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Pierce Transit outlines youth outreach as Lakewood Youth Council plans April summit
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Summary
Pierce Transit staff told the Lakewood Youth Council about free Youth ORCA cards, travel-training and safety measures and agreed to follow up with incident data and partnership options to support an April 18 youth summit. The council approved minutes and elected Alice chair and Megan vice chair.
Pierce Transit told the Lakewood Youth Council on Jan. 15 that it has several programs to make public transit more accessible to young riders and said it is available to partner with the council on the April 18 youth summit.
Nicole Wanner, a community development coordinator with Pierce Transit, described fixed-route service, a micro-transit "runner" that fills gaps where fixed routes are not available, specialized shuttle services for seniors and people with disabilities, and employer rideshare and vanpool programs. "If you are 18 and under, you can ride transit for free," Wanner said, referring to the Youth ORCA program.
Wanner said outreach includes school and community visits, partnering with groups such as the Boys and Girls Club to register youth for Youth ORCA cards and running hands-on activities to teach students how to use the system. She also described a newly hired travel trainer who will ride routes with young riders to build comfort and route familiarity.
Council members focused questions on safety, enforcement and practical barriers. Wanner said drivers are trained to use judgment in fare disputes, buses have interior and exterior cameras, and operators have a "hot dial" to coordinate with Pierce County public safety. She also described a HEART rapid-response team for mental-health incidents and offered to request incident counts from Pierce Transits risk department for the council to review.
Members discussed specific steps the council could take before the April summit, including scheduling a transit field trip that splits students across several stops and then reunites them on a route, adding a "bike-on-bus" demonstration to a summit activity table, and coordinating with school districts about marketing and potential bus or shuttle support. Wanner said special-event buses and shuttles are possible but usually require proposals and funding and may involve other transportation carriers or state funding partners.
The meeting also addressed internal council business: the group approved November meeting minutes by voice vote and held elections for officers. The council confirmed Alice as chair and Megan as vice chair; Alice abstained from voting for herself.
Pierce Transit agreed to follow up by email with the council, including any available incident statistics, and to explore the field-trip and in-school outreach options discussed. The youth council will continue planning logistics for the April 18 summit.
Votes at a glance: November minutes Approved by voice vote (unanimous). Alice confirmed as chair Approved (Alice abstained from voting for herself). Megan confirmed as vice chair Approved.
