May is Bike Everywhere Month!

It's that time again! Time to dust off those bikes and get back on the road. Whether you're new to biking, or a seasoned bike commuter, Bike Everywhere Month is a great time to get on your bike and enjoy the spring weather. Bike to work, bike to school, bike to errands, or bike to explore your city. It's easy, helps the environment, and feels great!

This year, we are proud to partner with Cascade Bicycle Club to bring 2016 Bike Everywhere Month festivities to Snohomish County City of Bothell with the Bike Everywhere Challenge and Bike Everywhere Day.

• Washington Bikes Bike Everywhere Challenge runs May 1 - May 31. Register your team, join a team or sign up solo 
• F5 Bike Everywhere Day takes place on Friday, May 20. Find a celebration station near you.

For more information on Bike Everywhere Day and the Bike Everywhere Month Challenge, please visit: https://www.cascade.org/connect/bike-everywhere-month.

Team VeloCeeTee

Did you know Community Transit has its own bike team? Team VeloCee Tee loves the freedom and flexibility of biking so much, that many of its members bike year round. One team member and year-round bike commuter who is passionate about the benefits of biking is Roland Behee, our Strategic Planning Unit Manager. Roland bikes or combines biking with Swift for easy commutes to and from work. "I like keeping our air clean, I save a lot of money, and it's fun! I always look forward to my commute. How many people can say that?"

For Roland, who has been biking for thirty years, working in our Planning and Development Department presents a unique opportunity where his personal life as a cyclist and his professional life as a planner intersect. Between 20,000 - 22,000 bikes are loaded on and off bus bike racks each month. Half of those are on Swift (6-7% of overall riders, or 400 people per day) where easy bike loading and the ability to carry more cargo add convenience. Roland often wears his planning hat while in bike shorts. "I observe how customers react to and move around with bikes. Sometimes I'll ask questions and get a great open dialogue with passengers."

There has been a lot of progress in recent years by communities in downtown Seattle and Everett to make bicycles feel just like any other vehicle. From sharrow bike lanes (where bikes share the space with automobiles) to dedicated bike lanes to signalized intersections, it's getting easier and easier to get around on your bike. Community Transit is mindful of its impact in this landscape. As someone who both plans bus routes and is an avid cyclist, Roland represents the balance Community Transit seeks when designing routes, "We're aware that as a bus company that we are operating in bike space all the time. We strive to design our routes effectively to create positive experiences for both busing and biking. We try to come up with the best possible solutions for both modes of transportation."

Do you plan to get on your bike for Bike Everywhere Month? Do you utilize transit as part of your bicycling plan? Let us know in the comments!

Community Transit recognizes stand out participants

Community Transit’s Choice Connections program recognizes worksites in Snohomish County and the City of Bothell who support Washington State Commute Trip Reduction goals. They go above and beyond to encourage their employees to use smart transportation alternatives to driving alone. Congratulations to the Choice Connections award winners for 3rd Quarter 2014:

Ben Stockinger, Smart Commuter

Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Ben Stockinger is webmaster for the City of Lynnwood. He is diligent about developing, managing and supporting the city’s web resources and services. Ben has also been a devoted advocate of alternative transportation for the past 15 years by biking, walking and carpooling to work and meetings. He is a personal advocate at his worksite, and helps educate his coworkers on biking to work. Ben chooses to bike to work, rain or shine, even during the rainy Pacific Northwest weather.

ETC of the Quarter

Marko Liias has done great things for the Commute Trip Reduction program at the City of Mukilteo. Within his first couple months, he reviewed their entire CTR program and set in place new strategies to achieve success and educate city employees. Due to his efforts, the City of Mukilteo achieved over a 50% increase in employees tracking their non-drive alone trips in RideshareOnline.com. Marko’s efforts also contributed to their employees more than quadrupling their number of drive alone miles saved, which helps ease traffic congestion and supports a healthy environment. 

Employer of the Quarter

Panasonic Avionics Corporation provides its employees with the tools and encouragement to ensure a successful worksite Commute Trip Reduction program. They hosted an appreciation luncheon for rideshare participants, and educated employees on the RideshareOnline.com system. They delivered another great perk, a certificate for a paid day off, which will be awarded to three participants using a commute alternative to driving alone. During the third quarter alone, Panasonic participants have removed more than 43,000 lbs of CO² from the air we breathe and saved almost 2,200 gallons of fuel.

