Sound Transit's brand-new ST Express bus to be unveiled on Tuesday, March 30
Sound Transit's first ST Express bus will be unveiled at a special ceremony hosted by U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-Bellevue), Sound Transit Board Chair and Tacoma City Councilmember Paul Miller, other Sound Transit Boardmembers and regional and local officials on Tuesday, March 30 at 3:30 p.m. at the Bellevue Transit Center on NE 6th St. between 108th and 110th Avenues.
Sporting Sound Transit's bold wave design of teal, green and royal blue, the air-conditioned 40-foot Gillig bus puts customer comfort first, featuring high-back cloth upholstered seats, folding footrests and swiveling aircraft-style overhead ventilation ducts, reading lights and storage racks. This is first of 95 new buses that will be delivered this year, eventually becoming a fleet of 175 ST Express buses.
"Solving our region's transportation needs will take everyone working together, and we sincerely thank the hard work of Rep. Dunn and our state's entire congressional delegation to ensure continued federal support and participation for Sound Transit," Sound Transit Board Chair Paul Miller said. Rep. Dunn and Washington state's congressional delegation last year successfully secured $8 million in federal funding to help purchase the first ST Express buses.
The Sound Transit Board last year authorized purchasing 70 of the 40-foot Gillig buses for no more than $25 million and 25 of the 60-foot articulated New Flyer buses for about $10 million, with options for more buses in the future. Sound Transit's bus purchase piggy-backed on existing orders from partner transit agencies, saving both time and taxpayer dollars.
Sound Transit's ST Express bus system is a strategic web of 17 routes providing two-way all-day bus service connecting the major urban centers of Bellevue, Everett, Tacoma and Seattle with numerous cities and communities in Central Puget Sound. Two bus routes between Bellevue and Seattle and Tacoma and Seattle are already in service partially funded by Sound Transit and these two routes plus seven others will begin ST Express service in September.
Along with ST Express, Sound Transit is building Sounder commuter rail running 82 miles between Everett and Tacoma/Lakewood and Link light rail, a 21-mile system connecting the cities of SeaTac, Tukwila and Seattle 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.