If you’re one of the many Greeners, or nearby residents, who rely on the 41 line to connect you with the rest of the world, you know how important it is. When I first came to Evergreen, I didn’t have a car, so I began to use the bus almost immediately. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not only free, but clean and comfortable. And recently, now that my car was totaled by a psycho on the highway who took a u-turn over the median, I’ve had to hop back on those lines and become a “41 Warrior” once again.
For those who don’t know, the 41 bus route gives students and others living on the western outskirts of Olympia a direct connection to the Downtown Transit Center. The 48 bus also heads to the Transit Center, passing through Capital Mall.
When a friend contacted me at the beginning of the quarter and told me that Intercity Transit would be changing the entire bus system in a ‘total redesign” and that it appeared to totally disrupt the direct connection between Evergreen and Downtown, I was very concerned! And that this was supposed to happen in May,2026, basically around the corner, what the fuck?? In my initial scramble to figure out what the hell was going on, I found out that Intercity Transit was holding an open house to discuss the proposed changes. When I went to the open house on Monday, Nov. 3rd I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the situation wasn’t the catastrophe I had imagined. There, I talked with Intercity Transit planners and took home a draft copy of the whole plan.
So what is the bus system redesign?
History
Intercity Transit covers a wide region including Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, and now even Lakewood and Puyallup. The planned changes go back a long time, but really kicked off after the passing of Proposition 1 in Olympia in 2018, which increased the sales tax by 0.4 percent to boost the transit budget. As Intercity Transit has only recently regained full footing after the lockdowns, we are just now seeing these long-term plans come to life. Decisions on how to redesign the system come from data collected primarily on dependent riders, along with housing and commercial development patterns. The biggest issues that came up were “span and frequency,” meaning how far the system reaches and how often buses run. The main goals are to increase both, fill in important gaps, and set the foundation for more streamlined development in the future, all within budget constraints.
The big system redesign planned for May, which is getting the most attention, is actually the third stage of a three-stage plan. The first two phases, starting this past summer, added new routes and enhanced existing ones. The final Bus System Redesign stage is a total overhaul. It introduces 25 new routes to replace the existing ones except for Routes 13, 21, 600, and 610. This increases the total number of routes from 25 to 29. Combined with the earlier phases, Intercity Transit will end up with a 14 percent increase in annual service hours compared to 2024.
A critical part of the new system is the introduction of Olympia’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line and the foundation for more in the future. BRT uses buses to mimic the capacity and speed of light rail systems. Here, it will take the form of the new “9x” route, serving the corridor between Capital Mall and east Lacey on a 15-minute stop frequency. Many expanded services are designed to improve connections to middle and high schools, new housing developments, and areas long in need of better transit. One major barrier to expansion remains the difficulty or poor condition of certain roadways. The Tumwater and Lacey expansions will also broaden the areas covered by Paratransit “Dial A Lift,” which provides transportation for disabled riders.
Interline service, already used in the current system, will play a big role in the redesign. Interlining means multiple routes share the same physical bus for part of their journey. At certain points, one route becomes another. So while it may look like riders will need more transfers, many routes will actually flow across a single bus as it passes through the network.
This is a massive change, and all of it goes live on May 3rd, 2026. So how the hell are people supposed to adjust? There is no way this will not disrupt people’s lives, and the transition will definitely be bumpy. But Intercity Transit is aware of this. Starting in January, there will be onboard announcements, ambassadors at community institutions including shelters, leaflets, public talks, guided trial runs, and updated trip planning on Google Maps for any date after May 3rd.
So What Does This Mean for Us?
The 41 and 48 routes as we know them will be going away. They will be replaced by three routes: the 34, the 32, and the 9x.
The closest parallel to the 41 bus will be the 34 and 9x routes. The 34, stops in the library loop, stops at the capitol mall station and turns into the 9x, and then takes you downtown.
The 32, stops at the housing and library loops, and then goes to the capitol mall bus transfer, and then goes to SPCC
The 9x starts at the capitol mall bus transfer center and takes you all the way to east Lacey via downtown. It will be a BRT rapid frequency line
Put simply, if you get on the 34 you can just hang out, and you’ll get to downtown, but you have to catch it at the library. If you take the 32 you’ll have to transfer at Capital Mall, but you can get on at the housing loop.
According to the planners, the timing will be comparable to the current 41. One concern that still stands is reduced evening frequency. Right now, the 41 switches from a 30 minute to a 1-hour frequency at 10 p.m. Under the new plan, that cutoff looks like it will shift earlier to 8 p.m.
Another big concern I heard was about the Nightline. After its standard hours, the 41 becomes the Nightline route, running until about 3 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, which is why it is also known as the “Drunk Bus.” We all love the Drunk Bus, and it would be tragic if it disappeared. Thankfully, the redesign does not touch it at all. The Nightline is something the school pays Intercity Transit about $41,000 a year for, making it an add-on service. It will definitely continue through the end of the year as the 41, and if students keep voicing support for it, it could continue indefinitely.
So while the 41 might be dying, its ghost will still be around to greet us in the late hours of the night. I’ll be happy when she comes around, but it’ll be sad all the same. We will all mourn in our own ways, and there have been whispers in the walls about a eulogy for the old girl. If that’s the case, then I hope to see y’all Warriors there with me.
