10:13 a.m. [Click on sketches to view larger]

The new Swift buses started service between Everett and Shoreline on Monday and this morning I jumped on one to meet some commuters -- I got my first peek at a Swift bus during the media ride along held a couple of weeks ago and liked it a lot. Swift buses are billed as a cheaper alternative to light rail that provides a similar experience: more standing room, off-board fare collection and few stops, which makes the ride along busy corridors faster.

I waited for a Swift bus at the Airport Road station in Everett, but didn't even have time to sketch the stop since the bus comes every 10 minutes. On board I met Trevor Schneider, on his way to Edmonds Community College. He was full of praise for the new bus service, which he had been looking forward to. "It cuts 10 minutes off my commute," he said. That's 10 minutes out of the 20 he would spend on a regular bus that makes every stop along the way.

At the Aurora Transit Village I met Darrell Ash, who was ready to board a northbound bus. He lives in Shoreline but works in Everett and wanted to test the ride this morning. A Community Transit employee had just assisted him at the booth where commuters can purchase their fare. "So far so good," he said.

The bus Ash had boarded left and I walked to another bay to get on a regular bus to downtown Seattle. That ride was not so swift.