17 new Regional Express bus routes approved by Sound Transit Board
Creating a new regional transit system ahead of schedule, the Sound Transit Board approved a new strategic web of 17 Regional Express bus routes that will connect the major urban centers of Bellevue, Everett, Tacoma and Seattle with numerous cities and communities in Central Puget Sound.
As approved by voters in 1996, the Sound Move 10-year regional transportation plan called for express bus service to begin in the year 2000. In 1997, Sound Transit exceeded that goal by funding numerous express bus trips between Tacoma and Seattle and this year Sound Transit funded additional express bus trips between Bellevue and Seattle.
The new Regional Express routes will provide high-speed, two-way all-day bus service throughout the region that will be coordinated with existing transit systems. Eight of the 17 routes will begin service by September of next year, with the remainder to be phased in over the next three years. Sound Transit will monitor the rider demand of each route and can modify the bus service as needed.
Customer comfort and convenience is a top priority of Sound Transit as all of the 175 buses of the Regional Express fleet will feature air conditioning, comfortable high-back reclining seats, overhead storage racks and other amenities. 95 of these new buses are due for delivery in 1999, and Sound Transit's purchase piggy-backed on existing orders from partner transit agencies, saving both time and taxpayer dollars.
Routes to begin in Sept. 1999 Everett to Mountlake Terrace, Seattle Everett to Bellevue Lynnwood to Bellevue Bellevue to Seattle Bellevue to Federal Way Seattle/West Seattle to Sea-Tac Airport Tacoma to Sea-Tac Tacoma and Lakewood to Seattle Routes to begin in Sept. 2000 Everett to Northgate Redmond to Seattle Lakewood to Puyallup/Auburn | Routes to begin Sept. 2001 Issaquah to Bellevue and Northgate Bellevue to Sea-Tac Airport Redmond to University District Tacoma to Auburn Route to begin in Sept. 2002 Parkland to Tacoma |
A map of the bus routes is available on the Sound Transit Web site at www.soundtransit.org and there are a limited number of discs in Macintosh Freehand 8.0 format on a first come, first serve basis by calling Clarence Moriwaki at (206) 689-4946.
Along with Regional Express, Sound Transit is building Sounder commuter rail running 82 miles between Everett and Tacoma/Lakewood and Link light rail, a 24-mile system connecting the cities of Seattle, Tukwila and SeaTac and a 1.6-mile system in Tacoma.
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Sound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound.