Community Transit

Bus Rapid Transit

Washington state's first bus rapid transit line will launch on Nov. 29, with full Swift service starting the following day. Everyone is invited to our Swift launch celebration from 2-4 p.m. that day at the Swift Crossroads Station, Highway 99 & 196th Street in Lynnwood. The event site is unimproved; please wear appropriate shoes. See the invitation here.

For an overview of the route and a closeup look at the areas around each station, see our interactive Swift map.

Swift bus rapid transit is different than other Community Transit services. It combines the efficiency and appeal of light rail with the flexibility and low cost of buses. What makes it Swift?

• No need for a schedule - Swift will operate every 10-minutes weekdays from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. and every 20-minutes nights from 7 p.m. to midnight and on weekends 6 a.m. to midnight.
• Stations instead of stops – Swift will serve 12 stations in each direction compared to about 50 regular bus stops on the route.
• Pay fares first – Riders pay their fares at the station while waiting for the bus, then board at any door when the bus arrives. Fares are the same as on Community Transit local service.
• Fast boarding – Swift buses have three doors and you can enter at any one. Roll-on bike racks are located inside the back door.
• Accessibility – Most station platforms are just a few inches shorter than the floor of the bus, making it easy to step aboard. People who use wheelchairs enter at the front door and have an option to use a passive restraint system that doesn’t require coach operator assistance.
• High tech, high speed –ORCA smart card readers at each station make paying your fare fast and easy. The route also has transit signal priority at many intersections, allowing green lights to be extended for late-running buses.

How to Ride Swift

Fares

Swift fares are the same as on local buses, however on Swift you pay before you board. It is important that waiting passengers pay their fares before the bus arrives, because there are no fareboxes on the bus. This is what makes the ride swift.

ORCA: The best way to ride Swift is with an ORCA card. There is an ORCA reader at each end of the station. Tap your card on the ORCA logo at the reader before the bus arrives. ORCA cardholders whose pass value is lower than the Swift fare and who do not have E-purse on their card will need to upgrade their fare at the ticket vending machine using cash or credit card. At Swift stations, ORCA E-purse cannot be used to pay multiple fares.

Cash or Credit: Each Swift station has two ticket vending machines near the information kiosk. You can use cash, VISA or MasterCard to pay your fare or to pay the difference if the Swift fare is higher than your ORCA pass value (a “pass upgrade”). Cash-paying customers should bring exact change, as machines do not make change. Tickets are good for one ride on Swift and there are no transfers. Riders must keep their ticket as proof of payment on Swift.

Transfers: Only ORCA card users will get a credit for their fare if they transfer to or from another bus. Cash and credit-paying customers receive a ticket to use as proof-of-payment on Swift, but the ticket is good only for one ride on Swift, and not good as a transfer to other services. If you use an ORCA card, the full transfer value is held on the card and will apply to the next bus or train you board within the two-hour transfer time. An ORCA card is the same as an old paper transfer, making it easy and less expensive to take more than one bus.

Swift Ambassadors will be on board Swift buses to randomly check for fare payment and a $124 citation may be written for those who fail to pay. Be prepared to show your ORCA card or Swift ticket upon request. Ambassadors and transit police have the authority to ask for passenger identification (RCW 81.112.210).

Boarding

 Pay your fare in advance and be prepared to board immediately when the bus comes to a complete stop - buses will not be at stations long. Most passengers can board at any of the three doors. Pavement markers indicate that passengers using mobility devices should board at the front door, while passengers with bicycles should board at the rear door. The second and third doors are wide enough for people to board and deboard at the same time; stay on the right side as you get on or off.

Once you board the bus, take your seat quickly or grab a hand rail or strap if you choose to stand. The coach operator will not wait for passengers to be seated before leaving the station. Please do not block doorways or aisles.

Route

Swift will serve a 17-mile stretch of the Highway 99/Evergreen Way/Rucker Avenue corridor between Shoreline's Aurora Village Transit Center in the south and Everett Station in the north.

The Swift route has 10 miles of transit signal priority (TSP) intersections, which can extend a green light a few seconds to keep late-running buses on schedule. Additional TSP will be coming to intersections in Everett. There are seven miles of transit-only lanes in the corridor, and plans include further traffic improvements.

Swift stations are located about 1 to 2 miles apart. While more stations could be added in the future, these locations were selected because they serve popular destinations and/or transit connection points.

Destinations

Both Swift terminals are major transit hubs. At the south end, the Aurora Village Transit Center in Shoreline offers connections to Community Transit and King County Metro Transit buses that serve south Snohomish County, north King County and downtown Seattle.

At the north end, Everett Station offers connections to Community Transit, Everett Transit, Island Transit, Skagit Transit and Sound Transit buses, as well as Sounder commuter trains, Greyhound and Amtrak.

Local stops near Swift stations will offer transfers to additional stops in the corridor as well as east-west service provided by Community Transit and Everett Transit.

Key destinations served by Swift include:

• Snohomish County Campus - Downtown Everett
• Everett Clinic – Gunderson Building
• Edmonds Community College
• Premera Blue Cross
• Stevens Hospital

Stations

About Stations

Swift stations will provide shelter, seating and service information to help riders get to their destinations quickly.

Larger than a standard bus shelter, Swift stations are identified by a distinct roadside marker that stands out along the corridor. The stations are designed with ample lighting and translucent weather barriers that are graffiti-resistant. Frequent visits by transit police as well as regular upkeep of the facility will help riders feel safe and secure during their brief waits.

