The Route Ahead | October 2020 | Community Transit News

Still time to test new trip planning tool

Riders still have time to try out “OpenTripPlanner” and provide feedback on the pilot this month. The pilot program for the trip planning tool runs through Oct. 31.

OpenTripPlanner introduces new features to Community Transit customers planning a bus trip, including:

• Integrated real-time service alerts and real-time bus departure information.
• End-to-end travel preferences, including park-and-rides, ferry systems, bike and scooter shares, and walking options to provide more flexible and customized trip plans.
• A consistent regional transit experience, integrating with partner agencies like King County Metro and Sound Transit.
• Future ability for a trip-planning mobile application.

Customers are encouraged to try OpenTripPlanner and provide feedback through the included feedback form. The feedback will be used to consider whether the agency will adopt the new tool.

The tool is available for both desktop and mobile use by visiting https://newtripplanner.communitytransit.org.

Link light rail construction ramping up in Snohomish County

It was only a year ago that our public transit partner Sound Transit broke ground on the Lynnwood Link light rail extension. Construction activities continue to increase this fall and soon some larger structural parts of the project will get underway.

Learn more about construction activities at Shoreline North 185th St Station, Mountlake Terrace Transit Center, and Lynnwood Transit Center and their potential impacts on our blog. 

For up-to-date information on these projects, please visit our Link Construction page at https://www.communitytransit.org/linkconstruction and subscribe to alerts at https://www.communitytransit.org/subscribe.

Van GO gives community groups a new ride

From delivering hot meals, to transporting people experiencing homelessness to a shelter to taking at-risk teens on a field trip, vehicles awarded through Community Transit’s Van GO program have made a difference in our community.

Sky Valley Youth Coalition and Courage to Change Recovery Services are two of the local organizations that were awarded surplus vans last year.

Their stories are profiled in Where the Vans Go, a Community Transit blog series featuring the stories of nonprofit organizations that were awarded vehicles through the Van GO program in previous years.

Where the Vans Go: Helping Serve People in Skykomish Valley

Where the Vans Go: Courage to Change Recovery Services

Community Transit launched the Van GO program in 2000 and has since awarded 146 surplus vans and wheelchair lift-equipped paratransit vehicles to qualified 501(c)3 organizations throughout Snohomish County.

We look forward to telling more stories when the 2020 award recipients are announced at the Nov. 5 Community Transit Board of Directors meeting.

CEO Emmett Heath inducted in Transportation Choices Coalition Hall of Fame

I was honored this month to be inducted into the Transportation Choices Coalition (TCC) Hall of Fame and join the esteemed group of leaders inducted in previous years. The organization announced the induction at its annual gala event, which was held virtually this year.  

TCC is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to bringing Washingtonians more and better transportation choices. At Community Transit, we aim to provide community-oriented transit service to help people get from where they are to where they want to be.

The pandemic has presented new challenges for many of us. In the face of adversity, the strong partnerships Community Transit has forged with regional partners and customers will continue to be vital to provide the essential service of public transit in Snohomish County.

See Emmett’s acceptance speech here: https://vimeo.com/457131442/1851968139