Transit services around Port Townsend began in 1915 with the debut of passenger "jitney" buses operated by private companies. The Stevens Stage Line, successor to the original jitney in Port Townsend, was contracted by the Clallam-Jefferson Community Action Council in 1979 to operate a pilot transit route using funds from the Urban Mass Transportation Administration. A public transportation benefit area was approved by voters in Jefferson County on November 4, 1980, leading to the establishment of Jefferson Transit. The agency began operating routes in May 1981 and bought out the Stevens Stage Line on September 17, 1981.
