Community Transit collects community feedback on plans for new Swift Gold BRT Line

Oct. 17, 2024

The input will help the agency improve transit service in Arlington, Everett and Marysville, Wash., to prepare for the opening of the Swift Gold Line as soon as 2029.

Related To: Community Transit

Community Transit is planning its fourth Swift bus rapid transit line. Above is an example of a center-running transit-only BRT lane.

Community Transit is planning to roll out its fourth Swift bus rapid transit (BRT) line and first in north Snohomish County, Wash. The Swift Gold Line will be operating between Everett Station and Smokey Point Transit Center in Arlington.

For the first phase in planning, the agency gathered public comments from those in the Swift Gold Line project area July 11 through Aug. 7 via an online open house and in-person events that introduced the project to the community.

The agency notes that results of these public comment sessions showed that community members need:

Prioritized and improved roadway safety
Improved traffic flow
Improved pedestrian infrastructure

Community Transit also notes that its riders expressed interest in the new bus lane concepts of center-running transit-only lanes, which would keep Swift service running smoothly even when traffic gets bad.

The survey sought comments on three different proposed route options (A, B and C), asking participants to share what they liked or disliked about each option. Survey results showed that:

Option A was well received for access to shopping, employment and retail, but does not serve residential neighborhoods as well.
Option B was well received for the speed of north-south travel and for providing increased access to residential areas over Option A.
Option C was well received for serving residential communities in east Marysville that don’t currently have a lot of transit options. Some noted the lack of access to services and commercial areas along State Ave.

Community Transit also expanded and diversified input by reaching community members in person, including 450 conversations with visitors at six community events in Snohomish County. The agency generated input by mailing postcards to more than 17,000 residences and businesses in the service area.

What’s next

Moving forward, the Swift Gold Line project team will narrow the route options before the next round of community engagement in February 2025 and will focus on receiving community input on lane options and potential station locations.

The Swift Gold Line is set to open as soon as 2029.