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Clallam County transit reports record 2024 ridership; officials credit zero-fare policy and service changes
Summary
Commissioner Christian Ozias reported Clallam Transit recorded over 800,000 boardings in 2024, with December fixed-route ridership up 36.35% from 2023. Officials credited the 0-fare policy, expanded microtransit services in Sequim and Forks, route additions and security partnerships.
Clallam County Commissioner Christian Ozias reported on Jan. 21 that Clallam Transit achieved its highest annual ridership on record in 2024, exceeding 800,000 boardings.
Ozias said fixed-route ridership grew notably at year-end: December 2024 fixed-route boardings increased 36.35% over December 2023. He highlighted strong performance in Clallam Transit's interlink microtransit service operating in Sequim and Forks, where customer-satisfaction ratings averaged 4.96 out of 5 in Sequim and 4.97 in Forks.
Commissioner Ozias and staff credited several factors for the increase: the county's zero-fare policy, the return of pre-pandemic travel patterns, new service types such as microtransit, route expansions including an established 'straight shot' commuter route, and partnerships that could extend regional connections with Jefferson Transit. Ozias also noted agency efforts to improve safety and rider comfort, including security partnerships and a focus by the transit general manager on raising service quality.
Ozias described growth in paratransit (CloudM Connect) usage and said agency leaders are discussing cross-county connections to the Kingston ferry to improve regional access. Commissioners asked questions about the drivers of ridership growth; Ozias reiterated that no single factor explains the increase, but that a combination of 0-fare policy, service design and security investments appears to be paying off.
The report was presented during the commission's regular business section; no formal action was required.
