Holiday Service Levels - More Art Than Science

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we went. The holidays are over and we have flipped the page to 2017. January is a great time for looking to the future and also time to reflect on how things went the past year.

This past holiday shopping season saw record-breaking sales for retailers, which had Community Transit buses working hard to meet the demand of riders heading to work, shopping, school, or just to grandma’s house.

Our data gurus tell us that Sundays are typically the lowest ridership day of the week and our planning gurus tell us that lower demand calls for us to have a Sunday service schedule on major holidays such as New Year’s, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Historically, those holidays have lower ridership than a typical Sunday. Did you ride on any of these holidays in 2016?

For example, on Thanksgiving 2016 we had 4,423 boardings which, is about half of a typical Sunday and much less than a typical Thursday (which is about 35,000 boardings). While this is a small ridership number compared to non-holidays, it shows that we were able to meet transportation demand for more than 4,000 people who had to find alternative solutions when we had no holiday service.

Why do people ride the bus on Thanksgiving? Families and friends like to be together on this day and share a meal or a football game, so that’s one reason. We can also assume that a lot of these riders were heading into work for the Black Friday sales that start Thanksgiving night, or to be the first shoppers to get the hot deals. Were you working or hitting the sales on Thanksgiving?

Christmas Day had only 3,687 boardings, living up to its reputation as our lowest ridership day of the year. Christmas this year also landed on a Sunday which called for a Monday, December 26, “observed holiday.” Based on historical ridership trends, we ran a Sunday service schedule with no commuter service that day. So we want to know, were you going over the river and through the woods or did you hit the salt mines on December 25 and 26?

New Year’s presented a planning quandary. The holiday was on a Sunday, but the “observed holiday” on Monday, January 2, had our planners coming together for an action plan. We originally planned only a Sunday schedule that day, which means no commuter service. But we thought some businesses or go-getter types would want to kick off 2017 right away. The action plan was put into place to add three commuter routes to meet the possible demand of people heading out of Snohomish County into Seattle. Routes 402, 413, and 421 were supplemented to the Sound Transit Route 512 service for those riders headed back to work right away. This was the first time Community Transit added extra commuter service on a major holiday. Turns out we had more than 11,000 boardings on January 2, which tells us there was definitely a demand. 

Just when we thought the holidays were over we jump right into 2017’s first holiday -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Jan. 16. Because many businesses remain open on several "minor" holidays like this one, we run regular local service but a reduced commuter schedule. Let us know how you use Community Transit on the holidays!  Happy New Year! 

Snow Fall and Snow Routes and Snowflakes at Bus Stops... a Few of Our Favorite Things

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but your commute can be delightful (okay, maybe less stressful) with a little preparation and relevant information.

Because snow or icy conditions can impact our bus service (traffic, accidents and delays) we've created snow routes for all of the routes we serve. We also have this snowflake symbol at some of our bus stops:

If you see this snowflake at your bus stop,
it means that your bus will not stop there if there is measurable snow and/or ice on the ground.

We like snow-- just not at our stops! 
If you see this snowflake symbol at a bus stop, it means a bus will not stop at that location if there is measurable snow or ice on the ground.

What is measurable snow? Check out this picture below, taken in January 2012.

Route 201 in January 2012 on 134th St SW in Lynnwood.

It’s one of our Route 201 buses on westbound 134^th St SW near Ash Way in Lynnwood. The stop is on a stretch of road with a 3-degree pitch. This slope, covered in snow and ice, makes this stop a perfect candidate for a snow route.

Our 48 snow routes help keep transit moving during wintry conditions. Maps of our snow routes are available here.

Snow Route for Route 201

Pictured to the right is the snow route for Route 201 which avoids side streets and remains on Smokey Point Blvd/State Ave in the north end, serving Smokey Point Transit Center, Everett Station, Mariner Park & Ride, Ash Way Park & Ride and Lynnwood Transit Center.

The lesson here is to find out if your route has a snow route—and get familiar with it before it snows!

