SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane Transit Authority (STA) released an update regarding the investigation into a on South Cedar Street on January 21 that prompted a temporary halt of all double-decker bus service.
STA once again confirmed that the bus was off-route at the time of the crash.
“At this stage, the investigation is focused on multiple areas, including the operator’s training and experience, as well as the examination of potential software-related navigation issues,” STA said in a press release.
It remains unknown whether it was the bus’s internal navigation system that directed the driver onto South Cedar Street, which was not an approved route and where the train bridge had too low a clearance for bus to pass. to NonStop Local of the bus’s GPS system appearing to route the bus on Cedar Street.
“As part of the initial investigation, STA can confirm the operator was trained and authorized to operate double-decker buses and has experience operating Routes 6 and 66,” STA said. “In parallel, STA is coordinating with the navigation software vendor to determine the origin and scope of any software-related issues.”
STA also outlined additional safety measures it planned to take, including another round of operator training, disabling the navigation system inside double-decker buses and enforcing drivers to make a “safety stop” prior to proceeding underneath railroad viaducts. Drivers will also have to verbally confirm with dispatch when they are leaving the STA plaza or entering downtown in with a double-decker bus, “ensuring clear acknowledgement of the vehicle path.”
A date to re-introduce the fleet of double-decker buses has not been announced.
The double-decker buses originally launched on September 20, 2025.
“Safety remains our first and foremost priority and guides everything we do at Spokane Transit,” STA CEO Karl Otterstrom said. “This investigation is being conducted methodically and in accordance with our federally required safety protocols. While that work continues, we are confident that our double-decker buses are operationally safe to return to service, and we will continue to take a disciplined, cautious approach as the review moves forward.”
