Bus stands 10 Disabled access Yes | Parking 236 spaces Opened 1989 | |
Location 10501 E 4th Ave., Spokane, WA 99206 Owned by Spokane Transit Authority Passengers 2,595 (avg. weekday, 2015) Similar John A Finch Arboretum, YMCA Camp Orkila, Skagit Valley Tulip Fest, Manito Park and Botanical, Spokane Convention Center | ||
Pence-Cole Valley Transit Center (also Valley Transit Center or VTC) is a transit center and former proposed site of a light rail station in the Spokane Transit Authority route system. It is one of Spokane Transit's three primary transit centers, along with the Spokane Community College and STA Plaza, and is the main transit hub for Spokane Valley.
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History and role in Spokane Transit Authority operations
The transit center was a major component of the transition and expansion of STA to a county-wide system in the early 1980s. Prior to STA's expansion beyond Spokane city limits, transfers between Spokane Valley routes had to be made in Downtown Spokane, needlessly routing passengers 7 miles out of direction. The construction of the transit center enabled localized transit to be a possibility for Spokane Valley. Today, the VTC serves as the terminus for five STA routes.
Because of the transit center's historical prominence in the transformation of Spokane Transit's operations, the center is named for former Millwood mayor and STA board member, Clarence Pence, as well as Bob Cole, who played prominent role in the aforementioned expansion of public transportation in the Spokane region.
Early 2000s light rail proposal
The Pence-Cole Valley Transit Center played a key role in STA's early 2000s light rail proposal. The transit center would have been incorporated into the proposed University City Station which was identified as one of three key stations along the light rail route that would spurn nearly $1 billion in transit oriented development under the principles of new urbanism. Forecasts projected the station to be a catalyst for the development of the University City town center, which would have seen as many as 2,300 residential units, 231,000 square feet of office space, and 115,000 square feet of retail space developed over time.