Community Transit RideStore reopens as fares resume and bus service Increases

Fares restart July 1, bus trips added back July 6

Community Transit will add about 200 bus trips on July 6 to meet an expected increase in ridership demand. The agency is also resuming fare collection on July 1. On June 22 the RideStore customer service center at Lynnwood Transit Center reopened to help people plan their transit trips and purchase or reload ORCA fare cards.

RideStore open

The RideStore is now open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for general information, trip planning, ORCA card purchases and reloads, as well as lost & found.

If you lost an item on a Community Transit bus, or Sound Transit bus that Community Transit operates, call(425-348-2350 to see if it is at the RideStore. Generally, you will have to wait until the following day to pick up your lost items, but if it is something very important like a cell phone, wallet or keys, they will try to recover the item right away.

For ORCA information, you can call 888 988-6722. If you have an existing ORCA card, you can add value over the phone with a credit card. If you need to purchase a reduced fare or youth card, you will have to come in person to the RideStore to show proof of eligibility. For ORCA LIFT cards, please call the ORCA line or visit www.communitytransit.org/orcalift for more information.

Using an ORCA card allows for contactless fare payment on Puget Sound area transit.

For general customer information, call 425-353-7433 (RIDE), 800 562-1375 or TTY:711 Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Service additions

On July 6, Community Transit will add about 200 trips to its weekday service, primarily on local routes operating within Snohomish County. Detailed schedules will be available online Monday, June 29 at www.communitytransit.org/schedules.

Nearly all local routes within Snohomish County will see some trips added back after the agency cut service during the pandemic. Trips will also be added on most routes to the University District. Due to continued low demand for service into downtown Seattle, only Routes 412 and 435 will have trips added.

Sound Transit will have some added trips from Snohomish County due to a new Route 508 shuttle that will operate between the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center and downtown Seattle. The MLT Freeway Station will close July 6 through November for Link light rail construction. For more information, visit www.communitytransit.org/linkconstruction.

Community Transit plans a two-stage increase in bus service over the summer. The July trip additions bring service up to 75% of pre-pandemic levels. In September, the agency will again increase service to 85% of pre-pandemic levels and maintain that service level through spring 2021.

Ask questions live

Riders can ask questions about the upcoming service increase or the restart of fare collection on Community Transit Live at Noon Wednesday, July 1. Visit www.facebook.com/communitytransit to participate.

Continued focus on safety

Community Transit has instituted a number of changes for safe travel, including:

• Nightly disinfecting of all buses and paratransit vehicles.
• Closing off seats to allow social distancing on buses.
• Encouraging riders to wear face coverings when using transit.
• Requiring drivers to wear face coverings while driving the bus with passengers onboard.
• Asking riders to wash their hands often and not to travel when sick.

Community Transit continues to provide essential transportation service during the pandemic. For information about Community Transit’s service and commitment to safety during the pandemic, please visit www.communitytransit.org/coronavirus.