Community Transit staff and board members, elected officials and community partners celebrated the kick-off of a one-year pilot of the agency’s first on-demand ride service, Zip Shuttle, at the Lynnwood Convention Center today. The service launches for customers tomorrow, Oct. 20, at 5 a.m.
Zip Shuttle will be available anywhere within a defined service area in the Alderwood neighborhood. The flexible service can be used for any reason, including running errands, getting to work, going to the library or making connections to a bus. The service will run from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day and will cost the same price as a local bus trip.
“Many of the people served by YWCA’s programs don’t have easy access to transportation. Many have faced homelessness, domestic violence and mental health challenges. Many of them are parents with children. All of them have transportation needs,” said Kresha Green, YWCA regional director of housing and a member of the community working group that helped develop the pilot. “Zip Shuttle will help them access those critical things like jobs, healthcare and school. But it will also help them travel for fun, to visit family and friends, to go to the park or the library or to community events.”
“We are so excited to see this pilot come to fruition because it will give people a convenient and affordable way to get around the busy, growing Alderwood area,” said Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell. “We have appreciated partnering with our community members and Community Transit to help design Zip Shuttle, to ensure we are meeting specific transportation needs of this community.”
“Zip Alderwood Shuttle is the first Community Transit innovative services pilot to test a new way for people to get around in a local community,” said Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz. “We’re looking forward to learning from the Alderwood community’s experience with on-demand Zip service so we can continue to create new travel solutions for people in Snohomish County.”
