Yakima Transit

What Yakima Transit does

Yakima Transit is the municipal transit division of the City of Yakima, Washington, providing public bus service across the city and into adjacent jurisdictions. Its service portfolio consists of nine fixed in-city routes delivering more than 1 million annual rides, Route 11 (Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter) operated in partnership with Washington State DOT and Central Washington University, and ADA complementary paratransit delivered through a contract with Medstar LLC under the Dial-A-Ride brand. The system serves general public riders, youth aged 18 and under (fare-free since October 2022), seniors and disabled riders (reduced fare), and commuters between Yakima and Ellensburg. Over 700 bus stops, multiple Park & Ride facilities, and interline connections with Selah Transit, Union Gap Transit, Ben Franklin Transit, People for People, and Central Washington Airporter anchor the physical network.

The underlying technology stack is modest and largely third-party. Real-time bus tracking and rider information are delivered through the Connexionz platform; accessibility is supported through Title VI compliant policies, ADA complementary paratransit, and a reduced-fare program; and the fleet was refreshed in 2023 with six new buses. Yakima Transit does not describe proprietary software, AI/ML systems, or data flywheel assets. Service operations are governed by a Citizens Advisory Committee, a paratransit advisory body, and published Title VI policies.

Yakima Transit's business model is a hybrid public funding and fare-recovery structure. The primary revenue source is a 3/10 of 1% dedicated retail sales tax within the City of Yakima, in place since 1981, supplemented by passenger fares (adult $1.00, reduced $0.50, youth free, monthly passes available), state grants including the Move Ahead Washington fare-free youth program, and federal transit funding. The Vanpool service was discontinued in January 2022 as part of a portfolio rationalization, and routes were restructured in the same month to better align capacity with ridership demand.

Name

Yakima Transit

Legal name

City of Yakima (Transit Division)

Website

https://yakimatransit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yakima Transit is a municipal transit division of the City of Yakima, Washington, providing fixed-route bus service, ADA paratransit, and Yakima-Ellensburg commuter service to general public, youth, seniors, and disabled riders, funded primarily by a dedicated sales tax.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transit Services

NAICS

Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Special Needs Transportation (485991), Urban Transit Systems (48511)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Accessible Shuttle & On-Demand Paratransit (Microtransit for Riders with Disabilities) (TLAFAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle (WAV) & Stretcher Transport Services (TLAFAKAC)

Keywords

• Public bus transit
• Fixed-route bus service
• ADA paratransit service
• Intercity commuter bus
• Municipal transit authority

Headquarters

HQ city

Yakima

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Passenger Fares: Fixed-route bus fares at $1.00 per adult one-way, reduced fares at $0.50 for seniors/disabled. Commuter service at $5.00 one-way. Monthly passes available.
2. Sales Tax Revenue: 3/10 of 1% sales tax dedicated solely to transit, instituted January 1, 1981. This is the primary operational funding source.
3. State Grant Funding: Move Ahead Washington transportation package provides grant funding to replace lost youth fare revenue for fare-free policies for individuals 18 years and younger.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Yakima Transit is a municipal public transit agency providing fixed-route bus service on nine routes throughout Yakima, Washington, plus the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter intercity service and Dial-A-Ride ADA paratransit. All buses are wheelchair accessible and equipped with bike racks, with real-time tracking via Connexionz. Service is funded by a dedicated 3/10 of 1% sales tax and passenger fares, delivering over one million annual passenger boardings.

Product overview

Yakima Transit is a public transit agency operated by the City of Yakima, providing fixed-route city bus service and paratransit services. The core offering consists of nine fixed bus routes (Routes 1-9) serving Yakima city limits, plus the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter (Route 11) connecting to Central Washington University. Complementary services include Dial-A-Ride paratransit for eligible riders with disabilities, a fare-free youth program for ages 18 and under, reduced fare program for seniors and disabled riders, Park & Ride facilities, and bike rack-equipped buses. Real-time tracking is available via Connexionz. Transit fixed-route ridership consistently exceeds one million passenger-boardings annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dial-A-Ride: Paratransit service for people with disabilities or conditions preventing use of fixed-route buses.
• Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter

Products and services

• Fixed-Route City Bus Service Fixed-route city bus service operating on nine routes (Routes 1-9) throughout Yakima city limits, with over 700 bus stops typically located every two blocks along each route. Open to the general public for daily commuting and general mobility within the city.
• Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter (Route 11) Intercity commuter bus service connecting Yakima and Ellensburg, operating Monday through Friday with stops at Yakima Air Terminal and Central Washington University. Provides one-way fares of $5 or a $150 monthly pass covering all Yakima Transit and Central Transit services for the month.
• Dial-A-Ride Paratransit Service Door-to-door, shared-ride paratransit service for individuals with disabilities or conditions that prevent them from using fixed-route buses. Operated under ADA requirements with an eligibility verification and appeals process. Reservations required at least one day in advance, at $2.00 per one-way trip.
• Youth Fare-Free Program Fare-free transit service for youth ages 18 and under on all Yakima Transit services, including fixed routes and Dial-A-Ride. Made possible through the Move Ahead Washington state grant funding.
• Reduced Fare Program Reduced-fare transit program for seniors 62 and older, people with disabilities, and Medicare card holders. Provides $0.50 one-way fares or $9 monthly passes with a Reduced Fare ID card.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million annual passenger-boardings on fixed-route bus service

