Security at the South Everett Freeway Station on I-5 at 112th Street have been cracking down lately on those looking to park and ride — in their own vehicles, that is.
The extra enforcement has surprised many folks who had assumed privately arranged carpools could use the lot. Turns out, that’s not the case — at least not there.
Different park and ride lots in Snohomish County are owned or operated by different agencies, which have different rules, often driven by capacity issues. The South Everett Freeway Station is operated by Sound Transit.
“The parking policy at all Sound Transit park and rides boils down to this — the lots are only for transit users. That includes bus riders or those using transit-provided vanpool vehicles,” said Bruce Gray, Sound Transit spokesperson. “The South Everett Freeway Station has been at or near capacity since it opened, and we frequently hear from people who want to take the bus from that location but have trouble finding parking. We periodically do ‘emphasis patrols’ where our folks go to all of our facilities to monitor their usage and remind folks of the rules, which are also posted at all of our lots.”
The lot has 397 spaces and is at capacity.
One of the most recent “emphasis patrols” resulted in contacts with 60 people meeting for carpools in private vehicles. They were asked to leave and advised they’d be towed next time.
“That’s a lot of spaces that could be used for bus riders. The officers estimated that there were an additional 30 drivers who saw the security officers and left without parking,” Gray added.
There is some flexibility. Sound Transit lots with excess space allow carpoolers to park in designated areas. The Eastmont Park and Ride, near the Highway 527 and I-5 interchange, is one of those lots.
“But again, if we start to see that lot filling to the point where transit users can’t find a place to park, we’ll ask carpoolers to find somewhere else,” Gray said.
Everett Station, operated by Everett Transit, and all Community Transit park and ride lots are open to carpoolers. It’s first come, first served, and many lots fill quickly.
Below is the full run-down of Snohomish County park and ride lots, their number of spaces and usage (where known) and whether private carpools are allowed.
Snohomish County park and ride lots
| City | Lot name | Capacity | Carpools? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | Smokey Point Community Church | 50, full by 8 a.m. | Yes |
| Arlington P&R | 25, unk | Yes | |
| I-5 and Highway 531 P&R | 32, unk | Yes | |
| Smokey Point Transit Center | No public parking | No | |
| Bothell | Bothell P&R | 220, full by 9 a.m. | Yes |
| Canyon Park P&R | 302, 99% | Yes | |
| Brier | Brier P&R | 8, unk | Yes |
| Edmonds | Edmonds P&R | 255, 45% | Yes |
| Edmonds Station | 179, 84% | No | |
| United Presbyterian Church of Seattle | 64, 40% | Yes | |
| Edgewood Baptist Church | 10, 7% | Yes | |
| Edmonds Lutheran Church | 15, 36% | Yes | |
| Everett | Eastmont P&R | 389, 51% | Limited |
| Mariner P&R | 644, 74% | Yes | |
| Everett Community College | No public parking | No | |
| South Everett Freeway Station | 397, 100% | No | |
| Everett Station | 1,107, 65% | Yes | |
| Gold Bar | Gold Bar P&R | 28, unk | Yes |
| Granite Falls | Granite Falls P&R | Unk | Unk |
| Lake Stevens | Holy Cross Lutheran Church | 35, unk | Yes |
| Ebenezer Lutheran Church | 10, unk | Yes | |
| Lake Stevens Transit Center | 207, unk | Yes | |
| Lynnwood | Martha Lake Covenant Church | 75, 94% | Yes |
| Edmonds CC Transit Center | No public parking | No | |
| Swamp Creek on 164th P&R | 410, 62% | Yes | |
| Lynnwood Transit Center | 1,370, 100% | No (north of Transit Center), Yes (rest of facility) | |
| Ash Way P&R | 1,022, 106% | Yes | |
| Marysville | Cedar and Grove P&R | 213, unk | Yes |
| Marysville II P&R | 57, full by 8 a.m. | Yes | |
| Marysville United Methodist Church | 25, unk | Yes | |
| Ash Avenue P&R | 202, unk | Yes | |
| Calvary Chapel | 20, unk | Yes | |
| Marysville I P&R | 74, unk | Yes | |
| Mill Creek | McCollum Park P&R | 409, 92% | Yes |
| North Creek Presbyterian Church | 10, 73% | Yes | |
| Advent Lutheran Church | 40, unk | Yes | |
| Mill Creek Community Church | 30, 31% | Yes | |
| Monroe | Monroe P&R | 102, unk | Yes |
| Mountlake Terrace | Mountlake Terrace Transit Center | 880, 99% | Yes |
| Seattle Meditation Center | 22, 24% | Yes | |
| Bethesda Lutheran Church | 20, 83% | Yes | |
| Snohomish | Snohomish P&R | 104, unk | Yes |
| Stanwood | Stanwood II P&R | 38, unk | Yes |
| Sultan | Sultan P&R | 38, unk | Yes |
Sources: Community Transit, Sound Transit, Everett Transit, WSDOT
Note: This table was updated June 23, 2015, to clarify the Lynnwood Transit Center carpool situation and to update the Arlington and Ash Way listings.
Have a question? Email us at streetsmarts@heraldnet.com. Please include your name and city of residence. Look for updates on our Street Smarts blog.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
