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?

Urban Hikes by Bus: Community, Exercise, Excursions

Public transportation helps foster a sense of community and is a great way to get exercise. Last summer, a group of Mill Creek senior citizens began learning how to ride Swift Green Line as a way to create community and be active at the same time.

Swift Green Line, Community Transit’s second bus rapid transit line, started service in March, 2019. The line runs between Seaway Transit Center and Canyon Park Park & Ride, serving the communities of south Everett, Mill Creek, and Bothell. Since March, many residents of Mill Creek have had the opportunity to step on a Swift bus for the first time.

Community Transit Board Member and Mill Creek City Council Member Mike Todd recognized that learning to ride the bus could be a barrier to using public transit for some members in the community. There’s also an additional learning curve to understand the difference between regular bus service and Swift bus service. To address this, Todd worked with the Mill Creek Senior Center to develop a program called Urban Hikes by Bus.

“I really wanted to get folks out and about to learn to use public transit, go on local excursions, and see local sights,” Todd said.

Swift buses arrive every 10 minutes on weekdays, and every 15-20 minutes on evenings and weekends. Todd naturally thought of Swift as a way to help senior citizens get out in their communities for moderate group exercise. “Typically, the excursions include a nature walk that is approximately two miles,” Todd said.

Last month, Todd led an excursion from the Mill Creek Retirement Community via Swift bus to the Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary just north of Seaway Transit Center. The public educational park has short nature trails with interpretive signs that tell about wetlands and wildlife. The group hiked two trails, which included about two miles of moderate walking, and ended with a picnic lunch.

The next excursion will be to the Northwest Stream Center at McCollum Pioneer Park on Friday, Nov. 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend as long as they are able to engage in moderate activity. Admission to the Northwest Stream Center is $6 for seniors. Adult bus fare is $2.50 each way; seniors with a Regional Reduced Fare Permit ORCA card pay $1.25 for each bus trip.

The group will meet at the Mill Creek Retirement Community parking lot at 14905 Bothell Everett Hwy, in Mill Creek. From the parking lot, it’s about an eight minute walk to the Swift Green Line station on Bothell-Everett Hwy at 153^rd Street. A sack lunch will be provided for those who register in advance.

To learn more, call (425) 948-7170 or e-mail millcreekadmin@mynorthshore.org and ask about the next Urban Hike.

Smart Transportation Choices Get Rewarded

Community Transit’s Choice Connection program promotes smart transportation options throughout our community. In 2015 these programs combined removed over 538,696 drive-alone trips for our roads, and 5.8 million pounds of CO2 from the air we breathe.Two innovative incentive programs are offered to help reduce traffic congestion and pollution, and encourage healthy travel options.

• Smart Commuter Rewards is an incentive program that helps large businesses motivate employees to reduce their drive-alone trips to work.
• Curb the Congestion promotes smart transportation options to residents and employees on six of Snohomish County’s most congested corridors.

Each quarter Community Transit recognizes standout participants and employers who are dedicated to smart transportation choices. Congratulations to the Choice Connections award winners for 4th Quarter of 2015:


Smart Commuter of the Quarter, Daniel Dootson

Curb the Congestion Champion of the Quarter

Eric Blanchet of Monroe travels over 58 miles a day by longboard, skateboard and bus every day to his job at Microsoft in Redmond. For over seven years he’s been committed to choosing a healthy commute not only for himself, but the environment as well. He’s often seen riding his longboard around the Microsoft campus, and even helps teach his coworkers how to ride.

 

Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Daniel Dootson of Edmonds has biked 50,000 miles over the past 23 years, rain or shine five days a week to work. As Edmonds Community College’s Visual Media Services Director, he applies this same tenacity to his job. He knows that if he can conquer the elements, he can handle anything that might come his way during the day.

 

Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) of the Quarter

Sylvia Peacock of Trade Products & Specialty Manufacturing in Lynnwood is consistent in her Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) efforts. She makes the time to provide extra assistance to her employees, many of which don’t have access to a computer. Thanks to her efforts she increased her number of employees tracking their non-drive alone trips by 20%, and helped save over 2,100 pounds of CO2 pollution during in the fourth quarter alone.