Ticket vending machines allow those without transit passes to purchase a ticket in advance and board the bus through any of three doors. A raised curb allows for easy access onto the low-floor Swift buses, and inlaid icons indicate where riders should wait to board the bus, for example, people who use wheelchairs board at the first door.

Large information kiosks at the stations will provide easy-to-understand information about how to ride Swift, how to make connections onto other transit modes and directional information to familiarize yourself with the area around that station. In addition, each station has creative features inlaid in the concrete that identify them with that community and help to make each station unique.

Station Locations

Click on a station name to learn more about nearby destinations and connecting bus services.

Aurora Village Transit Center
1524 N. 200th Street, Shoreline

• Northbound: Bay 9
• Connections: Community Transit Routes 101, 118, 130, 131 King County Metro Transit Routes 301, 303, 331, 342, 346, 358, 373
• Notes: Limited parking, restrooms, phone

Hwy. 99 & 238th Street
Edmonds

• Northbound: Station is north of 238th Street
• Southbound: Station is south of 238th Street
• Connections: Community Transit Routes 101, 118, 416, 870

Hwy. 99 & 216th Street
Edmonds, Lynnwood

• Northbound: Gateway Station is north of 216th Street
• Southbound: Station is south of 216th Street
• Connections: Community Transit Routes 101, 110, 404, 405, 406, 441, 810, 870, 871. Many routes connect at the Edmonds Park & Ride, one block west of Hwy. 99 on 72nd Avenue W.
• Notes: Stevens Hospital and Premera Blue Cross corporate offices are nearby

Hwy. 99 & 196th/200th Streets
Lynnwood

• Northbound: Heron Station is north of 200th Street
• Southbound: Crossroads Station is south of 196th Street
• Connections: Community Transit Routes 101, 115, 116, 441, 810
• Notes: Edmonds Community College is nearby

Hwy. 99 & 174th/176th Streets
Lynnwood

• Northbound: Cherry Hill Station is north of 176th Street
• Southbound: International Station is at 174th Street
• Connections: Community Transit Routes 101, 118, 119

Hwy. 99 & 148th Street
Snohomish County

• Northbound: Station is south of 148th Street
• Southbound: Station is south of 148th Street
• Connections: Community Transit Routes 101, 113, 118, 415, 880, 885

Hwy. 99 & Lincoln Way
Snohomish County

• Northbound: Station is north of Lincoln Way
• Southbound: Station is south of Lincoln Way
• Connections: Community Transit Routes 101, 415

Hwy. 99 & Airport Road
Everett, Snohomish County

• Northbound: Station is north of Airport Road
• Southbound: Station is south of Airport Road
• Connections: Community Transit Routes 101, 411; Everett Transit Routes 2, 9

Evergreen & 4th Avenue
Everett

• Northbound: Station is south of Fourth Avenue
• Southbound: Station is south of Fourth Avenue
• Connections: Everett Transit Routes 7, 8, 9

Evergreen & Casino Road
Everett

• Northbound: Station is south of Casino Road
• Southbound: Station is south of Casino Road
• Connections: Everett Transit Routes , 3, 7, 9, 12
• Notes: Pedestrian bridge over Hwy. 526 connects Casino Road with Beverly Lane west of Hwy. 99

Evergreen & 50th Street
Everett

• Northbound: Station is north of 50th Street
• Southbound: Station is south of 50th Street
• Connections: Everett Transit Routes 7, 9, Sound Transit Route 513

Evergreen & 40th/41st Street
Everett

• Northbound:Station is north of 40th Street, near Everett Clinic
• Southbound: Station is south of 41st Street
• Connections: Everett Transit Routes 3, 7, 9, 18; Sound Transit Route 513

Pacific & Colby/Wetmore
Everett

• Northbound: Station is east of Colby on eastbound Pacific Avenue
• Southbound: Station is east of Wetmore on westbound Pacific Avenue
  
• Connections: Everett Transit Routes 3, 4,  17, 18, 79; Sound Transit Routes 510, 513
• Notes: Snohomish County Campus and Comcast Arena nearby

Everett Station
Everett

• Southbound: Bay G1
• Connections: Community Transit Routes 200, 201, 202, 270, 271, 275, 280; Everett Transit Routes 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 17, 18, 19, 29, 701; Sound Transit Routes 510, 532, Sounder; Island Transit; Skagit Transit; Amtrak; Greyhound, Northwest Trailways
• Notes: ORCA cards may be purchased at ticket machines on the train platform (near the overhead walkway building) and at the customer service center on the south side of Everett Station.
  

Vehicles

Swift vehicles are stylized 62-foot articulated, hybrid diesel-electric buses with a sleek Swift logo and colorful graphics. The buses are designed with other features you won’t find on a standard bus, including:

• Three doors for quick boarding.
• Wheelchair boarding at the first door.
• Bicycle boarding at the third door onto onboard bike racks fitting up to three bikes.
• Wide seats with extra legroom for a comfortable ride.
• Standing room for riders who prefer to stand for shorter trips.
• Seating for 43 passengers and overall capacity up to 80 riders.

These buses were specially built for Community Transit’s Swift line by New Flyer in St. Cloud, MN. You may have seen them driving throughout the area as they are being tested.

Construction

20-second Swift Animation

Library

Here are some noteworthy links to details of the Swift Bus Rapid Transit project and other information about BRT systems in the region and around the country.

• Swift Determination of Non-Significance 6/2/08
• Swift SEPA Environmental Checklist
• Everett Transit Swift Information
• King County Metro Transit Rapid Ride
• Federal Transit Administration Bus Rapid Transit
• American Public Transportation Association BRT Resource Guide