More Washington counties trying ‘microtransit’ for flexible routes

Clallam and Pierce counties in Western Washington are experimenting with what some call “microtransit”: on-demand trips for that last mile, from the transit hub to people’s neighborhoods.

This week, the towns of Sequim and Forks are trading in some fixed bus routes for an app, where riders can schedule a Clallam Transit van to come pick them up and take them to the transit center.

"We're finding on routes that are not as productive – where fixed route doesn't make sense, maybe in residential neighborhoods – that smaller vehicles, they can go in and pick up people and not make them walk out to a fixed route," said Jim Fetzer, Clallam Transit's operations manager.