What Spokane Transit Authority does

Spokane Transit Authority (STA) is the public transit authority serving the Spokane Metropolitan Area in Washington State, operating approximately 56 fixed bus routes with a fleet of roughly 180 buses that carry about 10 million passengers annually. The agency runs a multi-modal portfolio including the City Line — Spokane's first Bus Rapid Transit corridor featuring all-electric 60-foot articulated battery-electric buses with pantograph overhead charging on a six-mile route — alongside ADA-mandated Paratransit door-to-door service, a Rideshare/vanpool program (3-14 person commuter groups), 14 Park & Ride lots, and an upcoming STA Link on-demand transit pilot scheduled for fall 2026.

STA's underlying technology layer centers on the Connect fare-payment system supporting fare capping ($4 daily cap via Connect card), reduced fares, and zero-fare youth ridership; cloud-based centralized back-office fare management through a 2026 LECIP contract for 189 LF-7000 fareboxes ($3.7M); real-time GPS bus tracking integrated into the third-party Transit App; SMS notifications via Twilio; and the STA PassApp for paratransit booking. The agency maintains a network of approximately 1,700 bus stop signs and the STA Plaza downtown hub with 14 boarding bays and 68 security cameras.

Revenue mechanics combine passenger fares (Standard $2, Reduced $1, Paratransit $2, Youth free), subscription rideshare ($60-100/month) and Shuttle Park ($40/month) programs with substantial public funding including Washington's Climate Commitment Act (supporting youth fares and bus/paratransit service), federal grants, and dedicated sales-tax allocations. Customer segments span general public commuters, seniors and individuals with disabilities (Honored Rider reduced fare), active-duty military and veterans, youth (0-18), vocational students, low-income individuals receiving Basic Food benefits, and ADA-eligible paratransit users. STA operates as a government_state_entity under Washington jurisdiction with no external investors, parent company, or funding rounds — and is not a PE/VC/M&A investment target.

Name

Spokane Transit Authority

Legal name

Spokane Transit Authority

Website

https://spokanetransit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Spokane Transit Authority is a Washington State government transit authority operating approximately 56 bus routes, the City Line BRT, paratransit, and rideshare services across the Spokane Metropolitan Area, carrying about 10 million passengers annually on a fleet of roughly 180 buses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transit Services

NAICS

Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Special Needs Transportation (485991), School and Employee Bus Transportation (4854)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Transit Bus Operator Authorities & Agencies (Planning/Fare/Admin) (TLAFAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Park-and-Ride / Express Commuter Bus Operators (TLAFAGAF), Community & Senior Transportation Shuttles (Dial-a-Ride, Non-ADA) (TLAFAJAI)

Keywords

• Public transit services
• Bus rapid transit
• Paratransit services
• Vanpool rideshare
• Fare collection systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Passenger Fares: Public transit fares from standard riders, reduced-fare riders, paratransit users, and youth riders. Standard fare is $2.00, reduced fare $1.00, with fare capping at $4 for unlimited daily rides.
2. Reduced Fare Programs: Discounted fares for seniors (60+), individuals with disabilities, students, military/veterans, and income-based individuals receiving government assistance
3. Rideshare Program: Monthly subscription-based rideshare service: $60/month within Spokane County, $80/month with Kootenai/Stevens County, $100/month other counties
4. Shuttle Park: $40/month parking subscription at Arena Lot C with access to downtown shuttle and bus routes
5. Public Funding and Grants: Government funding including Washington's Climate Commitment Act supporting bus and paratransit service and free youth fares

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Spokane Transit Authority operates public transportation services across the Spokane metropolitan area through approximately 56 fixed-route bus lines, the all-electric City Line Bus Rapid Transit corridor, ADA-compliant paratransit for riders with disabilities, a subscription vanpool (Rideshare) program, and an on-demand transit pilot. The authority also runs supporting infrastructure including the STA Plaza downtown hub, 14 Park & Ride lots, and the Connect smart-card fare system with fare capping, mobile ticketing, and reduced-fare programs.

