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Orting residents press council for transit options to ease SR 162 congestion
Summary
Three residents urged the Orting City Council to pursue public-transit options — buses, shuttles, or rail connections — to reduce long commutes and traffic on State Route 162; council members said the city has limited authority but will help connect residents with regional providers.
Three Orting residents urged the City Council on Jan. 29 to pursue public-transit options to address congestion on State Route 162 and long commute times.
Luke Smith, who said he lives on Belfish Street, told the council a small group is forming to develop alternatives and plans to engage Pierce Transit and Sound Transit. "We're working our way to have a group of us, to present alternatives for the transportation issue and... to present to Pierce Transit and the Sounder," Smith said.
Christina Jenkinson, of the River's Edge subdivision, said the group is drafting a presentation and soliciting community input. Grace Blanco, who gave her address as 405 Belfer Street SW, described commuting from Orting to Lakewood five days a week, saying, "It takes me an hour and a half to go each way," and urged the council to help pursue options such as buses or shuttles that could reduce vehicle miles and provide mobility for students and residents without cars.
Councilmember Moore acknowledged the residents' concerns and said the city has raised the corridor with Sound Transit in prior outreach but has no representation on Sound Transit's decision-making board. Moore said, "we hear you loud and clear," and directed residents to an SR 162 study group and an existing Facebook group for corridor discussion. The councilmembers encouraged residents to leave contact information with staff so they can be connected to councilmembers and staff for follow-up.
No formal action or referral to a committee was taken during the meeting; councilmembers indicated they were open to discussing the issue further after the meeting and advised residents to coordinate outreach with regional transit agencies.
