Not all park and ride lots allow carpools

Security at the South Everett Freeway Station on I-5 at 112th Street have been cracking down lately on those looking to park and ride — in their own vehicles, that is.

The extra enforcement has surprised many folks who had assumed privately arranged carpools could use the lot. Turns out, that’s not the case — at least not there.

Different park and ride lots in Snohomish County are owned or operated by different agencies, which have different rules, often driven by capacity issues. The South Everett Freeway Station is operated by Sound Transit.

“The parking policy at all Sound Transit park and rides boils down to this — the lots are only for transit users. That includes bus riders or those using transit-provided vanpool vehicles,” said Bruce Gray, Sound Transit spokesperson. “The South Everett Freeway Station has been at or near capacity since it opened, and we frequently hear from people who want to take the bus from that location but have trouble finding parking. We periodically do ‘emphasis patrols’ where our folks go to all of our facilities to monitor their usage and remind folks of the rules, which are also posted at all of our lots.”

The lot has 397 spaces and is at capacity.

One of the most recent “emphasis patrols” resulted in contacts with 60 people meeting for carpools in private vehicles. They were asked to leave and advised they’d be towed next time.

“That’s a lot of spaces that could be used for bus riders. The officers estimated that there were an additional 30 drivers who saw the security officers and left without parking,” Gray added.

There is some flexibility. Sound Transit lots with excess space allow carpoolers to park in designated areas. The Eastmont Park and Ride, near the Highway 527 and I-5 interchange, is one of those lots.

“But again, if we start to see that lot filling to the point where transit users can’t find a place to park, we’ll ask carpoolers to find somewhere else,” Gray said.

Everett Station, operated by Everett Transit, and all Community Transit park and ride lots are open to carpoolers. It’s first come, first served, and many lots fill quickly.

Below is the full run-down of Snohomish County park and ride lots, their number of spaces and usage (where known) and whether private carpools are allowed.

Snohomish County park and ride lots

City Lot name Capacity Carpools?
Arlington Smokey Point Community Church 50, full by 8 a.m. Yes
Arlington P&R 25, unk Yes
I-5 and Highway 531 P&R 32, unk Yes
Smokey Point Transit Center No public parking No
Bothell Bothell P&R 220, full by 9 a.m. Yes
Canyon Park P&R 302, 99% Yes
Brier Brier P&R 8, unk Yes
Edmonds Edmonds P&R 255, 45% Yes
Edmonds Station 179, 84% No
United Presbyterian Church of Seattle 64, 40% Yes
Edgewood Baptist Church 10, 7% Yes
Edmonds Lutheran Church 15, 36% Yes
Everett Eastmont P&R 389, 51% Limited
Mariner P&R 644, 74% Yes
Everett Community College No public parking No
South Everett Freeway Station 397, 100% No
Everett Station 1,107, 65% Yes
Gold Bar Gold Bar P&R 28, unk Yes
Granite Falls Granite Falls P&R Unk Unk
Lake Stevens Holy Cross Lutheran Church 35, unk Yes
Ebenezer Lutheran Church 10, unk Yes
Lake Stevens Transit Center 207, unk Yes
Lynnwood Martha Lake Covenant Church 75, 94% Yes
Edmonds CC Transit Center No public parking No
Swamp Creek on 164th P&R 410, 62% Yes
Lynnwood Transit Center 1,370, 100% No (north of Transit Center), Yes (rest of facility)
Ash Way P&R 1,022, 106% Yes
Marysville Cedar and Grove P&R 213, unk Yes
Marysville II P&R 57, full by 8 a.m. Yes
Marysville United Methodist Church 25, unk Yes
Ash Avenue P&R 202, unk Yes
Calvary Chapel 20, unk Yes
Marysville I P&R 74, unk Yes
Mill Creek McCollum Park P&R 409, 92% Yes
North Creek Presbyterian Church 10, 73% Yes
Advent Lutheran Church 40, unk Yes
Mill Creek Community Church 30, 31% Yes
Monroe Monroe P&R 102, unk Yes
Mountlake Terrace Mountlake Terrace Transit Center 880, 99% Yes
Seattle Meditation Center 22, 24% Yes
Bethesda Lutheran Church 20, 83% Yes
Snohomish Snohomish P&R 104, unk Yes
Stanwood Stanwood II P&R 38, unk Yes
Sultan Sultan P&R 38, unk Yes

