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 A double-decker Sound Transit Express bus on Route 513 at Mountlake Terrace Freeway Station | |
| Parent | Sound Transit |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington |
| Locale | Puget Sound region |
| Service area | King, Pierce, and Snohomish |
| Service type | Public Transit |
| Routes | 23 |
| Hubs | 8 |
| Fleet | 312 buses |
| Daily ridership | 32,900 (weekdays, Q2 2024)[1] |
| Annual ridership | 8,565,100 (2023)[2] |
| Fuel type | CNG, Diesel, and Diesel-electric hybrid |
| Operator | Community Transit, King County Metro, and Pierce Transit |
| Website | www |
Sound Transit Express (ST Express) is a network of regional express buses, operated by the multi-county transit agency, Sound Transit. The routes connect major regional hubs throughout 53 cities in three counties (King, Pierce, and Snohomish) in the Puget Sound region. Sound Transit Express ranks first in the nation in the number of commuter bus passengers carried and in vehicle miles driven.[3] The first nine routes and 114 buses began carrying passengers on September 19, 1999.[4][5] In 2023, the system had a ridership of 8,565,100, or about 32,900 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.
Unlike a typical transit bus, Sound Transit Express routes typically make limited stops as they travel longer distances on the freeways. Most routes operate seven days a week, with runs throughout the day. Where available, buses use transit-only lanes, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, high-occupancy toll lanes, express lanes, bus bypass shoulders,[6] and direct access ramps to speed travel times.
While Sound Transit oversees, plans, and funds the service, operation and maintenance of the buses is contracted out to Community Transit (who subcontracts with Transdev), King County Metro and Pierce Transit.[7]
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ Rogoff, Peter (January 29, 2016). "CEO Report for January 29, 2016". Sound Transit. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Collins, Eric (September 20, 1999). "Sound Transit's airport bus hits road". The News Tribune. pp. A1, A10. Retrieved November 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Regional transit history 1997 - 2003". Sound Transit. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
- ^ Gutman, David (November 9, 2018). "Buses can avoid morning congestion by using I-5 shoulder lane in Snohomish County". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Matthew (December 10, 2015). "Q. Who's driving those Sound Transit buses and trains?". The Platform. Sound Transit. Retrieved June 1, 2021.