EVERETT — Everett Transit plans to break ground today* for a Swift bus rapid-transit terminal at Everett Station.
It’s one of about two dozen Swift bus rapid-transit stations to be built along the Highway 99 corridor between Everett Station and Aurora Village in Shoreline.
Community Transit plans to run 15 hybrid diesel-electric articulated buses along the route beginning Nov. 30. Everett Transit is a partner in the project.
The new Swift buses will make fewer scheduled stops and run more frequently than regular buses on the route.
Riders traveling across the Everett city limit will not have to stop and transfer from Community Transit to Everett Transit, or vice versa. Under an agreement between Community Transit and the city, which operates Everett Transit, the Swift buses will go all the way to the station.
The stations will consist of bus shelters with several added features, including electronic readerboards announcing the time until the next bus and ticket vending machines for riders to prepay to speed up boarding.
The system will be the first of its kind in the state, according to the agency. Swift buses will have three doors for boarding, and priority at traffic signals to give them a slightly longer green light or shorter red light at intersections.
Signal priority already exists on 10 miles of the southern route, while the city of Everett will install the technology within city limits.
*Correction, Aug. 17, 2008: This article originally listed an incorrect day for the groundbreaking event.
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