Swift is Community Transit’s bus rapid transit (BRT) service. Everything about Swift – the buses, stations, routes, and the way you pay – makes getting around Snohomish County faster and easier.

Swift connects you with regional transit options, getting you farther faster. Swift buses arrive every 10 minutes on weekdays, and every 15-20 minutes during early mornings, evenings, and weekends, meaning you do not even need to check a schedule. Swift meets community needs for transportation options in the corridor by promoting transit ridership. Community Transit’s Swift Blue, Swift Green, and Swift Orange lines have the most riders in our system.

Currently, you can ride:

• Swift Blue Line along Hwy 99 between Shoreline North/185th light rail station and Everett Station.
• Swift Green Line along Hwy 527, 128th St SW, and Airport Rd between Canyon Park Park & Ride and Seaway Transit Center.
• Swift Orange Line along the Bothell-Everett Hwy, 164th St SE, 36th Ave W, Alderwood Mall Blvd, and 196th St SW between McCollum Park Park & Ride and Edmonds College.

Community Transit is expanding our Swift network. In addition to Swift Gold Line, we are planning for the Swift Green Line Extension to add up to seven new pairs of stations between Canyon Park Park & Ride and UW Bothell/Cascadia College. We expect to open the Swift Green Line Extension in 2030.

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.

• TSP adjusts the timing of a traffic signals to reduce the amount of time transit vehicles wait at a red light. The signal green time is extended as the bus approaches the intersection. Transit signal priority can also be combined with a queue jump lane to allow buses to get an early green signal and in front other traffic. Sometimes, this also looks like a separate light for buses that turns green first, so that they can get ahead of traffic.
• 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 in some areas on Swift Blue and Swift Green lines.

The anticipated cost of the project is $137-$150M. The project requires no additional local funding or new taxes. The project will be funded by state and federal grants (Capital Investment Grants Program) and revenue from the existing Community Transit sales tax rate. The Swift Gold Line project recently received approval from the Federal Transit Administration to enter the project development phase for the Capital Investment Grants Program, which is a crucial step in making this project a reality.

As part of this project, you’ll see changes at Everett Station and Smokey Point Transit Center. Right now, we’re designing changes at these two locations, which include:

• Everett Station: Everett Station is an active transit center and we need to make some adjustments to accommodate Swift Gold Line, in addition to the existing Swift Blue Line. We will:
  • Add a new Swift station
  • Add space for buses to take breaks (layover)
  • Explore opportunities for adding charging for zero emissions buses
• Smokey Point Transit Center: With the addition of Zip Shuttle, increasing local bus service, and Swift Gold Line at Smokey Point Transit Center, we will:
  • Add a station for Swift Gold Line
  • Add space for buses to take breaks (layover)
  • Add designated locations for other services
  • Expand the transit center to add new bus bays for local service
  • Explore opportunities for adding charging for zero emissions buses
  • Improve accessibility and pathways

Many factors go into determining proposed station locations. The project team evaluated:

• Community input from Phase 1 engagement, as well as comments received during the Long Range Planning process and through our Customer Care team.
• Projected ridership
• Construction costs
• Accessibility to key destinations
• Connections to other transit options
• Distance between stations to ensure the bus can move…swiftly
• Space (i.e., is there enough room for a station?)

The project team will consider input and make updates to station locations following this round of engagement. You can provide input on the proposed station locations again in 2026.

Last summer, you had the opportunity to provide input on three route options in Marysville: Options A, B, and C. Each route received both positive and negative comments. Option B was well received for the speed of north-south travel and for providing increased access to residential areas over Option A. Option B balances the community’s interest in travel time through the corridor as well as access to both residential and commercial areas.

Community Transit identified route Option B (pictured in the map above) as the preliminary route option for Swift Gold Line. Route Option B balances the community's needs with long-term efficiency, directness of travel, and ensuring the best outcome for future transit users.

With center-running transit-only lanes, Swift buses would travel in a dedicated lane in the middle of the road for portions of the project in Everett along Broadway and Marysville along State Ave.

Approximate areas under consideration for center-running bus lanes

Based on analysis and modeling, center-running transit-only lanes are the best option for this project in the designated areas. These lanes provide the most benefit to everyone in the community. These lanes:

• Maintain the same number of through lanes for driving cars as there are today.
• Remove the two-way left turn lane to minimize property impacts, but maintains left-turn lanes at lights with an option to U-turn. This creates more predictable turns for drivers and improves safety for drivers and pedestrians.
• Offer even faster, safer, and more efficient BRT design, used around the world.
• Separate BRT buses from cars, so BRT buses don’t compete with cars in regular traffic lanes.
• Improve intersections and streets, making neighborhoods better for residents and businesses.
• Improve traffic flow for cars and buses compared to curbside in mixed traffic and dedicated lanes on the right (BAT lanes). Focus on improving traffic flow in areas where there are currently the most delays for buses and cars.
• Create the opportunity for high projected ridership, which means high favorability for receiving federal funding needed to complete the project.
• Highest cost to build the project when compared to the other options.

