CT “Swifties” turn 15 years old

Pictured above: On the first day of Swift, party-goers raced to board the first Swift bus in 2009. 100 riders received Golden Tickets to board the first buses from Swift commemorative candy bars that were handed out weeks before the launch. 

Community Transit bus riders will celebrate 15 years of riding Swift bus rapid transit this week!

How did it all start? On a cold and breezy afternoon, Nov. 29, 2009, the first two Swift buses simultaneously left from a celebration in Lynnwood (at what’s now Lynnwood Crossroads) to the two terminals at Everett Station and Aurora Village Transit Center. 

Like a scene out of Willy Wonka, 100 riders who were given commemorative candy bars in the weeks leading up to this day got a special Golden Ticket to ride the first trips.

The Swift line, later renamed the Swift Blue Line, was the first bus rapid transit line in the state, preceding King County Metro’s Rapid Ride by a year. The concept of a bus every 10 minutes, off-board fare payment, and on-board bike racks for a faster trip took hold in Snohomish County. Within a week, Swift became the agency’s highest ridership route.

With the addition of the third Swift line this year, Swift now serves half of all Community Transit bus riders every weekday, and about 56% of all bus riders on weekends. Since the Orange Line began service earlier this year and connections to Link light rail were made in late August, Swift ridership has grown by 67%. 

Why is the service so popular? Thinking back to that first week of service in 2009, an “all-hands” effort was in effect to educate riders how to use this service. Among the new features: 

• Pay at the station – There are no fare boxes on Swift buses. Riders pay at the station before boarding so there’s no waiting line to get on the bus. 
• Three-door boarding – When the Swift bus arrives, all three doors open and riders can get on or off at any door. Riders with wheelchairs or mobility devices board at the front door. 
• On-board bike racks – Bike racks are on the bus, not attached to the front. Riders can roll their bikes through the third door and right onto convenient racks that were designed by CT mechanics! 
• Real-time signs – Every Swift station has a digital sign counting down to the next bus’s arrival. An alarm chimes when the bus is one minute away in case you are not paying attention. (That is now being replaced with an audio message in English and Spanish.) 

The most popular reason why riders use Swift is that the ride is generally 20-30% faster than on a regular local bus. This is because of the many features above plus fewer stops. Swift service is routed along high-density corridors with lots of housing and destinations, like restaurants, shopping, or service agencies. 

We know All Too Well why so many CT Swifties have been Enchanted by this fast, frequent bus service. As our Swift Blue, Green, and Orange line buses might say, “You Belong with Me.”  

What’s your favorite Swift memory from these past 15 years? 

Check our social media the day after Thanksgiving, Swift Friday, for some photos and memories from CT staff.