 

Employer of the Quarter

The City of Monroe consistently provides outreach and education to their employees on smart transportation choices to work. By the end of the fourth quarter 2015 they had 20% of their employees participating in their worksite transportation program. In partnership with Community Transit, the City of Monroe is working to expand their efforts to promote smart transportation to other residents and employers in the community. These consistent efforts are making an impact, and helping take cars off the road in our communities.

 

The Choice Connections program recognizes individuals and worksites in Snohomish County and the City of Bothell that support Washington State Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) goals. They go above and beyond to use smart transportation alternatives to driving alone, and encourage workers to do so.

 

To learn more about the Choice Connections program and to sign up to start receiving rewards for your smart transportation choices, please visit www.communitytransit/ChoiceConnections.

October Brings Winners Across Snohomish County

Wheel Options is a statewide promotion that encourages commuters to choose alternatives to driving alone to work. Eligible modes include carpool, vanpool, bus, train, light rail, streetcar, biking, walking, and working from home or a compressed work schedule (e.g. four, 10-hour shifts in a week). Across the state of Washington more than 18,000 commuters participated by logging six or more days of eligible commutes during the month of October. This year the Wheel Options grand prize was a $2,500 “Choose Your Own Adventure” travel package.

A huge congratulations to each of the winners from Snohomish County and the City of Bothell:

Weekly winners

$25 Starbucks – Scott Farrand from Edmonds Community College (Lynnwood)

$25 Target – Evan Gustafson from Leviton Networks (Bothell)

$25 Nike – Dan Britten from Genzyme (Lynnwood)

$25 Gap – Ryan Bentz from Panasonic Avionics (Bothell)

Monthly winners courtesy of Community Transit

$100 MasterCard - Noor Panjwani from T-Mobile (Bothell)

$100 MasterCard - Randal Stocking from Sonosite (Bothell)

$100 MasterCard - Daniel Dootson from Edmonds Community College (Lynnwood)

$100 MasterCard - Kevin Lai from Boeing Harbour Point (Mukilteo)

$100 MasterCard - Bridgett Hogue from Boeing Canyon Park East (Bothell)

 

For more information on Wheel Options and for a complete list of winners please visit http://www.wheeloptions.org.

 

Swift Bus Rapid Transit Turns 6

Riders love Swift, especially on the weekend!

This week marks the sixth anniversary of Swift bus rapid transit in Snohomish County.

The state’s first BRT line has become the cornerstone of Community Transit's bus system, carrying about 5,500 riders each weekday and more than 1.5 million a year. One in six of all Community Transit riders, or about 16 percent of the agency’s ridership is on Swift.

But on weekends, ah, on weekends these numbers are much more impressive!

Nearly 3,800 riders take Swift every Saturday, which is 30 percent of all riders. With Sunday service restored, there are about 2,800 riders boarding Swift every Sunday, or 33 percent of all riders.

The fact is that Swift has proven to be a very convenient way to get around. Pretty good for a six year old! And soon, Swift will have a baby brother (or sister – we won’t know until 2018).

When the next Swift line is up and running, we will have an established BRT network in Snohomish County. With a convenient transfer point at Highway 99 and Airport Road, there will be fast, frequent service across a major part of the county.

Before long, a whole Swift family will be serving the entire county. A third line is already in the conceptual stage to connect with Link light rail at the Lynnwood Transit Center. Our long-range plan calls for eventual Swift service north to Smokey Point and east to Highway 9.

In coming weeks, all Swift buses will get a new decal reminding us of what’s to come. The decal will say, “We’re building a network of Swift lines with fast, easy connections.”

For now, there is one more improvement to the original Swift line coming soon. The new College Station at 204th Street will provide more convenient southbound access to Edmonds Community College. Construction of this final station on the first Swift line is underway and it will be open when students return from the holiday break.

Happy anniversary, Swift!

Community Transit Ballot Measure -- What Does It Mean?

On July 16, the Community Transit Board of Directors voted to place a measure on the Nov. 3 general election ballot seeking an additional 0.3 percent sales tax for increased transit services.

The board resolution is not the final step. Technically, any candidate or jurisdiction in Snohomish County has until Aug. 4 to get on the November ballot. After that time, the County Auditor will release the official ballot. That should be just a formality for our measure.

A view of Mt. Rainier taken from the top deck of one of our
Double Talls serving Rte 402, traveling southbound on I-5.  

