Pam Haley and Karl Otterstrom: STA continues Moving Forward with launch of new airport to Valley route

By Pam Haley and Karl Otterstrom

Spokane Transit Authority has a vision to connect everyone to opportunity. As the Spokane region’s public transportation provider, we aspire to provide services that are useful and well-used, helping individuals and families reach the places that matter to them in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Public transportation has been a mainstay of Spokane’s transportation system since the first horse-drawn streetcar made its way to Browne’s Addition in 1888. Since then, millions upon millions have ridden a variety of transit options, ranging from streetcars to battery-electric buses.

Tracing ridership records as far back as 1902, public transportation has served more than 1.6 billion passengers across Spokane and the greater region. Passengers include workers accessing jobs, students going to and from school, and individuals going shopping or to medical appointments. And don’t forget Bloomsday and other important community events. Our region uses its transit system: STA’s annual ridership is nearly double what it was in 2021 and exceeds ridership in similar-sized cities, not to mention quite a few metro areas two to four times the population of Spokane County.

In 2016, voters entrusted STA with revenue from a new sales tax to fund a planned expansion of transit across the region. The plan, known as STA Moving Forward, sought to provide more access to more jobs and services and to ensure STA was a partner in supporting regional economic development, rolling out investments over a 10-year period.

The first improvements hit the streets of north Spokane and Spokane Valley in 2017 and dozens of improvements across the region have followed. Improved frequency, routes to new employment centers and longer service on the weekends are just some examples of improvements funded and delivered in the plan, expanding job and community access across the region, including smaller communities like Millwood and Medical Lake. These bus route changes have also helped members of our communities whose disabilities prevent them from riding bus routes as STA’s Paratransit service is now more available than ever, operating extended hours and serving new neighborhoods that have been left without access in the past.

You might wonder why we are excited to talk about a funding measure that happened so long ago. It’s because today marks the delivery of the final package of service improvements exclusively for Spokane County as part of the 2016 ballot measure. This final service package includes new Route 7 Valley/Airport, connecting Liberty Lake, Spokane Valley and Spokane to the Spokane International Airport without having to change buses. It is the first route traveling along I-90 in Spokane Valley all 365 days of the year.

Today’s improvements also include expansion of service to rapidly growing areas of Airway Heights and more bus trips evenings and Saturdays in the Perry District.

And of course, we’re thrilled at the community reception to our new fleet of double decker buses, increasing passenger capacity and improving efficiency for bus service to Cheney and the West Plains. Visit spokanetransit.com/change to learn more about the changes to see how STA has come to serve the region better.

STA is committed to safety, outstanding customer service and organizational success. Every day we seek to deliver on our efforts to earn and retain your trust and to exemplify financial stewardship, especially as we deliver capital investments without debt, ensuring tax resources can be maximized for providing service instead of paying interest.

At Spokane Transit Authority, we are dedicated to connecting our community to opportunity. We invite you to try transit and experience the benefits firsthand. Let’s move forward together.

Mayor Pam Haley joined the Spokane Valley Council in June 2016. She is now serving her second four-year term through 2025. Haley is a small business owner who holds a master’s degree in both business and education and has served on the STA Board of Directors since 2017, including three terms as chair. Karl Otterstrom joined Spokane Transit in 2009 as chief planning and development Officer before becoming CEO in 2025. He graduated from Eastern Washington University, majoring in urban and regional planning and received a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Washington. He rides the bus to work every day.