Community Transit

Double Decker Buses Perk Up the Fleet

More riders. Less maintenance.
Smaller footprint. Bigger views.

There are now 23 Double Tall double decker buses specially built for Community Transit operating on Snohomish County roads.

Thanks to their extra seating capacity, Double Talls have been assigned to the most crowded trips of our 400-series routes serving trips to downtown Seattle. The buses replaced older articulated buses.

The first two Double Talls went into service on March 31, 2011. See images of that first morning on our Facebook page; read about the Double Talls on our blog.

More for Less

The double decker buses are 42 feet long and 14 feet tall. They seat 77 passengers – 49 upstairs, 28 downstairs – plus have designated standing room. Compared to the 60-foot, 60-seat buses they are replacing, Double Talls seat more passengers in less road space, easing crowding on popular commuter routes as well as on Seattle streets and at Community Transit’s Kasch Park base in Everett. 

Thanks to our zealous grant writers, federal and state funding paid 89 percent of the cost of these buses, which are needed to replace articulated buses in service since 1998. Only 11 percent of the funding for the Double Talls came from Community Transit's capital reserve budget.

The Double Tall buses require less maintenance (since there’s no joint in the middle) and use less fuel than the articulated buses, and are expected to handle better in snowy road conditions.

Popular with Passengers

Community Transit leased a double decker bus from 2007-09 to gauge its practicality as a regular commuter bus. The pilot program was very popular with passengers and bus enthusiasts. The new buses have more seats and added amenities compared to the leased coach.

The Double Talls are made by Alexander Dennis Ltd., the same company that makes the famous London double deckers. Community Transit’s decision to buy these buses required the Scotland-based bus manufacturer to contract with a plant in the United States so the buses could meet federal Buy America standards, a requirement for the federal stimulus money which helped pay for the buses.

Facts About the Double Tall

• Bus Model: Enviro 500
• Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis Limited
• Ceiling height : 5-feet-7-inches. Please watch your head.
• Extra-large windows: Enjoy the view.
• High-back reclining seats: Sit back and relax
• Height: 14 ft
• Weight: 52,911 lbs
• Length: 42 ft
• Capacity: 77 seats, with lower deck standing room for up to 20 passengers
• Weight distribution: 70 percent of weight is within 4 feet of the ground, making the buses very stable
• Comfort: All seats have 3 inches more hip-to-knee room than standard; reading lights; individual air vents
• Double deckers in U.S. transit: Las Vegas and Davis, Calif. are the other U.S. cities with double decker buses in regular transit operation. Davis uses an older style bus.