Getting around Seattle with Community Transit
Community Transit is here to get you where you want to go. We are proud to be a part of the Seattle community — we live here, ride here, and drive here. Wherever you need to go in Seattle, feel good about how you get there.
About Seattle
Seattle is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is home to many regional destinations. The Seattle metropolitan area's population is 4.02 million, making it the 15th-largest in the United States.
King County Metro provides frequent bus service within the city and surrounding county, as well as the South Lake Union Streetcar line and the First Hill Streetcar line. Sound Transit provides an express bus service within the metropolitan area, two Sounder commuter rail lines between the suburbs and downtown, and its 1 Line light rail line between the University of Washington and Angle Lake. Further Link light rail extensions are planned to reach Lynnwood to the north, Federal Way to the south, and Bellevue and Redmond to the east by 2024.
Washington State Ferries, which manages the largest network of ferries in the United States and third largest in the world, connects Seattle to Bainbridge and Vashon Islands in Puget Sound and to Bremerton and Southworth on the Kitsap Peninsula. King Street Station in Pioneer Square serves Amtrak intercity trains and Sounder commuter trains, and is located adjacent to the International District/Chinatown light rail station. ( Source: Wikipedia)
Community Transit provides several commuter bus routes to Seattle from its service area as well as DART paratransit service and Vanpool to riders venturing to Seattle from our service area.
Popular Destinations
Look Up! New Station Signs on the Swift Orange Line
The Swift Orange Line opens March 30, and with the Swift bus rapid transit (BRT) network expanding, there are some stops that Swift Orange and Green lines share. There is also one Orange Line station serving both eastbound and westbound routes at Ash Way Park & Ride.
Community Transit wants to make sure you hop on the right bus, so we’ve installed new digital kiosks and overhead signs at all Swift Orange Line stations to make sure you get to where you want to be.
Get on the right bus
Swift Orange Line shares three stations with Swift Green Line at these locations:
- Trillium Blvd (eastbound and westbound)
- 153rd St SE (eastbound and westbound)
- 164th St (westbound)
Check the bus
When a Swift bus is pulling into a shared stop, check the sign on the front of the bus above the windshield to see whether it’s the Orange or Green Line. We call that a headsign. You should also check the headsign on buses at the Swift Ash Way Station to see if your bus is heading eastbound to McCollum Park or westbound to Edmonds College. Be sure to get on the right bus!
Digital information kiosk
The new digital information kiosks installed at each station on the Orange Line show riders what you need to know to help you on your commute. The upper portion of the kiosk displays:
- The Swift System Map, which highlights which line you are on, and a “you are here” marker showing which station you’re at along the line.
- The Route Bar, which shows information like the previous stop (in grey), which station you’re at (an open circle), what direction you’re heading, and estimated times of arrival at those stations.
The lower section of the kiosk displays rotating information:
- Service Alerts to keep you updated on potential delays or cancellations.
- QR codes to open Community Transit’s Trip Planner on your mobile device.
- Community Transit’s Customer Care phone number for support.
- Other information like Community Transit’s Rules of Conduct.
ORCA readers and New Ticket Vending Machines at the station
When you ride any Swift line, you pay before you board. ORCA readers are machines at the stations where you can quickly pay your fare with your ORCA card. Just tap at the station reader and you’re ready to board. You get a two-hour transfer credit for the fare you paid after you tap. 
Have cash or debit? New Ticket Vending Machines on the Orange Line are touch screen and have an updated, more user-friendly interface. If you’re paying for a ticket by cash and don’t have exact change, the new machines will dispense a voucher instead of change.
You can use that voucher the next time you pay for a ride. You can also use a credit card to buy a ticket.
Tickets are valid for 90 minutes on Swift buses only.
New overhead digital signs
The upgraded overhead signs at Swift Orange Line stations display the next bus arrivals, their final destinations, and estimated departure time. Use this overhead sign to know which Swift bus will be pulling up next.
Audible alerts coming soon
Not only do Swift stations have visual ways of showing you which bus is coming next, but in the future, voice alerts will tell riders the estimated departure time for their bus.
These improvements aren’t just for the Orange Line; Swift Blue and Green Lines will be retrofitted with new signage and Ticket Vending Machines later this year.
See the full route map and more information at our Swift Orange Line webpage.
