Community Transit awarded $37.1 million in CIG funds for Swift Orange Line BRT

Feb. 18, 2022

The grant from FTA clears the way for construction on Community Transit’s third BRT line to begin in 2022.

Community Transit will start construction in 2022 on its third BRT line, the Swift Orange Line, following receipt of an FTA grant through the CIG Program.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded Community Transit $37.1 million through the Capital Improvement Grants (CIG) Program for the Swift Orange Line bus rapid transit project (BRT).

The Swift Orange Line will be Community Transit’s third BRT line after the inaugural Swift Blue Line and the Swift Green Line, which opened in 2019. The Swift Orange Line will connect Mill Creek to south Snohomish County and provide a link to the region’s high-capacity transit network when Sound Transit begins service on its Lynnwood Link extension in 2024.

The 11.3-mile BRT line will include 13 stations with buses operating every 10 to 12 minutes during weekdays and every 20 minutes on the weekends. The project includes improvements to two existing transit centers/park and ride facilities, 13 vehicles, queue bypass lanes and transit signal priority. Community Transit’s Swift services use an off-board payment system and all-door loading-and-unloading to provide quicker trips.

“The fast, frequent service Swift provides will be needed to help people in Snohomish County connect to and from the regional light rail system,” said Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz. “We are grateful to the Biden Administration and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg for their investment in this project and our region, and to Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and Representatives Rick Larsen, Suzan DelBene and Pramila Jayapal for their steadfast support of the continued expansion of the Swift network and a renewed emphasis on infrastructure investment.”

FTA’s project profile of the Swift Orange Line puts its total capital costs at $80.97 million of which just under 46 percent is being funded through the CIG Program. Community Transit explains the project has received $64.7 million dollars in federal funding, including the CIG funds, and $6.7 million dollars of American Rescue Plan stimulus funding.

Community Transit explains securing the CIG funds clears the way for construction to begin on the Swift Orange Line in 2022 with anticipated service starting in 2024.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.