Sources: Community Transit, Sound Transit, Everett Transit, WSDOT

Note: This table was updated June 23, 2015, to clarify the Lynnwood Transit Center carpool situation and to update the Arlington and Ash Way listings.

Have a question? Email us at streetsmarts@heraldnet.com. Please include your name and city of residence. Look for updates on our Street Smarts blog.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

A firefighter stands in silence before a panel bearing the names of L. John Regelbrugge and Kris Regelbrugge during the ten-year remembrance of the Oso landslide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Flood of emotions’ as Oso Landslide Memorial opens on 10th anniversary

Friends, family and first responders held a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. at the new 2-acre memorial off Highway 530.

Julie Petersen poses for a photo with images of her sister Christina Jefferds and Jefferds’ grand daughter Sanoah Violet Huestis next to a memorial for Sanoah at her home on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. Peterson wears her sister’s favorite color and one of her bangles. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
‘It just all came down’: An oral history of the Oso mudslide

Ten years later, The Daily Herald spoke with dozens of people — first responders, family, survivors — touched by the deadliest slide in U.S. history.

Victims of the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. (Courtesy photos)
Remembering the 43 lives lost in the Oso mudslide

The slide wiped out a neighborhood along Highway 530 in 2014. “Even though you feel like you’re alone in your grief, you’re really not.”

Director Lucia Schmit, right, and Deputy Director Dara Salmon inside the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Oso slide changed local emergency response ‘on virtually every level’

“In a decade, we have just really, really advanced,” through hard-earned lessons applied to the pandemic, floods and opioids.

Ron and Gail Thompson at their home on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Oso, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In shadow of scarred Oso hillside, mudslide’s wounds still feel fresh

Locals reflected on living with grief and finding meaning in the wake of a catastrophe “nothing like you can ever imagine” in 2014.

Everett mall renderings from Brixton Capital. (Photo provided by the City of Everett)
Topgolf at the Everett Mall? Mayor’s hint still unconfirmed

After Cassie Franklin’s annual address, rumors circled about what “top” entertainment tenant could be landing at Everett Mall.

Everett
Everett man sentenced to 3 years of probation for mutilating animals

In 2022, neighbors reported Blayne Perez, 35, was shooting and torturing wildlife in north Everett.

Dorothy Crossman rides up on her bike to turn in her ballot  on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett leaders plan to ask voters for property tax increase

City officials will spend weeks hammering out details of a ballot measure, as Everett faces a $12.6 million deficit.

Starbucks employee Zach Gabelein outside of the Mill Creek location where he works on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 in Mill Creek, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mill Creek Starbucks votes 21-1 to form union

“We obviously are kind of on the high of that win,” store bargaining delegate Zach Gabelein said.

Lynnwood police respond to a collision on highway 99 at 176 street SW. (Photo provided by Lynnwood Police)
Police: Teen in stolen car flees cops, causes crash in Lynnwood

The crash blocked traffic for over an hour at 176th Street SW. The boy, 16, was arrested on felony warrants.

The view of Mountain Loop Mine out the window of a second floor classroom at Fairmount Elementary on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County: Everett mining yard violated order to halt work next to school

At least 10 reports accused OMA Construction of violating a stop-work order next to Fairmount Elementary. A judge will hear the case.

Imagine Children's Museum's incoming CEO, Elizabeth "Elee" Wood. (Photo provided by Imagine Children's Museum)
Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett to welcome new CEO

Nancy Johnson, who has led Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett for 25 years, will retire in June.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.