Choice Connections rewards commuters for choosing a smart alternative to driving alone, and offers the tools and resources needed to get started. When you choose a smart commute, your efforts reduce traffic, save money and time, and help the environment. To learn more about the Choice Connections program, please visit Community Transit Choice Connections.

 

Bike Month: Success throughout Snohomish County

May was National Bike Month and Snohomish County had a great turn out for the month long activities. Over 1,114 bicyclists from Snohomish County participated in the Commute Challenge during the month of May. In Snohomish County alone, there were an impressive 818 participants in Bike to Work Day commute station celebrations. Thank you for everyone who geared up to join in the Bike Month festivities including our commute station sponsors: Starbucks and Talking Rain! For more information on biking in your community, additional resources are available at Community Transit bikes and Cascade Bicycle Club.

Bike Month Spotlight: Seattle Genetics We are excited to share the success of one of our local employers, Seattle Genetics, who just wrapped up their most successful Bike to Work campaign in 2014. Their Bike Month events at their Bothell worksite include a Bike Month Challenge team that raised funds for a local non-profit agency. Kelly Davis, Employee Transportation Coordinator for Seattle Genetics, shares their impressive story: In May 2014, employees at Seattle Genetics, the largest Washington-based biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative, empowered antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer, beat the company’s previous Bike to Work month records by a wide margin. Fifty-four employees biked 6,000 miles in 576 one way trips during the month of May. Participation and miles biked increased 45 percent on average over previous years. In fact, several new participants mentioned how they started biking to work because of Seattle Genetics’ Bike to Work program and several plan to continue to bike to work through the summer. Seattle Genetics boosted 2014 participation through different incentives. The biggest incentive came through the company matching $1 for every mile biked, resulting in $6,000 donated to Gilda's Club Seattle, a non-profit organization providing a support network for those living with cancer - survivors, their loved-ones and friends. Seattle Genetics also provided company branded bike wind vests, onsite bike tune-ups for Bike to Work day participants and gave out $20 gift certificates from a local bike shop to two lucky winners each week. Every year it is a pleasure to see Bike to Work month participation increase at Seattle Genetics, with this year proving just as spectacular.

Spoken Wheel: Stories from Snohomish County Bikers

Our next Spoken Wheel story comes from Mark Fagan from Esterline, our newest Community Transit Smart Commuter of the Quarter. Mark has been riding his bike to work ever since his car died 18 months ago and he has been enjoying the positive effects to both his health and his wallet. 

Mark shared some of his thoughts on how biking to work has impacted his life:

I have been fortunate enough to work for a company which has consistently fostered a culture of creative commuting. We are given support through administrative assistance in coordinating Rideshare groups, Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Awareness events, and even subsidies for CTR participation.

A few years ago, my company moved the plant from Seattle to Everett. That same year, Community Transit introduced The Swift rapid bus line. That put me in range for a bicycle/bus commute. I tried the bike/bus commute on and off, but hadn’t really committed until a couple of years ago when the transmission on my car went out (for the second time). That was the tipping point for me. We had a family meeting and it was agreed that we could easily be a one car family.

I found a good deal on a used Cannondale road bike, which I then converted to a commuter rig complete with expandable luggage and heavy duty rims. I researched the best route to take between work and home using Google Maps and GPSVisualizer.com. With this combination, I was able to easily customize a bike route and compile an accurate elevation profile. On my first commute trip, I found that not only was I capable of completing the route, but I actually enjoyed it! I thought about all the gas money I would save, the carbon emissions I wouldn't produce, and it certainly couldn't hurt my waistline. I resolved to go for one whole year without a car.

Each year my colleagues form two teams to participate in the Commute Challenge for Bike to Work month. Last year, I volunteered to captain one of the teams (Go CycleOps!). We had a lot of fun, getting to exercise while indulging our competitive spirit. At the end of Bike to Work Month, we had a surprisingly satisfying outcome. We tied. One team won from trip rate, and the other for cumulative miles. We had a great time and I’m looking forward to doing it again.
I passed the one year “car-less” milestone about 6 months ago. I've found that between a Community Transit Vanpool, the Swift Bus, and my bicycle, I haven’t really missed having a car much. When I do, I rent one and still come out ahead. Maybe next year I’ll buy a car. I’m in no hurry.

