Whidbey Climate Action welcomes community members to embark on a little adventure across the Puget Sound that member Dean Enell called “a journey to America.”
Tuesday, Community Transit launched a new express bus that takes ferry commuters landing at the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal to the Lynnwood City Center light rail station and vice versa. The 117 bus will run every 30 minutes during the day and reduce the usual hour and a half trip with multiple buses to a 30- to 40-minute direct trip (with a few stops) to the light rail that finally reached Lynnwood after voters approved the service’s expansion into Snohomish County 16 years ago.
In Lynnwood, riders can hop on the light rail every eight minutes and arrive at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport in just an hour and eight minutes.
Whidbey Climate Action is celebrating this addition with the Bus or Bust event. Voyagers are invited to park their cars at any Island Transit Park and Ride and take the — free — bus headed to the Clinton Ferry Terminal to catch the 1 p.m. ferry on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Once on board, they will find fellow 117 riders holding signs, according to an email sent by Enell. To RSVP, visit whidbeyclimate.org/ride.
The party, which also includes representatives from Washington State Ferries, Island Transit and Community Transit, will meet on the ferry and sing along to live music brought by music therapist Barbra Dunn and friends.
In 34 years of being a ferry rider, Enell has noticed ferry-related traffic get worse every year, with frequent waits of one to two hours for drivers on both sides of the ferry route. Enell is also the chair of the Clinton Ferry Advisory Committee.
Enell believes Washington State Ferries should treat the ferries not as a bridge for cars, but people. With growth predictions showing a 30% or more increase in ridership by 2040 across the ferry system, a reduced fleet and no plans to build a bridge connecting Whidbey to the mainland, incentivizing passengers to leave their cars behind and take public transportation is a way to minimize traffic and delays, he said.
Cody Bakken, a member of the Clinton Ferry Advisory Committee, is excited about the express bus and would like to see a similar service on Whidbey. Although he has a drivers license, the Oak Harbor resident chooses not to drive and to instead rely on public transportation, including the Clinton ferry.
Now, whenever he has to visit friends in the Seattle area over the weekend, his trip will be shorter, and whenever the ferry arrives late to Mukilteo, he can count on shorter wait times.
