First Phase of Swift Gold Line Community Engagement Results
Online open house just the beginning of Swift Gold Line engagement
Community Transit is planning its fourth Swift bus rapid transit (BRT) line, and first in north Snohomish County. Swift Gold Line will operate between Everett Station and Smokey Point Transit Center in Arlington.
The first phase of public comment gathered input from those in the Swift Gold Line project area July 11-Aug. 7 via an online open house and in-person events that introduced the project to the community.
We want to thank those who participated in the engagement survey*. Your input will help us dramatically improve transit service in Arlington, Everett, and Marysville when Swift Gold Line opens as soon as 2029.
What you said
In general, many community members shared that they look forward to Swift Gold Line, including current transit riders and people who do not currently ride.
Survey participants provided feedback and some of the general themes we heard were:
- Prioritizing and improving roadway safety
- Improving traffic flow
- Improving pedestrian infrastructure
People expressed interest in the new bus lane concepts of center-running transit-only lanes, which would keep Swift service running smoothly even when traffic gets bad.
Pictured above: An example of a center-running transit-only BRT lane.
The survey sought comments on three different proposed route options (A, B & C), asking participants to share what they liked or disliked about each option. We heard the following:
- Option A was well received for access to shopping, employment, and retail, but does not serve residential neighborhoods as well.
- Option B was well received for the speed of north-south travel and for providing increased access to residential areas over Option A.
- Option C was well received for serving residential communities in east Marysville that don’t currently have a lot of transit options. Some noted the lack of access to services and commercial areas along State Ave.
Pictured Above: The proposed Gold Line routes: Option A, Option B, and Option C.
Participants viewed the online open house more than 2,600 times , providing 140 responses to the survey and 95 comments on an activity map.
We also expanded and diversified input by reaching community members in person, including 450 conversations with visitors at six community events in Snohomish County. We also generated input by mailing postcards to more than 17,000 residences and businesses in the service area.
What’s next
Swift Gold Line project team will narrow the route options before the next round of community engagement in February 2025 and will focus on receiving community input on lane options and potential station locations.
Stay up to date on the Swift Gold Line project by visiting the Swift Gold Line project page. The project page has many details including project timeline, route options, links to current and past surveys, and more.
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Contact us
There are multiple ways to contact us about the Swift Gold Line project:
*This survey was available to all riders and community members. This was an engagement survey and not a scientific survey and the results should not necessarily be seen to reflect the opinions of all riders or community members.