Public Transportation Benefit Area

Much like a fire or school district, the Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA) is a special taxing district established by Washington State for the purpose of providing public transportation. Our PTBA includes the cities of Airway Heights, Cheney, Medical Lake, Millwood, Liberty Lake, Spokane, and Spokane Valley, as well as portions of the unincorporated county surrounding those muncipalities. It is 143 square miles and was established along precinct and school district boundaries existing in 1980. The part of Spokane County included in the PTBA was envisioned as the area that would need public transportation then and into the future. View a Map of the PTBA.

Spokane Transit is the provider of public transportation services within the PTBA and is considered a municipal government much like any city, county, fire district or school district. It is governed by a Board of Directors composed of nine elected officials from the jurisdictions within the PTBA.

Funding for Spokane Transit's services is largely provided by a local sales tax levied within the PTBA only. (By state law, the only legal means of public funding for transit agencies in Washington is through local sales and use tax of no more than 0.9%. Spokane Transit currently levies 0.6%. Voter approval is required before a tax can be levied.)