Everett City Council voted Wednesday to move forward with a merger between Everett Transit and Community Transit.
This would effectively get rid of Everett Transit on April 1, 2027, ending their time as a city-led transit system since 1969. They are one of the few remaining city-run transit systems in Washington.
That consolidation passed through the city council, and on Thursday, it will go through a second round of voting under the Community Transit board. Both parties have to agree on the plan, or it gets stalled again after months of work.
If approved, Community Transit will start operating within Everett’s borders in place of Everett Transit.
This also means the public transit sales tax will increase from 0.6% to 1.2% on April 1.
The consolidation isn’t being put to a community vote because the law was changed in 2025, removing the mandate that the initiative must be put on a ballot.
Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin says she’s in favor of the merger because it will save the city money and increase bus service for residents, but some people were not convinced when speaking to council Wednesday night.
“Last week, I believed our voices would make a difference and that if we pleaded for help you would listen, but after the responses residents have received from council, I came to a painful realization that our voices don’t matter,” one Everett resident said.
Also part of the new agreement is a 50% increase in bus services for Everett by 2031.
Paratransit eligibility will take a hit from how operations currently run. Right now, Everett Transit offers the service to riders over 65 years old.
Community Transit said they only offer it to people who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Community Transit meeting is at 3 p.m. Thursday. That’s when the final vote to move this project forward is expected to be held.
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