The roots of public transportation in the Tri-Cities region can be traced back to the beginnings of the Hanford Site, which was opened in 1943 in the midst of World War II, and ultimately produced the plutonium used in the Fat Man bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan.

General Electric, and later the Atomic Energy Commission, provided bus service as a way to bring its workers to and from the Hanford site to locales in the area, largely Richland.

(The Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA) officials later passed a resolution that the bus system would not compete with Rockwell Hanford).

However, this time officials largely scaled back the proposed service area to just Kennewick and Richland, and also included Pasco, located on the other side of the Columbia River in Franklin County.

In 1992, Gillig also won the contract to provide Ben Franklin Transit with eight 40-foot coaches which had been specified in the original order, but delayed due to cost.

These specially decorated buses, adorned with festive lights and holiday-themed designs, provide free rides to passengers as part of the program.

One such example is a brightly decorated Gillig Low Floor bus with holiday artwork and lights: This program demonstrates BFT's ongoing efforts to enhance the transit experience while fostering a sense of community engagement.

The PTBA boundary is contiguous with the populated areas, as well as many voting precincts that fill in the gaps.Fares are either by exact cash or pre-purchased ticket or pass.