EVERETT, SEPT. 6: In 1985, Tom Hingson, a part-time bus driver for Community Transit, received an unusual assignment from his boss. He was instructed to drive to the Lynnwood Park and Ride.
Upon arrival, he was surprised to find high-level elected officials and consultants waiting to board his bus. Their purpose? To begin planning a public transportation system that would connect Lynnwood to Everett.
This early planning would eventually lead to the development of what we now know as the Link Light Rail.
“I remember turning the bus around at the Everett Mall and thinking ‘Okay, that was cool’. At that time, they were thinking of following the Interurban ride-of-way, and replicate the old Interurban Rail System,” Hingson said.
Little did he know that 39 years later he would witness the grand opening of the Lynnwood Transit Station as Transportation Services Director for the City of Everett.
Born “wired for service”, Hingson has spent the last 41 years shaping public transportation in the Puget Sound, starting as a bus driver for King County Metro in 1983.
Hingson announced his retirement last month after 25 years with Everett during the Aug. 29 city council meeting. His last day will be October 1.
“You have forever impacted this community with the leadership that you provided to the transit team and the organization of Everett Transit… Tom is a real joy to work with,” Mayor Cassie Franklin said during the meeting.
Long history with public transit
Hingson transferred from King County Metro to Community Transit (CT) and worked as a part-time driver until 1986, he said. He worked his way up the ladder, from driver to scheduler.
“Another driver and I were given internships, where we worked part-time driving and part-time learning a new scheduling system. We were the first operators of this scheduling system called Hastus, which is still used today,” Hingson said.
He said that experience opened his eyes to a world beyond driving.
Hingson got a job years after working in operations at the Mukilteo School District for four years, helping to redesign and build their bus operations center. He said he got “40 years of experience in those four years.”
Eventually his experience led him to getting a call about a job in Everett. When he joined the Everett Transit team in 1999 it was as a program/systems manager.
Hingson was asked to help finalize the plans for the Everett Transit station, which officially opened in 2002.
“I was given the task of making sure that all the measurements outside this building [Everett Transit Station] would work for buses. If they hadn’t realized their plans didn’t work, they would have built it and buses would have been hitting curbs,” Hingson said.
He jokes saying that this contribution is the reason his name is on the commemorative plaque located on the bottom floor of the station.
Hingson said during his time with Everett they have modernized the fleet, became a leader in electrification, and have a more comprehensive and thoughtful approach to operations.
Thanks to his past relationships with CT, Hingson formed partnerships to bring the bus rapid transit system to Everett. Currently Everett Transit and CT are working on the gold line, connecting Everett to Smokey Point.
The decision to partner with CT didn’t come without controversy. But Hingson said it was “the right thing to do”.
Hingson’s main goal has been to make public transportation as customer-friendly as possible, he said.
“I want people to remember that all of our decisions have been customer driven. I’ve always tried to balance the needs of the employees and the needs of the customer. We want to make sure we do a good job for both,” Hingson said.
Looking to the future
At the Lynnwood Light Rail Celebration, Everett Transit received an Award of Excellence for its bus electrification efforts, spearheaded with the help of Hingson.
Snotrac’s Brock Howell (far right) presented the award to Everett Transit Director Tom Hingson, Mechanic Paul Wagar, Grants Manager Amanda Koerber, and City of Everett Youth Advisory Board Member Eva Wagner. Taken from Everett Transit Facebook.
“Under Tom’s leadership, we have electric buses and vehicles, he’s advocated for that and helped secure funding. Now we are a leader in electric buses in the region and probably across the country,” Franklin said during the council meeting.
Nearly 70% of the Everett fleet will be electric by 2025.
Outside of his work, Hingson has a long-lasting love for music. He and his wife have been a part of the Seattle Opera since 1999. He is also known for being the first to offer a song to team members.
“Since I was five years old I sang with my parents at church, my mom played piano and accordion and we used to sing trios. Most of my early singing was in church,” Hingson said.
During his retirement, Hingson said he plans to spend time with his grandkids and continue his love for music, by reteaching himself the trombone.
Hingson still plans on helping with public transportation sometime in the future. Being wired for service, he said “I will find a way to be helpful.”
Hingson expressed excitement and interest in the Everett Link Extension which is expected to open between 2037-2041. It would connect Everett to downtown Seattle in 60 minutes.
“I am excited for myself and for my family, and I am excited for Everett Transit and the next phase they can go through,” Hingson said, “There are some really exciting years ahead…”