What does this mean? Who gets to vote?
The state has set sales tax as Community Transit’s only local means of funding, other than fares. Currently, Community Transit’s sales tax level is 0.9 percent, which is 9 cents on a $10 purchase. The new measure would add 3 cents to that same $10 purchase.

Community Transit’s sales tax is only collected in our service district, or public transportation benefit area (PTBA). Every city in Snohomish County, except Everett in in our PTBA (see map), as are many areas of the unincorporated county

Only people who live in the PTBA are eligible to vote on this measure, but anyone who shops in the PTBA pays taxes toward Community Transit. So, all those Skagit or King County residents who shop at the Seattle Premium Outlet Mall or Alderwood Mall help to support Community Transit.

That’s why we say “Buy Local for Transit!”

Why is new funding needed?
Remember when we cut service in 2010? People asked why we were the only local agency cutting service at that time. The reality is we made the tough, but fiscally responsible decision to balance our budget when revenues fell dramatically below our expenses.

The result is that we emerged from the recession early and began adding service when other transit agencies and local cities are still considering cuts.

Current service levels do not meet the demand for transit now. Ask any commuter who has to stand for 80 minutes to Seattle, or has a bus pass them by because it is already full. Or talk to the person who misses a connection and has to wait nearly an hour for the next bus.

New funding is needed so Community Transit can meet current and future transit demand in Snohomish County.

In the past two years, job growth has picked up and more people have moved to our county, and the region. The Mill Creek-Bothell area is one of the fastest growing areas in the country right now. And, forecasts for future growth are staggering: 240,000 more people and 130,000 more jobs are expected in Snohomish County by 2040, according to the Puget Sound Regional Council.

If new funding is approved, Community Transit will provide:

• More local bus trips throughout the day, as well as expanded service hours every day of the week.
• A second Swift bus rapid transit line between the state’s largest manufacturing job center at Boeing/Paine Field and Canyon Park/Bothell, Snohomish County’s high-tech job center.
• More commuter bus trips to downtown Seattle and the University of Washington.
• Increased east-west connections within the county.
• More bus service to job, housing and educational centers throughout the county, including communities such as Arlington, Monroe and Stanwood.
• New routes, such as Marysville-to-McCollum Park via Lake Stevens, Snohomish and Silver Firs via Highway 9.
• Reconfigured local bus service to connect with Sound Transit Link light rail when it reaches Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood and, eventually, Everett.
• More vanpools and expanded DART paratransit service.

The additional sales tax would generate about $25 million a year for more transit service. In addition, Community Transit could bring in up to $50 million in federal and state funding to complete the second Swift line, and possibly more grant funding for a third Swift line to link up with light rail by 2023.

A new web page is being set up to answer questions about the ballot measure. Go ahead and start asking questions here, now.

Welcome Back Sunday Service !

By Emmett Heath, Community Transit CEO

On Sunday, June 7, Community Transit will return to a 365-day transit operation. It has always been our mission to serve the residents of Snohomish County the best we can. The Great Recession interrupted our ability to do so, in a number of ways.

Emmett Heath, CEO

Returning Sunday and holiday service is one of several actions we are taking to make good on our promise to fulfill our mission to customers.

Beginning June 7, we will add 27,000 hours of bus and paratransit service to our system, the largest increase since the recession.
• We are adding more trips in the mid-day and on Saturday.
• We are restoring a one-seat ride between Granite Falls and the Boeing plant in Everett.
• We are providing more robust service along Highway 2 in east Snohomish County, and serving job centers in Monroe that we had previously cut.

In the past year, we have hired 120 drivers to offset attrition and to ramp up for this service expansion. These new drivers are happy to be working here, and we’re excited to have them. Next week, we will have all our buses in service and all our drivers on the road doing their best to get you where you need to go, safely and on schedule.

But we’re not stopping there.

We have 22 new Double Tall buses that will be delivered this summer. Seventeen of those will replace older 60-foot buses, adding extra seats on the Seattle trips they serve. Five of those will be additions to the fleet that will increase our ability to serve that popular Snohomish County-to-Seattle market.

We also have ordered 10 additional 60-foot buses that will arrive in early 2016. Those buses will be available to increase our service within Snohomish County as many of our routes, particularly in the south county, are running at capacity.