Spoken Wheel: Stories from Snohomish County Bikers

Michael on his way to work

Michael Cawrse is a Stormwater Engineering Technician for the City of Edmonds. He has been riding his bike to work, rain or shine, from his home in Seattle to Edmonds for years. In 2013, he was selected to be Community Transit’s Smart Commuter of the Quarter for his commitment to reducing traffic and emissions by biking and carpooling to work.

Mike shared some of his thoughts on Bike to Work Month:

 

“It’s been great seeing all the bike riders the last few weeks, especially now that Bike to Work and School Month is in full swing. It is a great time to take advantage of the (hopefully) warmer weather to save your gas money and get healthy.

 

And if you pick just one day to ride, make it Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 16. Check your route beforehand and see if there are any Commute Stations (http://www.cascade.org/commute-stations) giving out swag. And if you’re in Edmonds, my co-workers and I will see you at the Commute Station near the ferry terminal!!

 

Lastly, a safety tip to all riders - yell 'On Your Left' when passing other riders or pedestrians."

Spring into Gear: Tips for New Bike Commuters

Today marks the first day of national Bike Month and now is a great time to pull your bicycle out of the garage and give biking to work or school a try.  Biking is a great way to avoid traffic stress and the costs of driving.  It’s also a great way to combine your commute with your workout!

For a new bike commuter, here are just a few tips to help you get started:

1.    Plan your route in advance. Usually there are several ways to get from your house to the office. Consider taking the easiest route with the least amount of traffic even if it is longer.  

• Download the newly updated Snohomish County Bike Map to find bike friendly routes from your home or work.
• Visit Google Maps biking feature to input your starting point and destination and get suggested routes.

2.    Try a practice run on the weekend and pay attention to how much time it takes so you can avoid being late to work.

3.    Know the proper turn signals so that you can alert drivers, pedestrians and other bikers of your actions:

• Right turn signal - either hold your right arm out, or hold your left arm up, with bent elbow. You don’t have to keep your arm out through the turn – you may need both hands on the handlebars to keep control of your bicycle.
• Left turn signal - left hand straight out
• Brake signal - left hand pointed down bend at the elbow at a 45 degree angle

4.    Get a light.  A simple headlight or flashing light on your bike or person can make you more visible to drivers.  Bike lights can be purchased at most bicycle shops and sports stores for as little as $5.

5.    Wear a helmet.  Not only is it the law in Washington State, but a helmet can protect you if something unexpected happens.

6.    Be prepared for weather.  Be sure to check out the forecast before you leave the house and make sure you have the right gear with you including sunglasses (hopefully!), rain gear or gloves.

7.    Bring in clothes, lunches and other items you need to bring from home to work for the week in on the weekend so you don’t have to worry about them on your ride.  If you need to bring items with you each day, consider purchasing a bike bag or rack which can be purchased at most bicycle shops and sport stores.

8.    Find out ahead of time where you can park your bike at your workplace and where you can store any bike gear.

9.    Keep up on bike maintenance and cleaning for a smoother ride and to make sure you catch any problems early.

10.  Remember, if you have a long commute to work you don’t have to bike the whole way.  Check out if there are transit routes that can get you near work or home and you can bike the rest of the way.  All regional buses and trains are equipped with bike racks and many transit centers and park & rides have bike lockers or racks for you to park your bike.

• Visit our website for more information on biking and busing.

Community Transit is supporting bike activities all month long throughout Snohomish County. To learn more about Bike Month events and resources, visit our Bike Month webpage.  

Navigating Snohomish County by Bike

Whether you bike as part of your commute or just for fun, Snohomish County offers a lot of great options for getting around and enjoying the beauty of this region.  Here are just a few of the routes that make this a great area for biking.

Snohomish County bicyclist, Jason Wilsey, enjoying the trails!

Centennial Trail – Spanning 30 miles from Snohomish to the Skagit County line, this paved recreational trail provides great opportunities to ride for both beginners and more advanced riders.  The trail connects Snohomish, Lake Stevens and Arlington with parking lots, restrooms and picnic areas located at points between.

