Rider Alerts Get Real-Time: New system gets timely info in riders' hands

By Martin Munguia, Corporate Communications Manager

Community Transit riders noticed a new look to their rider alerts today. The agency has launched a new partially automated alert system that provides riders with information on delays and other service impacts in real time, during all hours of service.

Riders can view/receive alerts about bus service impacts
in real time, during all hours of service. 

The result will be more alerts providing more information about what is going on with your bus while it is in service. This can help you make better choices about your daily commute.

The new real-time alerts report trip delays of 10 minutes or more, as well as canceled trips, reroutes that miss certain bus stops, and other issues that are impacting buses on the road, or scheduled to be on the road.

Once created, alerts are simultaneously posted on the agency’s website, Twitter page, and sent to subscribers via email or SMS text, as well as provided to third-party apps such as Google Maps or OneBusAway. While alerts are sent to those apps, it is up to developers whether to display them or not.

What’s the difference?

The new alert system is a huge improvement over the old system due to the process. Rather than using administrative staff to create alerts based on information sent out from the agency’s two dispatch bases, the new bus alerts are created directly by dispatchers. As soon as they get information from the field, dispatchers use a new tool to select from several drop-down menus to generate an alert.

This literally cuts out the middle person. It also means real-time alerts look a bit different than the old alerts.

They start with the route number and time the bus leaves the first stop so riders can easily tell if it is their trip. The alerts then identify the direction of the trip by destination, and the reason for the delay or cancelation. These alerts are produced any time a bus is impacted, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Alerts about future impacts due to planned construction, parades or holidays will continue to be produced by staff, as they may require more complex explanations or images. On Community Transit’s Rider Alerts webpage, www.communitytransit.org/Alerts, the two alert types are called Real-Time Alerts and Rider Information.

How to get alerts

If you already get Community Transit’s electronic rider alerts, you don’t have to do anything to get the real-time alerts. If you don’t, here are three ways to get them:

• Email/text – Sign up for alerts to be sent by email or SMS text. Visit www.communitytransit.org/Subscribe to select the routes you ride most frequently. Whenever an alert affecting that route is sent, you will get a notification. Because more alerts are being sent out in this new system, choose your route preferences carefully. If you already subscribe, you may want to adjust your preferences to avoid getting too many alerts.
• Twitter – Follow Community Transit’s new service alert Twitter handle,

  

  Follow @MyCommTransBus on Twitter for rider alerts posted
  real-time alerts throughout our operating hours.

  @MyCommTransBus. All alerts for all routes are sent to this Twitter feed. If you see an alert announcing service delays on your route, scroll up the feed to see if that delay has ended.
• Website – Visit www.communitytransit.org/Alerts to view all active alerts. If a bus trip is delayed more than 10 minutes or canceled, an alert will be generated. That alert will be removed once that trip has ended. A button for rider information alerts lists all constructed- or holiday-related impacts to service that are planned in advance. These alerts include reroutes or closed stops, whether short-term or long-term.

Questions about bus service may still be answered by calling (425) 353-7433 or emailing riders@commtrans.org.

Real-time alerts are reported for all Community Transit bus routes and the six Sound Transit bus routes operated by Community Transit – ST Routes 510, 511, 512, 513, 532 and 535.

Meet Emily, Travel Training Program Graduate

Travel Training: Fostering Independence for People with Special Needs

Travel Training Graduate from Community Transit on Vimeo.

Emily learned about Travel Training by watching her younger brother, Kevin, gain his independence through the program. Even though Kevin has more limitations than Emily, his bravery and fierce determination were inspiring to her, and the push she needed to find her own path. "I thought if he could be successful at it, I could be successful at it."

Emily started working with Christine, her Travel Trainer, during her senior year of high school. In the beginning Emily's busy school and work schedules only allowed for 1-2 sessions with Christine per month. After graduation she was able to meet Christine more often and felt fully confident on the bus within a year of her first session. "At first it was a bit nerve-wracking, but over time it got more fun and I needed a little less help."

Some of the first places Emily learned to get to by bus were places Kevin went to, such as their family church and Mukilteo Beach. Since then Emily enjoys going to the library, the Dollar Store, and Alderwood Mall. She is even dreaming about learning how to get to downtown Seattle by bus, and trying Community Transit's Swift bus rapid transit network once the Swift Green Line opens in March.

Like many teenagers newly out of high school, Emily is trying to decide what is next. She thinks college might be a good plan, but for now she is dedicated to feeling more independent and trying new things. And, of course, being able to get where she wants is a big part of that independence. "Taking the bus often offers me an open door that I haven't opened yet growing up, and I think I want to keep following in Kevin's footsteps."

We think you are just as brave and adventurous as your brother, Emily. Your thoughtfulness and willingness to stay open to new experiences is really inspiring. We can't wait to see where your path leads you next.

