Everett Transit Merger Sets April 2027 Handover
Community Transit’s board voted unanimously on November 5 to finalize the merger with Everett Transit, a day after the Everett City Council approved the agreement. Everett Transit will stop operating on April 1, 2027, when Community Transit assumes service in the city and Everett’s transit sales tax rises from 0.6% to 1.2%. The new rate matches the tax Community Transit collects across Snohomish County.
The agreement sets a goal of increasing bus service in Everett by 50% by 2031. It also calls for Zip, an on-demand microtransit service, to begin in the city by spring 2028. Community Transit plans to develop a new network, with public and stakeholder input, and bring a plan to its board by the end of 2027.
Everett Transit, which has served the city since 1969, provides about 2 million trips a year. Supporters say a combined system can make trips beyond Everett easier by planning routes as one network. Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz described the merger as an opportunity to bring the agencies together and improve the county’s transit experience.
The transition has raised concerns about the higher tax and the effect on Everett Transit employees’ seniority. Union negotiations will determine how seniority and other employment terms carry over after current labor contracts expire at the end of 2027. Everett bus driver Shanine Chapman urged the agencies to give employees’ years of service equal weight. Community Transit board chair Joe Marine said the board would examine the contracts closely.
Existing Everett paratransit riders as of March 31, 2027, will continue receiving service. However, people who turn 65 after the merger will need to meet Americans with Disabilities Act eligibility requirements rather than qualify automatically based on age. The agreement also provides Everett a one-time payment of $54.5 million and transfers $16 million in transit reserves to Community Transit.
Everett Merger Promises More Bus Service Across Snohomish County
Everett’s merger with Community Transit is a major investment in public transportation, with the countywide agency set to take over on April 1, 2027. The Community Transit board approved the deal unanimously on November 5, following the Everett City Council’s approval a day earlier.
The agreement targets a 50% increase in Everett bus service by 2031 and a Zip on-demand service launch by spring 2028. A unified network could reduce gaps and transfers for people traveling between Everett and other county destinations, rather than leaving riders to navigate separate systems. Community Transit will develop a new network plan with public and stakeholder input.
The city’s transit tax will rise from 0.6% to 1.2% when the merger takes effect. That increase provides resources for more frequent service and later evening buses. Opponents focused on the tax increase, but the choice is also about whether residents can get more useful transit and connections as the system grows.
The change also brings real obligations to the workforce. Everett Transit employees have raised concerns about preserving seniority, and union negotiations will determine how employment terms carry over after existing contracts expire at the end of 2027. The agencies must make the transition work for the workers who provide the service.
Everett Transit has operated since 1969 and handles about 2 million trips annually. Existing paratransit riders as of March 31, 2027, will retain service, while people turning 65 after the merger must meet ADA eligibility requirements. The agreement also transfers $16 million in transit reserves and provides Everett a one-time $54.5 million payment.
Everett Residents Face Doubled Transit Tax Under Merger
Everett residents will pay a transit sales tax of 1.2%, twice the current 0.6% rate, when Community Transit takes over the city’s bus operations on April 1, 2027. The merger was approved by the Community Transit board on November 5 and the Everett City Council a day earlier, without a public vote on the tax increase.
Supporters promise a 50% boost in bus service by 2031 and a Zip microtransit service by spring 2028. Those are future targets, while the higher tax is tied to the merger’s effective date. The agreement also gives Community Transit control of Everett’s transit operations and transfers $16 million in reserves, alongside a one-time payment of $54.5 million to the city.
The change ends Everett Transit’s municipal operation, which began in 1969 and provides about 2 million trips each year. A countywide network may improve connections, but residents will have to weigh that promise against the cost of a doubled local transit tax.
Employees also face unresolved questions. Everett Transit drivers have objected to any loss of seniority, which can affect route and time-off choices. Union negotiations will address the terms after current labor contracts expire at the end of 2027, and the Community Transit board will approve future agreements. Officials have said the workers’ concerns are being heard, but the specific outcome remains to be negotiated.
Paratransit eligibility will also change for some residents. People already using Everett paratransit as of March 31, 2027, will keep receiving service, but those turning 65 afterward will have to qualify under ADA rules instead of receiving automatic eligibility based on age.
Reported by The Everett Herald, The Urbanist.
