Island Transit seeking input on Roadmap 2047
Published 1:30 am Friday, April 10, 2026
Island Transit officials want residents to join them on a trip 20 years into the future.
For the first time, the transit agency is creating a long-range plan, which has been dubbed Roadmap 2047. Transit officials have an ambitious schedule to engage the community and gather input to guide the vision for the future.
The motto for the effort is “Your Ride. Your Island. Your Voice.”
Island Transit gave a presentation about the 20-year plan during a Langley City Council meeting this week and is scheduled to give talks at the Oak Harbor Council next week, followed by the Coupeville Town Council two weeks after that. Public meetings also start next week. Pop-up events are planned throughout the next couple of months.
“We want to reach as many community members that we possibly can,” Island Transit Executive Director Melinda Adams said, adding that the agency will be reaching out to other partners, including school districts, the Navy, senior citizen groups, the hospital, nonprofits and others.
Public input could help decide future routes — both fixed and paratransit — as well as other service-related decisions and infrastructure needs.
“Your suggestion could be the thing that spins up a new service at Island Transit,” Brad Windler, the planning and outreach director, said to the Langley council Monday.
In addition to gathering input, Adams said she hopes the outreach will help educate people about the agency. Island Transit offers unique fare-free bus and paratransit services that are funded by a modest sales tax along with state and federal grants. A sizable population relies on the buses, which may become even more essential in a time of skyrocketing gas prices.
The agency reports 31,114 riders on fixed routes in February of 2026, up from 28,227 in the same month last year. Paratransit, which is on-demand service for disabled people, counted 4,273 riders this February, up from 3,736 in February 2025.
Adams said she was surprised when he was hired in 2024 to learn that the agency didn’t have a 20-year plan, which is standard among transit agencies. She first focused on improving the immediate problems in the agency, which had led to the board firing the former director and widespread morale problems. A recent staff survey shows that things have greatly improved.
Adams said it’s not a coincidence that Island Transit is starting the effort as the county and municipalities are completing their 20-year comprehensive plan updates. The updates, which include growth projections and land-use goals, will inform the agency’s plan.
Residents can take the survey at the Island Transit website, www.islandtransit.org. People with concerns and questions can call 360-678-7771 or email communityengagement@islandtransit.org.
The schedule for the meetings is as follows:
April 13: 3-4 p.m. at the Camano Library
April 14: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., NASWI Exchange
April 15: 4-6 p.m., Oak Harbor Library
April 27: 1-3 p.m., Langley Library
April 28: 4-6 p.m., Coupeville Library
May 6: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Camano Center
May 7: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., The Center in Oak Harbor
