Annette Lee and her daughter Bryn live in unincorporated Pierce County in the Prairie Ridge area and they are concerned about the possibility of losing Pierce Transit route 407.

Bryn is developmentally disabled and needs the bus to get around.

“She uses it a lot to go to Buckley,” Annette Lee said, adding that her concerns are not only for herself, but others in similar situations.

“We were kind of concerned because there’s a lot of elderly or disabled folks who use it,” she said.

Because of that, Annette and Bryn both attended the Pierce Transit open house June 2 at the Bonney Lake Senior Center, hoping to learn more about the transit authority’s future plans and the potential loss of routes around the region due to a growing budget gap.

Lee was one of a handful of residents who took questions to transit staff, getting the rundown on the transit authority’s financial situation, as well as the two plans it is now putting before the public: the first is with current revenue levels, known as the “reduction plan” and a second plan called the “growth plan” would take affect if the Pierce Transit board seeks and voters approve a 0.03 percent sales tax increase to bring the service to the top end of its taxing authority.

Because of declining sales tax revenues due in large part to the recession, Pierce Transit is looking at a budget gap of $68 million by 2012. Because of that, the agency is considering cutting back on the services and routes it provides.

Original plans presented to the public two months ago called for elimination of all routes in east Pierce County with the exception of the 496 between the Bonney Lake Park N Ride and the Sumner Sounder station.

But an outcry from the small cities – including a threat to de-annex from the transit authority because they would lose service while still being taxed – prompted a re-drawing of the plans, meaning that East Pierce, while losing some routes and runs, will still receive service.

“We have listened,” said Pierce Transit Chief Executive Officer Lynne Griffith, who was on hand at the Bonney Lake open house.

Griffith said the first plans reflected the public comment the board had heard until that point. When the small cities banded together and brought their concerns to the board, Griffith said plans were adjusted to take their concerns into consideration.

“We’ve never had a preconceived notion of what this needs to be,” she said, adding that while she was not surprised to hear the complaints from the small cities, she was surprised about how “robust” the frustrations were.

“Data does not tell you what people will do,” she said.

Under the new “growth plan,” which assumes the tax increase, Bonney Lake would still lose routes 406 and 407, with service to Buckley and Prairie Ridge, respectively, every two hours, but the 450 would connect Bonney Lake and Buckley with service mid-day every two hours. Route 496, which connects the Park N Ride to the Sounder Station, would include two trips to Buckley each morning and evening, timed with the trains.

In addition, “BusPLUS” service, which follows a fixed route, but also deviates to other stops like the shuttle service, would be extended to Buckley.

“It provides connections to the rest of the system,” said Jay Peterson, customer service manager. “For this area, I think we’re meeting most of the need and demand for shuttle service.”

Griffith said transit is vital through the area, especially for thise without transportation, and said the need to pull back some services and routes has been difficult.

“It’s hard to think we’ll go backwards, but I can also say we will rebuild,” she said.

Griffith agreed it is a difficult time to attempt to pass a tax measure, even a small one; the transit proposal would increase sales tax by three cents for every $10, but that decision would be up to the board and ultimately the people.

“We’ll deal with whatever the public says,” she said. “It’s their system.”

After meeting with Pierce Transit for nearly 30 minutes, Lee said she felt a little better about the future of bus service in the area, even if it meant paying a little more.

“I normally don’t vote for taxes, but in this instance it’s well worth it,” she said.

Pierce Transit will host a public hearing on its future plans at 4 p.m. June 14 at the Lakewood Transit Center, 3720 96th St SW, Lakewood. The Pierce Transit board is expected to make its decision on route reductions and potential tax increases in July.