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Ben Franklin Transit

Founded	1981
Headquarters	1000 Columbia Park Trail Richland, Washington
Service area	Tri-Cities, Washington
Service type	Transit, Paratransit
Routes	22
Hubs	7
Fleet	70 (fixed-route)
Daily ridership	23,900 (weekdays, Q3 2024)
Annual ridership	3,171,000 (2023)
Fuel type	Diesel, Battery-Electric
Chief executive	Thomas Drozt
Website	bft.org

Ben Franklin Transit is the operator of public transportation in Franklin and Benton counties in the U.S. state of Washington. Eighteen routes provide local service for the three component urban areas of the Tri-Cities: Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco. Five routes connect the Tri-Cities metro area, as well as extend to the municipalities of Benton City, Prosser, and West Richland. Most routes run six days a week. Bus service runs between 6AM and 10:00PM, Monday-Friday and 7AM and 10:00PM on Saturdays and select holidays. Trans+Plus covers the Tri-Cities portion of the service area 8:30PM to 12:00AM Monday-Saturday and 7:30AM to 6:00pm on Sundays. There is also an ADA Paratransit service Dial-a-Ride for those who are physically unable to use the regular transit bus service. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,171,000, or about 23,900 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

History

The roots of public transportation in the Tri-Cities region can be traced back to the beginnings of the Hanford Site, which was opened in 1943 in the midst of World War II, and ultimately produced the plutonium used in the Fat Man bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan. General Electric, and later the Atomic Energy Commission, provided bus service as a way to bring its workers to and from the Hanford site to locales in the area, largely Richland.

In 1978, the voters of Benton County were asked to vote on a proposed county-wide bus system, but this measure was defeated, largely in part by the efforts of the Rockwell Hanford drivers, who feared that they would lose their jobs if the voters passed the proposal. (The Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA) officials later passed a resolution that the bus system would not compete with Rockwell Hanford). Two years later, a bus system proposal was brought to the voters again. However, this time officials largely scaled back the proposed service area to just Kennewick and Richland, and also included Pasco, located on the other side of the Columbia River in Franklin County. For a second time, the proposal was defeated. The next year saw better luck though, as the Benton-Franklin Public Transportation Benefit Area was officially formed on May 11, 1981, when voters in the service area voted to enact a sales tax levy of three-tenths of a cent to "finance a municipal corporation which would provide public transportation services in Benton and Franklin Counties."

May 10, 1982, saw the first day of passenger service for Ben Franklin Transit, ending with 2,043 total riders. Ridership continued to slowly grow after that, as more routes were launched and more buses were put into service. Ben Franklin Transit would later buy out the franchise of Bassett Transit who had been running commuter bus service to the unsecured portions of the Hanford site, primarily the Energy Northwest Nuclear Power Plant. In 1998, Prosser Rural Transit was absorbed into Ben Franklin Transit.

Annexations

• 1996 Benton City
• 1998 Prosser
• 2005 Finley

Accolades

In 2007, Ben Franklin Transit was awarded the Governor's Award for Sustainable Practices.

The new Administration building has received LEED Gold Certification

Fleet

Originally operating with a fleet that largely consisted of used GM New Look buses bought from the Minneapolis, MN MTC (Metropolitan Transit Commission), Ben Franklin Transit put out a bid in 1987 for 30 new buses. After some delays, mainly due to cost and budgeting at the time, the $4.5 million bid was awarded to the Gillig Corporation, who would build a total of thirty-three Gillig Phantom coaches (6 30 ft and 27 35 ft) at a cost of $135,759 each. In 1992, Gillig also won the contract to provide Ben Franklin Transit with eight 40-foot coaches which had been specified in the original order, but delayed due to cost. All subsequent bids afterwards for town coaches have been awarded to Gillig, with the exception of the nine Optima Opus coaches purchased in 2003–2004.

O2Diesel

In 2006 Ben Franklin Transit entered into an agreement with O2Diesel to test a blended fuel that included both bio-diesel and ethanol. This experiment lasted for approximately 1 year but was ended due to cost and supply problems.

