Guest Post by Snoqualmie Valley Transportation
Snoqualmie Valley Transportation’s Valley Shuttle, the fixed-route bus connecting North Bend, Duvall, and all points in between, will start running on Saturdays and Sundays as of Saturday, Aug. 17.
It’s an exciting development for the Valley Shuttle, one of several services provided by Snoqualmie Valley Transportation (SVT) in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), King County Metro and the Snoqualmie Tribe. Residents and visitors alike have been eagerly anticipating it.
“Weekend service has been one of our community needs basically since I started here in 2012,” said Amy Biggs, director of SVT, a program of Mt. Si Senior Center. “People have weekend jobs they need to reach, or they ride our little SVT buses to work during the week but need weekend service for grocery shopping and all their errands. Transportation is a basic need for everyone, and not just on weekdays.”
Biggs coordinated funding for the new service with King County Metro and WSDOT. “King County Metro is responsible for funding this particular part of the new weekend service, and we are so grateful that they are responding to this need. Our next project will be to start our door-to-door services on the weekends. We’re still hiring drivers for that service and are accepting applications. It will be great to get the whole SVT system going on the weekends, and this is a terrific start!”
Now operating 17 vehicles, SVT was launched in 2003 with a single Metro bus loan from the Community Access Transportation (CAT) program.
The weekend Valley Shuttle service will operate from 6 a.m. to 9:15 p.m., with buses arriving roughly every 90 minutes. Biggs noted that this differs from the weekday service, on which Metro increased service frequency last March to have buses arriving about every hour. The full schedule will be on the SVT website when service starts.
“This expansion creates an important link for those who live in the Snoqualmie Valley and riders seeking a car-free way to access this beautiful area from elsewhere in the county,” said Brian Mannion, King County Metro Deputy Director of Mobility. “Launching weekend service means people can take transit to shop, meet for brunch and explore the beautiful trails and parks in the valley.”
“Expanding weekend bus service is a critical step in enhancing accessibility and promoting sustainable tourism in our valley,” said Kelly Coughlin, CEO of the SnoValley Chamber. “This service will not only support local businesses but also ensure that visitors and residents alike can enjoy our beautiful region while contributing to a greener and more eco-friendly community.”
To celebrate, SVT is having an employee get-together on Saturday the 17th at its office – 1308 Boalch Ave. NW, North Bend – so the weekday staff and drivers can show appreciation and support for the new weekend crew. All are welcome to stop in for photo ops with the little white buses and to meet the SVT family of dispatchers, drivers and call-takers who work so hard to support our community.
The celebration continues on Sunday, with another group of people excited for the start of this service. Kimberly Huntress Inskeep, founder of TransitTrekker.com and advocate for car-free recreation, has organized an “inaugural ride” to celebrate the new service. She and a group of fellow non-driving recreation users will take Metro’s Trailhead Direct to North Bend, then catch the Valley Shuttle to Carnation’s stop on Bird Street, and finally, walk the city’s trail from Entwistle to Tolt-MacDonald Park. Everyone is welcome for all or part of the trip; find details and RSVP at https://transittrekker.com/2024/08/05/snoqualmietransittrek.
Huntress-Inskeep said she had to organize something once she heard about the start of this service because “Tolt MacDonald is one of my favorite places to go anyway, and now I can do it on a weekend, without riding my ebike 25-30 miles.”
Transit Trekker.com, the site Huntress-Inskeep formed, is about advocacy and resources for people who want to get outside without driving because “Cars don’t scale,” she said. “We can’t just keep building bigger and bigger parking lots and more roads, especially if we care about these places. And riding in a bus is much safer, especially in rural areas.”
Valley Shuttle provided approximately 12,000 rides to local residents in 2023, which is expected to increase significantly with weekend service. All Valley Shuttle fares are a $1 suggested donation, youth 18 and younger ride free, and all buses have wheelchair lifts and bike racks for up to 2 bikes. SVT also allows pets, provided they are well-behaved.
For more information, visit www.svtbus.org, or call 425-888-7001.
Snoqualmie Valley Transportation is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.
About Snoqualmie Valley Transportation: Snoqualmie Valley Transportation (SVT) is a Mt. Si Senior Center program. It is the primary bus system serving Snoqualmie Valley. Funded by King County Metro, Snoqualmie Tribe, WSDOT, and donations, SVT provides various local-only bus services in North Bend, Snoqualmie, Fall City, Carnation, Duvall and Monroe. More information about Snoqualmie Valley Transportation can be found at http://svtbus.org or by calling 425-888-7001.
