Roland Behee Selected as Director of Planning and Development

Behee brings 29 years of local planning experience to the role

Snohomish County, Wash. – Today, Community Transit has announced the selection of Roland Behee as the agency’s new Director of Planning and Development. In this role, Behee oversees planning, service development, data services, regional integration, capital development, grants, and contracted transportation services for the agency.

Behee has been part of the Community Transit Planning and Development team for more than 20 years, joining as a GIS Coordinator in 1998. During his tenure at Community Transit, Behee has served in multiple roles including Supervisor of Strategic Planning, Strategic Planning Unit Manager and, most recently, Manager of Planning, where he led many of Community Transit’s major strategic, research and planning functions. Behee was recently recognized with a Chairman’s Award by the Community Transit Board of Directors Chair for his long-term impact at the agency and for the strategic relationships he has established with the communities Community Transit serves. Prior to joining Community Transit, Behee served for several years as Planning Technician for the City of Everett.

“Our service has continued to evolve as the transportation needs of our community have evolved. This will accelerate as we prepare for integration with light rail in Snohomish County in 2024,” said Emmett Heath, CEO of Community Transit. “Roland truly understands Snohomish County’s transit needs. He is an avid transit user and lifelong Everett resident, and is respected by city and transit leaders throughout the region.”

“This is such a transformative time for transit in Snohomish County,” said Behee. “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve in this capacity and to lead such a strong team of planning and development professionals.”

Behee is a native of Everett, where he resides with his wife and family. He is also currently a Board Member for the Everett Station District Alliance and a Civil Service Commissioner for the City of Everett.

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 & 185^th 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. The agency is building a network of Swift bus rapid transit lines with Swift Blue Line along Highway 99, the Swift Green Line between Canyon Park/Bothell and Boeing/Paine Field, and the new Swift Orange Line coming to Mill Creek and Lynnwood in 2024.