Editing Community Transit (section)

== Regional connections ==
[[File:Sound Transit Express 51215C leaving South Everett (18960395342).jpg|thumb|left|alt=A Sound Transit bus on a freeway onramp|A [[Sound Transit Express]] bus on route 512, operated by Community Transit.]]

In 1992, Community Transit and Everett Transit agreed to break away from SNOTRAN, which served as their planning and administrative body in addition to disbursing federal funding, after CT complained of a "lack of communication" between the three agencies.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bergsman |first=Jerry |date=August 17, 1992 |title=CT seeks more clout in planning |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19920817/1507850/ct-seeks-more-clout-in-planning |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 27, 2014}}</ref> The county agency formally disbanded on December 31, 1994,<ref name="SeaTimes-SNOTRAN" /> replaced by the Joint Regional Policy Committee (JRPC) that formed four years prior to coordinate transit planning for the entire [[Puget Sound region]].<ref name="ST-Timeline">{{cite web |author=Office of Corporate Communications Operations, Projects & Corporate Services |date=October 2007 |title=Sound Transit History and Chronology |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/Documents/pdf/about/Chronology.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006063834/http://www.soundtransit.org/Documents/pdf/about/Chronology.pdf |archive-date=October 6, 2012 |publisher=[[Sound Transit]] |access-date=September 27, 2014}}</ref> A regional [[transit agency]] was formed in 1993 under the JRPC, organizing a $6.7&nbsp;billion (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|6700000000|1995}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}){{Inflation-fn|US}} plan for regional transit that was put to a vote on March 14, 1995, failing to pass outside of Seattle, [[Mercer Island, Washington|Mercer Island]] and [[Shoreline, Washington|Shoreline]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Crowley |first=Walt |author-link=Walt Crowley |date=September 24, 2000 |title=Voters in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties reject regional transit plan on March 14, 1995. |url=http://www.historylink.org/File/2677 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |access-date=September 27, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Schaefer |first=David |date=March 16, 1995 |title=Voters weren't ready for tax on transit plan |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19950316/2110445/voters-werent-ready-for-tax-on-transit-plan----especially-since-u-s-helping-less |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 27, 2014}}</ref> The plan included a [[commuter rail]] line on the [[BNSF Railway|BNSF]] [[Scenic Subdivision]] between Everett, Mukilteo, Edmonds and [[King Street Station (Seattle)|King Street Station]] in Seattle, a [[light rail]] line from Lynnwood to Seattle following [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]], and [[express bus service]] to light rail stations.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Regional Transit System Proposal |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/projects/planning/1995_plan_subarea_proposals.pdf |pages=9–10 |date=February 1995 |publisher=Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority |access-date=September 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930200958/http://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/projects/planning/1995_plan_subarea_proposals.pdf |archive-date=September 30, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The following November, the smaller "Sound Move" plan was approved at a cost of $3.9&nbsp;billion (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|3900000000|1996}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}),{{Inflation-fn|US}} including commuter rail from Everett to Seattle and express buses on Interstate 5 from Everett and Lynnwood to Seattle and Bellevue.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sound Move: Launching a Rapid Transit System for the Puget Sound Region |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/news/reports/soundmove/199605_soundmovethetenyearregionaltransitsystemplan.pdf |pages=16, 20 |date=May 31, 1996 |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=September 27, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Schaefer |first=David |date=November 6, 1996 |title=Voters back transit plan on fourth try |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19961106/2358535/voters-back-transit-plan-on-fourth-try |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 27, 2014 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215211/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961106&slug=2358535 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The regional transit agency, renamed to [[Sound Transit]] the following year,<ref>{{cite press release |date=August 15, 1997 |title="Sound Transit" to be the Name for Regional Transit Authority Services |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/Sound-Transit-to-be-the-Name-for-Regional-Transit-Authority-Services |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=September 27, 2014}}</ref> began operating its [[Sound Transit Express]] buses under contract with Community Transit in September 1999.<ref>{{cite press release |date=September 8, 1999 |title=Nine new ways to get around Puget Sound: Sound Transit to launch its first nine new ST Express regional bus routes |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/Nine-new-ways-to-get-around-Puget-Sound-Sound-Transit-to-launch-its-first-nine-new-ST-Express-regional-bus-routes |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=September 27, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=January 26, 1999 |title=CT to add three commuter routes |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19990126/2940691/ct-to-add-three-commuter-routes |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 27, 2014}}</ref> The new express buses connected [[park and ride]]s in southwestern Snohomish County, the only part of Community Transit's service area within the Sound Transit taxing district,<ref>{{cite map |publisher=Sound Transit |date=July 2006 |title=Sound Transit District |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/about/stdistrictmap07_10.pdf |format=PDF |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref> to Downtown Seattle, including the newly opened, 1,000-stall Ash Way Park & Ride in northern Lynnwood.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 26, 1999 |title=Snohomish Briefly: New park-and-ride lot opens in Mill Creek |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19990726/2973829/new-park-and-ride-lot-opens-in-mill-creek |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Sound Transit funded several capital projects to improve bus service on the Interstate 5 corridor, including direct access ramps from [[HOV lane]]s to Lynnwood and Ash Way park and rides that opened in 2004 and 2005, respectively.<ref>{{cite press release |date=November 16, 2004 |title=Sound Transit and WSDOT open state's first HOV Direct Access Ramp |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/Sound-Transit-and-WSDOT-open-states-first-HOV-Direct-Access-Ramp |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |date=September 19, 2005 |title=Sound Transit opens transit-only Direct Access ramp to Ash Way Park-and-Ride |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/Sound-Transit-opens-transit-only-Direct-Access-ramp-to-Ash-Way-Park-and-Ride |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref> In 2011, the existing [[Mountlake Terrace, Washington|Mountlake Terrace]] park and ride was expanded with an 890-stall [[parking garage]] and bus platforms in the [[median strip|median]] of I-5 connected by a [[pedestrian bridge]].<ref>{{cite press release |date=March 17, 2011 |title=Sound Transit dedicates Mountlake Terrace Freeway Station |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/Mountlake-Terrace-Freeway-Station-dedication |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref>