Interurban Trail – This 15.1 mile, paved trail is great for commuting and recreational biking.   While most of the trail is separated from traffic, there are several places where the trail is a designated bike route on the road shoulder.  The trail is located next to or near the South Everett Park and Ride, Mariner Park and Ride, McCollum Park Park and Ride, Ash Way Park and Ride, Edmonds Park and Ride and the Lynnwood Transit Center for easy connections to transit.

To find other bike routes in Snohomish County, download a copy of Community Transit’s Snohomish County Bike Map.  Also, check out these other great resources for more information on biking:

Community Transit Bike Webpage

Community Transit’s Centennial Trail Map

Community Transit’s Interurban Trail Map

B.I.K.E.S Club of Snohomish County

Cascade Bicycle Club

Google Maps - Bike

2013 Bike to Work Day Wrap-up

Last Friday, Community Transit was out at the Lynnwood Transit Center, McCollum Park Park and Ride and Boeing to celebrate Bike to Work Day!  We had 327 bike riders join us for food, coffee and fun!



Thanks to all the bikers that joined us at one of the Community Transit commute stations.



Oxy Gene stopped by the Lynnwood Transit Center commute station to thank

these bike riders for their commitment to cleaner air.

Community Transit and Boeing staffs were out bright and early Friday morning to greet bikers.

A special thanks to our bike mechanics from Bicycle Centres, Harvy’s Bike Shop and

Gregg’s Cycle that were on hand to help riders with minor repairs and maintenance advice!

Thank you to everyone that made Bike to Work Day in Snohomish County a success this year!

Bike to Work Day – May 17

Friday, May 17, is F5 Bike to Work Day and Community Transit is excited to be partnering again this year with Cascade Bicycle Club to recognize bikers throughout Snohomish County that choose to get out and ride to work on that day.

Stop by one of the many Commuter Stations set up around the region for a snack, have your bike checked out by a professional bike mechanic and to chat with your fellow bike commuters.  Community Transit will be hosting two stations this year:

Lynnwood Transit Center

Location: Interurban Trail at 202nd St SW & 46th Ave W
Time of Operation: 6:00am to 9:00 am

Get a chance to meet Oxy Gene and have your bike checked out by a friendly mechanic from Harvy’s Bike Shop.

McCollum Park Park and Ride

Location: 128th St SE and Dumas Road
Time of Operation: 6:00am to 9:00am

Stop by to learn how you can earn rewards for your bike commute through our Curb The Congestion program and get assistance with your bike from Bicycle Centres.

Or stop by one of the other Commute Stations being held in Snohomish County:

Everett Boeing Station sponsored by Boeing

Location: 75th & Seaway

Time of Operation: 5:00am to 8:30am

Station mechanic courtesy of Gregg's Cycle

Everett Station sponsored by Everett Transit

Location: 3201 Smith Ave (South of Pacific)

Time of Operation: 5:00am to 9:00am

Station mechanic courtesy of Tim's Bike Shop

For more information on all the Bike to Work Day activities happening around the region, visit http://www.cbcef.org/btw/btw_day.html.

Spring Into Gear, Bike Month Is Here

Today marks the first day of national Bike Month and Community Transit is encouraging people to get out there and ride a bike to work, to a transit center or just for fun. Whether it is your first time on a bike or you have a closet full of padded shorts and spandex, there are many benefits you can get from riding a bike. Here are a few good reasons to spring into gear this month and get riding.


"Oxy Gene supports bikes and buses. "Oh yeaahh!"

  

It is cheaper than driving.

According to AAA, the average cost of operating a car in 2012 was 58.5 cents per mile. For many drivers that can add up to thousands of dollars each year. An article in Forbes Magazine in 2012 stated the annual cost of operating a bike was just $308 – accounting for a huge savings over driving each day.

 

For people with longer trips, combining biking with transit is another great way to keep costs down. Check out our cost calculator to see what your savings could be.

It supports a healthy lifestyle.
Biking is one of the best activities for improving your overall health, including:
• Improved cardiovascular health and a decrease in coronary heart diseases
• Increased coordination, balance and flexibility
• Improved muscle tone and strength
• Increased endurance and stamina
• Decreased obesity and weight-related diseases
• Strengthened  immune system

It gets you out of traffic.
Americans spend more than 25 minutes driving to work each day according to the 2010 U.S Census. By avoiding congestion, cycling could help you get there faster and avoid sitting in traffic.

