Link considers service shift that could reshape some valley commutes

WENATCHEE — A proposal to shift bus service across the Columbia River is forcing Link Transit to weigh a familiar question: how to expand access for some riders without leaving others behind.

At its March meeting, Link Transit Planning Manager Donald Billen outlined an early-stage idea to move several bus trips from the west side of the river to the east side, potentially making an existing student-focused route more accessible to the general public.

The concept builds on a limited service the agency currently operates in partnership with Lake Chelan Health, running between Orondo and a Chelan School District athletic facility so middle school students can attend practices. Billen said staff are now exploring whether that service could be expanded for broader public use.

“We’re exploring how can we make that service that we’re currently funding more accessible to the general public,” Billen said.

One option under consideration would shift four existing trips that currently run between Wenatchee and Chelan on the west side of the river, through Entiat, to the east side. The goal would be to make the change at a “net neutral cost,” aligning school transportation needs with public transit service.

But the idea comes with tradeoffs.

Billen said early feedback shows riders currently using those west-side trips rely on them for commuting to work, even as ridership appears relatively low in some segments of the route.

“We are definitely hearing from people that ride on those trips that those trips are important to them, that they use them to get to work,” he said.

At the same time, the agency is evaluating whether schedules could be adjusted to serve both groups.

“If we can make our schedules for the school kids and the people trying to get to work, line up, this may be possible,” Billen said.

If not, the consequences could be significant.

“On the other hand, we may find out that, no, we’re literally going to leave some people stranded in terms of their ability to get to work,” he said.

Link Transit has begun community outreach on the proposal, including a survey and on-board messaging, to better understand how riders use the affected routes and what impacts a shift could have.

No decision has been made, and Billen emphasized that the proposal remains exploratory.

For Link Transit, the outcome may depend on whether those needs can be aligned — or whether improving access in one place ultimately means changing it in another.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media