FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 7, 2010
Contact: Victoria Tobin, WSDOT Communications, 206-464-1184 (Seattle)
Steve Abernathy, Intercity Bus Program Planner, 360-705-7929 (Olympia)
New Gold Line bus service begins Sept. 8
Travel Washington’s Spokane-to-Kettle Falls bus line fills a gap
SPOKANE — Starting Wednesday, people in northeastern Washington will have a new option for travel between communities and major transportation hubs and on to just about anywhere else. The Gold Line will connect people in an area that hasn’t seen public transit service in decades.
With service set to begin Sept. 8, the Gold Line will be WSDOT’s latest Travel Washington intercity bus route. It will connect people from Spokane to Kettle falls along US 395, a 93-mile route with eight stops, including Spokane International Airport, Deer Park, Loon Lake, Chewelah, Addy and Arden.
“We’re excited to offer this new public transit service to communities in northeastern Washington, many of which have few if any options other than asking someone to drive them for getting to a bus station or an airport,” said WSDOT Intercity Program Manager Steve Abernathy. “The Gold Line fills a much-needed gap in our statewide public transportation network.”
The Gold Line is named after the region’s rich history of gold mining and industry.
The new service will include two round trips daily with one-way fares ranging $5-$25. Gold Line tickets will be available for purchase Wednesday at ticket office locations in:
• Spokane – Spokane Intermodal, 221 First Ave. at the Amtrak or Greyhound counters
• Chewelah – Chewelah Chamber of Commerce, 214 E Main Ave.
• Colville – Rural Resources Community Action, 956 S Main St.
• Kettle Falls – Kettle Falls Chamber of Commerce, Information Center, 425 W 3rd Ave.
Tickets will also be available for purchase online at: www.gold-line.us.
Travel Washington uses Federal Transit Administration funds and local matching funds from Greyhound Bus Lines to develop rural intercity bus routes. The Gold Line will be the program’s fourth route, joining other successful transit services, including:
• The Grape Line with stops between Walla Walla and Pasco since December 2007
• The Dungeness Line, connecting the Olympic Peninsula with Edmonds, Seattle and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport since September 2008
• The Apple Line with stops along its 160-mile route from Omak, through Wenatchee and on to Ellensburg since October 2008
More information about Travel Washington is available at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/transit/intercity.
WSDOT is dedicated to providing better access and more options to move people and goods safely and efficiently throughout the state. Providing viable alternatives to driving alone, including bringing new travel options to our rural communities, makes our transportation system more efficient, reduces delay for everyone and cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions.
Reducing transportation demand are vital pieces of Moving Washington, the state’s three-part transportation strategy. Managing traffic demand means providing more options for commuters —from carpool programs to transit to telecommuting —to reduce the number of vehicles on our highways and bridges. For more information about Moving Washington, visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/movingwashington.
Photos of the new Gold Line buses are available to media by contacting Noel Brady, bradyn@wsdot.wa.gov, 206-464-1183.
