Getting around Seattle with Community Transit
Community Transit is here to get you where you want to go. We are proud to be a part of the Seattle community — we live here, ride here, and drive here. Wherever you need to go in Seattle, feel good about how you get there.
About Seattle
Seattle is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is home to many regional destinations. The Seattle metropolitan area's population is 4.02 million, making it the 15th-largest in the United States.
King County Metro provides frequent bus service within the city and surrounding county, as well as the South Lake Union Streetcar line and the First Hill Streetcar line. Sound Transit provides an express bus service within the metropolitan area, two Sounder commuter rail lines between the suburbs and downtown, and its 1 Line light rail line between the University of Washington and Angle Lake. Further Link light rail extensions are planned to reach Lynnwood to the north, Federal Way to the south, and Bellevue and Redmond to the east by 2024.
Washington State Ferries, which manages the largest network of ferries in the United States and third largest in the world, connects Seattle to Bainbridge and Vashon Islands in Puget Sound and to Bremerton and Southworth on the Kitsap Peninsula. King Street Station in Pioneer Square serves Amtrak intercity trains and Sounder commuter trains, and is located adjacent to the International District/Chinatown light rail station. ( Source: Wikipedia)
Community Transit provides several commuter bus routes to Seattle from its service area as well as DART paratransit service and Vanpool to riders venturing to Seattle from our service area.
Popular Destinations
Feedback wanted: Community Transit proposes eliminating commuter bus fare
Changes are coming to Community Transit as light rail reaches Snohomish County later this year. You’ll have more travel options in Snohomish County, more bus service, and improved regional transit connections.
As a part of these coming changes, Community Transit is proposing to eliminate commuter bus fare, starting on Sept. 1. Public comment is open now through May 3 for people who would like to comment on this proposed fare change.
Why remove commuter fares?
Currently, riders are charged $4.25 for commuter routes that travel to Northgate and downtown Seattle. When light rail begins operating in Snohomish County later this year, Community Transit will stop operating those routes so there is no need for the $4.25 fare category.
If the fare change is approved by the Community Transit Board of Directors, then all standard adult fares would be $2.50 for local bus, Swift, Zip Alderwood Shuttle, and DART paratransit services. Other Community Transit fares would remain the same.
Cost savings for riders going to Seattle
The removal of the commuter fare category would also mean cost savings for people traveling to Seattle from Snohomish County. This is because with the elimination of Community Transit’s commuter fare and Sound Transit’s approved plans to change Link fares to a flat $3, riders from Snohomish County would go from paying $4.25 each way to $3 each way with an ORCA card. For a five-day commute, that would result in $12.50 savings a week and $50 savings a month.
Why are commuter routes being eliminated?
Starting Sept. 14, Community Transit buses will no longer serve Northgate and downtown Seattle. Route 424 will continue to operate until at least 2025, but will move to the standard $2.50 fare. Instead, riders will connect to Link light rail at Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, or Shoreline to complete their trips to Seattle. Some Sound Transit buses will continue to serve Seattle.
We want to hear from you!
As Community Transit plans for fare changes, we want to hear from you by May 3. The following are ways to submit comments:
- Survey: communitytransit.org/fareproposal
- Email: engage@commtrans.org
- Social: Facebook (/communitytransit), Twitter (@MyCommTrans)
- Mail: Community Transit, Administrative Office, 2312 W Casino Rd, Everett, WA 98204
- Call: 425-353-RIDE (7433)
- Public hearing: Community Transit Board Meeting: 3 p.m., May 2 (To comment, sign up at communitytransit.org/how-to-attend-a-meeting). The meeting will be in a hybrid format, with in-person attendance and an online option available. Visit our Board of Directors page and click on Upcoming Meetings for meeting materials and information on how to participate or listen.
Title VI analysis
Community Transit conducted a federally mandated Title VI analysis which found that the proposed fare change does not have a disparate effect on minority or low-income populations. Proposed fare changes and the Title VI analysis can be found at communitytransit.org/fareproposalinfo.