It connects you to transit.
Biking is a great way to connect to local and regional transit near your home or work. Community Transit encourages bus riders to incorporate bikes into their daily commute. Every Community Transit bus is equipped with a two-bike rack in the front. Swift buses have three interior bike racks so riders can quickly roll their bikes right onto the buses. Bus riders can also store their bikes at bike lockers located at park & rides throughout the county. Learn more at www.communitytransit.org/bikes.

It is a free gym on wheels.
By combining your daily workout with your commute or errands, you can save yourself a trip to the gym and free up more time to do other things you enjoy. 

It makes your community better.
There are many benefits to the community when people choose to ride their bikes regularly:
• It reduces congestion on roadways by removing cars
• It removes greenhouse gas emissions
• The more bicycles on the road, the safer it becomes because drivers are more aware of their surroundings
• It encourages local spending and engagement

And the last reason to ride your bike this May and all year long: It’s Fun!

Community Transit is supporting bike activities all month long throughout Snohomish County. To learn more, visit Cascade Bicycle Club’s Bike Month website.

Bikes Add Flexibility to the Commute

By Roland Behee, Community Transit Strategic Planning Unit Manager

The option of taking my bike along on the bus really adds flexibility to my daily commute. 

I live about seven miles from work and commute by bicycle in late spring, summer and into early fall. As the weather turns cold and wet and daylight becomes scarce I often mix it up with a bike and bus commute. 

Living one mile from Community Transit's Swift line, I can bike from home to Swift in about five minutes. The on-board bike racks make it simple to board, sit down and enjoy a relaxing ride on a warm, dry bus. At the other end, I deboard Swift with my bike and, again, have about a one mile, five-minute ride to work.

What's really great about combining the bike with bus travel is flexibility, time savings and extended range. It's flexible because it allows me to take the bus in the morning if there is rain and yet I can bike all the way home in the evening if the weather clears. I save time because I can ride to the bus stop in five minutes whereas walking can take 15 minutes or more. 

I also appreciate the bus option when I don’t feel like biking the entire distance and just want to sit down for part of the trip. Having the bike along also gives me more options for running errands on the way home with easy access to my bank, the bakery and other destinations that would take longer to visit on foot.

In our area, it's really easy to incorporate a bike into your bus commute since every bus is equipped with racks on either the outside (regular buses) or interior (Swift). They are simple to use and instructions are readily available.

If you're like me, once you've taken a bike on the bus you will probably think of all kinds of new possibilities for travel.

Bike Lockers to be Rented

The Community Transit Board of Directors this week approved a plan to begin charging rent for the use of bike lockers at park & ride lots and transit centers. The new policy is designed to make more efficient use of the 116 bike lockers that the agency owns and maintains at 15 facilities throughout the county.

The new policy establishes a $60 annual rental fee, or $5 a month to rent a bike locker. The agreement allows a customer exclusive use of that covered locker. A $50 refundable deposit is also required. Currently, all that is required to get a key for a locker is the $50 refundable fee.

At some of the more popular transit centers, there is a waiting list for the lockers. Some of the lockers, while reserved, go unused. It is hoped that the monthly rental fee will cause those people who have a reserved locker but don’t use it to give up the locker, allowing those who want to use the locker and are willing to pay the fee to get access. The rental fees will start on July 1.

Bicycle riders can also lock their bikes for free at bike racks located at most park & rides and transit centers. Revenues generated by the rental program will be used to maintain the lockers and possibly expand the bike locker program.

Where Do People Bike and Bus?

All Community Transit buses are equipped with two-bike bicycle racks. We tried out a version of a three-bike rack a few years ago but had issues with the safety of people loading too close to passing traffic. When revenues improve, high capacity bike racks may be one of the issues we look at again.

Bike use on buses has grown over the years, partly thanks to promotions such as Bike to Work Day and Month. Swift bus rapid transit’s three-bike interior racks were designed by our own mechanics. Those easy-to-use racks are very popular, with about 6 percent of all Swift riders bringing along a bike, according to recent data. Considering Swift has about 100,000 boardings a month, that’s a lot of bikes!

