The Swift Green Line is a bus rapid transit route in Snohomish County, Washington, United States, part of the Swift network operated by Community Transit. It was opened in 2019 and travels 12.5 miles (20.1 km) along Airport Way and State Route 527, connecting 32 stations in the cities of Everett, Mill Creek, and Bothell. Its termini are at Seaway Transit Center, adjacent to the Boeing factory, and Canyon Park Park and Ride on Interstate 405; the Green Line also intersects the Blue Line in Everett and also serves Paine Field.

Swift Green Line
A southbound Green Line bus at 3rd Avenue SE
Overview
SystemSwift
OperatorCommunity Transit
StatusIn service
Began serviceMarch 24, 2019
PredecessorsCommunity Transit route 105
Route
Route typeBus rapid transit
LocaleSnohomish County
Communities servedEverett, Mill Creek, Bothell
StartSeaway Transit Center
ViaAirport Way,
State Route 527
EndCanyon Park Park and Ride
Length12.5 miles (20.1 km)
Stations32
Service
Frequency10 minutes
Weekend frequency20 minutes
TransfersBlue Line at Airport Road
Sound Transit Express at Canyon Park P&R
←  Blue Line  {{{system_nav}}}  Orange Line →

The Green Line was proposed in 2013 and began construction in July 2017. It cost $73 million to construct and opened on March 24, 2019. An extension into Downtown Bothell and to the city's University of Washington branch campus is planned to open by 2031.

History

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Community Transit announced plans for a second Swift line in November 2013, tentatively named "Swift II", that would serve a 12.5-mile-long (20.1 km) corridor between the Boeing Everett Factory and Mill Creek.[1] The line was created out of two Transit Emphasis Corridors on Airport Road and State Route 527.[2]: 59  A study was partially funded by the state legislature in 2012 and was prepared by Parsons Brinckerhoff, determining that the project would cost $42–48 million to construct and attract 3,300 riders when it opened.[3][4]

The Federal Transit Administration approved project development in December 2014, a prerequisite to federal grants for capital construction and vehicle acquisition.[5] During the 2015 session of the Washington State Legislature, Community Transit was granted the authority to increase sales taxes to fund operation of Swift II, pending voter approval via a ballot measure;[6] the Washington State Department of Transportation also gave $6.8 million in funding to build the line's northern terminus at Seaway Transit Center.[5] The ballot measure was approved by voters in November 2015, allowing for construction to begin sooner.[5][7]

In August 2016, Community Transit announced that the Swift II project would be known as the "Green Line", while the first line would become the "Blue Line", and that the line would open in 2019.[8][9] The $73 million cost of the Swift Green Line project was mostly covered by federal subsidies, including $43 million from a Federal Transit Administration "Small Starts" grant awarded in 2018.[10] An additional $6.8 million grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation was used to build the line's northern terminus at Seaway Transit Center.[9]

Construction on the Seaway Transit Center began in May 2017 and was scheduled to be finished by mid-2018.[9][11] Construction on the rest of the stations and the 128th Street overpass began in November 2017.[12][13] The queue jump and bus lane on the west side of the 128th Street interchange was opened in January 2018.[14] Service began on March 24, 2019, a few weeks after the start of passenger flights to Paine Field.[15]

An extension into downtown Bothell and the University of Washington, Bothell campus is planned to between 2028 and 2031 following the completion of new lanes on Bothell Way.[16][17] Up to six new stations would be added south of Canyon Park, including two shared the Stride S3 Line, a bus rapid transit route operated by Sound Transit.[18]

Stations

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The northbound station at 196th Street Southeast

The Green Line serves 34 stations, grouped into 18 pairs with two terminals, in the cities of Everett, Mill Creek, and Bothell.[19] Each station has a raised platform for level boarding, ticket vending machines, ORCA card readers, and real-time arrivals information.[20] The Blue Line intersects at the Highway 99 station, requiring a street crossing to complete the connection.[19] The line also serves two park and ride lots at Mariner and McCollum Park.[19]

