Long Awaited Weekend Bus Service Now Available!

Snoqualmie Valley Transportation’s Valley Shuttle, the fixed route bus connecting North Bend and Duvall, and all points in between, has started running on Saturdays and Sundays as of Saturday, August 17.

It is an exciting development for the Valley Shuttle, one of several services provided by Snoqualmie Valley Transportation (SVT) in their partnership with Washington State Department of Transportation
(WSDOT), King County Metro and the Snoqualmie Tribe, and one that residents and visitors alike have been eagerly anticipating.

“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 worked with King County Metro and WSDOT to coordinate funding for the new service. “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 the loan of a single Metro bus 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 roughly every 90 minutes. Biggs noted that this is different from the weekday service, on which Metro increased service frequency last March to have buses arriving about every hour. The full schedule (below) 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 had an employee get together on Saturday, August 17 so the weekday staff and drivers could show their appreciation and support for the new weekend crew. Kimberly Huntress-Inskeep, founder of TransitTrekker.com and advocate for car-free recreation, also organized an “inaugural ride” to celebrate the new service.

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.org, 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, and that number 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 program of Mt. Si Senior Center. It is the primary bus system serving Snoqualmie Valley. Funded by King County Metro, Snoqualmie Tribe, WSDOT, and donations, SVT provides a variety of 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.