Walk and Roll Through the Holidays
From DuPont to University Place, the holiday season offers many opportunities to walk, roll, scoot or bus. Check out Ride Together Pierce's “Walk and Roll Through the Holidays” guide to find an event near you, plus tips on how to arrive in sustainable fashion.
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Monthly "Rider Rewards" Coming in 2026
Starting January 2026, Ride Together Pierce will award one sustainable commuter with a $150 gift card each month with the new “Rider Rewards” campaign!
All you have to do is take 10 sustainable trips (that’s 5 round trips) a month and log your trips on the trip calendar to automatically enter the prize drawing.
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New Trip Calendar Dashboard Launched Dec. 1
The Ride Together Pierce trip calendar developers launched an updated calendar dashboard on December 1 which should be more mobile-friendly including a new trip-logging interface.
While the website will look different, all the features including the trip calendar, ridematching tool, achievements, challenges and Emergency Ride Home program are still available.
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"Switch Your Trips" Winners Announced
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the 2025 statewide Switch Your Trips campaign this October!
From Pierce County, we had 310 commuters log 4,827 eligible trips to be in the running for some amazing prizes, including a grand prize of $1500! The most logged "Switch Your Trips" mode was carpooling (1850), then biking (1008), then taking the bus (607).
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Did You Participate in "Switch Your Trips"?
If you logged sustainable trips on the Ride Together Pierce trip calendar in October during the statewide "Switch Your Trips" campaign, please share your feedback to help improve the campaign and enter a prize drawing for one of ten $50 e-gift cards.
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Link 1 Line Service to Federal Way Begins
Saturday, Dec. 6
Join Sound Transit for an opening day celebration!
Ribbon cutting takes place at 9:30 a.m. at the Downtown Federal Way Station and the first train departs at 11 a.m.
The 7.8-mile Federal Way Link Extension includes three new stations serving Kent-Des Moines, Star Lake and Federal Way.
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Pierce Transit Service Change Begins Dec. 14
Pierce Transit is making service adjustments to Route 11, adding two weekday trips departing from Point Defiance Ferry Terminal at 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 pm.
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Federal Employees Ride Transit Free for Remainder of 2025
Pierce Transit is extending its fare-free policy for federal workers through the end of December, along with Kitsap Transit and Mason Transit Authority. Federal employees who present their ID can ride fare-free on the bus, SHUTTLE paratransit, Runner, and rideshare (vanpool) services.
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Peninsula Transit Pilot Program Launched
The Peninsula Transit Pilot Program is a 9-month program through August 2026, will provide free transit service between Key Peninsula and Gig Harbor on weekdays and Saturdays.
Peninsula Transit will partner with the Key Peninsula/Gig Harbor Holiday Shuttle to offer seven-day-a-week rides through December 26, 2025.
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Rideshares No Longer Cross Tacoma Narrows Bridge for Free
During the 2025 State Legislative Session, Legislature removed tolling exemptions for Pierce Transit vehicles including rideshares (vanpools) crossing the SR-520 and SR-16 Tacoma Narrows bridges starting October 1, 2025.
While Pierce Transit is absorbing the costs of these tolls for the remainder of 2025, beginning January 1, 2026, the toll fee will be transferred to and split among the rideshare riders.
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Sumner Sounder Parking Garage Update
The new parking garage is being built next to the Sumner Sounder Station on Harrison Street. As of November 2025, the project is approximately 45% complete and is scheduled to open in 2026.
The garage will feature approximately 600 parking stalls, and other improvements include upgraded sidewalks and lighting around the station and a new sidewalk and multiuse path around the Traffic Avenue/SR 410 interchange.
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Sound Transit Special Event Service
Catch the Sounder train on these special event days:
| | Tips for riding the Sounder train or Link for the first time. | | News from Around Pierce County | | |
New SR-7 Traffic Lights Improve Pedestrian Safety
Washington State Department of Transportation installed 10 new pedestrian-activated traffic light signals, which greatly improves pedestrian safety when crossing SR 7/Pacific Avenue South.
This project aligns with Pierce County’s Vision Zero Action Plan, which seeks to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on county roadways by 2035.
| | Photo courtesy of Tacoma On the Go | | |
Sound Transit Passenger Experience Survey
This is your chance to tell Sound Transit how they are doing and what can be improved. Take the 20-minute passenger experience survey, and you could win one of fifteen $100 gift cards and four $250 gift cards.
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Help Shape the Future of Pierce County Parks, Trails, and Open Spaces
Pierce County is seeking community input through December 5 to shape the future of its parks, trails, and open space system. Residents are encouraged to visit the online open house and provide feedback on the draft Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan, which serves as a strategic guide for park investment over the next 15–20 years.
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“My employer provides me an ORCA card, and all three of my children have an ORCA card through the Pierce Transit Youth Ride Free program.
Transit access has allowed my middle child to attend running start despite not having her driver's license. My oldest has her license but opts to take the bus to college every day. She uses the ride time to eat, visit with friends, and do homework. Over the summer my youngest was initiated into city bus riding with trips to get ice cream and books at the local library.
It is so empowering for youth to have access to transportation! We are all thankful for saved parking fees, reduced vehicle maintenance and gas costs, and the opportunity to relax instead of focusing on driving.”
-Rebekah M.
| | | Have a transportation-related photo to share? Reply to this newsletter and share your travel photo with a brief description. If we use your photo in an upcoming issue, we will send you a $10 Starbucks card! | | | | |
