Construction of Mellen Street e-Transit Station Underway With Tentative April Completion Date 

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Twin Transit broke ground on its e-Transit Station last month and expects to be “substantially complete” by early to mid-April. 

The project, described by Twin Transit as a “tremendous economic and environmental opportunity,” was announced last fall and will transform Centralia’s Mellen Street Park and Ride into a hub for electric charging of cars and buses. 

The station will also serve as a pickup spot for a new route along the “Southwest Washington e-Transit Corridor,” transporting residents from Centralia to the Olympia area via electric busses by the middle of this year. 

The linkage will fill a major gap in public transportation, as there is currently no direct public transit on Interstate 5 between Longview and Olympia, according to Twin Transit.



“This will reduce the number of individual vehicles on the road, improve traffic and drastically lower carbon emissions,” according to a Twin Transit report on the project. “In addition, this enhanced and affordable transit option will improve access to living-wage employment opportunities, educational options, and economic development for rural communities. This will implement a culture of opportunity and hope, yielding positive results for generations to come.”

The project is a partnership between Twin Transit and the Washington state Department of Transportation (WSDOT). 

According to Twin Transit, the project is being funded through the Green Transportation Grant, Diesel Emissions Reduction Act funds and Volkswagen settlement money. Two electric buses were also purchased with the funding.