Agency Expanding Swift Blue Line to Shoreline

Community Transit is looking at options to upgrade its Swift Blue Line bus rapid transit service and extend the route to connect with Sound Transit’s Link light rail in Shoreline. The agency is asking for public input on three routing options for the extension into Shoreline, as well as other improvements to Snohomish County’s most popular bus route. 

In 2024, the new Lynnwood Link extension will include a station at 185th St. and I-5 in Shoreline, less than two miles from the Swift Blue Line’s current southern terminal at Aurora Village Transit Center. 

Community Transit is considering three options (See image of map) to extend Swift Blue Line to connect to the 185^th St. light rail station in 2024:
A. Via Highway 99 southbound, then eastbound on 185th St.
B. Via 200th St. eastbound, Meridian Ave. southbound, then 185th St. eastbound.
C. Via Highway 99 southbound, 175th St. eastbound, then 5th Ave. NE northbound.

Members of the public are invited to provide feedback on the Swift Blue Line route extension through Feb. 27 by visiting www.communitytransit.org/swiftblue2024. Responses will help Community Transit determine the direction of the Swift Blue Line Expansion project to ensure it meets the needs of the communities it serves.

Limited Commuter Service on Presidents Day

Community Transit will operate all local, DART paratransit and Swift service within Snohomish County on regular weekday schedule on Presidents Day, Feb. 17. Commuter service to Seattle and the University District will be limited to specific routes. To learn more about Presidents Day service, please visit: http://bit.ly/2020PresidentsDay.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring Selected as Board Chair

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring was selected by his peers to serve as chair of the Community Transit Board of Directors for 2020.

Stanwood Mayor Leonard Kelley was selected as the board’s vice chair, and Lake Stevens City Council Member Kim Daughtry was chosen as secretary.

Lynnwood Mayor Nicola Smith, Snohomish City Council member Tom Merrill, and Snohomish County Council Chair Nate Nehring were each elected to a two-year term on the Community Transit Board of Directors last month. All jurisdictions within the transit agency’s service district meet every two years to choose nine board representatives.

The Community Transit board is comprised of nine elected officials from Snohomish County and the cities within the transit agency’s service district, as well as a labor representative selected by the agency’s bargaining units. To learn more about the Community Transit Board of Directors visit: http://bit.ly/2020BoardOfficers.

The CEO Corner is a new addition to The Route Ahead and an opportunity for me to share information each month with our community subscribers.

This month, I want to tell you about some of the ways that Community Transit participates in public transit advocacy. Advocating for the transportation needs of the growing communities we serve is an important part of our role at Community Transit.

Last week in Olympia, I attended the Washington State Transit Association (WSTA) quarterly meeting. WSTA is a statewide association that represents 35 transit agencies in Washington State with a common statewide transportation agenda to advance the value of public transportation.

While in Olympia, we met with leadership from the House and the Senate Transportation committees, statewide legislative leaders, governor’s office representatives and officials from Snohomish County to talk about issues that are important to Community Transit.

The legislature is currently midway through this year’s short legislative session. As far as transportation goes, much of legislators’ focus is on figuring out how to address the impacts of Initiative 976.

I particularly enjoyed a discussion with Representative John Lovick of the 44th legislative district (Lake Stevens, Mill Creek, and Snohomish) about our expanding Swift bus rapid transit network (see photo above).

At Community Transit we believe public transit advocacy is one of the many ways we fulfill our agency mission to help people get from where they are to where they want to be.