Jefferson Transit Authority inched closer to completing its climate action plan with a virtual open house on Sept. 23.

The open house was one of the last steps of a project the agency launched in January 2024, focused on creating a plan to reduce greenhouse emissions and create efficiencies system-wide by the end of the year.

The project began with establishing a baseline of greenhouse gas inventory for the Jefferson Transit Authority (JTA), said Nicole Gauthier, the agency’s general manager. 

“The results of this inventory found that transportation accounts for 66% of greenhouse gas emissions in Jefferson County,” she said.

“JTA’s greenhouse gas emissions are equivalent to less than 1% of Jefferson County’s transportation emissions. In order for the county to reduce its overall greenhouse gas emissions, community members need to start riding transit.  Jefferson Transit has been gathering public feedback on how to make transit work for a larger sector of the population.”

Gauthier said the climate action plan will focus on four key areas: increasing ridership to lower countywide emissions, reducing the agency’s operational emissions, enhancing the resilience of JTA’s services and operations to cover climate impacts and supporting broader countywide climate resilience.

Gauthier said a draft climate action plan will be prepared in November with the project slated for completion in December.

“Our vision is a future where all Jefferson County community members have access to a low-emissions public transit system that keeps our community thriving and connected while building resilience to climate change impacts,” Gauthier continued. “In this future, transit is not only an option but a natural choice for our community.”

Jefferson Transit’s climate action plan project is being led by Peak Sustainability Group.

Gauthier said JTA is also conducting a comprehensive operational analysis. A consultant team, led by Left Turn Right Turn, is developing the analysis through a data-based and community-based perspective.

Once complete, the plan will make a series of service recommendations that could maximize the transit budget and better meet the community needs. Gauthier said the project began in July 2024, with the goal to produce a final operational analysis by July 2025.

JTA’s service area spans 259 square miles. It links higher-density areas such as Port Townsend and the Tri-Area as well as providing connections between regional destinations such as Forks, Sequim, Brinnon, and Poulsbo.