Today, with concurrence from our Board of Directors, we approved a plan to add more service hours this fall. It is an acceleration of our planned 2016 service enhancement, but it will not provide extra trips. These 12,000 service hours will be used to adjust our schedules on trips that have been struggling to run on time as overall traffic congestion has increased travel times. These hours will go to trips running on I-5 to UW and downtown Seattle, as well as local trips on Routes 115/116 and 201/202.

We like to get people to their destinations on schedule, and some daily driving conditions prevent us from doing so now and then. When we see trips that run late almost every day, we have to invest in more service hours to give our customers a reliable schedule. That’s what we’ll be doing this fall.

I thank you for supporting Community Transit, and wish you a safe and pleasant ride.

Art Is Not What You Make - It's What You Make Of It

Over the past several months, we’ve had the pleasure of partnering with art students from Mariner High School. They designed and created 42 panels for our Mariner Park and Ride bus shelters that are now on display. Their hard work is a shining example of the artistic youth in our community, and leaves a lasting artist impression for everyone to enjoy.

We were lucky to capture the first hand experiences from Racheal Yi, a student involved in the art project. Wise beyond her years, she shares with us her experiences and pride for the project:

As a student in the Mariner High School Art department, I feel honored to say that in the past several weeks I participated in one of the most important projects that this classroom has completed during its history. For nearly two months, our classroom worked on a mural to express what is so underrepresented in this community: some of Everett’s finest artistic minds and creative youth. We worked as a team on a total of 42 panels that will be installed at the Mariner Park & Ride bus stop. There was never a moment when we were not working as a team, but this did not limit our room for individual creativity; the production of each panel required thoughtful, original input from multiple artists who brought their ideas forward to produce something with consummate prestige.

Community Transit approached our advanced art class this year with an opportunity that most of us had never come close to having before: to work freely on a lasting piece of artwork that would represent our creative roles in this community for years to come. The unique thing about this project was that as much as we felt free to create something almost completely from scratch, we also felt the pressure of knowing that our art would serve as a demonstration of the creative dynamics of not only our school, but of our entire community.

In the planning stages of this project, our class started out with multiple different ideas that were eventually narrowed down to four major themes: Surrealism, Evolution of Art & Transit, One Way or Another and Transit Through the Ages. All of these themes synthesized different modes of transportation with different styles of art, allowing us to meet the needs of Community Transit while demonstrating our creativity as artists. Surrealism features extraordinary subjects in surreal settings. Evolution of Art & Transit and Transit Through the Ages depict the evolution of transportation over time, as well as various different styles of art. One Way or Another expresses transportation since the beginning of time through modern silhouettes in vibrant settings.

From this experience, our class learned a lot about being mature, individual artists. It will surely be rewarding to see our work age with us as we continue to strive for nothing but the best as creative thinkers. We hope that through the completion of this project, we can encourage more recognition for the artistic youth of this community. The production and installment of this mural will surely last as a major impact on our lives as we grow from students to leaders. Additionally, the production of this mural gave us some real-world experience as contemporary artists - we worked with a client’s needs in mind as we exercised our artistic vision as well. This experience served as a professional example of what many of us may decide to work with in the future, while also giving us the freedom that we need as young adults.

The most important lesson that many of us have learned from our experiences in the Fine Arts department is that art is not to be defined by a sentence or by an image; art can be defined only through one’s interpretation of something new. Art is not the ability to paint well. It is not a measure of intellectual capacity. It is the freedom to let something promote thought and consciousness.

We hope that by leaving this legacy behind, we can advocate more creativity and an increased representation of a student’s artistic capacity. We hope that even after we exit the halls of our school for the very last time, art can be a universal medium through which this community’s students can interact with the world. Perhaps someday, art can become a more recognized mode of expression.

After all, art is not what you make - it’s what you make of it.

Transportation Bills Moving in Olympia

Today, the Washington State Senate took action on a transportation funding bill that would raise the gas tax to pay for roads, bridges and transit improvements over the next 16 years. The bill passed 27-22 amid objections from both Democrats and Republicans about various parts of the package.

The Senate bill contains a local option provision that would allow Community Transit to ask voters in its service area to raise the local sales tax to support increased transit service.

