Sound Transit Express

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Sound Transit Express

Sound Transit New Flyer hybrid bus 9620 in Seattle, operated by King County Metro
Slogan Ride the wave.
Parent Sound Transit
Founded 1996
Headquarters Seattle, Washington
Locale Puget Sound region
Service area King, Pierce, and Snohomish
Service type Public Transit
Alliance King County Metro
Community Transit
Pierce Transit
Everett Transit
Routes 25
Destinations 53
Hubs 8
Fleet 239 buses
Daily ridership 33,351 (Q1 2009)[1]
Annual ridership 15.4 million (2012)[2]
Fuel type Diesel
CNG
Diesel-electric hybrid
Operator Buses under contract from King County Metro, Community Transit and Pierce Transit
Website ST Express

Sound Transit Express (ST Express) is the bus network of Puget Sound transit agency Sound Transit. The agency, based in Seattle, Washington, provides inter-county bus service throughout 53 cities in three counties (King, Pierce, and Snohomish). While Sound Transit oversees, plans, and funds the service, operation and maintenance of the buses is contracted out to King County Metro, Pierce Transit, and Community Transit.

Fare zones

ST Express uses a fare zone system, which comprises 3 regions:

  • King County
  • Pierce County
  • Snohomish County

The fares are as follows:

  • One county-$2.50 (18-64) $1.25 (6-18); $0.75 (65+/Disabled)
  • Multi-County-$3.50 (18-64) $2.50 (6-18); $1.50 (65+/Disabled).

A valid youth ORCA card required for youth fares when paying with ORCA card. A valid Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) required for those over 65 or with a disability. New RRFP's are issued as ORCA cards.

Paper transfers are no longer accepted or given out on Sound Transit routes. Passengers can use an ORCA card to transfer between ST routes or other agencies and will receive an electronic transfer valid for two hours from initial payment.

Bus routes

Sound Transit oversees 24 ST Express bus routes, which are operated under contract by Community Transit (First Transit operates under contract with CT), King County Metro, and Pierce Transit. Prior to the creation of Sound Transit, the routes were part of these agencies' systems. When Sound Transit implements a new bus route, changes are frequently made to existing routes that serve the area to avoid overlapping.

The ST Express routes and operators are as follows[3] († are routes which operate seven days a week; the remaining routes operate Monday through Friday, mostly only during rush hour.:

Community Transit

  • 510 - Seattle/Everett
  • 511 - Seattle/Ash Way Park & Ride via Lynnwood
  • 512 - Seattle/Everett †
  • 513 - Seattle/Eastmont
  • 532 - Bellevue/Everett
  • 535 - Bellevue/Lynnwood

King County Metro

  • 522 - Seattle/Woodinville †
  • 540 - Kirkland/U District
  • 542 - Redmond/Green Lake via U District
  • 545 - Seattle/Redmond via SR-520 †
  • 550 - Seattle/Bellevue via I-90 and Mercer Island †
  • 554 - Seattle/Issaquah via I-90 and Mercer Island †
  • 555 - Issaquah/Northgate via Bellevue
  • 556 - Issaquah/Northgate via University District and Bellevue

Pierce Transit

  • 560 - Westwood Village/Bellevue via Sea-Tac Airport and Renton †
  • 566 - Overlake/Auburn via Bellevue, Renton and Kent
  • 567 - Overlake/Kent via Bellevue
  • 574 - Lakewood/Sea-Tac Airport via Tacoma and Federal Way †
  • 577 - Seattle/Federal Way †
  • 578 - Seattle/Federal Way/Auburn/Sumner/Puyallup †
  • 586 - Tacoma/U District
  • 590 - Seattle/Tacoma
  • 592 - Seattle/Olympia via Lakewood
  • 594 - Seattle/Lakewood via Tacoma †
  • 595 - Seattle/Gig Harbor

Bus Fleet

Sound Transit owns a fleet of 250 buses operated by three different local transit agencies. Sound Transit buses are painted white with aqua, turquoise, and blue waves along the sides, representing the Puget Sound region ST Express serves, and feature a freely-adapted representation of the Sound Transit bus and train system map on the seating fabric.

Current ST Express Bus fleet (2013-)

  • Gillig Phantom (52):
    • King County Metro
      • 9070-9089 (2001)
      • 9090-9091 (2005)
    • Community Transit
      • 9112-9121 (2008)
    • Pierce Transit
      • 9092-9111 (2008)
  • Gillig Advantage BRT Series (25):
    • Pierce Transit
      • 9201-9223 (Hybrid diesel/electric; 2012)
      • 9122-9123 (Diesel; 2012)
  • New Flyer (21):
    • King County Metro
      • 9200 DE40LF (2003)
    • Pierce Transit
      • 9400-9419 C40LF (2001)
  • New Flyer Articulated bus (142):
    • King County Metro
      • 9526-9536 D60LF (2001)
      • 9537-9552 D60LF (2005)
      • 9584-9586 D60LFR (2011) No Roof Fins
      • 9600-9621 DE60LF (2005)
      • 9622-9623 DE60LF (2008)
      • 9624-9636 DE60LF (2010)
      • 9637-9647 DE60LFR (2010) Roof Fins
      • 9648-9651 DE60LFR (2011) Roof Fins
      • 9801-9813 D60LFR (2013) No Roof Fins
    • Community Transit
      • 9525 D60LF (2001)
      • 9553-9565 D60LFR (2010) Roof Fins
      • 9566-9583 D60LFR (2011) Roof Fins
      • 9587-9596 D60LFR (2011) No Roof Fins
      • 51214-51218 D60LFR (2013) No Roof Fins
  • Motor Coach Industries (40):
    • Pierce Transit
      • 9700-9712 D4500 (2005)
      • 9713-9719 D4500 (2007)
      • 9720-9722 D4500 (2009)
      • 9723-9739 D4500 (2011)

Occasionally, vehicles that are not in Sound Transit livery are used on Sound Transit routes by the respective agencies, King County Metro Transit, Community Transit and Pierce Transit. Also, Sound Transit vehicles may also be used by the local agencies for other commuter routes. This is due to vehicles having mechanical problems, vehicle allocation issues, and assignment errors. Sound Transit buses are independently operated by contracts and agreements from Sound Transit, and Community Transit contracts First Transit for Sound Transit services assigned to it.

Gallery

  • New Flyer DE40LF

  • New Flyer DE60LFR

  • New Flyer D60LF

  • New Flyer C40LF

  • MCI D4500

  • New Flyer DE60LF

  • New Flyer D60LFR

  • New Flyer DE60LF

References

  1. ↑ "First Quarter 2009 Systemwide Ridership" (PDF). Sound Transit. Retrieved 2009-05-29. 
  2. ↑ http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/2012-ridership
  3. ↑ "Lost & Found". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2009-05-24. 

External links

Mass transit in the Puget Sound region
Local and Express bus
Light rail
Streetcar
Commuter rail
Bus rapid transit
Ferry
Monorail
Other
Italics denote lines or services which are planned, under construction, or otherwise not operating at the present time.
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