The Route Ahead | April 2021 | Community Transit News

Northgate Link to open Oct. 2

Sound Transit today announced that the Northgate Link light rail extension will open to passenger service on Saturday, October 2.

The new extension, which is moving forward under budget, will offer riders reliable, traffic-free trips of only 14 minutes between Northgate and downtown Seattle. In addition to the elevated station at Northgate, trains will stop at new underground stations serving Seattle’s U District and Roosevelt neighborhoods. Of the 4.3-mile extension, all but the 0.8 miles of elevated track at Northgate are located underground.

Community Transit's six University District (800 series) routes will truncate at Northgate Station when light rail opens there. It is a six-minute trip from Northgate to the U District Link station, which will save many commuters time. Details about schedules for those routes will come out this summer.

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First hybrid Vanpool vans go into service

Beginning last week, five Community Transit vanpool groups are now driving new hybrid vans to work every weekday, using less gas and reducing air pollution.

“Exploring hybrid minivans is part and parcel of Community Transit’s commitment to environmental stewardship, an agency core value,” said Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz. “As many of our customers begin to rethink their commutes, we hope that they will consider our Vanpool program — and the many safety protocols we have adopted — as a greener option to get to work.”

Keep your eyes peeled for vans like the one pictured above when you’re out on the road. The plug-in electric hybrid 2020 Chrysler Pacifica is one of the first hybrid minivans on the market and is powered by 97 percent carbon-free electricity. The vans can travel 32 miles on battery alone and can seat up to seven passengers when social distancing is not in place.

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Agency gets AAA Stable credit rating

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings recently revised Community Transit’s credit rating to AAA with a stable outlook. Community Transit has held the AAA credit rating since 2017, the highest rating available to public agencies.

The stable outlook was upgraded from negative to stable based on diligent budget management by Community Transit during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resilience of the local sales tax. Sales tax funds approximately 67% of the agency’s operating budget.

The previous indication of a negative outlook was typical for agencies like Community Transit, due to the pandemic and the predicted economic downturn. Sales tax revenues in Snohomish County have been stronger than expected in recent months.

Favorable credit ratings allow Community Transit and similar public agencies to borrow money for public projects at a low rate of interest, which saves the public money.

Partnerships fuel major transit projects

This past Monday I received a call from Nuria Fernandez, Acting Administrator for the Federal Transit Administration, to tell me that Community Transit was awarded a $37 million grant to build the Swift Orange Line.

That was wonderful news, for our agency and our community. The Swift Orange Line will provide a much-needed east-west transit connection to Link light rail when it opens in Lynnwood in 2024.

That personal phone call was a great reminder of the relationships we have with the many partners we work with on projects like this. Our staff have worked closely with FTA staff in our region since we applied for this grant more than a year ago. It was professional courtesy and recognition of our close collaboration that led to the phone call.

We received similar calls and tweets of congratulations from Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Maria Cantwell, Rep. Rick Larsen and Rep. Suzan DelBene, who all supported this project for their constituents in Snohomish County.

Local partnerships are also central to what we do. Nothing shows this more clearly than the big announcement today of the Oct. 2 opening date for Northgate Link. Sound Transit held this event with Community Transit and King County Metro because our agencies’ bus service will be integrated with light rail at the new stations, providing convenient transfers and faster connections to places people want to go.

The behind-the-scenes cooperation on Northgate has been going on for years. The value of this for our shared customers is a reliable and seamless connection on regional transit.

Each day, we work with partners in Snohomish County, in Washington State, and in Washington, D.C., to plan, design and build transit projects that keep you moving. It’s what we do.

Ric Ilgenfritz
Community Transit CEO

Photo: King County Metro General Manager Terry White, Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff, and Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz gathered at the announcement of Northgate Link opening day.