Product overview

Spokane Transit Authority operates as a comprehensive public transportation system offering fixed-route bus service, Bus Rapid Transit (City Line), paratransit for disabled riders, rideshare/vanpool programs, and an on-demand transit pilot. The core portfolio centers on approximately 56 bus routes serving Spokane County, complemented by the all-electric City Line BRT, paratransit eligibility-based services, and Connect fare capping. Rider-facing technology includes the Transit App for trip planning/GPS tracking/mobile payments, Connect card for fare media, STA PassApp for paratransit booking, and real-time digital signage at stops. The system processes approximately 10 million passenger trips annually across a fleet of 180 buses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• City Line: Spokane's first Bus Rapid Transit line featuring all-electric, zero emission vehicles
• Paratransit
• Rideshare
• STA PassApp

Products and services

• Fixed Route Bus Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 million passengers transported annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and support.

• LECIP INC.coreTechnology or Integration · 25 February 2026LECIP INC., a subsidiary of LECIP Holding Corporation, was awarded a $3.7 million USD contract to deploy fare collection systems for Spokane Transit Authority. The contract includes 189 LF-7000 Fareboxes, vaulting equipment, and a cloud-based Centralized Back Office system with five years of maintenance and operational support. This represents LECIP's ninth fare collection system contract in the United States. Deployment is anticipated by 2026 with a three-month Revenue Service Test period.
• Transit AppcoreTechnology or IntegrationTransit App is STA's official trip-planning app providing premium features including GPS bus tracking, detour detection, saved destinations, and contactless fare payment via Apple Pay and Google Pay. All premium features are available free to STA riders through Transit Royale partnership.
• Special Mobility ServicessupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial Mobility Services offers travel training to help individuals learn how to use the bus system independently. Training is available for those new to the community, those who can no longer drive, first-time transit users, and those with physical, intellectual, or psychological disabilities.
• Washington's Climate Commitment ActcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding from Washington's Climate Commitment Act supports STA bus and paratransit service, including free fare for youth. This represents a significant public funding partnership enabling fare programs.
• Spokane ArtssupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpokane Arts gathered input from property and business owners along the City Line route in 2019 to incorporate place-based themes into the design of City Line Stations. Artists were selected to work with Spokane Arts, STA, and neighborhood partners to develop station artwork.
• TwiliosupportTechnology or IntegrationSMS text messaging service provider for STA's text your stop feature (text 4-digit stop code to 99689) and rider notification system

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Community Transit: Public transit agency serving Snohomish County, Washington, with fixed-route buses, paratransit, and vanpool. Comparable mid-size Pacific Northwest transit authority with similar service mix and funding model.
• TriMet: Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, operating bus, light rail, and paratransit in the Portland metro. Closely comparable as a multi-mode public transit authority with fixed-route bus, paratransit, and a fare-capping/HOP-style electronic fare system.
• Pierce Transit: Public transit authority serving Pierce County (Tacoma metro), Washington. Operates fixed-route buses, paratransit, and vanpool — a near-identical service portfolio to STA and a same-state peer of comparable mid-size scale.
• Intercity Transit: Public transit authority serving Thurston County (Olympia) in Washington. Operates fixed-route buses, paratransit, and vanpool — a smaller but directly comparable Washington-state peer with similar governance and service structure.
• Lane Transit District: Public transit district serving Eugene-Springfield metro in Oregon, with fixed-route bus, paratransit, and an EmX BRT line. Highly comparable service portfolio including BRT, paratransit, and vanpool at similar mid-metro scale to STA.
• Salem-Keizer Transit (Cherriots): Public transit agency serving Salem-Keizer, Oregon with fixed-route buses, paratransit, and a regional BRT (Keizer Rapid). Comparable mid-size transit authority with analogous service structure and BRT ambition.
• Ben Franklin Transit: Public transit authority serving the Tri-Cities (Benton and Franklin Counties) in southeastern Washington. Comparable mid-size Washington transit agency with fixed-route bus and paratransit services.
• C-TRAN: Clark County Public Transportation Benefit Area Authority serving Vancouver, WA (Portland metro). Operates fixed-route bus, paratransit (C-VAN), and is developing The Vine BRT — directly comparable BRT-plus-paratransit service model.

Broad incumbents

• Sound Transit: Regional transit authority serving the central Puget Sound (light rail, commuter rail, express bus). Overlaps STA on express/commuter bus but is significantly larger and rail-centric — best categorized as a broader-incumbent Washington-state transit operator.
• King County Metro: Public transit agency serving King County (Seattle metro), operating fixed-route buses, paratransit, and vanpool. Much larger scale than STA but directly comparable as a Washington-state public transit bus authority serving a metro area with similar service-portfolio structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spokanetransit
• Facebookfacebook.com/spokanetransit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spokanetransit
• Instagraminstagram.com/spokane_transit

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spokane Transit Authority