Editing Community Transit (section)

===Commuter service restructures (2020s)===

Community Transit received federal funding from the 2020 [[CARES Act]] to backfill lost sales tax and fare revenue during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency announced plans to gradually restore service in line with the recovery of revenues as well as planned service changes to accommodate the expansion of [[Link light rail]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=November 2, 2020 |title=Community Transit likely keeping similar bus service next year |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/community-transit-likely-keeping-similar-bus-service-next-year/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref> By late 2021, ridership on Community Transit's Seattle commuter routes had increased by 70&nbsp;percent over the prior year but remained below their pre-pandemic levels. After [[Northgate station (Sound Transit)|Northgate station]] opened on October 2, 2021, the 800-series routes to the University District were truncated at the station and had their frequency increased with the addition of 48 new trips.<ref>{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=September 13, 2021 |title=Faster trips, more service in store for Community Transit |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/faster-trips-more-service-in-store-for-community-transit/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=October 11, 2021 |title=Northgate light rail frees buses for Snohomish County routes |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/northgate-light-rail-frees-buses-for-snohomish-county-routes/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref> Total ridership across the system had recovered to 50&nbsp;percent of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year.<ref>{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=December 13, 2021 |title=Community Transit asks what current, potential riders want in 2024 |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/community-transit-asks-what-current-potential-riders-want-in-2024/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref>

The agency announced a mandatory [[COVID-19 vaccination]] policy for employees in October 2021 with a deadline of January 1, 2022, with some religious exemptions.<ref>{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=December 27, 2021 |title=Community Transit vaccine holdouts face a ticking clock |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/community-transit-vaccine-holdouts-face-a-ticking-clock/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref> Due to several employees who left or contracted COVID-19, Community Transit began cancelling trips on some routes in January;<ref>{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=January 27, 2022 |title=COVID cases prompt Community Transit to cut 36 bus trips |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/covid-cases-prompt-community-transit-to-cut-36-bus-trips/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref> the number of cancelled trips increased to 164 in the March 2022 service change, which primarily affected commuter routes to Downtown Seattle.<ref name="Herald-Cuts2022">{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=February 24, 2022 |title=Short-staffed Community Transit to cut 164 spring bus trips |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/short-staffed-community-transit-to-cut-164-spring-bus-trips/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 9, 2024}}</ref> Ridership continued to increase in early 2022 due to high gas prices, reaching 100,000 weekly boardings in late March.<ref>{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=May 9, 2022 |title=Bus ridership grows as gas prices soar |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/bus-ridership-grows-as-gas-prices-soar/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref> Community Transit began construction of their third bus rapid transit corridor, the [[Swift Orange Line]], in April 2022 with federal and state grants to fund most of the $79.4&nbsp;million cost.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=April 19, 2022 |title=Community Transit breaks ground on voter-approved bus corridor in Snohomish County |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/community-transit-breaks-ground-on-voter-approved-bus-corridor-in-snohomish-county/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=July 25, 2022}}</ref> An on-demand [[microtransit]] system, named the Zip Shuttle, launched in October 2022 in Lynnwood and Alderwood to connect with Community Transit service.<ref>{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=October 24, 2022 |title=Zip trip made Alderwood travel convenient, quick |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/zip-trip-made-alderwood-travel-convenient-quick/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 2, 2023}}</ref>

Community Transit's largest restructure, to redirect commuters to the [[Lynnwood Link Extension]], was rolled out in several phases beginning with the opening of the Swift Orange Line on March 30, 2024. The {{convert|11|mi|km|adj=mid}} route connects the [[Lynnwood City Center station|Lynnwood City Center]] light rail station to [[Edmonds College]], Alderwood Mall, and Mill Creek.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=March 30, 2024 |title=Transit in fast-growing Snohomish County gets a boost ahead of light rail debut |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/snohomish-countys-frequent-orange-line-bus-debuts-saturday/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=March 30, 2024}}</ref> The light rail expansion opened on August 30 with stations in Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, and Shoreline that would become major transfer points for Community Transit buses.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Jordan |date=August 30, 2024 |title='Today feels like Christmas': Lynnwood light rail is here at last |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/lynnwood-light-rail-is-open-for-business/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref> On September 14, almost all of the agency's commuter routes to Downtown Seattle and Northgate station were eliminated as part of the second phase of the bus restructure. They were replaced by a new network of express routes that connect to light rail trains in Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace; the service hours used to operate commuter routes, which comprised 30&nbsp;percent of Community Transit's budget, were reallocated towards more frequent local routes on weekdays and weekends.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Jordan |date=September 7, 2024 |title=Everything you need to know about Community Transit bus changes |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-community-transit-bus-changes/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref><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=March 4, 2025}}</ref>

As part of the restructure, the previous commuter fare was eliminated in September 2024 and replaced by a single systemwide fare that applied to all routes.<ref>{{cite press release |date=June 6, 2024 |title=Community Transit to eliminate commuter bus fare |url=https://www.communitytransit.org/news-and-events/article-detail/2024/06/06/community-transit-to-eliminate-commuter-bus-fare |publisher=Community Transit |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref> The final remaining commuter route to serve Downtown Seattle, route 424 from Snohomish and Monroe, is planned to be truncated to [[Bellevue Downtown station]] in 2025 with the extension of [[2 Line (Sound Transit)|2 Line]] service across [[Lake Washington]].<ref>{{cite news |date=July 22, 2024 |title=New bus routes for Seattle commuters |url=https://www.communitytransit.org/news-and-events/article-detail/2024/07/22/new-bus-routes-for-seattle-commuters |publisher=Community Transit |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Jordan |date=April 5, 2024 |title=As Link nears in Lynnwood, Community Transit looks to drop commuter fare |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/as-link-nears-in-lynnwood-community-transit-looks-to-drop-commuter-fare/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref> The post-restructure network in 2026 will comprise 35 routes—a reduction from the original 46 routes—and include more local service in addition to intra-county express routes.<ref name="TransitChanges">{{cite web |title=Transit Changes in 2024 & Beyond |url=https://www.communitytransit.org/transitchanges |publisher=Community Transit |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=April 16, 2023 |title=Plan aims to restore 'community' to Community Transit bus service |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/plan-aims-to-restore-community-to-community-transit-bus-service/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref> The agency's long-range plan, adopted in December 2023, calls for further expansion of the Swift network and a full transition to a fleet of 100 zero-emissions buses by 2044 at a cost of $1.4&nbsp;billion.<ref name="Herald-Budget2025">{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Jordan |date=November 13, 2024 |title=Big changes ahead as Community Transit mulls $254M budget |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/big-changes-ahead-as-community-transit-mulls-254m-budget/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Jordan |date=January 15, 2024 |title=Zero emissions by 2044 part of Community Transit's long-range plan |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/zero-emissions-by-2044-part-of-community-transits-long-range-plan/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref> A fourth line, the [[Swift Gold Line]], is planned to open between Everett and Smokey Point by 2029, followed by an extension of the Green Line into Downtown Bothell.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Jordan |date=October 22, 2023 |title=Swift bus lines expanding in Bothell, Marysville, Arlington |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/swift-bus-lines-expanding-in-bothell-marysville-arlington/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 4, 2025}}</ref>