Easy transit for older adults
Community Transit serves many people across our communities — including riders age 65 and older, who make up nearly 15% of the Snohomish County population. If you are an older adult interested in taking transit, we have some tips to get you started on your journey.
Travel Training service
If you are new to the area or new to riding public transit, we encourage you to sign up for Community Transit’s free Travel Training service. Travel Training — which helps older adults, people living with disabilities, and others learn how to ride the bus — can be helpful for people who may feel nervous about riding for the first time.
“As I have gotten older, some things have become harder and more intimidating,” says Faith Adams, an Edmonds resident at an independent senior housing complex. “I was brand new to the area and had never taken local transit, but Travel Training gave me the courage to try it.”
Travel Trainers explain how to use the bus and ride with new riders during training — guiding them through the transit experience all the way to their destination. The training is tailored to meet each rider’s needs and abilities.
“Bretta, my trainer, was fabulous,” says Faith, “She rode with me to all the places I may go — the grocery store, the airport, my daughter’s house, the light rail.”
“We’re here to take the guesswork out of taking transit,” says RideStore employee Eric Adams, part of Community Transit’s Customer Experience department. “Whatever your questions, we’re here to make your experience as easy as possible.”
If you’re ready to schedule travel training or want more information, please call us at (425) 348-2379.
Senior Regional Reduced Fare Permit
If you are 65 or older, you can visit Community Transit’s RideStore to apply for a Senior Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP). This permit gives older adults an ORCA card for discounted fares on participating transit agencies in the Puget Sound area.
Getting a Senior RRFP will give you discounts on fares for local buses, trains, and ferries as well as our Zip Alderwood Shuttle. All that is required to get one is to come to the RideStore in person with an ID or to send a completed application with proof of age. You can also apply online at myorca.com, if you are able to upload a copy of your state-issued ID or birth certificate.
The RideStore is temporarily located across from the Ash Way Park & Ride, due to construction at the Lynnwood Transit Center. Construction at the transit center includes a new RideStore, which is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2024.
Learn more
Visit communitytransit.org/older-adult to learn more about all the ways Community Transit serves older riders, including our DART paratransit service and our ZIP Alderwood Shuttle, or visit the Community Transit RideStore. Hours and location are below.
Temporary RideStore location
Newberry Square Retail Center
16108 Ash Way, Suite 104
Lynnwood, WA 98087
(Across Ash Way from Ash Way Park & Ride)
Open Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Closed weekends and holidays, unless otherwise posted.
Community Transit Customer Care
Monday to Friday
6:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
(800) 562-1375
(425) 353-RIDE (7433)
TTY: 711