HB 1393 also accomplishes the same "local option" for Community Transit. That bill passed out of the House Committee on Finance last week and is awaiting a floor vote.

These items are important to the future of transit service in Snohomish County. While Community Transit is set to bring back Sunday and holiday bus service this June, current projections would see only 45 percent of the service that was cut during the recession return by 2018.

New revenue generated by a local option could help fund a second line of Swift bus rapid transit, increased commuter service to downtown Seattle and UW, more frequent bus trips throughout Snohomish County all week and late-night bus service.

Increasing demand for transit service far beyond what is now provided is a main reason why various supporters have spoekn in favor of Community Transit's local option, including Workforce Snohomish, Associated Students of the University of Washington, the Puget Sound Regional Council, Economic Alliance Snohomish County, United Way and the Transportation Choices Coalition.

Stay tuned for further legislative updates as these bills advance.

Community Transit recognizes stand out participants

Community Transit’s Choice Connections program recognizes worksites in Snohomish County and the City of Bothell who support Washington State Commute Trip Reduction goals. They go above and beyond to encourage their employees to use smart transportation alternatives to driving alone. Congratulations to the Choice Connections award winners for 3rd Quarter 2014:

Ben Stockinger, Smart Commuter

Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Ben Stockinger is webmaster for the City of Lynnwood. He is diligent about developing, managing and supporting the city’s web resources and services. Ben has also been a devoted advocate of alternative transportation for the past 15 years by biking, walking and carpooling to work and meetings. He is a personal advocate at his worksite, and helps educate his coworkers on biking to work. Ben chooses to bike to work, rain or shine, even during the rainy Pacific Northwest weather.

ETC of the Quarter

Marko Liias has done great things for the Commute Trip Reduction program at the City of Mukilteo. Within his first couple months, he reviewed their entire CTR program and set in place new strategies to achieve success and educate city employees. Due to his efforts, the City of Mukilteo achieved over a 50% increase in employees tracking their non-drive alone trips in RideshareOnline.com. Marko’s efforts also contributed to their employees more than quadrupling their number of drive alone miles saved, which helps ease traffic congestion and supports a healthy environment. 

Employer of the Quarter

Panasonic Avionics Corporation provides its employees with the tools and encouragement to ensure a successful worksite Commute Trip Reduction program. They hosted an appreciation luncheon for rideshare participants, and educated employees on the RideshareOnline.com system. They delivered another great perk, a certificate for a paid day off, which will be awarded to three participants using a commute alternative to driving alone. During the third quarter alone, Panasonic participants have removed more than 43,000 lbs of CO² from the air we breathe and saved almost 2,200 gallons of fuel.

Choice Connections rewards commuters for choosing a smart alternative to driving alone, and offers the tools and resources needed to get started. When you choose a smart commute, your efforts reduce traffic, save money and time, and help the environment. To learn more about the Choice Connections program, please visit Community Transit Choice Connections.

 

2015 State Legislative Priorities

The 2015 Washington State Legislature convenes today in Olympia. It is a biennial budget year, which means the session is scheduled for 105 days. Many budget-year legislatures continue into special sessions, taking business further into the spring.

Community Transit will be tracking legislative activity closely, as several bills could make a big difference in the future of transit service in Snohomish County.

Legislation that would allow the agency to ask local voters to increase financial support for transit service is the top priority in this year’s state legislative agenda.

Community Transit's 2015 State Legislative Priorities

"Local Option" legislation – Community Transit is at the maximum taxing authority allowed by law. The agency is asking the state legislature to pass “local option” legislation that would allow the agency to seek up to a three-tenths (0.3) of one percent sales tax increase to support transit.

Should this legislation pass, it would be up to the Community Transit Board of Directors to decide if and when to put such a measure to a local vote.

Regional Mobility Grant projects – Approval of the WSDOT Recommended Regional Mobility Project List for 2015-2017, which includes $6.8 million for the Seaway Transit Center near Paine Field and $2.68 million for a Mukilteo Park & Ride.

State transportation package – Secure legislative passage of a statewide transportation funding package that includes significant state investment in public transportation, and includes $1 billion (or 10 percent of total revenue) for Snohomish County transportation projects.

Maintain existing programs – Fully fund the Regional Mobility Grant program at $50 million, plus re-appropriations, for the current biennium. Continue the fee revenue-based transit operating grant program at $26 million per biennium, and maintain funding for the vanpool, special needs and Commute Trip Reduction programs.

Transit-friendly legislation – Support legislation that provides for the effective and efficient delivery of transit services within an integrated multi-modal transportation system. Oppose legislation that would negatively impact the oversight, financing, construction, and delivery of transit service and projects.

As the session moves forward, keep reading this blog for updates on activity concerning transit service and funding. We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Swift II... and Beyond!

When Community Transit first launched a bus rapid transit line on Highway 99, we had a vision for a network of such routes. The Long Range Transit Plan, approved in 2010 and being updated next year, outlined a series of high-traffic corridors that could eventually have Swift service.

With the great success of Swift, plans are underway for a second Swift line, tentatively called Swift II. Other lines will be considered as individual projects because we simply don’t have the resources to tackle them all at once. In some cases, like Highway 9, the corridors themselves are not ready for such high-volume transit service.

A corridor study was conducted over the past year to sketch out a Swift line that would run between the Boeing-Everett plant and Canyon Park. The study determined this line could start out carrying 3,300 riders a day and complete the 12.5-mile trip in about 40 minutes.

This route was selected in part because:

• Some of the infrastructure already exists (transit lanes and transit signal priority on 128th/Airport Road).

• The Mill Creek portion of the route has robust transit ridership.

• This line would intersect with the existing Swift line at Highway 99 & Airport Road, establishing a network.

Community Transit cannot build this project with existing revenue. Federal grants are needed to buy buses and build the stations. Here are several things the agency must do before Swift II can become a reality:

Preliminary Swift II route

Preliminary Swift II route

• Complete federal requirements for Small Starts capital funding (stations and buses), including an environmental impact analysis.

• Develop plans for a northern terminal near Boeing (dubbed the "Seaway Transit Center").

• Work with the state to develop traffic efficiency improvements across I-5 at 128th Street (already a major congestion point).

• Continue to work with partner cities on infrastructure improvements along route, including transit signal priority.

• Get new funding to pay for Swift II operation (possible new taxes).

Should all of these items fall into place, it is possible that a Swift II line could be operational as early as 2018.

Looking ahead, Community Transit would like to begin planning studies on future Swift lines as this project is underway. Ideally, that could lead to a Swift line opening every few years until the network is built out.

That scenario would rely on the agency getting a successful federal grant for Swift II (giving us the track record and experience in winning these grants), and securing a long-term increase in transit operation funding. Such funding would not be just to build more Swift lines, but to improve transit service throughout the county.

Swift turns 5!

Swift – the state’s first bus rapid transit line is now 5 years old!

On November. 30, Swift  marked its fifth year of providing quick, reliable service along Highway 99 in Snohomish County. (Does anyone remember that grand opening party on a day as cold as those we've had this week?)

That first day of service, Monday, Nov. 30, 2009, Swift transported 1,500 riders. These days, Swift carries about 5,700 riders each weekday – that translates into 125,000 riders a month, and about 1.5 million riders a year!

For several days this fall, Swift  carried more than 6,000 riders a day!

In 5 short years, Swift  has become Community Transit’s most popular route (highest ridership), one of our most productive routes (most riders per bus), and the cornerstone for a new network of countywide transit service.

What’s so great about Swift ?
Our customers tell us again and again that they love Swift because it is predictable. Buses arrive every 12 minutes between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays, and every 20 minutes at night and Saturdays. With next bus signs at each station counting down to Swift’s next departure, you don’t need a schedule.

Swift service is also fast. Because riders pay at the station, buses are typically stopped for only 10 seconds. That keeps the bus moving and gets you to your destination faster.

Whether you’ve been riding since the beginning, or just started this year, we thank you for riding Swift  We also want to hear your stories and see your pictures.

All this week we will be talking about Swift  on this blog, on our Facebook page and on Twitter. We'll be talking about our Swift  drivers, our Ambassadors and Swift  II! We'll be handing out chocolate bars, and there will even be a photo contest!

So, what's your Swift story?

New Sunday/Holiday service proposed for 2015

Community Transit has announced a proposal to bring back Sunday and holiday bus service in June 2015.

