Skagit Transit presents long-range plan proposing route consolidations and on‑demand pilots

Skagit Transit officials on Wednesday presented a draft long‑range transit plan that would consolidate some existing fixed routes, extend selected routes into Mount Vernon, and pilot point‑to‑point on‑demand service in Anacortes while phasing frequency and span increases as funding allows.

The plan matters because it sets the agency’s priorities for the next 5–10 years and could change how Mount Vernon residents connect to jobs, health care and regional transit hubs. Skagit Transit says the draft is meant to be implemented incrementally, with short‑range changes possible within current resources and larger frequency and span increases dependent on additional vehicles and operating funds.

Sam Zimbabwe, a transportation planner with consultant Kimley‑Horn, told council the agency found “excellent coverage” for many destinations today but noted uneven frequencies and limited evening and weekend spans. Zimbabwe said systemwide ridership is higher mid‑day than at typical commute peaks and that routes vary from 30‑minute headways to multi‑hour gaps. “What we heard most frequently was increased frequencies, having the bus come more often, increased span of service,” he said during the presentation.

Skagit Transit staff identified opportunities to streamline duplicative service (for example, overlapping routes serving Marchpoint and Chuckanut park‑and‑rides) and to simplify circuitous one‑way loops that can leave riders waiting long periods to travel the opposite direction. The draft recommends a Mount Vernon change that would extend Route 305 through additional neighborhoods into Skagit Station to provide two‑way service on streets that some current loops only serve one way.

The plan also proposes a pilot on‑demand zone in Anacortes — a flexible, app‑ or phone‑requested point‑to‑point service using smaller accessible vehicles — and lists Mount Vernon among several communities that could be considered for future pilots if the Anacortes test proves successful.

Steve Sexton, Skagit Transit special projects manager, and Malaya (listed in the meeting as Malaya/Malia) Kosinski, recently hired as the agency’s planning and outreach manager, were present for the council briefing. Sexton said the agency will provide the full PowerPoint to city staff and noted the draft plan is open for comment through May 14 at skagitransit.org.

Council members pressed for clarity about service coverage and vehicle types. Council member Brown asked for the presentation slides, saying Mount Vernon appeared to “lose quite a bit of service” on first glance; Zimbabwe responded that some changes replace one‑way hourly loops with two‑way service and that the maps will be clarified in updated materials. Council member Gary Molinar asked whether transit vehicles can trigger traffic signals; Zimbabwe said Skagit Transit is not currently changing lights and that signal priority is technically complex across multiple jurisdictions.

The plan positions short‑range refinements as achievable with existing service hours and vehicles and anticipates layering additional frequency and span improvements if future funding and vehicles become available. Skagit Transit staff said some routes in the draft would be consolidated or discontinued and that the agency will continue coordination with cities to integrate transit into long‑range planning and local transportation projects.

The council did not vote on the plan. Skagit Transit said the draft and supporting analysis will remain available for public comment through May 14, 2025, and staff will return with follow‑up information on specific route details and maps.