Station Location City Notes
Seaway Transit Center Seaway Blvd. & 75th Street SW Everett Adjacent to Boeing Everett Factory
Kasch Park Road Airport Road & Kasch Park Road Everett
100th Street SW Airport Road & 100th Street SW Everett Adjacent to Paine Field and passenger airline terminal
112th Street SW Airport Road & 112th Street SW Everett Adjacent to Paine Field
Highway 99 Airport Road & Highway 99 Everett Transfer to Blue Line
Gibson Road 128th Street SW & Gibson Road Everett
4th Avenue W 128th Street SW & 4th Avenue W Everett Adjacent to Mariner Park and Ride
3rd Avenue SE 128th Street SE & 3rd Avenue SE Everett Adjacent to Interurban Trail
Dumas Road 128th Street SE & Dumas Road Mill Creek Adjacent to McCollum Park
Transfer to Orange Line
16th Avenue SE 16th Avenue SE & 132nd Street SE Mill Creek
Trillium Boulevard Bothell-Everett Highway & Trillium Blvd. Mill Creek Station shared with Orange Line
153rd Street SE Bothell-Everett Highway & 153rd Street SE Mill Creek Adjacent to Mill Creek Town Center
Station shared with Orange Line
164th Street SE Bothell-Everett Highway & 164th Street SE Mill Creek Adjacent to Mill Creek Town Center
Northbound station shared with Orange Line
180th Street SE Bothell-Everett Highway & 180th Street SE North Creek
196th Street SE Bothell-Everett Highway & 196th Street SE North Creek
208th Street SE Bothell-Everett Highway & 208th Street SE North Creek
220th Street SE Bothell-Everett Highway & 220th Street SE Bothell Northbound only
Canyon Park Park and Ride 22400 17th Avenue SE Bothell Transfer to Sound Transit Express routes 532 and 535

Service

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At its debut, the Green Line ran at a frequency of every 10 minutes on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 20 minutes on weekends and early mornings and nights on weekdays. The earliest trips departed at 4:20 a.m. on weekdays, 6 a.m. on Saturdays, and 7 a.m. on Sundays. The last trips ended at 11 p.m. on weekdays, 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and 8:40 p.m. on Sundays.[19] It takes approximately 36 to 39 minutes for buses to travel the entire length of the Green Line.[19]

Service on the Green Line was reduced to every 15 minutes on weekdays in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21] Fare collection was also suspended until June 1 to increase physical distancing between passengers, drivers, and fare ambassadors.[22] Full service was restored in September 2020,[23] but was reduced again to 12 minute weekday frequencies in March 2022 due to a lack of drivers.[24]

References

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  1. ^ Munguia, Martin (November 8, 2013). "Special session: Don't forget Community Transit". Community Transit Blog. Community Transit. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  2. ^ 2016–2021 Transit Development Plan (PDF) (Report). Community Transit. May 5, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  3. ^ Parsons Brinckerhoff (August 2014). "Executive Summary" (PDF). Community Transit BRT Corridor Planning and Route Definition Study: Boeing to Canyon Park (Report). Community Transit. pp. 1–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  4. ^ "Swift Bus Rapid Transit Turns 5!" (Press release). Everett, Washington: Community Transit. December 1, 2014. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c "FTA Approves Project Development for Swift II" (Press release). Everett, Washington: Community Transit. December 23, 2014. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  6. ^ "Community Transit Board Sends Sales Tax Measure to November Ballot" (Press release). Everett, Washington: Community Transit. July 16, 2015. Archived from the original on August 15, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  7. ^ "CEO Outlines "New Transit Legacy" for Snohomish County" (Press release). Everett, Washington: Community Transit. November 10, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  8. ^ "New Names: Swift Blue Line & Swift Green Line!" (Press release). Everett, Washington: Community Transit. August 12, 2016. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c Catchpole, Dan (August 13, 2016). "Community Transit honors Seahawks with 'Blue' and 'Green' names". The Everett Herald. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  10. ^ Gutman, David (April 9, 2018). "Snohomish County bus line secures federal funding despite Trump threats". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  11. ^ Slager, Melissa (May 8, 2017). "Community Transit starts Paine Field work for rapid bus line". The Everett Herald. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  12. ^ "Construction Starts on Swift Green Line Stations" (Press release). Everett, Washington: Community Transit. November 15, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  13. ^ Slager, Melissa (November 27, 2017). "Community Transit starts construction on Green Line stations". The Everett Herald. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  14. ^ "New Bus Lane Opens on 128th St & I-5" (Press release). Everett, Washington: Community Transit. January 17, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  15. ^ Haglund, Noah (December 25, 2018). "Green Line Swift buses get green light to start on March 24". The Everett Herald. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  16. ^ Hansen, Jordan (October 22, 2023). "Swift bus lines expanding in Bothell, Marysville, Arlington". The Everett Herald. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  17. ^ Spain, Monica (October 16, 2023). "Locations considered for Swift Green Line stations in Bothell" (Press release). Community Transit. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  18. ^ "Swift Green Line Extension". Community Transit. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  19. ^ a b c d e Giordano, Lizz (March 25, 2019). "Swift Green Line starts rolling, from Bothell to Boeing". The Everett Herald. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  20. ^ "Swift Network News Vol 2., Issue 62". Community Transit. December 7, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  21. ^ "Temporary Service Reductions to Begin Monday, March 30" (Press release). Community Transit. March 26, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  22. ^ Sanders, Julia-Grace (July 5, 2020). "Community Transit drivers: Too soon to open the front doors". The Everett Herald. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  23. ^ "2021–2026 Transit Development Plan" (PDF). Community Transit. September 2, 2021. p. 31. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  24. ^ "Community Transit targets improved reliability with spring service change" (Press release). Community Transit. February 23, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
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