The Swift Bus Rapid Transit Green Line is Recognized for Engineering Excellence
January, 2020
Congratulations Community Transit!
The Swift Bus Rapid Transit Green Line is Recognized for Engineering Excellence; Receives 2019 PSRC Vision 2040 Award and 2019 WTS Innovative Transportation Solutions Award!
Snohomish County in Washington state is a fast-growing region with rapidly expanding economic hubs and urban centers. It is also rich in rural areas, farmlands, and forests. With another million+ residents anticipated over the next two decades, managing growth while preserving natural resources and building for a sustainable future is a key concern for the region. Nearly fifteen years ago Community Transit (CT) embarked on the Swift Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program as a vital part of the solution to the rapid growth in the region and providing for a sustainable future. From the start, Otak has been a trusted partner supporting the teams at CT and helping them deliver on their ambitious promise to the region.
While BRT in general is a well-established system for providing mass transit solutions, CT has been on the leading edge in rapid transit development and the Swift BRT system has proven to be an innovative solution successfully integrating transit networks across communities and effectively connecting the broader region. Yes, the Swift BRT transit program has a primary goal of providing transportation alternatives to help alleviate traffic congestion, but the solution is multifaceted. It’s about the pedestrians, bicyclists, and commercial vehicles that our roadway system serves and the property owners, businesses, and jurisdictions that are affected by the new transit system.
Holistic Approach to Design and Development
CT recognized these complexities and the need for a holistic interdisciplinary approach to designing a solution. From the very start, CT partnered with multiple agencies, utility providers, commissioners and community leaders, as well as civil engineers, planners, landscape architects, urban designers and more. Otak was brought in early on the design and development of the Swift Blue Line and then the Green Line. The Otak team, led by project manager Windi Shapley, has been an integral part of the program leading station and roadway improvement design, permitting, and providing construction engineering support for the project which included installation of station platforms and shelters, amenities, ticket vending machines, shelter railings, passenger information signing, and iconic station markers. The team also provided surveying, civil engineering, landscape architecture, planning, and utility coordination. Shapley asserts that, “to be successful and deliver the best possible solutions, you have to take a holistic approach. You need the expertise and insights from multiple disciplines because the smallest things can have a big impact, and everything is interconnected – especially on a multi-jurisdictional transit project like the Swift BRT.”
Project Recognized for Innovative Design and Positive Impact on Regional Sustainability
The Swift BRT Blue Line opened in 2009 as the first phase of the program. It was also the first of its kind in the state of Washington and set the standard for phase two (the Green Line) that began operating in March 2019. The Swift BRT Green Line is a 12-mile route running between the Seaway Transit Center and the Canyon Park-and-Ride, serving the communities of South Everett, Mill Creek, and Bothell in Snohomish County. It is notable for connecting the new commercial flight terminal at Paine Field and Boeing’s Everett Factory to Bothell, as well as the Swift Blue Line and the larger Community Transit network. In short, the addition of the Swift Green Line is an integral component to the long-term plan of creating a network of fast, frequent connections across the region and providing critical infrastructure for sustainable growth into the future.
This holistic approach has paid off as the Swift BRT lines are effectively providing much needed transportation solutions while adhering to the vision and policies around regional growth, transportation, and economic development within King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties. The results are undeniable, and as such, the Swift Green Line project has been recognized by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) with a 2019 Vision 2040 Award for innovative design and positive impact on regional sustainability.
The Green line won the 2019 WTS Innovative Transportation Solutions – Large Projects Award, not only for the innovative solutions, but also in recognition of the accomplishments of this women-led team. The project team was led by Joy Munkers, Director of Planning and Development and June DeVoll, Manager of Strategic Planning and Grants for Community Transit. From planning through implementation, Joy and June were supported by a project team that included over 50 women. Women in lead roles included Grants/Funding Lead Melissa Cauley, Community Transit Grant Program Manager; Project Management Lead of Design, Permitting, and Construction Support Windi Shapley of Otak; Traffic Engineering Lead Katherine Casseday of Casseday Consulting; Right-of-Way Lead Faith Roland of Contract Land Staff; Environmental Permitting Lead Sharese Graham of Environmental Science Associates; 128th Street Improvements Design Lead Yee-Fan Riu of WSP; and Geotechnical Lead Debra Overbay of GeoEngineers.
Otak was recently given an Engineering Excellence Gold Award for Successful Fulfillment of Client/Owner Needs for the Green Line project from the American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC), Washington Chapter.
Windi attributes the project’s success in part to the consistent presence Otak has been able to provide when CT team members and project leads have changed over the years. “Fifteen years is a long time and staff changes are to be expected. We have been able to guide the project through these changes with the accumulated knowledge and expertise gained at all stages, and a steadfast commitment to the long-range vision, mission and purpose.” CT Manager of Strategic Planning and Grants, June DeVoll further asserts, “Otak’s expertise, thoroughness, emphasis on team communication, and focus on quality and constructability has made them a trusted and invaluable member of our Swift Green Line team. They understand our mission, vision and expectations. The Otak team has proven they are invested in our success.”
The Swift BRT system will continue to expand with the development of the Orange line, which will connect the Blue and Green lines with the City of Lynnwood, and the new light rail line set to open in 2024. As with the Blue and Green lines, development of the Orange Line will include further roadway and signal improvements to ensure transit speed and reliability through the corridor. The completion of the network will effectively connect the entire region with an attractive alternative to the automobile for fast, reliable, and efficient commuting in an area that is committed to sustainable growth and protection of its natural resources.