a Swift bus arriving at Lynnwood City Center Station with the CT Ride Store and Link light rail in the background

Transit Changes in 2024 & Beyond is Community Transit’s plan for the bus service changes in Snohomish County that we have been implementing since 2024. Your input helped us define these changes. The Community Transit Board of Directors approved the Plan on April 6, 2023.

Our goals for the changes implemented by the plan include:
  • Connect bus service to light rail—creating easy connections between light rail, Swift bus rapid transit service, and frequent local bus service.
  • Expand access to frequent service—allowing for fast trips between key points throughout Snohomish County with improved transit access to more jobs and essential services, shorter walking distances, and less waiting between bus connections.
  • Adjust to the changing market—considering how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected how people ride transit.
  • Focus on equitable access—improving service for those who depend on transit the most.

In-Person & Online Events

Click on the dates listed below to join us in person or online to learn more.

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m.*
Sound Transit’s Everett Link Extension and Operations and Maintenance Facility North Public Scoping Meeting

Community Transit will host a table at the meeting to share information and answer your questions about the transit changes.

* This event time has been adjusted from the originally advertised 5-7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 16, 6-7 p.m.
Webinar and Q&A

Community Transit hosted a Webinar and Q&A on Zoom to present information about the transit changes and answer your questions.

Watch the webinar now

Final Transit Service Plan

The Transit Changes in 2024 & Beyond plan contains approximately 480,000 annual service hours—that’s 32% more service than 2023. It also represents the level of service frequency we expect to operate by 2027, once the light rail operates at full capacity.

The adopted plan:

  • Reflects your input from 2021–2023.
  • Connects to new light rail service in Snohomish County with our new express 900-series routes.
  • Improves and expands access to fast and frequent Swift bus rapid transit lines, including the Swift Orange Line, which began service in March of 2024.
  • Adds more frequent bus service throughout Snohomish County, with three times the number of routes with 20 minutes or better frequency, and two times the number of routes with 30 minutes or better frequency.
  • Implements more late-night and weekend bus service.
  • Increases the number of people and jobs within walking distance of all-day, frequent transit service by 68% and 40%, respectively.
  • Adapts to shifts in ridership patterns.

What has changed so far

We began implementing these transit changes in phases starting in March 2024, and in September 2024 we made significant changes to our bus system as light rail reached Snohomish County. We continued to make incremental changes throughout 2025 and into 2026.

These changes we have made so far include:

  • The opening of the new Swift Orange Line connecting Edmonds College, Lynnwood City Center Station, Alderwood Mall, Ash Way, and Mill Creek with trips every 10 minutes throughout the day.
  • Service to new destinations such as Lynnwood High School.
  • Improving peak frequency on more than 10 routes from 60 minutes to 30 minutes or better.
  • Improving span of service on more than 15 routes.
  • Significant improvements to weekend service.

These transit changes are designed to align with the new role Link light rail in providing a frequent all-day connection to the rest of the region, and are phased to allow for the ongoing recruitment for bus drivers and mechanics and service design iterations based on performance.

How to stay informed

We will continue to make changes in the coming months and years as we expand our ability to deliver service. To better understand the specific changes that are occurring at one of our four regular service changes per year, please visit the Service Changes web page.

To stay informed on all these changes sign up for Rider Alerts.

Looking at 2026

In 2026 Community Transit will continue to make changes to service with a focus on service reliability. Emphasis will be placed on reviewing customer needs in Marysville, Lake Stevens, Snohomish, Silver Firs, and the US2 corridor. Both weekdays and weekends will be affected.

Shortly after Link 2 Line service crosses Lake Washington, we will retire Route 424 (Snohomish P&R - Seattle) and launch Route 908 (Snohomish – Bellevue) to connect with Link light rail in Bellevue. Community Transit will share more details about the specifics of these changes as each service change approaches.

How we got here

Your input helped shape the final transit service plan

Thank you for the input you shared! Your input helped shape the final transit service plan.

Phase 1: Transit Values and Priorities

In fall 2021, Community Transit asked you what your values and priorities are for future transit service when light rail comes to Snohomish County in the next few years. We received nearly 1,000 survey responses, and we heard about barriers to transit use and a preference for:

  • More local bus service rather than regional service to transit centers
  • More mid-day and evening weekday service, and weekend service
Phase 2: Draft Transit Service Plan

We used your feedback, demographic data, and our equity index to develop a draft plan for bus service. The equity index is part of carrying out the agency’s core value of Equity and Inclusion. It considers populations with very low incomes, communities of color, foreign-born residents, limited English-speaking households, and people living with disability. In spring 2022, we asked for feedback on this draft plan on a route-by-route basis.

We received more than 750 survey responses, and we heard:

  • Increase frequency
  • Concerns that routes/light rail is too far from your final destination
  • Later evening service and more weekend service
  • Keep commuter bus service to Seattle
Phase 3: Final Draft Transit Service Plan

Following Phase 2 outreach, we updated the transit service plan based on input from:

  • The public during both phases of outreach
  • Conversations with partner agencies and operations staff
  • Ridership data

We received more than 100 comments, and we heard:

  • A desire from current commuter bus riders to maintain their one-seat ride to downtown Seattle and concerns about using light rail due to safety concerns.
  • A concern with how schedules will align to make similar trips as riders take today.
  • Support for the more frequent bus service, as well as more bus service earlier in the day and later at night.

The Community Transit Board of Directors reviewed and considered all public comments and voted to approve the plan on April 6, 2023.