2025 has changes in store. Here’s a look at the upcoming service improvements for the May and September 2025 service changes.

May Service Change

Route 11: On Sunday, May 18, Route 11 will be adjusted to better serve Monroe Street. The route will continue to operate every 20 minutes with 10-minute frequency during peak hours. A new stop will also be added at Mallon & Howard, improving access to events at the Spokane Arena.

September Service Change

NEW HPT Route 7: In September, a significant update will include the launch of Route 7, a new regional High Performance Transit (HPT) route that will combine current Routes 74 and 60. The new route will provide service from Liberty Lake to the Spokane International Airport seven days a week, fulfilling the commitment in STA Moving Forward for later night service and service on Sundays between Spokane and Liberty Lake.

“This was uniformly well-received by the public,” said Emily Poole, Principal Transit Planner & Service Development Manager at STA. “It expands service and reliability for riders needing regional connections.”

NEW Route 93: This new local route will serve Liberty Lake, complementing express service at peak periods of the day.

NEW Route 722: Route 172 Liberty Lake Express will become Route 722. The route will bypass the Plaza and serve downtown on Lincoln and Monroe Streets and extend north along Monroe Street with stops near Kendall Yards and the Spokane County Courthouse. The route will end at the Spokane Arena parking lot, which is served by Route 11. This change will expand the availability of express service for commuters working on the North Bank.

West Plains and Cheney

Double-Decker Buses on Routes 6 and 66: An exciting change is coming in September with the introduction of double-decker buses exclusively assigned to Routes 6 and 66.

“These routes often have standing room only during peak hours,” Poole pointed out. “The double deckers have higher capacity than the traditional 60-foot articulated buses, so they will serve Cheney and university ridership much better.”

Route 67 Swoop Loop Discontinued: Route 67 will be discontinued after seeing less than a fifth of its pre-pandemic ridership, dropping from 232 average weekday boardings in 2019 to 45 weekday boardings in 2024. Routes 68 and 664 will cover the discontinued route and pick up Rt. 67’s most active stops for continued service.

Route 61 Highway 2/Fairchild: Routing will change to provide closer access to the MultiCare clinic, Walmart, and Goodwill. Peak hour service will also increase to every 15 minutes.

Route 62 Medical Lake: The schedule and routing will be simplified.

Route 65 Hayford: Route 65 will be rerouted to extend service along 6th Avenue and the newly constructed 10th Avenue between Craig and Hayford Roads.

Spokane

Route 45 Perry District: The route will introduce 30-minute service on weeknights and Saturdays.

Route 14 South Adams/Napa: This route will be rerouted to 13th Avenue onto Monroe Street and will share the existing sheltered stop with Route 43 on 14th Avenue. Rider feedback suggested adjustments to the route in this area.