Fast Transit from Everett to the King/Snohomish line

My friend Jedi Master Steve sent me a link to this press release about the rapid transit bus that will run on HWY 99 from the king/sno border through everett with limited stops.

(Here is the Press Release)
New Bus Rapid Transit Route Called "Swift"

Swift - Our Vision of Bus Rapid Transit
"Swift" line gets $5 million approval from PSRC

Snohomish County, Wash. – Community Transit today unveiled the name, logo and design for its proposed Bus Rapid Transit line on Highway 99 in Snohomish County. "Swift" describes the fast ride that passengers will experience down the busy corridor, and a depiction of a Swift bird lends a colorful and sleek appearance to the system’s buses.

"Like a Swift bird, our BRT bus will not dwell at stations for long; it will fly down Highway 99 and possibly future corridors," said Community Transit CEO Joyce Olson. "Our goal is to offer quality service that is sleek, modern and attractive; something that looks fast, even when it’s standing still."

Community Transit is developing a Bus Rapid Transit line that will run on Highway 99 between Everett Station and the Aurora Village Transit Center at the Snohomish–King County line. Swift buses will run every 10 minutes and make fewer stops than local bus service between those locations. Using Business–Access–Transit (BAT) lanes, transit signal priority technology and fewer stops, the Swift service will offer a quicker ride along the corridor.

Today, the Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board approved two grants for the project totaling $5 million. That funding will go toward bus purchases and technology development. The agency envisions real–time bus arrival information at stations, which will utilize GPS technology.

In addition to the funding announced today, Community Transit has committed $12.5 million toward the Swift project, and is reserving service capacity this year and next so it will have operating funds available when the system goes on line in late 2008. The agency also learned last week that Senator Patty Murray secured a $1 million line item for the project in the 2007 Senate Appropriations Bill. That complements another $2.5 million earmarked for the project in the 2006 federal SAFETEA–LU legislation.

Community Transit is working with Snohomish County and the cities of Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and Shoreline to plan where the train–like stations on the route will be located.

"When the project is fully operating in 2008, Everett and South Snohomish County will have a public transit service with customer amenities equal to or better than any transportation project in the region," said Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson.

Discussions are under way with Everett Transit and King County Metro Transit to possibly extend this Bus Rapid Transit line north in Everett and south to Seattle in the future.

Celebrating 30 years of service, Community Transit operates 32 local bus routes, 31 commuter routes and DART paratransit service throughout Snohomish County. It also offers carpool matching, one of the nation’s largest vanpool programs and travel training to disabled and senior citizens. Call Community Transit at (425) 353–RIDE or (800) 562–1375 for bus information, or (888) 814–1300 for carpool or vanpool information, or go to www.communitytransit.org.