Shelton-Mason County Journal - Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886

After being in the works for more than a year, the Belfair Park & Ride is set to open May 23.

According to Mason Transit Authority General Manager Amy Asher, MTA will transition its routes to run out of the new building May 23 and away from the temporary Roy Boad Road and the park and ride behind The Bridge Church before closing, which will impact routes 3 and 23.

There are still a few things left to complete in the building but Asher said she was confident MTA will meet the May 23 deadline.

“I’m really excited. The building itself will be used mostly as a driver breakroom and break facility,” Asher told the Journal. “We’re still working through with the board on how community may be able to use the meeting and conference room space but it’s not going to be a building that will really be open for public use mostly because we would need more staff to be able to do that and we just don’t have the staffing to fully open the building yet for public use.”

Asher said as they hire more staff to maintain the building, MTA will look to open the building to public use. She said the drivers will be excited once they are able to use the building, which comes with a kitchen, break room and locker room.

“A place to just stop and take a break on their routes when they’re out in the Belfair area,” Asher said.

This is the final park and ride to open of six that have been in the works for a few years. The $10-million project saw the opening of the Cole Road, Pickering Road, Shelton/Matlock and Pear Orchard.

“It’s a great accomplishment,” Asher said. “I’m coming in at the tail end of it and it’s nice to see the work of a couple of general managers before me. It’s been a long-term project but it’s really nice to see the full project completed.”

Masks are optional for everyone on MTA buses and buildings due to a federal judge in Florida eliminating the federal mask mandate in transit spaces. The mandate was set to expire in April originally. MTA will provide masks and hand sanitizer on buses and in buildings that want to continue to use them.