Global InformationSpokane Transit Authority information
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2016) |
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 A 60-foot New Flyer Xcelsior articulated bus at the STA Plaza in July 2021 | |
| Formerly | Spokane United Railways (1922-1945) Spokane City Lines Company (1945-1968) Spokane Transit System (1968-1981) |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 10, 1981; 43 years ago[1][2] (as the Spokane Transit Authority for Regional Transportation (START))[3] |
| Headquarters | 1230 W. Boone Ave. Spokane, WA 99201 |
| Locale | Spokane County, Washington (service planned to be extended to the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan area, in 2026)[4] |
| Service area | 248 square miles (642 km2)[5] |
| Routes | 51[6] |
| Destinations | Airway Heights, Cheney, Medical Lake, Millwood, Liberty Lake, Spokane, Spokane Valley, unincorporated areas of Spokane County |
| Fleet | Buses: 164, Paratransit Vans: 70, Vanpool Vans: 87[7] |
| Daily ridership | 30,901 (weekdays, 2024) [8] |
| Annual ridership | 9,245,538 (2023) [9] |
| Fuel type | Diesel, hybrid electric, and battery electric |
| Chief executive | E. Susan Meyer |
| Website | spokanetransit.com |
Spokane Transit Authority, more commonly Spokane Transit or STA, is the public transport authority of central Spokane County, Washington, United States, serving Spokane, Washington, and its surrounding urban areas. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 9,215,700, or about 33,900 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.
Originally conceived in 1980, and authorized by voters on March 10, 1981,[3] STA provides public transportation within the Spokane County Public Transportation Benefit Area (PBTA). As of 2023, STA's service area has a population of approximately 471,000[10] across 248 square miles (640 km2) including the cities of Spokane, Spokane Valley, Cheney, Liberty Lake, Airway Heights, Medical Lake, the Town of Millwood, and unincorporated areas between and around those cities.[11]
It began operating service in 1981 after acquiring the assets of the city-operated Spokane Transit System. The agency can trace its roots to a number of private transit operators extending back to 1888. While the 98th largest metropolitan area in the United States, Spokane ranks 20th in transit ridership per capita using 2019 ridership data.[12]
- ^ Sher, Jeff (March 11, 1982). "Bus plans win". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ "Spokane Transit Celebrates 35th Anniversary". Spokane Transit Authority. March 10, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ a b Spokane Transit Authority for Regional Transportation Board of Directors (March 12, 1981). "Resolution No. 17-81". Washington State Archives, Digital Archives. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ "Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene - High Performance Transit - STA Moving Forward". Spokane Transit Authority. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "Spokane Transit Authority 2021 Agency Profile" (PDF). Federal Transit Administration. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ "STA Transit Map - July 2023" (PDF). Spokane Transit Authority. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ "STA Transit Development Plan 2023-2028" (PDF). Spokane Transit Authority. July 21, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ "STA Performance Monitoring & External Relations meeting packet" (PDF). Spokane Transit Authority. March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ "STA Board of Directors meeting". Spokane Transit Authority. January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ "2023 Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA) Population Estimates" (PDF). State Of Washington Office of Financial Management. 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ "Spokane Transit Authority". City of Spokane. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ "APTA Public Transportation Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2019" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2022.