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Central Washington University (CWU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYakima Transit participates with Central Washington University and WSDOT in funding the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter. CWU Wildcat Shop is a location where commuter passes are sold. Seasonal commuter runs operate based on CWU class sessions.
• Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYakima Transit participates with WSDOT in funding the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter. Yakima Transit submits Six-Year Transit Development Plan and Annual Report to WSDOT.
• Medstar LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYakima Transit operates Dial-A-Ride paratransit service through a contract with Medstar LLC.
• Central Washington AirporterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCentral Washington Airporter connects Yakima, Ellensburg, Cle Elum, SEA-TAC and Seattle. Stops in Yakima. Phone: 866-235-5247.
• Ben Franklin TransitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBen Franklin Transit connects using the People For People Community Connector to Prosser and continues to the Tri-Cities. Located at 1000 Columbia Park Trail, Richland WA.
• People for PeopleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPeople For People Community Connector operates in Yakima County from 6am to 8pm, traveling from Yakima to Prosser. Contact: 457-1111.
• Selah TransitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSelah Transit provides local transit service in Selah. Contact: 509-619-1639. Selah also has its own Dial-A-Ride services.
• Union Gap TransitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnion Gap Transit provides local transit service in Union Gap. Contact: 509-574-8000. Union Gap also has its own Dial-A-Ride services.
• Pahto Public PassageminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPahto Public Passage operates service in Toppenish and surrounding communities. Connections can be made through People For People Community Connector.
• Yakima Valley Conference of Governments (YVCOG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYVCOG produces the Human Services Transportation Plan for Yakima County. Yakima Transit participates in regional planning coordination.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Central Transit: Local transit service for Ellensburg, Washington. Directly partnered with Yakima Transit on the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter (Route 11), with reciprocal pass acceptance on Central Transit buses. Most direct operational peer given the interline agreement.
• Skagit Transit: Public transit agency serving Skagit County (Mount Vernon, Burlington) in Washington. Comparable small-system fixed-route plus paratransit operation with similar funding structure. Operates Route 90X connecting to adjacent regions like Yakima Transit does with Ellensburg.
• Ben Franklin Transit: Public transit authority serving the Tri-Cities (Richland, Kennewick, Pasco) in southeastern Washington. Operates fixed-route bus, paratransit, and commuter services under a similar sales-tax funding model. Yakima Transit passengers can transfer to Ben Franklin Transit via the People For People Community Connector, making it the most operationally comparable peer.
• Intercity Transit: Municipal transit authority serving Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Yelm in Washington. Comparable in scale (small-to-mid fixed-route system with paratransit), public funding model, and service philosophy. One of Washington's most well-regarded small transit systems with similar accessibility and fare structure.
• Valley Transit: Public transit serving Walla Walla and College Place in southeastern Washington. Comparable size and structure to Yakima Transit - small fixed-route bus system with paratransit, dedicated local funding, and rural Washington service area.
• Whatcom Transportation Authority: Public transit authority serving Bellingham and Whatcom County in northwestern Washington. Operates fixed-route bus service, paratransit, and a unique rural van program. Similar size, mission, and sales-tax-funded governance model.
• People for People: Community-based transportation provider operating the Community Connector in Yakima County (Yakima to Prosser and Tri-Cities). Yakima Transit pass holders can use People for People services, making it a directly comparable and operationally adjacent peer serving overlapping geography.

Broad incumbents

• MV Transportation: One of the largest paratransit and fixed-route contract operators in the United States. Relevant because Yakima Transit contracts paratransit (Dial-A-Ride) operations to Medstar LLC, and MV Transportation represents the broader private operator model that competes for such contracts.
• Spokane Transit Authority: Mid-size regional transit authority serving Spokane, Washington. Larger than Yakima Transit but uses similar sales-tax funding model. Represents a regional incumbent against which Yakima Transit's scale, service design, and rider experience can be benchmarked.

Others

• Connexionz: Third-party transit technology platform that powers Yakima Transit's real-time bus tracking and interactive system map at yakima.connexionz.net. Not a direct peer but an enabling technology vendor whose platform is integral to Yakima Transit's rider-facing service delivery.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YakimaTransit
• Facebookfacebook.com/Yakima-Transit-322459711437600
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yakima-transit

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Yakima Transit