Skagit Transit

Last updated
Skagit Transit
Skagit Transit Logo.svg
Founded1993
Headquarters600 County Shop Lane, Burlington, WA 98233-9772
Service area Skagit County, WA
Service type bus service, dial-a-bus, vanpool
Routes19 fixed-route, paratransit [1]
Stops505 [1]
Hubs Skagit Station
Fleetfixed-route, paratransit, vanpool [1]
Daily ridership1,308 [1]
Website skagittransit.org

Skagit Transit is a public transit system in Skagit County, Washington, US. It operates 19 fixed-route bus routes, as well as paratransit and vanpool services across the entire county. [2] The agency was founded in 1993 and is funded by a 0.4 percent local sales tax.

Contents

History

The Skagit County public transportation benefit area, funded by a 0.2 percent sales tax, was approved by voters in Mount Vernon and Burlington in November 1992. [3] Bus service began on November 3, 1993, with a network of four routes serving the two cities and no fares. [4] [5] The cities of Anacortes, La Conner, and Sedro-Wollley were annexed into the Skagit Transit service area in 1994, followed by Bayview and Concrete in 1995. [3]

Service was cut after the passage of Initiative 695 in 2000, and voters rejected a sales tax increase to support restored service. [4] [5] Skagit Transit began operating inter-county routes to Island and Whatcom counties in 2005, [6] and expanded with a Mount Vernon–Everett commuter route in 2006 part-funded by Island Transit and the state government. [7] [8] The agency also took ownership of Skagit Station in Mount Vernon, which is served by Amtrak Cascades and Island Transit. [6] A 0.2 percent sales tax increase was approved by voters in the November 2008 election, allowing for expanded service. [9]

Facilities

The primary maintenance and administration facility for Skagit Transit is located in Burlington. [10]

Skagit Station

A multimodal station [11] serviced by Greyhound, Amtrak Cascades, Bellingham Connector (Whatcom Transportation Authority), Island Connector (Island Transit) and Everett Express which connects with Sounder commuter rail in Everett. [12]

Fares

Regular fares for adults are $1 each way on local routes and $2 on County Connector routes; reduced fares for senior citizens, veterans, and people with disabilities are half the regular fare. [13] Since 2022, youth fares on Skagit Transit have been free as part of a statewide program. [14] The agency also offers day passes and monthly passes for both regular and reduced fares. [13] Fares can be paid with cash or the Umo fare card and smartphone app, which is shared with the Whatcom Transportation Authority. [15]

Bus routes

A Gillig Low Floor on Route 90X, at Everett Station after the arrival of a Sounder run from Seattle. SKAT 141 at Everett Station.jpg
A Gillig Low Floor on Route 90X, at Everett Station after the arrival of a Sounder run from Seattle.

Local routes

As of the May 1, 2023 service. [16]

County Connector Routes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whatcom County, Washington</span> County in Washington, United States

Whatcom County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Lower Mainland of British Columbia to the north, Okanogan County to the east, Skagit County to the south, San Juan County across Rosario Strait to the southwest, and the Strait of Georgia to the west. Its county seat and largest population center is the coastal city of Bellingham, comprising the Bellingham, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, and as of the 2020 census, the county's population was 226,847.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skagit County, Washington</span> County in Washington, United States

Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,523. The county seat and largest city is Mount Vernon. The county was formed in 1883 from Whatcom County and is named for the Skagit Indian tribe, which has been indigenous to the area prior to European-American settlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Vernon, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Mount Vernon is the county seat of Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 35,219 at the 2020 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. Downtown Mount Vernon is known for its annual Tulip Festival Street Fair, which is part of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The climate of Skagit County is similar to that of Northern France, with millions of tulips grown in the Skagit Valley. In 1998, Mount Vernon was rated the #1 "Best City in America" by the New Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sedro-Woolley, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Sedro-Woolley is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area and had a population of 12,421 at the 2020 census. The city is home to North Cascades National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan statistical area in Washington, United States

The Seattle metropolitan area is an urban conglomeration in the U.S. state of Washington that comprises Seattle, its surrounding satellites and suburbs. It contains the three most populous counties in the state—King, Pierce, and Snohomish — and is considered part of the greater Puget Sound region. The United States Census Bureau defines the metropolitan area as the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area. With an estimated population of 4,102,400 as of 2022, it is the 15th largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States and is home to over half of Washington's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skagit River</span> River in Canada and the United States

