Options for Community Transit bus riders are increasing this fall with a new route to Paine Field, more weekday trips to downtown Seattle and the University of Washington, and additional service Sundays in rural areas.
Community Transit is adding 68 new bus trips in an expansion of service approved by district directors earlier this year. It will be paid for with revenues generated from the sales tax increase passed by voters in 2015.
Starting Sunday, 37 midday trips are getting added on Route 240, serving Stanwood to Smokey Point, Route 271, serving Gold Bar to Everett, and Route 280, serving Granite Falls and Everett. This will provide hourly service all day compared with the current schedule with buses running every two hours.
Monday will bring the rest of changes. A new Route 107 will be launched with buses operating between the Lynnwood Transit Center and the Boeing Co. plant and Paine Field via Mukilteo Speedway. Buses will run only on weekdays during the peak hours of the commute with three northbound trips in the morning and three southbound trips in the evening.
Also, changes will be made to early morning and afternoon service on Route 105 to meet increasing demand to the Paine Field area. The route, which had run between Bothell and Mill Creek, will be extended north from the Mariner Park &Ride along Airport Road to serve Paine Field, Boeing, Seaway Boulevard and Hardeson Road. The extended trips will operate both directions weekdays only from 5 to 8 a.m. and 1:45 to 6 p.m. This Bothell-Boeing course will serve the same corridor as the Swift Green Line, a new bus rapid transit line Community Transit will start in 2019.
Also starting Monday, there will be 22 additional trips each weekday to downtown Seattle and the University of Washington. Buses will run in the morning and evening. Because some trip times may be adjusted based on ridership demand, riders are urged to check schedules when they become available this weekend.
Service on Route 196 (Edmonds-Lynnwood) will be extended to the Ash Way Park &Ride and buses on Route 209 (Lake Stevens-Quil Ceda Village) will go to the Smokey Point Transit Center beginning next week. Get more information on the Community Transit website at www.communitytransit.org/newservice.
