Community Transit - Bringing You Home
Posted by Gary O'Rielly on Oct 23, 2016
Our gu
est speaker this past week was Emmett Heath, CEO of Community Transit. Heath has been the CEO of Community Transit since August 2014. Accompanying Emmett to the meeting was Todd Morrow, CT's Chief of Strategic Communications as well as a member of the Everett Rotary Club and by Jamyang Dorjee, Public Affairs Specialist with Community Transit.
est speaker this past week was Emmett Heath, CEO of Community Transit. Heath has been the CEO of Community Transit since August 2014. Accompanying Emmett to the meeting was Todd Morrow, CT's Chief of Strategic Communications as well as a member of the Everett Rotary Club and by Jamyang Dorjee, Public Affairs Specialist with Community Transit.Emmett Heath has a valued background in transportation and the electric utility industry. Prior to being the CEO of Community Transit, he served as Director of Administration for ten years. Before Community Transit, he held executive leadership positions at King County Metro and the Snohomish County PUD. His leadership skills are well noted and very expansive. Emmett was born and raised in Puget Sound area and lives in Arlington with his wife where they raised three children.
Todd Morrow is a lifelong resident of Everett with deep family roots in the city and involvement in community activities. Todd is the Chief of External Affairs overseeing the Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs Departments for Community Transit. Todd is the Vice President of the Rotary Club of Everett and serves on various community boards and continues his involvement in the community.
Public transportation is a hot topic in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties with Sound Transit seeking $54 billion dollars in funding for extension of their light rail system into the three counties. But, last Friday's meeting was an update Community Transit's "Bringing You Home" and its growth beginning in October 1976 as the Snohomish County Public Transportation Benefit Area Corporation. Lake Stevens residents saw the benefits and joined in 1977. On October 4th, Community Transit celebrated its 40th year in business.
CT's system inlcude more than 2,200 bus stops, 24 park and ride lots with more than 8,400 stalls. The future is growth for Snohomish County with a prediction that in the next 20 years there will be 240,000 new residents. Currently, there are 38,000 daily commuters every weekday. That's the population of Lynnwood. Transit helps our economy grow and protects our quality of life commented Emmett during his presentation.
Ridership is growing at about 2% each year. As a result, investment was needed to meet demand and grow for the future. There are 57 new doubletall buses. Community Transit was the 2nd in the nation and 1st in this area to use double decker buses. Sound Transit has begun ordering doubletalls after seeing the results by Community Transit. The current Swift Rapid Bus Transit Blue line from Everett to Aurora Village has benefited the communities in between. CT is constructing a corridor for a Green Line from Seaway Blvd at 75th St SW to the Canyon Park area of Bothell.
Emmett spoke of the future of the network and the need for Long Range Planning using increments of 3, 5 and 10 years. The future in Lake Stevens is Transit Oriented Development where property values along a transit corridor have benefited communities like Washington DC and will do the same in this area. On September 1st CT started two new routes serving Lake Stevens. Route 109 runs from the Ash Way Park & Ride lot through Mill Creek out Cathcart Way and north on Highway 9 to our Transit Center. Route 209 runs from the Transit Center north to Marysville via 64th St NE/4th St and up to Quil Ceda Village.
Another great program about the benefits of Community Transit to Lake Stevens and Snohomish County.