What to Expect When It Snows

• When it snows, not all buses will be on snow route. Depending on the road conditions, one route may be on snow route, another may not be.
•  If your bus stop has a snowflake symbol and there is snow and ice on the ground, please wait at another stop along that route.
• When it snows, regular bus schedules don’t apply—buses may come less frequently. Plus, it will take longer to get to each destination. Rider alerts will tell you how often a bus may arrive.

Be Prepared

• Dress for the elements—wear sturdy shoes and dress for warmth. You may need to wait longer or walk more in poor conditions.
• Get to a park & ride or other major hub for the best service options.
• Make sure you are visible to the bus driver. Carry a flashlight, a cellphone or something bright or reflective to flag the bus. Also, wear light-colored or bright outerwear to be easily seen.
• Have a charger at the ready to keep your mobile device up and running so you can use BusFinder, receive Rider Alerts and visit our website for updates.
• Speaking of Rider Alerts, sign up for them here. You can select specific routes and can choose to receive them by email or text.
• When weather conditions are bad, BusFinder may not be as accurate as usual. The real-time system behind BusFinder estimates departures based on the time it typically takes to get to a bus stop, so if traffic is moving slower, the countdown may appear to be stuck. BusFinder will let you know if there is a bus coming.

Where to Get Community Transit Service Information

• Rider Alerts (by email or text—your choice!)
• Our website, communitytransit.org where updates will be posted on weekdays starting at 5 a.m. with updates every hour.
• Our Twitter, @MyCommTrans

Some Useful Links:

• Department of Transportation Travel Alerts.
• National Weather Service forecast.
• King County Metro Transit weather reroutes.
• Sound Transit rider alerts.
• Everett Transit rider alerts.

Whatever Mother Nature brings, be prepared, be safe and we'll do our best to get you home.

Coach Operator Jay Griggs has the Write Stuff

Coach Operator and author, Jay Griggs poses with his book at a recent book signing.

We all have a story to tell, but how many of us can say their story has been published and is now available for purchase on Amazon.com?

Our bus driver Jay Griggs can say that!

His first book, “The Adventures of Duck Poo Island,” has 26 five-star reviews on Amazon.com and he’s already working on his second book. 

The book is a story about two best friends who vow to stay friends despite the odds that promise to divide them. The setting of the story is inspired by a family trip to Green Lake, a couple of pedal boats and a little island. Jay’s book is published by Page Publishing in New York, a partnership he cherishes as they “handle the business end of things, so I can focus on the creative side.” 

Jay credits his mom, Alice, and his favorite teacher, Mrs. Allen, for “instilling in me the love for reading and the passion for writing.” 

The support Jay has received from his co-workers helped increase his fan base, which was very influential in securing next steps for his writing career.

“The turnout at my book signing was amazing. Community Transit has been very supportive, especially, Chris Beck and Emmett Heath for allowing me to do a pre-order sale of my book at work. My co-workers supported me by purchasing copies of my book,” Jay said.

“Working at Community Transit gave me the job security and income that I needed to allow me to pursue my dreams and I’m grateful!” 

You can find Jay’s book available in paperback and for Kindle on Amazon.com. When he’s not writing, Jay can be found driving his favorite Routes 201, 202, 130 and a couple of round trips on Route 196. 

Double Tall Seat Update: You Asked. We Asked. You Answered. We Fixed!

Last fall, we added 22 new double decker, Double Tall buses to our fleet.

A new Double Tall, double decker bus. It's an Enviro500 manufactured by Alexander Dennis

We were excited to introduce this new version of the Double Tall, with its 76 seats and a larger area for standing passengers. (Compare this to the previous version of the Double Tall which has seats for 77 and carries up to 80 passengers with standing room.)

Plus, the monitor showing the top deck and that 'new bus smell' was pretty cool, too.

Rear-facing seating on the new double decker buses.

Thanks to our riders, we learned that the seating arrangement on the lower level of the new double deckers definitely had more seats, but less leg room due to the configuration of the rear-facing seats.

We brainstormed options and surveyed riders with two questions: 1) "In your opinion, what should be done with the new Double Tall rear-facing seats?" and 2) If the rear-facing seats are removed, what should we do?"