Commuter rail service to Snohomish County on the [[Sounder North Line]] began in December 2003 with a single round-trip connecting [[Everett Station|Everett]] and [[Edmonds station (Washington)|Edmonds]] to [[King Street Station]] in Seattle during [[rush hour]].<ref>{{cite press release |date=December 21, 2003 |title=Sound Transit launches Sounder service between Everett and Seattle; first train filled to capacity |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/Sound-Transit-launches-Sounder-service-between-Everett-and-Seattle-first-train-filled-to-capacity |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref> Service was expanded to a second round-trip in June 2005 and a third round-trip in September 2007,<ref>{{cite press release |date=May 12, 2005 |title=Sounder Commuter Rail rolls into Everett and Edmonds early with second train |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/Sounder-Commuter-Rail-rolls-into-Everett-and-Edmonds-early-with-second-train |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |date=September 12, 2007 |title=Sound Transit expands Sounder commuter rail options and announces brand new "reverse commute" City of Destiny service |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/reverseCommute |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref> while an [[infill station]] opened at [[Mukilteo station|Mukilteo]] in May 2008, also bringing additional service in the form of a fourth round-trip the following September.<ref>{{cite press release |date=May 31, 2008 |title=Sound Transit launches Sounder commuter rail service to Mukilteo |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/mukilteoOpening |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref>

An expansion of the [[Link light rail]] system in the "Sound Transit 2" package was approved in November 2008, including 54% of southwestern Snohomish County voters,<ref>{{cite web |date=November 25, 2008 |title=Sound Transit Proposition No. 1: Mass Transit Expansion |url=http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20081104/snohomish/Breakdown-101797.html |work=November 04, 2008 General Election Results |publisher=Snohomish County Auditor |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref> funding the [[Lynnwood Link Extension|extension of light rail]] to Lynnwood.<ref>{{cite web |title=Regional transit history, 2008 |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/Reports/2008 |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref> The {{convert|8.5|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} extension opened on August 30, 2024, with stations in Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood. On September 14, Community Transit debuted its redeveloped bus network and eliminated almost all of its Downtown Seattle express service in favor of new commuter routes connecting to Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace stations.<ref>{{cite news |last=Deshais |first=Nicholas |date=September 3, 2024 |title=What to know about connecting to the new Lynnwood light rail line |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/what-to-know-about-connecting-to-the-new-lynnwood-light-rail-line/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 26, 2024}}</ref> With the passage of [[Sound Transit 3]] in 2016, light rail service to Everett via [[Paine Field]] is anticipated to begin service in 2041.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=November 14, 2016 |title=Where Sound Transit 3 projects could speed up or slow down |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/where-sound-transit-3-projects-could-speed-up-or-slow-down/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref>