Community Transit considering microtransit in Lynnwood

Community Transit has put out a set of options for its upcoming Lynnwood Pilot, with the aim of improving mobility around popular destinations in Lynnwood. The options include two microtransit routes, and a community van program. Community Transit is seeking feedback on the options with a survey, open until June 18th.

Community Transit's vision for microtransit in Lynnwood is a short bus route with a service area. There are no schedules and (seemingly) no bus stops; instead, passengers request a pick up and drop-off within the service area in advance. There are two options for proposed service areas: Alderwood and 188th Street SW.

Alderwood route and service area (image: Community Transit)188th St SW route and service area (image: Community Transit)

Surprisingly, Lynnwood Transit Center is not the focus of these options, despite being the future terminus for Link Light Rail in 2024, and being a transfer point to frequent, all day express service to Seattle and Everett on Sound Transit route 512. The Alderwood loop would run in a loop route around Alderwood Mall, with the service area encompassing the mall itself, along with some popular destinations around downtown Lynnwood including Lynnwood Transit Center. The 188th Street SW route connects Alderwood Mall to Edmonds College along 188th Street SW and 68th Ave W, with the service area extending a few blocks beyond this route. This route does not connect to Lynnwood Transit Center at all. It also connects to Swift Blue at the southern end of its service area, but not at the point where it crosses Highway 99 (which is about midway in between Swift stops).

A community van program is also being proposed. Community Transit describes it as a van for local group trips (with two or more riders), parked at locations in Lynnwood such as City Hall or Edmonds College. You request a trip or join one already set." Local fare would apply to all three of these options, and all would include wheelchair accessibility.

Route 111 expansion and all-day service as proposed by Community Transit in March 2020

The proposed route for the 188th Street SW option seems to be taken from the northern part of its proposed expansion of route 111 (which we discussed here), which would have happened in Spring 2021. It would have extended route 111 from its western terminus at Mountlake Terrace Transit Center north to Edmonds College and 188th St SW, then east to Alderwood Mall. Service would also have been expanded from peak-only to all-day weekdays and Saturday. However, when this was considered, the pandemic was just getting started, and this seems to be one of the many plans that was upended as a result.