Swift Serves Its 15 Millionth Rider

Transit enthusiast from Lynnwood helps agency reach ridership milestone

Snohomish County, Wash. – Just a week after its 10-year anniversary, Community Transit’s Swift bus rapid transit service transported its 15 millionth rider.

Abbas Razaghzadeh was designated the 15 millionth person to ride Swift as he rode the Swift Blue Line to Crossroads Station in Lynnwood this morning. The calculation was made by Community Transit’s data analysts who track bus ridership numbers every month.

“I ride Swift five days a week and take buses everywhere I go,” said Razaghzadeh, a vision impaired rider who travels with his service dog Rocky.

As the 15 millionth rider of either the Swift Blue or Green lines, Razaghzadeh received a Swift prize pack containing an umbrella, Oxy Gene bobble head, canvas bag and two tickets to an Everett Silvertips hockey game. He also was given a Swift Green Line commemorative ORCA card with $50 preloaded fare.

“This is wonderful, I love Swift so much,” he said as Rocky walked off carrying the umbrella.

Swift Blue Line, which runs on Highway 99 between Everett Station and Aurora Village Transit Center in Shoreline, transports about 5,500 riders each weekday. The Blue Line started service Nov. 29, 2009 and is Community Transit’s highest ridership route.

Swift Green Line, which runs on Airport Road, 128th/132nd and Bothell Everett Highway between Seaway Transit Center and Canyon Park in Bothell, transports about 2,500 riders each weekday. The Green Line started service March 24, 2019 and is Community Transit’s second highest ridership route.

Community Transit launched the Swift Blue Line as the state’s first bus rapid transit line. Swift buses run every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15-20 minutes nights and weekends. Swift stations are located further apart than regular local bus stops, riders pay their fares at the station, and boarding occurs simultaneously at all three doors. All these features allow for quicker boarding and a 25% faster ride than on regular local bus service.

When the Swift Green Line started service in early 2019, it created a network of Swift service as the two lines connect at Highway 99 & Airport Road. About 260,000 residents and 130,000 jobs are within a half-mile of a Swift station, providing fast and frequent transit service to the majority of people and jobs in south Snohomish County.

Community Transit is in project development on a third Swift Line, the Orange Line, which will run between McCollum Park and Edmonds Community College. The Swift Orange Line will connect with both Swift Blue and Green lines, and Link light rail when it reaches Lynnwood in 2024. A southern extension of the Swift Blue Line is also planned to connect with Link light rail at I-5 & 185th Street in Shoreline in 2024.

Since the start of Swift service in 2009, other agencies in Washington State have started or planned BRT service. King County Metro Transit operates six Rapid Ride BRT lines, and C-Tran runs the Vine BRT in Vancouver, WA. C-Tran, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and Spokane Transit Authority are all in project development on new BRT lines.

Community Transit is responsible for providing bus and paratransit service, vanpool and alternative commute options in Snohomish County.