Smokey Point to get updated and expanded transit center

Published 10:58 pm Sunday, September 7, 2008

EVERETT — It may cost as much as $3.5 million to redevelop the old Smokey Point transit center under a plan approved by the Community Transit board of directors this week.

The board agreed on the proposal to redesign and expand the old transit center for buses, which is west of Smokey Point Boulevard and north of 172nd Street NE, Community Transit spokesman Tom Pearce said.

That center hasn’t been used since 2005, Pearce said.

“We think this is going to be a real benefit to the people,” he said.

Pearce said a transit center will make it safer and more convenient for people to transfer between routes.

By accepting this plan, the board took another, bigger and more expensive project off the table.

Under that project, a new transit center would be built along with a large parking lot at Smokey Point Boulevard.

The funds for that proposal would have been paid for by Proposition 1, but since the measure was rejected by voters last year, the project is no longer economically feasible, said Snohomish City Councilmember Doug Thorndike, who is a Community Transit alternate board member.

The board decided to explore other options and chose to upgrade an existing site, which can be done with the funds Community Transit already has, he said.

Thorndike said the roughly estimated cost of the project is between $2.5 and $3.5 million.

He said the park-and-ride would definitely be a plus, but even without it the center will significantly improve bus service in the area.

Pearce said the project is still in preliminary stages and the agency is yet to buy land and develop plans needed for the work to begin.

Reporter Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452 or kyefimova@heraldnet.com.