Community Transit

Construction Begins on Swift Bus Rapid Transit

December 3, 2008

(L to R) WSDOT Public Transportation Director Katy Taylor, Community Transit CEO Joyce Eleanor, Sen. Patty Murray, Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson and Marysville Mayor Dennis Kendall break ground.

Sen. Patty Murray helps break ground on new transit project

Snohomish County, Wash. - Bus rapid transit is a step closer to reality in the Puget Sound region today. Groundbreaking took place on the Community Transit’s Swift line, which will run sleek hybrid buses every 10 minutes most of the day on a 17-mile corridor of Highway 99 in Snohomish County.

"This is a great example of partnership and innovation to give people true transportation alternatives," said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray as she joined other dignitaries in turning dirt on the first of 24 Swift stations at the corner of Highway 99 and Airport Road in Everett.

"With Swift, riding the bus will not just be a way to get there, it will be the preferred way to get there," said Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson.

Swift will cross the boundary between Community Transit and Everett Transit service districts, where passengers now must exit one agency’s buses to transfer to another bus. The two agencies signed a partnership agreement that allows Community Transit to run the service in Everett while Everett Transit will pay for stations in the city limits.

"What we’ve been able to do with this project is show that good planning and good partnership can bring major improvements to our transportation system quickly and affordably," said Community Transit CEO Joyce Eleanor.

Community Transit is paying for half the $32 million project cost, with other funding coming from Everett, the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration.

"Transit ridership is higher than ever, so the time is right for Swift," said Eleanor. "And what better time to bring jobs to our community?"

Construction of the 24 stations - 12 in each direction - and a terminal at Aurora Village Transit Center in Shoreline, will take place in two phases through next summer. First, crews will dig trenches, locate utilities and pour 10-foot by 60-foot cement pads behind the sidewalk at each location. Then, work will begin to erect each station. Everett Transit will pay for renovation of Everett Station next year to accommodate a new Swift terminal there.

The stations will feature ticket vending machines to collect fares prior to boarding and "next-bus arrival" signs to indicate how many minutes until the next Swift bus. Waiting riders will not need a schedule.

Swift will provide faster service on the corridor by:
• Stopping at fewer locations - 12 stations each direction compared to about 60 local bus stops each way;
• Off-board fare collection so riders do not have to line up to pay on the bus;
• Boarding at three doors; and
• Transit signal priority to give Swift buses a slightly longer green light or shorter red light at intersections.

Transit signal priority already exists on 10 miles of the southern route, while the city of Everett will install the technology within the city limits.

Construction information and other details about Swift are available online at www.communitytransit.org/swift. At that website, people can also sign up to receive electronic alerts in their email account or text messages to their cell phone or mobile devices.

Community Transit strives to help Puget Sound commuters think transit first. With an electronic alert system for instant rider information and one of the nation’s first double decker transit buses, the agency is a leader in finding new ways to make alternative transportation an attractive option. Call Community Transit at (425) 353-RIDE or (800) 562-1375 for bus information, or (888) 814-1300 for carpool or vanpool information, or go to www.communitytransit.org.

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