The Skagit River is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi (240 km) long. The river and its tributaries drain an area of 1.7 million acres (690,000 hectares) of the Cascade Range along the northern end of Puget Sound and flows into the sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Community Transit</span> Bus transit agency serving Snohomish County, Washington

Community Transit (CT) is the public transit authority of Snohomish County, Washington, United States, excluding the city of Everett, in the Seattle metropolitan area. It operates local bus, paratransit and vanpool service within Snohomish County, as well as commuter buses to Downtown Seattle and Northgate station. CT is publicly funded, financed through sales taxes, farebox revenue and subsidies, with an operating budget of $133.2 million. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 5,788,700, or about 19,800 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2022, placing it fourth among transit agencies in the Puget Sound region. The city of Everett, which serves as the county seat, is served by Everett Transit, a municipal transit system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burlington Transit</span>

Burlington Transit is the public transport provider in the city of Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Services began in September 1975, after the city had been served by neighbouring systems including Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) and former subsidiary Canada Coach Lines, as well as "local" services to and from Toronto once provided by Gray Coach Lines and GO Transit along Lakeshore Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington State Route 20</span> Highway in Washington

State Route 20 (SR 20), also known as the North Cascades Highway, is a state highway that traverses the U.S. state of Washington. It is the state's longest highway, traveling 436 miles (702 km) across the northern areas of Washington, from U.S. Route 101 (US 101) at Discovery Bay on the Olympic Peninsula to US 2 near the Idaho state border in Newport. The highway travels across Whidbey Island, North Cascades National Park, the Okanagan Highland, the Kettle River Range, and the Selkirk Mountains. SR 20 connects several major north–south state highways, including Interstate 5 (I-5) in Burlington, US 97 through the Okanogan–Omak area, SR 21 in Republic, and US 395 from Kettle Falls to Colville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skagit Valley</span> Valley in Washington, United States of America

The Skagit Valley lies in the northwestern corner of the state of Washington, United States. Its defining feature is the Skagit River, which snakes through local communities which include the seat of Skagit County, Mount Vernon, as well as Sedro-Woolley, Concrete, Lyman-Hamilton, and Burlington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington State Route 9</span> Highway in Washington

State Route 9 (SR 9) is a 98.17-mile (157.99 km) long state highway traversing three counties, Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom, in the U.S. state of Washington. The highway extends north from an interchange with SR 522 in the vicinity of Woodinville north through Snohomish, Lake Stevens, Arlington, Sedro-Woolley, and Nooksack to become British Columbia Highway 11 (BC 11) at the Canada–US border in Sumas. Three other roadways are briefly concurrent with the route: SR 530 in Arlington, SR 20 in Sedro-Woolley, and SR 542 near Deming. A spur route in Sumas serves trucks traveling into British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington State Route 11</span> Highway in Washington

State Route 11 (SR 11) is a 21.28-mile (34.25 km) long state highway that serves Skagit and Whatcom counties in the U.S. state of Washington. SR 11, known as Chuckanut Drive, begins at an interchange with Interstate 5 (I-5) north of Burlington and continues northwest through several small towns and the Chuckanut Mountains to the Fairhaven district of Bellingham, where the highway turns east and ends again at I-5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everett Station</span> Amtrak and commuter train station in Everett, Washington

Everett Station is an Amtrak train station serving the city of Everett, Washington. The station has provided service to the Cascades and Empire Builder routes since its opening in 2002, replacing an earlier station near the Port of Everett. The four-story building also houses social service programs and is the center of a 10-acre (4 ha) complex that includes parking lots and a large bus station used primarily by Community Transit, Everett Transit, and Sound Transit Express. The station has served as the northern terminus of the Sounder N Line since 2003 and the Swift Blue Line since 2009. It consists of two side platforms, one serving Amtrak and the other serving Sounder commuter trains. Everett Station also functions as a park and ride, with 1,067 short-term parking spaces located in lots around the station after it was expanded by Sound Transit in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island Transit (Washington)</span> Local public transit operator in Island County, Washington

Island Transit is a zero-fare transit system in Island County, Washington, serving Whidbey Island and Camano Island. The system consists of fixed-route bus service, paratransit, and vanpools, and carried a total of 974,899 passengers in 2015. There is no Sunday or holiday service on Island Transit routes.

The Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) is the public transit authority of Whatcom County in northwestern Washington, based in the city of Bellingham. It provides bus service on 31 fixed routes, including branded "GO Lines" with 15-minute frequencies on weekdays, to cities in its service area. In addition to bus service, the WTA offers paratransit service and a vanpool programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington State Route 534</span>

State Route 534 (SR 534) is a short Washington state highway located in Skagit County. The 5.08-mile (8.18 km) long route runs east from Interstate 5 (I-5) in Conway to SR 9 in Lake McMurray. The highway was first designated as a state-maintained highway in 1937, when it became Secondary State Highway 1H (SSH 1H) as part of the creation of the Primary and secondary state highways; SSH 1H later became SR 534 during the 1964 highway renumbering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 5 in Washington</span> Interstate highway in Washington

Interstate 5 (I-5) is an Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States that serves as the region's primary north–south route. It spans 277 miles (446 km) across the state of Washington, from the Oregon state border at Vancouver, through the Puget Sound region, to the Canadian border at Blaine. Within the Seattle metropolitan area, the freeway connects the cities of Tacoma, Seattle, and Everett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skagit Station</span>

Skagit Station is a multimodal transportation hub in Mount Vernon, Washington, United States served by Amtrak, the US national railroad-passenger system. The facility at 105 East Kincaid Street was built in 2004 to replace the former Amtrak station on 725 College Way, which is currently used by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairhaven and Southern Railroad</span>

The Fairhaven and Southern Railroad and its successor the Seattle and Montana Railroad were railroads in northwest part of the U.S. state of Washington, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They ran roughly south from Blaine, Washington on the U.S.-Canada border. The Fairhaven and Southern operated 1888-1898 and ran to Sedro. It operated from December 1891 as part of the Seattle and Montana Railway, and was merged with that into its successor, the Seattle and Montana Railroad, both of which extended service south to Seattle. The Seattle and Montana operated until 1907 when it merged into the Great Northern Railway Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interurban Trail (Whatcom County)</span>

The Interurban Trail is a rail trail in Whatcom County, Washington. Built for bicycle and hiking recreation, the trail runs 6.6 miles (10.6 km) between Fairhaven and Larrabee State Park in the Bellingham area.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Public Transportation Division (November 2008). Summary of Public Transportation — 2007 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Skagit Transit - Routes". www.skagittransit.org. 2012-02-07. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  3. 1 2 Public Transportation and Rail Division (September 1997). Public Transportation Systems in Washington State, 1996 Summary (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. p. 99. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Lerman, Rachel (November 19, 2013). "Skagit Transit ridership hits high point in October". Skagit Valley Herald . Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Hixson, Russell (December 28, 2013). "Skagit Transit celebrates 20 years of bus service". Skagit Valley Herald. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Public Transportation Division (August 2006). Summary of Public Transportation — 2005 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. p. 131. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  7. ↑ Public Transportation Division (September 2007). Summary of Public Transportation — 2006 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. p. 107. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Direct bus service offered from Island and Skagit counties to Everett Station". South Whidbey Record. June 21, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  9. ↑ Schwartz, Ralph (December 7, 2008). "Growth on transit cools, but buses remain popular". Skagit Valley Herald. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Skagit Transit - General Information". www.skagittransit.org. 2007-07-07. Archived from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  11. ↑ "Skagit Transit - Skagit Station". www.skagittransit.org. 2007-07-07. Archived from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  12. ↑ "Skagit Transit - 90X Everett Connector". skat.baron-co.com. 2007-01-04. Archived from the original on January 4, 2007. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  13. 1 2 "Fares". Skagit Transit. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  14. ↑ Richardson, Vince (September 9, 2022). "Skagit Transit's Youth Ride Free program in full swing". Skagit Valley Herald. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Skagit, Whatcom transportation authorities join fare systems to help bus riders". Skagit Valley Herald. October 12, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Skagit Transit Routes webpage". Skagit Transit. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
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