Community Transit's Swift Orange Line Groundbreaking Event

Target Audience: Community Transit staff, board members, federal and elected officials, and community partners were the key audience for the Swift Orange Line Groundbreaking event. It created an opportunity to share Community Transit's growth with important stakeholders and with our community. It was successful in creating excitement about the Swift Orange Line service which will launch in 2024.

Strategy Objective:- To highlight a major milestone — the start of construction on Swift Orange Line and further expansion of the Swift Network. - Enhance community awareness of Swift Orange Line and improved regional connections to light rail in Lynnwood. - Provide an opportunity to feature and thank local, state, and regional partners, as well as Community Transit employees and other key stakeholders. - Educate people about how Swift Orange Line will connect people to their communities and help foster local economic development and job opportunities. - Create a platform to showcase Community Transit's growth, and how Swift Orange Line will expand access to services in our community.

Situation Challenge: This event celebrated the kick-off of construction — a significant transit milestone for this project which will substantially shape local infrastructure. It will be the first bus rapid transit (BRT) line in Snohomish County to connect with regional light rail when a new station opens in Lynnwood. The 11-mile route will make travel quick and easy for people travelling in southwest Snohomish County and beyond. We hoped to build buzz about this transit investment and recognize key partners, including elected officials and employees. This transit investment was made possible through local and state funding, federal funds from the Federal Highway Administration Flexible Funds, Federal Transit Administration formula funds, and a grant through the FTA's Capital Investment Grants program.

Results Impact: The Swift Orange Line Groundbreaking event significantly increased public awareness of the upcoming BRT service in Snohomish County. The event featured significant federal, state and local partners including: - Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Nuria Fernandez - Washington State Governor Jay Inslee - U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray - U.S. Representative Rick Larsen and several state, county, and city legislators As a result of the Groundbreaking event, we received significant media coverage. Highlights include several stories and op eds in local and regional news outlets (see attachments).

Why Submit: This entry represents a major milestone and was a unique opportunity to collaborate with federal, state, and local partners. The excitement, far-reaching media coverage, and enthusiastic participation of community leaders speaks to its success. This event far surpassed all established project goals and has led to further interest and more opportunities to share about Swift Orange Line. Snohomish County is experiencing rapid growth and this BRT project creates a key transit connection for our region. This crucial work can't happen without community support. This event serves as a model for future events related to infrastructure development as we continue to improve transit access.