Do you know someone with special needs who would benefit from our Travel Training Program? Visit communitytransit.org/TravelTraining or call (425) 348-2379.

Let's Go Holiday Shopping

Nothing ruins holiday cheer faster than a slow drive to the shopping center. Even worse? Once you finally get there, you discover the parking lot is completely full. As you circle around and around, you vow never to wait to the last minute to shop again. Make things easier this year by avoiding the stress of traffic and parking. Take the bus!

Let's go to Alderwood Mall

This mall really has it all: major department stores, trendy teen shops, and specialty stores that offer everything under the sun, from kayaks to fine jewelry. You can even grab lunch at a rotating sushi restaurant or nibble on cupcakes and coffee before wandering to a state-of-the-art multiplex theater.

Did you know that there are five bus routes that serve the Alderwood area? Most run every 30 minutes on weekdays, and every hour on evenings and weekends. Create your customized itinerary on our Trip Planner!



Park and Ride! Lynnwood Transit Center has plenty of parking at night and on weekends, and is a quick 10-minute bus ride to and from Alderwood Mall on routes 113, 115, and 116. Or park at Ash Way Park & Ride for a trip on 115, 116, or 196 that takes just minutes.

Let's go to Seattle Premium Outlets!

Searching for something big without the big price tag? Seattle Premium Outlets is your holiday shopping destination. This is the place for scoring great holiday deals on the famous brands your friends and family have been dreaming of. With over 130 upscale retail stores and plenty of food options, there's sure to be something for everyone on your list.

Routes 222 and 209 will take you there. Plan your trip on Trip Planner!

Have a wonderful holiday season, and enjoy the ride!

Bringing You Home with Swift Bus Rapid Transit

Mina shares her story on the benefits of being a Swift rider

Bringing You Home with Swift from Community Transit on Vimeo.

Life is always on the move for Mina, an international student at Edmonds Community College. With different classes every day, and a busy social life, she needed a commute option that was inexpensive, flexible, and fast. She hopped on Swift and has been moving ever since.

Mina, who is from Mongolia, lives in Lynnwood with her brother. Every day she walks 15 minutes from her apartment to catch Swift Blue Line to the college where she studies Computer Science. Because Swift comes every 10 minutes, she never worries about a schedule. In just a few minutes the bus will arrive. Mina's commute is fast; just a quick 10 minute ride and she arrives at College Station.

Swift Blue Line is a bus rapid transit line that runs along Highway 99 between Aurora Village and Everett Station. Most of Mina's friends also use Swift to get to school and to support businesses along Highway 99. "We take the bus because we don't feel that cars are necessary since the bus comes to most of the area. We hang out, go to eat, go to karaoke."

Mina doesn't drive, and Uber is too expensive for her to use regularly. She doesn't mind since she feels safe and confident in Swift, "I don't have to worry about safety; it's really safe. And also I don't drive so I can study just while riding the bus, and I can hang out with my friends."

Want to get in on the Swift action? You're in luck! Our Swift network is expanding beyond Highway 99. Swift Green Line will open in March 2019 and will run from Canyon Park/Bothell through Mill Creek to the new Seaway Transit Center near Boeing/Paine Field. Swift Green Line will connect with Swift Blue Line at Highway 99 and Airport Road, creating the region's first bus rapid transit network for travel in South Snohomish County and beyond.

Swift, bringing more connections and more opportunities to keep you moving.

Bringing You Home With Double Tall: Real People, Real Stories

Deedra shares her story on the benefits of being a Double Tall rider.

The view sure is amazing from the top of our Double Talls. When you’re out from behind the wheel, you can look out the windows beyond gridlock to see mountains, trees, and the Seattle skyline. The view inside a Double Tall is pretty great too. It’s clean and comfortable, with plenty of room to stretch out and breathe. Even better? It’s filled with potential friends, professional connections, and neighbors. Meet Deedra, who looks forward to her commute each day to connect with her community.

"I have sat upstairs before and yeah, the view is awesome. I’m so much more comfortable on this bus as far as leg room, and I don’t have to worry about the traffic. It’s stress free.” Deedra has been commuting from Snohomish County to downtown Seattle for 17 years, always taking Community Transit buses. In fact, Deedra has been riding our Double Tall buses since our first feet rolled out in 2011. That initial fleet of 23 buses has grown to 62, with 8 more anticipated later this year. That means even more opportunities to take in the view while everyone else is stuck in traffic.

Deedra’s commute from Silver Firs in Everett to South Lake Union takes less than an hour on a Double Tall, where it would take at least an hour and a half by car. What does she do with this free time to herself? She reads, naps, relaxes, and makes new friends. “When I take the Double Tall I usually end up talking to people I’ve met on my commute. I’ve met a lot of interesting people. I recognize them out and about in my community.” With professionals commuting to and from the downtown area, the Double Talls occasionally act as a networking bus, too. “Some of the connections I’ve made have helped people in their careers, or we talk about other aspects of our lives. We benefit from one another.”

The Double Tall not only saves time, it saves money. “The cost effectiveness is a huge advantage. I’m a single mom and I can avoid spending $24 in parking and money in gas.” Deedra drives 10-15 minutes to the Swamp Creek Park & Ride where she catches her Double Tall. “I take my daughter to school in the morning, so I tend to take any bus that’s after 8:00 am. Coming down to Swamp Creek is easy and I can always find a parking spot. There’s always a Double Tall to take so I’m never going to miss my commute.”

Enjoy a comfortable commute while we bring you home with Double Tall. Find a Double Tall on routes serving Everett, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mukilteo, and Marysville.

 How would you use your free time on the Double Tall? Would you enjoy the opportunity to disconnect from others and just relax, or would you be inspired to connect, maybe striking up a conversation with someone new? 

Bringing You Home from Community Transit on Vimeo.

Bringing You Home: Community Transit Riders Share Their Stories

"I'm Community Transit. And I ride it."

For over 40 years, Community Transit has been honored to provide safe, reliable and friendly service to Snohomish County. We've come a long way in four decades! Our fleet has grown to include the Swift Blue Line, Washington State's first bus rapid transit line, Double Tall buses with big views and a small footprint, DART (Dial-a-Ride Transit), and Vanpool vehicles. Thank you to the people who make it possible for us to serve our community ... our riders. We are honored with the responsibility you have entrusted in us to take you out in the world each day, and to bring you home again.

We talked with some of our riders recently, and they had great stories about the surprising benefits of using our services. From commuters to students to seniors, they shared their stories of connection, empowerment and freedom. We're excited to share them with you. Look for these stories here on our blog, on our website, and on our social channels over the next few months. And feel free to share your stories with us, too! We'd love to hear them.

Bringing You Home from Community Transit on Vimeo.

Talking Shop: Community Transit's Mechanic Apprentice Program

Community Transit prides itself on investing in our exceptional Mechanics. We place a high value on education, both on-the-job continuing education and company-funded formal education. It's how we ensure we not only have an incredibly talented team to maintain our ever-growing fleet of vehicles, but we have a team that feels valued, confident, inspired. One way we grow these relationships with our employees is through our Apprentice Program.

Our Apprentice Program began as a way for our Vehicle Service Attendants and Vehicle Service Workers to gain the experience necessary to become a skilled journey-level mechanic. By growing our own mechanics through years of extensive training, we are privileged to have a team that is truly the best of the best. Most of our graduates from the program are still part of our maintenance family. We are proud to note there is an exceptional commitment to our agency that comes from growing up here. We all take care of each other.

Not all of our apprentices, though, come from in-house. We also partner with several technical colleges in the area to source dynamic candidates who are eager to learn. Our four-year Apprentice Program takes place over four years/8,000 hours. Students receive paid on-the-job learning at 60% of our regular mechanic salary, increasing every six months during the four-year program to receive 100% of salary at graduation. During this program, Community Transit pays for six hours in the shop and two hours at school for each weekday as they work towards their Diesel Technology Certificate. Our two-year Apprentice Program is offered when a student comes to us after receiving the certificate and works full-time in our shop for two more years.

Program participants spend each day partnered with a qualified Journey Mechanic to learn the ins and outs of all of our systems, including engines, transmissions, and brakes. This on-the-job learning not only ensures our apprentices learn everything their job will require of them, they also feel part of a family who believes in making a difference. Our Mechanics learn the importance of trusting the team that precedes them and trust for those who follow. This helps our new hires feel confident, no small task when working with complicated vehicles like ours. The programs also provide additional classroom learning for safety aspects and for detailed instruction on our specific equipment. Our apprentices are evaluated every quarter on their attentiveness, preparedness, safety, and quality of work.

While we require our apprentices to get a Diesel Technology Certificate, Community Transit recognizes the value in investing in additional education. We pay for additional coursework so they can get an associates degree. A well-rounded education provides our Mechanics with the potential to move up to leadership positions should they desire. Leadership positions include supervisory roles where individuals organize and set priorities for the teams: Shop Lead, Journey Mechanic Lead, Body Shop Lead, and Component Rebuild Lead.

Want to be part of a team that values it's employees? We're hiring! www.communitytransit.org/mechanics

Community Transit Stuffs a Bus with Holiday Cheer for Charity

Each year during the holiday season, so many families rely on the generosity of their communities to help feed their families and give their children a little bit of the season's magic. Community Transit is thankful to be part of a community that values service to its residents, from the youngest to the oldest. It has never been more evident to us how very generous our community is than during our charity outreach last weekend for Stuff a Bus.

This holiday season, Community Transit partnered with Volunteers of America, Everett Transit, and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1576 to help stuff a bus with food and toys for families in need. On December 10th and 11th, shoppers at the Fred Meyer in Snohomish were greeted with a decked-out Community Transit bus and cheerful Community Transit employee volunteers who handed out wish list items for desperately-needed, non-perishable food, toys, and baby items. The response from our community was overwhelming! Not only was our bus stuffed to the rooftop, we also filled Oxy Gene's van!

The bus was driven to the Volunteers of America Sultan location which services north Snohomish County. It took a half-dozen Community Transit employee volunteers and 20 VOA volunteers a solid hour to unload the bus. Everyone was surprised and delighted at just how very kind and charitable our community is. Donations far surpassed what Volunteers of America had hoped for. In one weekend, we helped to collect 3,000 lbs of food and over $6,000 in toys, as well as clothing, cash, and baby items. The diapers that were collected meet the agency's need for an entire year!

Community Transit employees were so moved by the outpouring of support from the community for the Stuff a Bus program. From single bags of rice to entire shopping carts filled with food and necessities, it was a privilege to witness the holiday spirit as those that could give, gave what they could. Volunteers of America is using these donations to stock its food banks to fill holiday food baskets distributed by the agency to those families in Snohomish County who are in desperate need. Toys will be distributed through the agency's holiday program, where families are invited to choose a gift for their children so that every child has something to open during the holidays.

Snow Fall and Snow Routes and Snowflakes at Bus Stops... a Few of Our Favorite Things

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but your commute can be delightful (okay, maybe less stressful) with a little preparation and relevant information.

Because snow or icy conditions can impact our bus service (traffic, accidents and delays) we've created snow routes for all of the routes we serve. We also have this snowflake symbol at some of our bus stops:

If you see this snowflake at your bus stop,
it means that your bus will not stop there if there is measurable snow and/or ice on the ground.

We like snow-- just not at our stops! 
If you see this snowflake symbol at a bus stop, it means a bus will not stop at that location if there is measurable snow or ice on the ground.

What is measurable snow? Check out this picture below, taken in January 2012.

Route 201 in January 2012 on 134th St SW in Lynnwood.

It’s one of our Route 201 buses on westbound 134^th St SW near Ash Way in Lynnwood. The stop is on a stretch of road with a 3-degree pitch. This slope, covered in snow and ice, makes this stop a perfect candidate for a snow route.

Our 48 snow routes help keep transit moving during wintry conditions. Maps of our snow routes are available here.

Snow Route for Route 201

Pictured to the right is the snow route for Route 201 which avoids side streets and remains on Smokey Point Blvd/State Ave in the north end, serving Smokey Point Transit Center, Everett Station, Mariner Park & Ride, Ash Way Park & Ride and Lynnwood Transit Center.

The lesson here is to find out if your route has a snow route—and get familiar with it before it snows!

What to Expect When It Snows

• When it snows, not all buses will be on snow route. Depending on the road conditions, one route may be on snow route, another may not be.
•  If your bus stop has a snowflake symbol and there is snow and ice on the ground, please wait at another stop along that route.
• When it snows, regular bus schedules don’t apply—buses may come less frequently. Plus, it will take longer to get to each destination. Rider alerts will tell you how often a bus may arrive.

Be Prepared

• Dress for the elements—wear sturdy shoes and dress for warmth. You may need to wait longer or walk more in poor conditions.
• Get to a park & ride or other major hub for the best service options.
• Make sure you are visible to the bus driver. Carry a flashlight, a cellphone or something bright or reflective to flag the bus. Also, wear light-colored or bright outerwear to be easily seen.
• Have a charger at the ready to keep your mobile device up and running so you can use BusFinder, receive Rider Alerts and visit our website for updates.
• Speaking of Rider Alerts, sign up for them here. You can select specific routes and can choose to receive them by email or text.
• When weather conditions are bad, BusFinder may not be as accurate as usual. The real-time system behind BusFinder estimates departures based on the time it typically takes to get to a bus stop, so if traffic is moving slower, the countdown may appear to be stuck. BusFinder will let you know if there is a bus coming.

Where to Get Community Transit Service Information

• Rider Alerts (by email or text—your choice!)
• Our website, communitytransit.org where updates will be posted on weekdays starting at 5 a.m. with updates every hour.
• Our Twitter, @MyCommTrans

Some Useful Links:

• Department of Transportation Travel Alerts.
• National Weather Service forecast.
• King County Metro Transit weather reroutes.
• Sound Transit rider alerts.
• Everett Transit rider alerts.

Whatever Mother Nature brings, be prepared, be safe and we'll do our best to get you home.