Buses and bus shelters in Island County may sport advertising someday.

Members of the Island Transit board of directors decided at their regular meeting last week to issue “requests for proposals” from marketing and advertising firms.

“We have no way to really gauge how successful it will be,” said Oak Harbor Councilman Rick Almerberg, the chairman of the transit board. “But we have to try. Everybody else seems to do it.”

Ken Graska, interim director of Island Transit, said there are firms that specialize in finding advertisers to place ads on buses. He said he checked with nearby transit agencies and found that the ads can be an important source of revenue.

For example, he said, the Whatcom Transportation Authority makes around $150,000 a year through bus ads. Community Transit in Snohomish County brings in about $500,000 a year.

Yet Graska concedes that Island Transit is significantly smaller and isolated. He said he’s not sure about the local market.

“I don’t expect anything over $100,000,” he said, “but I hope it’s not a lot less.”

Former transit officials, especially former director Martha Rose, were against proposals to accept advertisements on buses and bus shelters, citing the aesthetics and ethical concerns.

Members of the new leadership, however, pledged to be open to revenue proposals in the wake of financial problems at the agency. The board plans to tackle the issue of charging fares on the buses, which have always been fare-free, later this year.

Graska said the requests for proposals will outline the sort of advertisements that would be acceptable. He said the requests will be sent out to specific company, trade publications and local newspapers in the next couple of weeks.