BY PEPPER FISHER
PORT ANGELES — The Dungeness Line, the commuter bus service that runs between Port Angeles and SeaTac Airport, has a new owner, and they’re promising several upgrades for their customers.
Starting November 1, MTRWESTERN officially takes the wheel as the new operator of the Dungeness Line. The company, based in Seattle, has operations in Portland, Eugene, Spokane, and Boise.
Company President Jeremy Butzlaff says their Port Angeles riders will see a new level of service.
“But what they can expect with MTR is, you know, we’re going to have brand new vehicles on the service. In addition to that, we’re going to have some bike racks on the vehicles. We’re going to have 24-hour customer support. We’re going to be there. Reliability is really important to us. Customer service is really important to us, and communication’s really important to us. So, no surprises. And we’re going to do a great job. And we’re excited to be part of the community in this capacity, excited to, you know, help them get to where they need to go.”
From Port Angeles, stops on the way to SeaTac include Sequim, Discovery Bay, Port Townsend, Kingston, Edmonds, and downtown Seattle. But if you have a plane to catch and you want to avoid the so-called milk run, MTR will also be offering a direct express run that will get you to the airport in about 4 hours.
One new feature MTR will bring to the Dungeness Line is Bus Tracking, available starting in January.
“People will have an app that they’ll be able to log into on their phone and see exactly where the bus is, and what the ETA is to any specific stop. So, on the non-express route, you know, each of the stops will be programmed in, and you’ll be able to use, real time tracking and telematics to figure out how far that bus is from you, or how far you are from your destination. And so, we’re really excited about that. And, as a transit rider for a long time, it was always kind of a source of frustration, like, ‘Oh, did I miss the bus? Or am I early for it, or am I late for it?’ Well, with this type of tool, you’ll be able to know exactly where you’re at and exactly where it’s at.”
The Dungeness Line also continues to support interline booking with Greyhound, Amtrak, and Flixbus.
For full schedules, fares, route information and to purchase tickets, visit dungeness-line.com