Grays Harbor Transit users will likely see the return of some weekend service around the Harbor in January, but weekend bus service to Olympia won’t be restored and may become a thing of the past. Transit authorities also plan to start with service on Saturdays only, with the decision on Sunday service coming later, should revenues dictate. General Manager Ken Mehin came to Grays Harbor Transit three months ago, replacing retired transit manager Mark Carlin. Mehin, 57, left his job as manager of the Yakima bus system to take the job on the Harbor. He and his wife have settled in Central Park.
Mehin, a native of Tehran, Iran, immigrated alone to the United States at the age of 18. He attended and graduated from the University of Utah, where he studied public transportation and civil engineering. His first transit job was in Phoenix, but he also worked for transit systems in Boise and Denver, prior to Yakima.
Asked in a recent interview with The Vidette to compare those cities, the soft-spoken Mehin replied, “Every one has something unique to offer.”
Mehin came to Grays Harbor Transit just as revenue began to trickle in from a sales tax increase approved by county voters last fall. The increase in local sales tax by one-tenth of 1 percent — which amounts to one penny on a $10 purchase — did not kick in until April. With a two-month lag time between monthly collection and disbursement by the state Department of Revenue, the Grays Harbor Transit District started seeing some additional revenue as of June, Mehin explained.
Mehin said that additional revenue, so far, is amounting to $35,000 to $40,000 per month, but that is something of a drop in the bucket when you consider the current transit environment statewide and the transit district’s overall annual expenses of just more than $8 million in 2013.
Mehin and Grays Harbor Transit Operations Manager Patti Carlin said most of the district’s revenue comes from federal transportation grant money. In 2013, the revenue from “subsidies” amounted to almost $7 million. Carlin noted that fares account for only 8 percent to 10 percent of annual revenue.
Mehin also pointed out that because of the highly publicized struggles of larger transit districts — such as those in Tacoma and Seattle — bigger districts are now seeking larger chunks of the grants pie than they ever have before.
“Each state gets a chunk of (federal) money to divide up,” said Carlin.
“And there’s no extra money. They have to balance and divide it somehow,” added Mehin.
Transit officials emphasized that while the additional sales tax revenue is a welcome transfusion of money, it won’t completely stem the bleeding of rising expenses for a rural transit district that employs 72 people and has 28 full-size buses to serve its regular routes.
“We’re trying to do more with what we have and streamline as much as we can,” said Mehin, noting that the Harbor bus service averages about 1,500 riders per day.
As for weekend service, “We’re going to start with Saturdays,” Mehin said, pointing out that the restoration of Saturday service is what’s most requested by transit riders. Depending on revenue, Sunday service around the Harbor could follow. Carlin said that studies of past ridership shows that two-thirds of weekend business was on Saturdays.
“It takes time to build up,” Mehin said.
Aberdeen Mayor Bill Simpson, who also serves as president of the Grays Harbor Transit Board, said Mehin must strike a delicate balance a grant revenues become scarcer.
“It’s a matter of survival. … We’re trying our best to keep it afloat,” Simpson said of the bus system and the partial restoration of services that were curtailed last year.
Simpson and Mehin agreed that those circumstances have put restoration of weekend service to Olympia on the back burner.
“The weekend to Olympia run will probably not happen for a long time,” lamented Simpson.
When asked if it will be restored any time soon, Mehin replied, “Probably not — we’re trying to keep our tax dollars in the county.”
One thing Mehin wants to resist is raising fares, though he was reluctant to discuss whether Grays Harbor Transit would ever bring back its transfer system. The free transfers between bus runs were eliminated in a bid to get more money out of its riders.
“We haven’t thought about that yet,” he said, but noted the district is happy with its alternative to the paper transfers, an all-day pass available for just $3. Regular adult fare is $1, with a monthly pass selling for $28.
But both administrators bristled a bit at the suggestion of higher fares.
“You lose ridership if you raise fares,” Carlin said. “You lose a lot.”
“The goal of the transit agency is to provide the service as inexpensively as possible — that’s our goal,” Mehin said. “That’s why we are keeping the fare low. Otherwise, people couldn’t afford it.”
County Commissioner Wes Cormier, who also serves on the transit board, said he would like to see full weekend service restored as soon as possible, but emphasized he was impressed with Mehin and trusted his judgment.
“I, personally, would like to see weekend service sooner rather than later,” Cormier said. “But I trust Ken. I think the guy has tremendous ideas and I think he’s going to foster a new direction with Transit. If he wants to hold off (until January), then I feel confident. … I’m really optimistic he’s going to make the right choices.”
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