Skagit Transit presents long‑range plan to commissioners; proposes route realignments and on‑demand pilot in Anacortes

Skagit Transit staff and their consultant briefed the Skagit County Board of Commissioners on a draft long‑range transit plan April 15, proposing route restructures across the county, an on‑demand pilot targeted to Anacortes, and phased investments in fleet, stops and facilities over a short, mid and long implementation timeline.

Crystal Stidham, Skagit Transit chief executive officer, introduced consultant Sam Sambabwe, who said the plan looks five to ten years ahead and incorporates public outreach, existing ridership patterns and equity analysis. The plan’s diagnosis noted strengths—countywide coverage and key park‑and‑ride and facility assets such as Skagit Station—and challenges, including circuitous routing, routes with hour‑plus headways, and limited evening and weekend span in some corridors.

Sambabwe described recommended near‑term actions that aim to streamline routes within the current resource envelope, reduce duplicative service, and strengthen direct regional connections (for example extending some routes into Downtown Anacortes and altering service between Sedro‑Woolley and Mount Vernon to provide more direct two‑way trips). Mid‑ and long‑range recommendations would layer in additional service hours to increase frequency and span and add capital investments in fleet and facilities.

The plan identifies on‑demand microtransit as a candidate service type for areas where fixed‑route service is less efficient. After analysis, Anacortes was recommended as a top candidate for a zone‑based on‑demand pilot; Skagit Transit staff said the pilot would allow booking by app or phone, aim for roughly a 20‑minute wait target (depending on demand and fleet deployed), operate in accessible vehicles and generally maintain the same fare structure as fixed route. Staff said the agency is seeking grant resources and would begin a pilot if funds are secured.

Sambabwe said the agency ran a Title VI equity analysis and found the recommended changes would not produce disparate impacts on protected populations; staff also explained that existing complementary paratransit obligations (mandated within three‑quarters of a mile of fixed routes) would be grandfathered for current riders in areas where fixed routes are reduced and that no new paratransit enrollments would be accepted under the old route footprint. Commissioners asked about evaluation and responsiveness; staff said the plan is a living document, short‑term changes would be monitored and adjusted, and continued public engagement is planned during implementation. A 30‑day public comment period is open and the full plan and survey are on Skagit Transit’s website.