Transit Choices in Puget Sound – Riding Community Transit

Standard blue and white Community Transit coach

Brian Doennebrink is writing a series of articles on public transit choices for Shoreline and Lake Forest Park. For other articles in the series look under Features on the main webpage

Riding Community Transit

By Brian Doennebrink

Community Transit’s focus is serving citizens of its Public Transportation Benefit Area, which comprises most of Snohomish County.

Bus services consist of two types of routes. “Local” routes travel mostly within Snohomish County, these routes include Shoreline’s Aurora Village Transit Center:

• The #101, traveling mostly on Aurora/State Route 99 to Mariner Park & Ride (to the west of Interstate 5 at 128th SW)
• The #115, through eastern Edmonds to Edmonds Community College, then east through Lynnwood to Mill Creek, then north and west to Mariner Park & Ride
• The #130, between Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, and the Edmonds ferry/Amtrak and Sounder Station via Aurora Village
• Swift Bus Rapid Transit, a limited-stop trip, mostly on highway 99, between Aurora Village and Everett station

Swift Rapid Transit double bus

Fares on the above routes are $2.00 for adults, $1.50 for youth from age 16 through 18, and $1.00 for holders of reduced fare permits. A difference for Swift Bus Rapid Transit is that fares are paid before boarding the bus, either using an ORCA card reader that’s at each Swift station, or by buying a ticket at the ticket vending machine there.

Double-decker buses service
many commuter routes

Community Transit also operates commuter service to downtown Seattle and to the University District. The only route that travels along Shoreline is the #416, which literally does so along N. 205th street. Fares for that route are $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for youths, and $2.00 for holders of reduced fare permits. University-bound service travels from Edmonds Park / Ride (northwest of 216th and Highway 99) and through the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center, with the same fare structure to/from those locales. 

Commuter fares are higher for routes going to/from Seattle and Lake Stevens, Marysville, Monroe, Snohomish, or Stanwood. Double-decker buses service many of the commuter routes.

Community Transit operates Mondays through Saturdays, except for major holidays.