Community Transit

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find schedule information?

Bus schedules are available on our website through the Schedules page and on our buses in Bus Plus books. You can also use the online Trip Planner to plan a trip between different locations. The results will show you options for getting there, as well as the cost of the journey and you can print a map.Why are you cutting service?

Why did you cut service?

Community Transit is funded primarily through sales tax revenues, which have dropped for the last four years due to the recession. These cuts, on top of the cuts made in June 2010, bring our costs below incoming revenues.

Why are you only cutting bus service? What about administration, vanpool or other programs?

Community Transit has cut $29 million in administrative and program costs since 2007, including wage freezes and the elimination of 103 employees. Another 103 employees were cut as part of the 2012 service reductions. The bus cuts in June 2010 and February 2012 also impact our DART paratransit service. DART is our most expensive service to ride per person, but serves the most vulnerable and transit-dependent people.

Vanpool is an extremely cost-effective program that also gives bus riders an option as service is reduced. Compared to bus service, a higher percentage of the cost of vanpools is paid for by rider fares. The vanpool services have not been cut, although vanpool staff have been reduced.

Are you going to have to cut service again?

It depends on the economy, but we believe the cuts made in 2010 and 2012 will take our agency to a size that can be sustained on current revenue even with a slow economic recovery.

When are you going to bring back Sunday service?

There is no timetable for bringing back Sunday service. One option considered for this February would have restored minimal Sunday service at the expense of further cuts during the rest of the week. While some riders wanted that option, others did not and the Board of Directors chose not to make further cuts for the minimal Sunday service that would have been restored. When more funding becomes available, the agency will look again at restoring Sunday service.

What were the big changes coming in February?

• Major changes to local routing in south Snohomish County. The same route number may serve completely different communities and park & rides than in the past.

• Most commuter routes remain the same, but provide fewer trips.

• No late-night service. The service day now ends between 10 and 11 p.m.

• Fewer buses midday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on weekdays.This allows more service to be focused during high ridership peak hours.

• Less Saturday service.

• Reduced service to the outlying areas of north and east Snohomish County.

• Loops and deviations have been cut. This makes routes straighter and quicker, providing a faster trip and saving money.

• Nine routes were eliminated, although most of those routes have alternative service.

Is the news all bad?

We had to make cuts, but they were designed to keep service where and when most people use the bus.

• The new route network focuses service on high ridership corridors, where 75 percent of our riders catch the bus. Many of those routes have been streamlined to make the trips quicker.

• Service is also focused at peak morning and afternoon hours, when 70 percent of our riders take the bus. If you ride at these times, chances are there will be few changes for you, although your bus may be more crowded.

• Several corridors will get more frequent service at peak hours, including those in Bothell, Edmonds, north Everett, Mill Creek, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace. Buses will run every 15-20 minutes in these areas at peak times.

What routes are affected?

This is a major service change and every route is affected in some way.

• University District service and a couple other routes will see only minor changes to the timing of trips. Those are Routes 227, 247, 413, 810, 821, 855, 860, 871, 880 and 885.
   
• Nine routes are canceled; those are Routes 118, 121, 131, 190, 221,  271, 401, 406 and 414.
   
• There are two new routes: Route 196: Edmonds Station – Alderwood; and Route 220: Arlington – Smokey Point.
   
• All other routes have routing changes, trip reductions or both.

What’s happening at the Warm Beach Senior Community?

Warm Beach will continue to be served all day by Route 240 at a stop on Marine Drive.

What kind of public process was there for these service cuts?

In June 2011, Community Transit announced three alternative ways to acheive a 20 percent cut in bus service - the amount needed to balance the budget. During a month-long public comment period, more than 1,000 people gave their opinions on the three alternatives. A blog post that summarizes the testimony heard by the Community Transit Board at the July 7 public hearing. The board members only listened at the hearing, and received a full report on public comments at a July 21 workshop. Based on board input stemming from the public comment process, a new alternative was created for consideration. Discussion of all the alternatives took place at the Aug. 4 board meeting and the board requested a "hybrid" option. Additional public comment was solicited and the board made its final decision on September 1.

Did you consider a fare increase to help reduce the need for cuts?

A fare increase was considered to help close the budget gap in 2012. However, it was felt that raising fares at a time when service was being reduced was too hard a hit to our customers. Even if fares were raised, the amount of revenue generated would not have prevented cuts from taking place.

Since 2008 when the recession and high gas prices began taking their toll, Community Transit has raised fares twice. Local and commuter bus, DART and vanpool fares were raised in 2008, while local bus and DART fares were raised again in June 2010.

We keep a close eye on our fares to ensure riders pay a reasonable share of the cost of their trip, and that fares are in line with other transit agencies in the region. In the new Six-Year Transit Development Plan, regular fare increases are scheduled every other year to ensure that revenues are keeping pace with inflation.

With reduced frequency of buses, how have you planned for transfers so people don’t have to wait long between bus connections?

We are aware of the need to help people make connections, especially in our reduced system.

Schedules are designed to make transfers between routes work as often as possible at major transit hubs such as park & rides. However, many routes pass through several transit centers, so transfers can be difficult to schedule at each. Also, since routes run at different frequencies – for instance, Swift is proposed to run every 12 minutes and Route 201 every 30 or 40 minutes – some trips will have more efficient transfers than others.

We will listen to our riders to learn which connections are more difficult and try to make adjustments. If there are major changes to be made, they will have to wait until the September service change.

Can’t you find some new funding to keep service on the road?

We have tried! During last year's state legislative session, Community Transit staff, board members and union leaders worked hard to educate legislators about the need for more transit funding. We received no new funding from the state, despite several efforts that would have directed new funding or funding authority our way.

The State Legislature this year may be considering a statewide transportation package. Governor Gregoire has proposed a package that would allow some direct funding for transit, and some local options which would allow transit agencies to seek additional funding. Whether Community Transit benefits from these proposals will not be known until later this year.

Prior to 1999, the state provided almost a third of Community Transit’s funding, which helped offset the volatility of sales tax funding. Once the Legislature reduced car tab fees, transit funding went away. The State Legislature is considering a transportation funding package this year that could include funding for transit. Contact your state legislator for more information.

Why don’t you save money for service and stop buying new buses?

We have delayed bus purchases to save money several times, but at some point that becomes a liability. Maintenance costs increase significantly when a bus passes 12 years old, which is the federally authorized bus retirement age. Generally, we keep buses on the road for about 14 years because our great mechanics take such good care of them. Last year we finally replaced 16-year old articulated buses with 23 double decker buses. Thanks to federal stimulus funds and other grants, the agency paid only 11 percent of the cost of the 23 Double Talls!

A combination of federal and local funds was also used to replace 24 aging local buses late last year. Fifteen of the local replacement buses were hybrid diesel-electric buses, which will allow us to test whether the hybrids will save money in the long run due to lower fuel use and less routine maintenance. Grant funding for bus purchases and clean-air technology is very specific and cannot be used to operate bus service.

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