Editing Community Transit (section)

==== Proposed consolidations with Everett Transit ====
{{See also|Everett Transit}}
[[File:Swift passing Everett Transit bus at Everett Station.jpg|alt=A Community Transit bus passing a parked Everett Transit bus|thumb|right|A [[Swift Bus Rapid Transit|Swift]] coach passing a parked [[Everett Transit]] bus at [[Everett Station]]]]

Attempted mergers of Community Transit with Everett Transit have been proposed by the Washington State Legislature and the CT Board since the formation of SNOTRAN in 1974.<ref name="SeaTimes-MergerOlympia">{{cite news |last1=Brooks |first1=Diane |last2=Johnston |first2=Shannon |date=February 2, 1994 |title=Everett Transit, CT merger meets resistance |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19940202/1893173/everett-transit-ct-merger-meets-resistance----momentum-to-join-bus-systems-coming-out-of-olympia |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 28, 2014}}</ref> The relative success of Community Transit in the late 1970s and 1980s prompted the Community Transit Board to propose consolidation with Everett Transit in 1988, though long-term planning under SNOTRAN for both agencies worked under the assumption that there would be no merger by 2000.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bergsman |first=Jerry |date=November 10, 1988 |title=CT board talks of merging bus systems |url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/0EB53316DA3CA3A2?p=AMNEWS |url-access=subscription |via=NewsBank |page=D3 |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 28, 2014}}</ref> In 1990, a second proposal was rejected by the Everett City Council after consultants determined that a merger would only save $350,000 per year in [[Dead mileage|deadheading]] for Community Transit and that both staffs would need to be retained because of the lack of service duplication between the two agencies.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bergsman |first=Jerry |date=November 2, 1990 |title=Bus-system merger discounted |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19901102/1101899/bus-system-merger-discounted----consultant-can-see-no-savings |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 28, 2014}}</ref> Throughout the 1990s, successive legislative bills proposing a merger were passed through the House Transportation Committee, but failed to gain support elsewhere because of successful lobbying from the City of Everett.<ref name="SeaTimes-MergerOlympia" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Diane |date=February 16, 2000 |title=Bus-merge proposals die in committee |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20000216/4005045/bus-merge-proposals-die-in--committee |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 28, 2014}}</ref> State voters approved Referendum 49 in November 1998, including state motor-vehicle excise tax revenue for city-run transit in Everett and [[Yakima Transit|Yakima]]. While Everett Transit gained $4.5&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|4500000|1998}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}){{Inflation-fn|US}} in new annual funding, CT was set to lose $1&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|1000000|1998}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}){{Inflation-fn|US}} over the next five years in addition to the $2&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|2000000|1998}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}){{Inflation-fn|US}} used to operate service within Everett annually.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Diane |date=November 10, 1998 |title=Ref. 49 vote fuels Everett's bus system |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19981110/2782679/ref-49-vote-fuels-everetts-bus-system----approval-to-bring-additional-money-for-city-operated-transit |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 28, 2014}}</ref> The large cuts brought on by the passing of Initiative 695 and subsequent loss of excise tax revenue forced both agencies to consider merging in 2000,<ref>{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Diane |date=June 15, 2000 |title=Everett now willing to entertain CT offer |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20000615/4026722/everett-now-willing-to-entertain-ct-offer |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 28, 2014}}</ref> with savings of an estimated $1.7&nbsp;million per year (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|1700000|2001}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}){{Inflation-fn|US}} according to a study commissioned by Community Transit.<ref>{{cite news |last=de Leon |first=John |date=January 3, 2001 |title=Join transit agencies to save, says study |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20010103/transit03m/join-transit-agencies-to-save-says-study |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 28, 2014}}</ref> As a result of the failed mergers, CT proposed truncating its routes at Everett city limits,<ref>{{cite news |last=Ray |first=Susanna |date=July 20, 2002 |title=Community Transit touts savings in trimming Everett routes |page=A1 |work=[[The Everett Herald]] |id={{ProQuest|333509626}} }}</ref> but ultimately decided to provide limited-stop service on its routes through Everett to the newly constructed [[Everett Station]] in 2002.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ray |first=Susanna |date=July 19, 2002 |title=CT limits service in Everett |page=A1 |work=The Everett Herald}}</ref> Community Transit and Everett Transit signed their first partnership agreement in 2007, with Everett helping fund Swift bus rapid transit through its service area and allowing CT to operate the route in exchange for the expansion of ET service into [[unincorporated area]]s surrounding Everett.<ref>{{cite press release|date=December 5, 2007 |title=Community Transit, Everett Transit Become Partners |url=http://www.communitytransit.org/newsrelease/1229 |location=Everett, Washington |publisher=Community Transit |access-date=September 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006145950/http://www.communitytransit.org/newsrelease/1229 |archive-date=October 6, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Diane |date=December 12, 2007 |title=Community Transit, Everett form 17-mile partnership |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/community-transit-everett-form-17-mile-partnership/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 28, 2014}}</ref> The two agencies further collaborated with Sound Transit and the Washington State Department of Transportation in the construction of the South Everett Freeway Station the following year.<ref name="ST-SEFS">{{cite press release |date=September 10, 2008 |title=Innovation meets efficiency for south Everett's new median park-and-ride lot |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/SEVT-Ribboncut |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=September 28, 2014}}</ref>