An Ode to Swift as It Turns 10

The connections Swift has made over the past 10 years goes beyond stops and stations, home-work-school. It connects people.

Margaret continues to use Swift in retirement fo
recreational, multi-modal trips on her bike.

Margaret Elwood is a big fan of Swift, our bus rapid transit service. She was on the inaugural Swift Blue Line ride 10 years ago today! If Margaret seems familiar to you, she has been a long-time fan of Swift and has written several poems about it. You can read them on our blog at http://bit.ly/MargaretOdestoSwift.

She has commemorated past Swift anniversaries with poems and even shared a birthday song on our video gallery. We couldn't let our 10th anniversary pass without an ode from Margaret:

Swift service is now 10 years old! I was on that first trip when it rolled.Reliable, swift, Always there with a lift,Your standard for service is GOLD!

Margaret, who lives in Edmonds worked as a Technical Training Administrator for the PUD in Everett, using her bike as part of her Swift commute. Today, she is retired, but still uses Swift for recreational, multi-modal trips with her bike. Margaret, thank you! We're glad Swift continues to play a part of your commute.

Pictured (right) is Margaret and Steve. They were both on the inaugural Swift Blue Line ride 10 years ago today (November 29, 2019)!

Steve is one of our coach operators. He just happened to be driving Swift when Margaret went out to have her husband snap a pic of her a couple days ago. Meant to be!

So, let's hear it for Swift connections of the past and for those to come as the network grows. #Swift10

Ride Swift to get to great community eats!

Our communities are filled with delicious and diverse places to eat. Being a new transit industry employee, who also enjoys exploring local food options, I wanted to explore what routes would get customers to some local highly-rated food options!

Since November marks the 10-year anniversary of Community Transit’s Swift Bus Rapid Transit service, I focused on the Swift Blue and Green lines, which currently serve six different cities in Snohomish County.

Check out my list of restaurants, cafes, and quick dining options below! Every location is within a 10-minute walk (approximately a half mile) of a Swift station.

Did I miss one of your favorite local spots? Please leave me a comment and I’ll update this post!

An interactive map is available here.

Swift Blue – South of Airport Rd. 

Hosoonyi Korean: Award-winning food writer and radio personality Nancy Leson, also a Snohomish County resident, has been eating here for 20 years! Serves Korean BBQ, soups, rice bowls and stir fries. Located next to the 238th St stations. 

Dick's Drive-In: The only Dick's location outside of King County is in Edmonds, just south of Swift Blue Line's 216th St SW stop. Deluxe, fries, and a chocolate shake, please! 

Chug’s Root Beer: If you love root beer, like REALLY love, then Chug's is for you: over 100 brands of root beer and 300 types of soda. A 5-minute walk from the southbound College (204^th Street SW) station. 

Tubs Subs: Hearty sandwiches on thick bread that include the classics as well as new creations. A 10-minute walk from the Cherry Hill and International stations at 176^th St SW. 

Swift Blue line passing Dick's in Edmonds

Swift Blue – North of Airport Rd. 

Yummy Bahn Mi: Highly-rated Vietnamese sandwiches, pho, and bubble tea! A 4-minute walk from the Colby Ave and Wetmore Ave stations. https://yummy-banh-mi.business.site/

Gyros Plus: Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine just north of the Casino Rd stations. 

Nick's Jr: Creative burgers and sides a 4-minute walk from Pecks Dr southbound station, or 10 minutes from Madison St northbound station. 

Bento Factory: Wide-ranging Japanese menu including sushi and a few Korean dishes. A 5-minute walk from the Colby Ave and Wetmore Ave stations. 

A Pizza House: Serving pizza, pasta, salads and calzone for more than 15 years in downtown Everett. Just 9 minutes north of the Colby Ave and Wetmore Ave stations. 

Botan Ramen: Variety of ramen and Japanese options, including combos and lunch specials. A 6-minute walk from the Colby Ave and Wetmore Ave stations. 

Narrative Coffee Co.: Delicious coffee creations and brunch food just a 3-minute walk from the Colby Ave and Wetmore Ave stations. 

Cafe Wylde: Vegan food with a juice and smoothie bar! A 5-minute walk from the Colby Ave and Wetmore Ave stations. 

French Toast at Narrative Coffee Co.

Swift Green South – South of 132^nd

Sushi Zen: 40 different types of creative sushi rolls as well as more traditional Japanese offerings. Located next to the 16^th Ave SE station. 

McMenamins: Their northern-most location is next to the 16^th Ave SE station. If you're trying to collect passport stamps, don't forget that Swift Lines have bike racks!  

BMG Thai: Extensive Thai and Southeast Asian menu featuring noodle, rice, soup, salad, and curry dishes. A 5-minute walk from the 164th St SE stations. 

Azul: Latin American bistro that also is open for brunch on the weekends. A 4-minute walk from the 153rd St SE stations. 

Ezell's Famous Chicken: Classic house-made fried chicken, comfort-food sides, and desserts. Located 1-minute south of the 180th St SE stations. 