ZEPS EBus

An electric bus from Complete Coach Works, converted from a 2005 Gillig Low Floor, was introduced into service in mid 2013. It primarily operated during weekday peak hours on the 23/26 pair. In a press release CCW announced a new battery pack that is being retrofitted into this bus.

BFT Holiday Bus

In recent years, Ben Franklin Transit introduced its Holiday Bus Program to engage with the community during the holiday season. These specially decorated buses, adorned with festive lights and holiday-themed designs, provide free rides to passengers as part of the program. The initiative has become a symbol of community connection and holiday spirit, receiving positive feedback from riders and residents alike.

One such example is a brightly decorated Gillig Low Floor bus with holiday artwork and lights:

This program demonstrates BFT's ongoing efforts to enhance the transit experience while fostering a sense of community engagement.

Routes

There are 18 routes which serve a specific local area as well as routes which provide a connection between the cities.

The KML file gives a rough approximation of the service area. The PTBA boundary is contiguous with the populated areas, as well as many voting precincts that fill in the gaps.

Fares

Fares are either by exact cash or pre-purchased ticket or pass. Upon payment of fare, a transfer valid for 3 hours after arrival at the next transit center can be requested. A day pass is also available from the driver.

References

1. Ben Franklin Transit History
2. "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
3. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
4. "Trans+Plus Night & Sunday Service". Archived from the original on 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
5. Ben Franklin Transit: Dial-A-Ride
6. Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, WA). April 5, 1981. "Tri-City bus issue questions answered" by Bob Woebler. p. Second Page One. Microfilm roll (35 mm) viewed November 2, 2009. Archive copy via Google News Archive Search.
7. Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, WA). May 20, 1980. "Tri-City voters approve mass transit system 2-1" by Bob Woebler. p. Front Page. Microfilm roll (35 mm) viewed November 2, 2009.
8. "Summary of Public Transportation — 2007" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. November 17, 2008. pp. 73–78. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 29, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
9. Wells, Devona (Jun 16, 1998). "Prosser-Tri-Cities bus service gets rolling". Yakima Herald – Republic (via Proquest). ProQuest 372145794. (Library, school, or other organizational access required)
10. KVEWTV.com. Apple Valley Broadcasting. October 5, 2007. "BFT Award" by Christina Wu. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
11. Governor's Award for Sustainable Practices Winners 1992–2008 Archived 2009-11-17 at the Wayback Machine. Washington State Department of Ecology. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
12. . October 19, 2006. "O2Diesel to Begin Testing New Ethanol – Biodiesel Blend With Ben Franklin Transit of Richland, Washington". Retrieved November 14, 2009.
13. KVEWTV.com. Apple Valley Broadcasting. March 7, 2007. "BFT Buses Run on Alternative Fuels" by Brian Flores. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
14. Folsom, Geoff (May 17, 2013). "Ben Franklin Transit's electric bus to hit Tri-City streets". Tri-City Herald. McClatchy. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
15. "Complete Coach Works Upgrades ZEPS Electric Battery Pack" (Press release). Riverside, CA: Complete Coach Works. July 1, 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-24.
16. Ben Franklin Transit: Routes & Maps
17. "Ben Franklin Transit – Fares Information". Ben Franklin Transit. Retrieved 17 May 2019.

Additional reading

• Kuiang, Hau (September 18, 2007). "Richland Honors Green Organizations". KVEWTV.com. Morgan Murphy Media. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
• "O2Diesel Provides Year End Update and Future Outlook". Market Wired. January 11, 2008. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
• "10 Most Improved Transit Systems" (PDF). Metro Magazine. May 2004. p. 2. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
• "LA Metro wins top APTA Roadeo award". Metro Magazine. May 8, 2009. Retrieved 2016-04-02.

External links

• "BFT System Guide".
  • "BFT Connect". via Last Mile + Night/Sunday
  • "BFT Dial-A-Ride". Tri-Cities ADA Paratransit
  • "BFT Prosser/Benton City Demand Response". Rural CONNECT & ADA Paratransit
  • "BFT Vanpool".

• Tri-Cities, Washington
• Bus transportation in Washington (state)
• Transportation in Benton County, Washington
• Transportation in Franklin County, Washington
• 1981 establishments in Washington (state)
• Transit agencies in Washington (state)