We received 50 responses to our survey and the majority opinion was from our riders was to remove the seats. With that direction, we worked with Alexander Dennis, the manufacturer, to design and manufacture a rack to transform the former rear-facing seats into a place passengers could stow bags and other carry-on items.

Pictured below is the first installation of the new rack with the rear-facing seats removed. The installation takes about two days per double decker bus. Our bus maintenance crew is currently working on removing the rear-facing seats and installing the new rack on the remaining new Double Talls. A second Double Tall has just been completed and our crew anticipates all buses to be completed this summer.

Pictured left, top: The new configuration allows ample leg room and the rack provides a place for stowing bags and gear. Lower left: Approaching seats on the left; Lower middle: View while sitting; Lower right: Approaching seats on the right.

What do you think of the rack and seating?

Thanks to all our riders who participated in the survey and for your continued patience as we worked to resolve this seating issue.

Community Transit to Celebrate 40th Anniversary with Original Routing

It is well-known lore at Community Transit that when the Snohomish County transit agency started business in 1976 it did not have any specific routes.

One of the Community Transit's first buses

“The early drivers were given a bus and told to go out in the community, near major landmarks and shopping centers, and find people who looked like they needed a ride,” recalled CEO Emmett Heath.

Over the past four decades, those early roots have given way to more sophisticated operations. Today, Community Transit is one of the major transportation agencies in the Puget Sound region, serving 10 million passengers in 2015 with 44 well-defined bus routes.

Later this year, the agency will celebrate its 40^th anniversary. A week of rider-focused events is planned for the first week of October. On the agency’s actual birthdate – October 4 – Community Transit will honor its past by returning to original routing for that one day.

“We have quite a few more buses today than we had in 1976, so it will be interesting to see how this works out,” said Heath.

The plan is to have bus drivers check in at their usual time, then take a bus and follow their instincts as to where people might be needing a lift. While park & rides seem like an obvious location for potential riders, they didn’t exist in the ‘70s, so drivers will be told to avoid them for authenticity’s sake.

“We want our riders to experience what it was really like to use our service that first day,” said Heath.

Regular routes and schedules will resume on October 5. Later that week, riders will be treated to a forward-looking event when all buses will be put on auto-pilot.

Happy April Fools’ Day!

150,000 days of driving less = $25,000. Are you in?

If King, Pierce and Snohomish County smart travelers collectively reach the goal 150,000 less drive-alone days during the month of February, $25,000 will be donated to local charities.

The extra generous commuters who log 12 or more days during the month of February could win the chance to have a $200 donation made in their name to the charity of their choice.

Days for Donations is still going strong, have you used a smart commute option yet?

You still have time to have your smart commute trips count toward our regional goal of 150,000 days of driving less and $25,000 donated to local charities in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties. Go to www.RideshareOnline.com and record your commutes.

To participate and qualify for one of many prize drawings you need to:

• Bicycle, share a ride, ride the bus or train, or walk to work as many days as you can in February. You can also participate by compressing your work schedule or teleworking.
• Log your commutes at www.RideshareOnline.com.

One of our partners for Days for Donations, United Way of Snohomish County, is dedicated to helping community members of all ages. 

Youth United has given Beth a way to fit into
and give back to her community.

Beth emigrated from Ethiopia with her family several years ago, and wanted so badly to fit in and give back to her new community.

‘I felt so out of place, but I didn’t know where to start,’ Beth recalls.

When Beth learned about Youth United, she knew she was headed in the right direction.

‘Once I started volunteering with Youth United, I met friends and learned that every time I serve, I light up. Volunteering with Youth United gave me a place to belong. It gave me direction,’ says Beth.

United Way developed the Youth United program to give teens the opportunity to strengthen the community and become engaged in issues that matter to them.

Today, Beth continues to be active in her community and her high school, and dreams of attending Stanford Law in the future. As a lawyer, Beth wants to serve low-income clients and immigrants. Youth United connected Beth to her new community; a community she will continue to strengthen in the future.

For more information visit www.WheelOptions.org.