Swift Blue Line Returns to 10-Minute Service on Sept. 24

The Swift Blue Line, Community Transit’s highest ridership route, will see a 20 percent increase in weekday service starting Monday, Sept, 24.

The bus rapid transit line that runs on Highway 99 between Everett and Shoreline will get an additional 28 trips a day. Swift Blue Line buses will run every 10 minutes between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays, and every 20 minutes early mornings, nights and weekends. More than 1.7 million riders boarded the Blue Line last year, nearly four times the ridership of any other single Community Transit route.

Swift service is one part of an ongoing expansion of Community Transit service. New changes go into effect on Sunday, Sept. 23; weekday changes will start the following day. On Oct. 1, a new fare change will go into effect raising local bus and DART paratransit fares by 25 cents.

In addition to all the changes listed, many individual trip times are changing, so riders should check their schedules before Sept. 23.

There are several ways riders can get new service information:

• New bus schedules are available online.
• The online Trip Planner has data to plan trips after Sept. 23.
• New Bus Plus schedule books are on buses and at transit information distribution outlets this week.
• New Bus Plus book is available online as a downloadable PDF.

Service changes

Swift Blue Line (Everett-Shoreline) – Effective Sept. 24

• On Monday-Friday, the Swift Blue Line will operate service every 10 minutes between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Buses will continue to run every 20 minutes early mornings, nights and weekends.
• The change to a bus every 10 minutes from every 12 minutes increases service by 20 percent and improves routes connections.
• A new early morning weekday trip in each direction will be added starting at approximately 4:20 a.m. No changes to weekend schedules.

Route 109 (Ash Way-Lake Stevens) – Effective Sept. 23

• Route 109 will be modified to serve residents and businesses along 20^th Street and 99^th Avenue in Lake Stevens.
• Buses will no longer travel on Hwy 9 between 20^th Street and the Lake Stevens Transit Center.

Route 113 (Mukilteo-Lynnwood) – Effective Sept. 24

• Weekday northbound trips will start 5 minutes earlier to accommodate long-term construction reroute.

Route 120 (Canyon Park-Edmonds CC) – Effective Sept. 24

• Three weekday trips will be added to Route 120 to provide a bus every 30 minutes from the start of service until 6 p.m. in both directions.

Route 196 (Edmonds-Ash Way) – Effective Sept. 23

• Route 196 will be modified to serve the Lynnwood Transit Center.
• Buses will travel off 196^th Street between 44^th and 48^th avenues.
• Route 196 will no longer serve the eastbound bus stop at 196^th & 48^th (#2974).
• Route 196 will serve these additional stops:

o   Southbound 48^th & 196^th (#1156).

o   Northbound 48^th & 200^th (#2171).

o   Lynnwood Transit Center Bay B5 (#2108) to Ash Way.

o   Lynnwood Transit Center Bay C1 (#2109) to Edmonds.

o   One new stop in each direction at 44^th & 198^th.

• This change will greatly improve transit connections and provide more local bus service to the transit center.

Route 413 (Lynnwood-Seattle) – Effective Sept. 24

• Thirteen new midday and later evening trips will be added to Route 413 to provide a greater span of commuter service to and from Seattle.
• The change will provide more flexibility for Seattle commuters and encourage people to use the under-utilized Swamp Creek Park & Ride in north Lynnwood.
• Riders will also have the opportunity to ride the agency’s signature Double Tall buses in the midday, expanding the opportunity for recreational trips to and from Seattle in off hours.

Sound Transit Routes 510/511/513 – Effective Sept. 24

To improve schedule reliability on weekday trips out of Seattle, there will be two Route 510 and one Route 513 afternoon trips eliminated and one Route 511 afternoon trip added.