Welcome to Community Transit’s online open house for the Swift Gold Line project. Here you can find information about the the Swift Gold Line. This first phase of the online open house closed on Aug. 7. Subscribe to the project by clicking the Follow button above to learn about additional opportunities for input this winter and in early 2025.

Community Transit is preparing to dramatically improve transit service for Arlington, Marysville, and Everett by expanding the Swift bus rapid transit (BRT) network with the Swift Gold Line.

Click on the tabs below:

• BENEFITS Learn more about the Swift Gold Line
• BRT DESIGN Learn how a higher level of investment in this corridor can attract more riders can create more benefits
• ROUTE OPTIONS Learn about the three route options and give your input
• MAP See an interactive map of the project and what people said about important community resources in the project corridor

Swift BRT will offer shorter waits between buses, faster and more reliable service, and connections to congestion-free travel across the region on the Link light rail that arrives in Lynnwood in August 2024 and Everett in the future.

Transit plays a big role in helping identify solutions so that growing communities have enough transportation capacity to get people from where they are to where they want to be. BRT service is particularly effective at creating economic and environmental benefits along with expanded travel options. We are exploring options for maximizing the benefits it will bring riders and community members.

More bus riders, taking cars off the road

Connections to congestion-free light rail

Improvements to sidewalks, making it easier to walk and use transit
Easier access to jobs and businesses

Better traffic flow, moving buses and cars more efficiently

The cities of Everett, Marysville, and Arlington are planning for future population and job growth in their communities. By 2050, Snohomish County will see a 24% increase in population and a 19% increase in jobs.

There are a few options for how a Swift line can operate. There are tradeoffs for each of these options that impact riders, drivers, and overall project costs. Community Transit’s existing Swift lines travel in the rightmost lane of traffic. These lines use a combination of transit signal priority (TSP) and business access and transit (BAT) lanes to keep the buses running…swiftly.

Transit Signal Priority

TSP uses technology to communicate with upcoming traffic signals to give the bus more green time and less red time. This results in Swift riders waiting at traffic lights less frequently and for less time.

Business Access and Transit Lanes

BAT lanes require all vehicles to turn right, except for buses. Vehicles other than transit may not continue through an intersection in this lane. BAT lanes can be found at the curbside/rightmost lane of traffic. BAT lanes currently exist on SR-99/Aurora Ave on the Swift Blue Line. Examples of BAT Lanes are included below.

Both of these options keep buses moving; however, these options maintain buses in the mixed traffic lanes and are susceptible to congestion as growth continues in our area. To provide highly reliable, fast transit service for years to come that would support planned growth in these communities, there are a few additional options to investigate. These options make buses operate more like light rail trains, separated from traffic. Those options include both One and Two Lane Center-Running Transit-Only Lanes. Details for each option are outlined in more detail below, including several examples of where these options exist throughout North America and a video that illustrates how they operate.

One Lane Center-Running Transit-Only Lanes

There is a separate lane in the center of the roadway that only Swift buses use. Buses travel in both directions in this lane and pass at stations. Features of one lane center-running transit-only lanes include:

• Bus travels separated from regular roadway traffic, getting you where you are going faster and more reliably.
• Can be implemented in areas where there is limited Right-of-Way available or a preference to maintain on-street parking.

Examples of One Lane Center-Running Transit-Only Lanes are shown below:

Two Lane Center-Running Transit-Only Lanes

There are two separate lanes in the center of that roadway that only Swift buses use. Features of two lane center-running transit-only lanes include:

• Bus travels separated from regular roadway traffic, getting you where you’re going faster and more reliably.
• Allows access for all transit and emergency vehicles.
• Requires more roadway space and may limit the ability to maintain on-street parking.

There are three route options for the Swift Gold Line. All options follow a shared path from downtown Everett to Grove St in downtown Marysville and then from 136th St NE along 51st Ave NE and 172nd St NE before ending at Smokey Point Transit Center. In the middle between Grove St and 136th St NE, the routes take different paths:

• Option A: Travels up State Ave and Smokey Point Blvd, turning on 136th St NE, and then reconnecting with the shared path on 51st Ave NE.
• Option B: Travels up Stave Ave, turns onto Shoultes Rd, and continues on 51st Ave NE.
• Option C: Turns on Grove St and then turns on 51st Ave NE.

The project team reviewed existing and future conditions along the Swift Gold Line corridor and conducted an analysis to determine these potential route options. We considered:

• Ridership potential (population and employment)
• Connections for people biking and walking
• Ongoing, planned development, and other land uses
• Key travel destinations
• Connections to other transit services
• Cost to construct and operate the Swift service
• Transit travel time to ensure a fast, reliable ride for Swift riders

Please review the benefits and disadvantages for each route option. From July 11 to Aug. 7, community members had the opportunity to give input on the route options in a survey.