Samburna: Authentic south Indian cuisine located next to the 208th St SE stations. 

Swift Green North – North of 132^nd 

Katya's Bakery: Sweets, baked goods, coffee, and custom cakes. A 4-minute walk from the 4th Ave W station. 

Shawn O’Donnel’s American Grill Irish Pub: Locally-owned and serving burgers, sandwiches and wraps, salads, as well as traditional Irish mains and sides. A 2-minute walk from the 3^rd Ave SE stations. 

La Palmera: A variety of Mexican food options with lunch specials from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Accessible from both the Swift Blue and Green lines at Airport Rd. 

Don't forget that you can take Swift to access the passenger terminal at Paine Field! A Caffe Vita coffee and pastry bar serves passengers and the public next to baggage claim, while a Beecher's Handmade Cheese cafe serves sandwiches and other cheese-centric foods in the departures terminal.

Caffe Vita (PAE) and Beecher's (PAE). 

Those are a few of my picks, what are your favorites? What other non-work destinations do you get to along the Swift lines?

Happy 40th Vanniversary, Washington State!

Governor Jay Inslee declared July 2019 to be Vanpool Month, marking the 40th year of vanpool
programs in the state.

Washington’s vanpools were actually the USA’s first; 40 years later, Community Transit’s program includes the 11th largest vanpool fleet in the country. (See below for more interesting vanpool statistics.)

Our program began operations in 1986 with all groups going to Boeing.

A van from Community Transit's original vanpool fleet, 1986.

By 1992, we had 45 vanpool groups on the road.

Vans from various agencies gathered at the Key Arena for the statewide 20th Vanniversary, 1999.

Community Transit's 100th and 300th vanpool groups, dates unknown.

This February, we officially reached 400 vanpool groups, serving 2,835 people that average 48 round-trip miles per day.

A team of five Vanpool Fleet Coordinators work with the groups, processing payments, training drivers, and coordinating scheduled -- and unscheduled -- maintenance needs. The vans’ insurance, gasoline, and maintenance are all provided by Community Transit.

A Vanpool Fleet Coordinator checks in a van brought in for routine maintenance, July 2019.

Customer feedback is an important part of the vanpool program; customer input even helps to choose which new vans to purchase!

Insight being gathered from vanpool customers now will help decide how to best serve customers of the future. Commuting in and through Snohomish County will change significantly in the next 5-10 years and our Vanpool program will be there, continuing to help people get where they want to be.

Happy Vanniversary... here's to another 40 successful years!

Swift celebrates 7th Anniversary with big future plans

Ribbon cutting on the first Swift line in 2009

If you’re anything like me you like things quick. Unfortunately, sometimes getting around Snohomish County is anything but quick. That all changed when the first Bus Rapid Transit system in our state came along. 

On November 30, 2009 Community Transit’s Swift line was born. Swift was built with 15 stations, in each direction, along Highway 99 plus terminals at Everett Station and Aurora Village. Improvements have been made over the years and the final stop on the line was completed last January near Edmonds Community College.

How has Swift stacked up compared to our other routes? Well I like to call it the Russell Wilson of bus systems - the leader. Swift carries about 5,500 riders each weekday and more than 1.7 million a year. Weekends average near 3,000 riders per day as well. One in six of all Community Transit riders travel on Swift. The ease of riders paying at the bus stop prior to boarding gives it the efficiency and appeal of light rail, delivered faster and at a fraction of the cost. 

Swift’s first line got a new name last August as we unveiled ‘Swift Blue Line’. And Swift is getting even better when the Swift Green Line comes online. Thanks to federal money, construction on the Swift Green Line will begin in 2017 and wrap up in late 2018. By early 2019, Swift Green Line will begin service and have 17 stations in each direction between Canyon Park in Bothell and the Boeing/Paine Field area.

To get the Swift Green line moving there are three things that need to happen:

·        - The Seaway Transit Center will be constructed as the Swift Green Line's northern terminal and will be located on Seaway Blvd. and 75th Street in Everett across from Boeing's main entrance. 

·       -  Addition of lanes near the 128^th street and I-5 Bridge. Adding lanes on each side near the bridge will ease the congestion and get the bus through on time.

·        - Construction of 34 stations along the Swift Green Line route. 

Unveiling of Swift Green and Blue Line names in Aug. 2016

Snohomish County is continuing to grow, and with 65,000 jobs in the Boeing/Paine Field vicinity, and 25,000 jobs in the Canyon Park area, we need fast, frequent new bus service between the two areas and Swift Green Line gets that done.

More big plans are ahead with Swift as in 2023 Swift Orange Line will connect with Link Light Rail at Lynnwood Transit Center, covering those key east/west corridors. We know Snohomish County is a great place to live, work and play. We are glad that Swift is helping keep it that way. Happy seventh anniversary to Swift.

Some Swift riders joined in on the #mannequinchallenge earlier this month! Watch below:



***Sean Christensen is a Public Information Specialist for Community Transit. He joined the company in October 2016. Sean comes from a background in media, athletics, communications, and production.***