“Journey 2050” draft plan lays out Community Transit’s vision and long-term priorities

Community Transit is asking Snohomish County residents, transit riders, and anyone who travels in the county to comment on “Journey 2050”, the agency’s draft long range plan released this week. The plan reflects community priorities as well as changes in regional transportation options and outlines a service vision in response to major growth expected in the county. The final plan will guide Community Transit’s investments in services and infrastructure for decades, setting the course for how people will use transit in their daily lives, whether it’s to travel to appointments, work, school, shopping, airport trips, or events throughout the region.

Journey 2050 builds on the agency’s vision for expanding transit service and incorporates several fundamental changes:

• Service Growth ─ Significantly increase service to meet the needs of the county, particularly in regional growth centers with high concentrations of people and jobs. Types of services include Swift bus rapid transit (BRT); regular bus service with improved frequency and connections; and Innovative Services, such as Zip Alderwood Shuttle.
• Regional Transit Expansion ─ Continue to optimize the transit system in Snohomish County in alignment with regional transit expansion, including connecting to light rail and regional BRT.
• Emerging Mobility Options ─ Develop new and innovative service types such as Zip to improve mobility options for the community. This may include on-demand or flexible route services and existing services such as DART paratransit and Vanpool.
• Zero Emissions Fleet ─ Set a goal of transitioning to a zero emissions fleet by 2044 in order to reduce the impact on the environment. Transforming the fleet from diesel-powered to zero-emissions buses is the largest single investment Community Transit has planned to date.

 Members of the public can comment on the plan, which can be found here, in a variety of ways through Nov. 2:

• Survey: bit.ly/Journey2050survey
• Webinar: POSTPONED. This will be rescheduled; please check back for details.
• Email: Journey2050@commtrans.org  
• Social media: 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., Nov. 2 (sign up at communitytransit.org/how-to-attend-a-meeting).
• More information: communitytransit.org/long-range-plan

In 2022, community members and organizations gave input on their priorities for the future of transit through a survey and interviews. This input helped shape the draft Journey 2050 plan. The Community Transit Board of Directors will consider the draft plan at the Dec. 7 board meeting.