Watch this 2-minute video from That Transit Show to learn more about how center-running transit-only lanes work.

What is the alternative to dedicated, center-running lanes in these areas of Everett and Marysville?

The alternative to dedicated, center-running lanes in these areas is curbside in mixed traffic with transit signal priority (TSP), where BRT buses drive in the rightmost lane with regular car traffic. As population continues to increase and traffic continues to worsen, operating BRT buses in curbside in mixed traffic does not improve the flow of traffic for cars and buses.

There are two designs for center-running lanes under consideration for this project:

Two-Lane center-running transit-only lanes

Two-lane center-running transit-only lane station access example

Two-lane center-running transit-only lanes are proposed on Broadway in Everett between Everett Ave and Tower St. This area could also use one-lane center-running transit-only lanes or curbside in mixed traffic, resulting in fewer benefits for everyone.

• Two separate lanes in the center of the road for buses to travel in both directions.
• Stations in the center of the roadway, one station for each direction, resulting in higher construction costs when compared to one-lane center-running lanes.
• Riders access stations via crosswalks. The stations also create places for people crossing to rest, if needed, increasing safety for people walking regardless of whether they are using transit.
• Requires more space to build stations with minimal impacts to existing businesses and residential properties if parking is repurposed.
• Maintains the same number of car travel lanes, but impacts on-street parking.
• Greatest improvement to traffic flow for cars and buses when compared to one-lane center-running and curbside in mixed traffic.
• Improves safety in the corridor with improved intersections and streets.
• Emergency vehicles can use the lanes, speeding up emergency responses and increasing public safety.

One-lane center-running transit-only lanes

One-lane center-running transit-only lane station access example

One-lane center-running transit-only lanes are proposed on State Ave in Marysville between approximately 1st St and 84th St NE, and 92nd St NE and 100th St NE. This area could also use curbside in mixed traffic, resulting in fewer benefits for everyone. One-lane center-running lanes are also an option for the area in Everett where two-lane center-running are proposed, but the benefits are not as great.

• Only one lane in the center of the road dedicated for BRT buses, shared by north- and southbound buses. Buses pass each other at stations or other predetermined locations.
• Stations are shared for both directions of travel, resulting in reduced costs for construction compared to two-lane center-running lanes.
• Riders access stations via crosswalks. The stations also create places for people crossing to rest, if needed, increasing safety for people walking regardless of whether they are using transit.
• Can be implemented in areas where there is limited space available.
• Maintains the same number of car travel lanes.
• Maintains the majority of on-street parking in Everett. There is currently no parking in Marysville on this corridor, so there are no impacts.
• Improvement to traffic flow for cars and buses, when compared to mixed traffic.
• Improves safety in the corridor with improved intersections and streets.

Business Access Transit (BAT) lanes change the rightmost lane into a right-turn only lane for cars. Buses can travel through intersections in this lane. This option is proposed for some segments along the corridor. BAT lanes are not an alternative for the proposed center-running lanes in high-traffic areas of Everett and Marysville described above due to impacts to traffic.

Two of the existing Swift lines (Swift Blue Line and Swift Green Line) use BAT lanes in select areas. BAT lanes are proposed for Swift Gold Line in some areas where it will improve traffic flow. The short distances between intersections on Broadway in Everett and State Ave in downtown Marysville make BAT lanes only minimally effective for improving traffic flow for buses and has negative impacts for car traffic.

• Removes one driving lane for through traffic in each direction.
• The right-lane of traffic becomes right-turn only, meaning buses get in the way of cars. Buses also get stuck behind cars turning right and travel more slowly due to traffic.
• High projected ridership similar to center-running transit-only lanes.
• Similar local cost when compared to center-running transit-only lanes. Lower local cost compared to curbside in mixed traffic.
• Opportunity to improve sidewalks and crossings, but fewer opportunities for roadway and safety improvements when compared to center-running transit-only lanes.

Business Access Transit (BAT) lane BRT station and roadway diagram

Curbside in mixed traffic is where buses travel in the rightmost lane along with general purpose traffic. This option is proposed for Arlington, north Marysville, and parts of Everett. It is also an alternative for key areas in Everett and Marysville where dedicated center-running lanes are proposed.

• Current Swift lines travel in the rightmost lane for most of their route.
• Changes at key intersections to improve speed and reliability for transit. Otherwise, no changes to the roadway.
• Can be implemented anywhere in the corridor, but buses get in the way of cars, slowing down traffic. Buses also get stuck behind cars turning right and travel more slowly due to traffic.
• Low projected ridership, which means low favorability for federal funding, which is necessary to complete the project.
• Highest local cost to build the project when compared to the other options due to low favorability for federal funding needed to complete the project.
• Opportunity to improve sidewalks and crossings, but fewer opportunities for roadway and safety improvements when compared to center-running transit-only lanes.

Curbside in mixed traffic BRT station and roadway diagram