The service increase is possible due to increasing sales tax revenue, which makes up about 65 percent of the agency's operating budget. It was a sharp and prolonged reduction in sales tax revenue that led to the service cuts in 2010 and 2012.

In addition to Sunday/holiday service, Community Transit is proposing to add some trips to both commuter and local service on weekdays, and local service on Saturdays, as well as several small routing changes. See details online.

Sunday/holiday service
By next June, it will have been five years since Sunday and holiday service was suspended, a move that was always considered temporary, but the recession proved so dire t
hat it has taken this long for it to return.

The proposed Sunday/holiday service is different than that of 2009. Buses would not be as frequent, hours of operation would be shorter and some routes have changed since back then.

DART paratransit service
In this proposal, DART paratransit service would also return on Sundays and holidays parallel to the 16 fixed routes. By federal law, DART will pick up riders and take them to destinations that are within 3/4-mile of an all-day fixed route bus line. The Sunday/holiday bus suspension meant that DART riders could not get service on those days.

DART riders may also be impacted by the routing changes. There are three areas where regular bus service would be eliminated, in Marysville, Monroe and Sultan. There are also areas of Marysville and Monroe that would see bus service added, so DART riders in those areas should review those route changes carefully.

Public comment
The service proposal is just that, a proposal. Public comment will be taken through January 9, 2015 and every comment made through official channels will be provided to the Board of Directors for review. A public hearing will take place before the board on January 8, 2015, so whether you have submitted a comment or not, any person can take three minutes to state his or her opinion about the proposal at that meeting.

Details on how to submit public comment are available online at www.communitytransit.org/2015changes.

While dialogue is encouraged on this blog and through other social media channels, only the comments provided by letter, email or phone call are considered official. You can also attend any of the four public meetings to ask questions about the proposal, or ask them here.

Community Transit Recognizes Smart Transportation Choices

Community Transit’s Choice Connections program recognizes worksites and commuters in Snohomish County and the City of Bothell that go above and beyond to reduce pollution and congestion by promoting healthy transportation choices.

Congratulations to the Choice Connections Award winners for the 2nd Quarter of 2014:

Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Gina Paterson-Bryant from Premera Mountlake Terrace audits processes and systems to better serve Premera’s customers. She carefully considered her impact on the environment, and made a very deliberate decision to give up her car completely in 2005. Gina uses public transportation, carpools and walks for her commute and all of her personal errands as well. She is a personal advocate and resource for her co-workers on how to use transit and go car free!

 

ETC of the Quarter

Kelly Davis from Seattle Genetics in Bothell used her passion as a cyclist to take her worksite program to the next level.  Kelly led Seattle Genetics to receive the Cascade Bicycle Club Silver-level BizCycle Certification denoting Seattle Genetics as an outstanding employer for commuters. Kelly organized her worksite’s Bike to Work Month Campaign and tied it to a fundraiser for Gilda’s Club. Kelly’s team raised $6,000 for cancer support and together biked over 6,000 miles in the month of May. 

Employer of the Quarter

T-Mobile in Bothell developed a major campaign to encourage their employees to register and log their trips in RideshareOnline.com, a commute tracking program. The campaign included a generous number of gift card as an incentive for new users. The campaign added 88 new participants to RideshareOnline.com for a total of 106 actively participating employees. The successful campaign launched T-Mobile to surpass its tracking goal to reach133% of employees logging trips.

Choice Connections reward commuters for choosing a smart alternative to driving alone, and offers the tools and resources needed to get started. When you choose a smart commute, your efforts reduce traffic, save money and time, and help the environment. To learn more about the Choice Connections program, please visit Community Transit Choice Connections.

Van GO Grants Keep Our Community Moving

Opportunity is knocking... for Snohomish County nonprofit organizations to get a van at no cost.

Community Transit's Van GO program awards surplus vans to qualified nonprofits that demonstrate they can use the vehicles to provide needed transportation services in their community. Since 2000, Community Transit has awarded 106 surplus vanpool and service vans as well as paratransit minibuses to organizations through an annual competition.

A number of those vehicles awarded over the years are still in service. Community Transit takes good care of its vehicles, so even a van with 120,000 miles on it is likely to provide years of service for a small organization.

