EVERETT, AUG. 2: On Wednesday the Everett City Council heard from Community Transit on the future Swift Gold Line and approved using grant funds for firefighter protection equipment.
Mayors Comments:
A new playground opened next to Phil Johnson Ballfields, Mayor Cassie Franklin said. The park was closed in March to replace existing equipment and add options for accessible play.
Last week Funko Field welcomed the USA softball Western Nationals Tournament, with teams from six different states.
The Bezos Academy had its first graduation ceremony last week, with 39 preschoolers graduating. “It was by far the most beautiful graduation ceremony I’ve ever been to,” Franklin said, “their families, grandparents, aunties, uncles and everyone was there and everyone in the audience was crying.”
The academy opened in March 2023, and “aims to nurture the potential in every child to become a creative leader, original thinker, and lifelong learner by increasing access to early childhood education in under-resourced communities,” according to their website.
A reminder that National Night Out Against Crime is Tuesday, August 6. This is an opportunity for neighborhoods to talk with law enforcement and city officials about safety within the community.
Council Comments:
The Mother of all Garage Sales is 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, and this year’s sales will help pay for an informational sign for the Native Plant Garden at Drew Nielsen Park. See here for more information.
The Proposition 1 informational sessions put on by the city have concluded. To see the slides that were presented and other information about Prop 1, see here. Prop 1, which is on the August ballot, would increase Everett’s property levy rate to $2.19/ $1,000 of assessed value. If passed, this measure would help fund public safety, park maintenance, libraries, and more.
The Everett Farmers Market is celebrating 50 years of being in downtown Everett this weekend.
Everett Street Tunes has returned starting today until Aug. 29. You can find decorated pianos around Everett. To see the full map of pianos, see here.
Bus Rapid Transit, Community Transit:
Ric Ilgenfritz, CEO of Community Transit and his team gave a presentation about the next Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, the Swift Gold Line expected in 2029.
“I want to emphasize, again, that this is the very beginning of a long conversation aimed at defining this investment,” Ilgenfritz said.
The 15-mile Swift Gold Line will provide service between Everett, Marysville, and Arlington along one of three potential routes (see image), connecting to Community Transit’s Swift Blue Line and Sound Transit’s regional Sounder commuter rail service at Everett Station.
Swift, the first BRT in Washington State, opened in 2009.
The Lynnwood Link light rail extension will open on Aug. 30. and will travel from Northgate to Lynnwood. Ridership is expected to reach 63,000 to 74,000 in 2035.
In March Community Transit opened its third BRT line, Swift Orange Line. The 11-mile Orange Line corridor serves McCollum Park, Mill Creek Town Center, Alderwood Mall, and Edmonds College while connecting Swift Blue and Green lines, and light rail.
Sound Transit is currently in the outreach phase for the Swift Gold Line.
“This project will be the most ambitious BRT project we’ve tried to undertake. We are trying to do something cool and innovative here that adds a lot of value to the city, and that means a significant capital investment throughout the corridor…,” Ilgenfritz said.
Firefighters and Protective Equipment:
The city voted to use a part of the Assistance to Firefighters grant, an awarded federal grant, for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The city will contribute 10%, $7,161.14, of the total $78,772.50 to contribute to wildland firefighting apparel; a custom-fitted shirt and pants for each firefighter.
“As our climate has continued to change, the annual pace of brush and wildfires in Everett and Snohomish County has increased significantly… Providing our firefighters with appropriate PPE sized to fit them increases firefighter safety via reduced reliance on structural firefighting ensembles…,” the agenda reads.
