More frequent bus service in north Snohomish County gets strong public response

More than 1,000 people responded to surveys about how the next Swift bus rapid transit (BRT) line could be designed to serve north Snohomish County.

Community Transit collected input in a variety of ways. Feedback methods include:

• Community Transit online open house survey.
• Public opinion research collected using a scientific survey from voters living in Arlington, Marysville, and north Everett.
• Briefings with neighborhood groups, community organizations, and businesses.
• Conversations at more than 20 community events.
• Partnerships with community organizations.
  

“I’m really grateful that so many people are showing interest in the Swift Gold Line,” said Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz. “We received a lot of great ideas and feedback, and we look forward to using that input to design the project to reflect the community’s priorities.”

The Swift Gold Line will extend the popular Swift BRT system to the fast-growing north Snohomish County area, providing more frequent service that connects Everett, Marysville, and Arlington. 85% of respondents to the community engagement survey and 75% of respondents to the public opinion research expressed a favorable opinion of the Swift Gold Line project.

A key reason for conducting the surveys was to get community feedback on the proposed use of dedicated, center-running bus lanes in some areas, which preserves general purpose lanes for cars. This new feature aims to improve on the current Swift system and keep traffic moving efficiently and safely.

Highlights from engagement and research responses include the following sentiments:

• Traffic and lack of transit are the leading transportation problems in the region.
• A majority of respondents support the Swift Gold Line project overall, as well as routing through downtown Everett.
• A majority of respondents support the use of center-running transit-only lanes in certain portions of the corridor.
• Respondents also had questions on how to access stations in the center of the road and had a desire for further study on impacts to parking and business access in certain areas.
• Many respondents shared enthusiasm for the project’s proposed improvements to sidewalks, crosswalks, and the flow of traffic​.
  

An overview of the engagement and public opinion research results can be viewed in the Oct. 23 Community Transit Board Workshop recording. The presentation (slides 18-60) is also available here.

As the project continues into preliminary design, Community Transit will conduct additional studies on parking impacts, impacts to traffic and existing center turn lanes, and impacts to properties along the corridor.

The community and jurisdictional partners can expect more details on these topics, as well preliminary design concepts, in a third engagement period in early 2026. A fourth public engagement period later next year will seek input on the project’s alignment, station locations, and bus lane approach, also known as the locally preferred alternative. The Community Transit Board of Directors is expected to take action on the locally preferred alternative following the fourth phase of public engagement.

About Swift Gold Line

The Swift Gold Line will be a 15-mile route providing fast and frequent service connecting Everett Station with Smokey Point Transit Center in Arlington. Destinations along the way include downtown Marysville, the Cascade Industrial Center, downtown Everett, Angel of the Winds Arena, the future Everett outdoor event center, and Everett Community College/WSU Everett. Construction of the Swift Gold Line is expected to take place between 2028 and 2030, with service beginning in 2031.