The deadline to apply for this year's vehicles, up to ten 12-passenger vans, is Friday, Sept 26. The vehicles are awarded through a competitive process in which community groups demonstrate how they will use the vehicles to provide transportation service. Awardees will get the van at no cost but must show proof of insurance, pay to register the vehicle and provide quarterly reports to Community Transit.

Questions about eligibility should be directed to vango@commtrans.org or (425) 438-6136.

Applications and more details about the Van GO program are available at www.communitytransit.org/vango.

Applications that are mailed must be postmarked by Sept. 26. Electronic or hand-delivered applications must be received by 5 p.m. Sept. 26. Electronic applications must be followed by a hard copy containing the appropriate certification signatures.

Community Transit’s Day in the Life: Oxy Gene

Our spotlight this month is on a man who needs little introduction, Community Transit’s very own Superhero, Oxy Gene! He’s been spreading the word about his personal motto of truth, justice and really clean air for 15 years. Watch for Oxy Gene at fairs and festivals all across Snohomish County. I think you’ll agree with me that he’s definitely earned his title of Superhero!
 

 

Hello Good People!

  

I know you’ve probably seen me around the Puget Sound area and are wondering, “Who is this Oxy Gene character anyway”? Well fellow citizens, I can’t give out all of my secrets, but let me tell you a little bit about myself.

 

I live in the small town of Airisclear, WA near the slopes of Mt. Rainier. I love waking up in the morning and seeing that beautiful mountain! But when air quality standards begin to fall, the mountain becomes a little hazy. That’s when I dash from my home to rid the air of pollution. I HATE POLLUTION! I hate everything about it! I hate the vile concoction of filth, exhaust, and other oxygen killing particulates that invade our air everyday. What is one of the main causes of air pollution? You guessed it…CARS! But by taking public transportation you are doing your part to keep our air clean.

 

When Community Transit called I was happy to help out. I spend my days visiting the good people of Snohomish County showing them how to ride the bus, and all the benefits of using public transportation including making our community a better and healthier place to live, and how to save time and money by sharing the ride with family and friends. Now that summer is here, look for me at various parades around beautiful Snohomish County. Enjoy the summer everyone! 

Want a chance to meet Oxy Gene? Visit him this summer at the following events:

• July 19 – Snohomish Kla Ha Ya Days Parade
• August 2 – Stanwood Camano Fair Parade
• August 5 – Mukilteo National Night Out
• August 5 – Snohomish County National Night Out
• August 9 – Mill Creek Kids Fun Run
• September 6 – Mukilteo Lighthouse Parade
• September 13 – Marysville Touch a Truck

For more information on Oxy Gene please visit www.commtrans.org/oxygene.

Community Transit Recognizes Smart Transportation Choices

 

Did you know that over 50% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Washington come from transportation sources?

Community Transit’s Choice Connections program recognizes worksites and commuters in Snohomish County and the City of Bothell that go above and beyond to reduce pollution and congestion by promoting alternatives to driving alone.

The Choice Connections award winners for the 1st Quarter of 2014 were:

Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Mark Fagan, Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Mark Fagan from Esterline-Korry gave up his car as part of a New Year’s resolution and hasn’t looked back. He is able to commute to work via vanpool, Swift and bicycle and is enjoying the positive effects to both his health and wallet. Mark’s personal mission is to use his smart commute to reduce his carbon footprint.

Employee Transportation Coordinator of the Quarter
Jeanne Killgore of The Everett Clinic at Smokey Point has been instrumental in evaluating her worksite Commute Trip Reduction program to successfully remove drive alone trips from our roads. Thanks to her hard work she was successfully able to surpass her worksite survey requirements, which helps to gauge future areas for program growth.

Employer of the Quarter
The City of Lynnwood is dedicated to making it easier for their employees to choose smart transportation options. They offer a monthly incentive for those who choose not to drive alone to work. Their worksite show an impressive savings of over 4,700 pounds of CO2 and over 6,000 vehicle trips reduced from our local roads in the first quarter 2014.
     
Choice Connections is a new program that rewards commuters for choosing a smart alternative to driving alone, and offers the tools and resources needed to get started. When you choose a smart commute, your efforts reduce traffic, save money and time, and help the environment. To learn more about the Choice Connections program please visit Community Transit Choice Connections.