown Spokane. Today, the VTC serves as the terminus and connecting hub for six STA routes.[6]
Because of the transit center's historical prominence in the transformation of Spokane Transit's operations, the center is named for former Millwood mayor and STA board member, Clarence Pence,[7] as well as Bob Cole, who played prominent role in the aforementioned expansion of public transportation in the Spokane region.[8]
In 2022, responding to population growth in the suburban areas to the east of the city of Spokane, from Spokane Valley into North Idaho, the Spokane Transit Authority began working on the I-90/Valley Corridor High Performance Transit. The project, expected to be completed by 2025, will increase services to the Valley Transit Center.[9]
In 2023, a bus-only entrance to the north side of the facility was added to bypass two intersections. The STA 2024 budget also includes funding for battery electric bus charging infrastructure to be installed in 2025.[10]
Early 2000s light rail proposal
editThe Pence-Cole Valley Transit Center played a key role in STA's early 2000s light rail proposal. The transit center would have been incorporated into the proposed University City Station[11] which was identified as one of three key stations along the light rail route that would spurn nearly $1 billion in Transit-oriented development under the principles of new urbanism. Forecasts projected the station to be a catalyst for the development of the University City town center, which would have seen as many as 2,300 residential units, 231,000 square feet of office space, and 115,000 square feet of retail space developed over time.[12]
Services
editAs of October 2024, the Valley Transit Center is served by eight bus routes.[13]
Bus routes
edit| Route | Bay | Termini | Service level and notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9
Sprague |
9
|
Spokane Valley Valley Transit Center |
↔ | Downtown Spokane STA Plaza |
Frequent route |
95
Mid-Valley |
2
|
Spokane Valley Valley Transit Center |
↔ | Spokane Valley Mirabeau Point Park & Ride |
Regular route |
96
Pines/Sullivan |
10
|
Spokane Valley Valley Transit Center |
↔ | Spokane Valley East Valley High School |
Regular route |
97
South Valley |
1
|
Spokane Valley Valley Transit Center |
↔ | Spokane Valley Mirabeau Point Park & Ride |
Regular route |
98
Liberty Lake via Sprague |
8
|
Spokane Valley Valley Transit Center |
↔ | Liberty Lake Liberty Lake Park & Ride |
Regular route |
173
VTC Express |
7
|
Spokane Valley Valley Transit Center |
↔ | Downtown Spokane STA Plaza |
Commuter route |
190
Valley Express |
6
|
Spokane Valley Valley Transit Center |
↔ | Downtown Spokane STA Plaza |
Commuter route |
663
EWU VTC Express |
4
|
Spokane Valley Valley Transit Center |
↔ | Cheney Eastern Washington University |
Commuter route |
References
edit- ^ "Fixed Route System Performance Report, 2022 Data". Spokane Transit Authority. December 19, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ Tabor, Brenda (March 2, 1981). "Mass Transit: Election will decide course of bus system". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- ^ "Spokane Transit Celebrates 35th Anniversary". Spokane Transit Authority. Spokane Transit Authority. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ^ Sher, Jeff (March 11, 1981). "Bus plans win". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ^ Tabor, Brenda (March 2, 1981). "Mass Transit: Election will decide course of bus system". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- ^ "STA System Map" (PDF). Spokane Transit Authority. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ^ Hansen, Dan (December 9, 1989). "Millwood open house Monday will honor mayor". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ Little, Melodie (July 14, 2004). "Bob Cole was a father, storyteller, activist". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ Mason, Greg (March 14, 2022). "Getting There: Spokane's growth inspires new STA transit project with more bus routes headed east". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ Spokane Transit Authority (December 21, 2023). "Adopted Budget 2024" (PDF). Spokane Transit. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ "Preferred Alternative Alignment Characteristics" (PDF). Spokane Light Rail. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- ^ Ripley, Richard (November 25, 1998). "Light rail spending to jump". Spokane Journal of Business. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- ^ "STA System Map" (PDF). spokanetransit.com. Spokane Transit Authority. Retrieved July 4, 2022.