Everett Merges Transit Into Community Transit
The Everett City Council and Community Transit Board approved an interlocal agreement that will bring Everett's transit operations under Community Transit starting April 1, 2027.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in City Hall
Live Poll
Would you support a higher sales tax for more frequent local buses in your area?
The Everett City Council and the Community Transit Board approved an interlocal agreement merging Everett Transit into Community Transit. Community Transit will replace Everett's 0.6% transit sales tax with its 1.2% tax starting April 1, 2027.
Why it matters
The agreement aims to create a unified transit network across Snohomish County, bringing Everett's local transit funding to the level already in place in other county cities. Existing paratransit eligibility, service areas and labor agreements are retained during the transition.
Community Transit's transit sales tax is 1.2%, compared with Everett's current 0.6%, which would add 6 cents to a $10 taxable purchase. The agreement sets a target of a 50% increase in Everett transit service by 2031, though the specific expansion plan has not yet been finalized.
The players
Community Transit
Community Transit is the public transit agency serving Snohomish County, Washington, which will take over Everett's transit operations under the agreement.
Everett City Council
The Everett City Council is the legislative body of the City of Everett, Washington, which approved the interlocal agreement.
The details
Community Transit will assume leadership of Everett transit operations on April 1, 2027, while current routes and schedules remain mostly unchanged until then. Everett Transit employees may choose to work for Community Transit or the city, and Community Transit will honor the collective bargaining agreements of employees who transfer.
Timeline
January 2027: The public can begin helping plan the integrated network.
April 1, 2027: Community Transit assumes Everett transit operations and the new sales tax begins.
2028: Service expansions begin, with an on-demand Zip Shuttle zone planned for spring 2028.
2031: Target date for a 50% increase in Everett transit service.
Political Context
The agreement aligns Everett with the funding structure already used by other Snohomish County cities under Community Transit, extending a single county-wide transit system into the city. Supporters frame it as creating a unified network, while the sales tax increase applies to Everett residents who previously paid the lower 0.6% rate.
Everett residents will see a sales tax rate increase from 0.6% to 1.2% starting April 1, 2027, adding 6 cents to a $10 taxable purchase. Current routes and schedules remain mostly the same until then, and paratransit eligibility and service areas are retained for existing customers.
The takeaway
Residents who rely on Everett transit should watch for the January 2027 public planning window, since the 2027 tax change and 2028 service expansions will affect daily travel and household costs.
What happens next
The public can begin helping plan the integrated transit network in January 2027, and Community Transit assumes operations on April 1, 2027.
Further reading
For more on how local government decisions like this one are made, see City Hall coverage in Everett.
Live Poll
Would you support a higher sales tax for more frequent local buses in your area?