About three years ago, around the time Swift started up, Community Transit changed its policy to allow riders to bring bikes on board all buses if the racks were full, if it was safe to do so (meaning the bus was not so full a bike in the aisle would not potentially harm anyone) and if the rider maintained control of the bike at all times. The driver has final say to allow bikes on board.

April 2012 statistics show that bike use on buses is robust across our entire service area.
Routes 201 and 202 between Smokey Point and Lynnwood had about 900 bikes each that month. Although the percentage of overall passengers using bikes looks small, take into account that we have capacity for 40+ passengers on each bus, but only 2+ bikes. Perhaps a better indicator is that there is a bike on almost every trip, on average.

Routes 115 and 116 also have robust bike ridership, about 500 bikes each. Both those routes serve Edmonds Community College.

While Route 424 does well among commuter routes with 30 bikes on 84 trips, that makes some sense since it serves UW. However, Route 422 has the highest ratio of bikes-to-trips with an average of one bike on every trip. That route is also the longest in our system, traveling between Stanwood and downtown Seattle.

A number of north county routes have high bike-to-passenger ratios: Routes 201, 202, 240, 270, 275 and 280. Could be that bus riders in those more rural areas have further to travel to get to or from their bus stops and a bike helps them get there.

Remember, Friday, May 18, is National Bike to Work Day. We hope to see you out there!

Bike to Work Day, May 18

Community Transit has a long history of supporting and promoting Bike to Work Day. Part of our mission is to encourage commute alternatives to driving alone, even if it doesn’t involve taking the bus. Of course, we use Bike to Work Day and Month to encourage people to combine bike and bus trips as well.

This year, our agency is helping out with these events, but not taking the lead. Changes in staffing, fewer resources and, frankly, fewer buses on the road caused us to re-evaluate our role in Bike to Work. Still, we encourage people to get on their bikes, get healthy, and bike and bus when they can.

Community Transit is partnering with the Cascade Bicycle Club for all of your Bike Month needs. Regular bike commuters have been participating in the Group Health Commute Challenge, with teams and individuals tracking their participation and vying for some exciting prizes.

Friday, May 18, is National Bike to Work Day. Stop by one of the many Commuter Stations set up around Snohomish County and the City of Bothell for a snack, have your bike checked out by a mechanic and pick up your copy of the updated Snohomish County Area Bike Map!

This week, King County Metro is allowing cyclists to ride their buses (and Metro-operated ST buses) for free. Community Transit is not participating in this promotion, partly because we have two-bike racks on our buses (not three) and many of our bike racks are already well used. We don’t want to discourage those who show up with their bikes by potentially having them wait for two or more buses before they can board.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

By Mark Melnyk, Community Transit Transportation Demand Management Specialist

Since the point of working is to make money rather than spend money, I look for the most economical choices out there for my 20-mile commute. Well the usual suspects are taking the bus, joining a carpool or vanpool.

However, I don’t want to have to depend on other people to get from one place to another. This wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have an unusual schedule that makes it difficult for me to commit to a consistent schedule.
To be able to take one bus from where I live to where I work would be fantastic. Unfortunately, I’m left with a bus ride that leaves me short of my final destination. It seems that the only viable option I have is driving myself to work. But like I said, the point of my commute is to take me to a job to make money, not spend money on things like gas getting to work.

So what can I do to have the same freedom that comes with driving my car, and the cost savings that come with riding the bus?

The answer I found is riding my bike. Not the full 20 plus miles.

Bike to Work Day Ditty

By Margaret Elwood,  Guest Poet
Margaret uses Swift and her bicycle year-round to commute to work at Snohomish County PUD. She is a member of the "PUDlers" team in the Bike Commute Challenge presented by B.I.K.E.S. Club of Snohomish County.

Take the Challenge! Cycling's cool.
Bike to work or bike to school.

Savvy cyclists think alike:
Take a bus ride with your bike.

Save some money - that's a perk.
Go get healthy: Bike To Work!

Bike to Work Day is May 20 and you can sign up for the Bike Commute Challenge through June 3.
Enjoy another of Margaret's poems here.

May is Bike Month – celebrate by cycling!

Spring is in the air (hopefully!?) and bicycles are taking to the streets. Sure, there are plenty of die-hard cyclists in this soggy region who bike year-round. But for the rest of us mortals, May marks the annual Bike Month when we’re inspired to dust off our bikes, tune up the tires and hit the roads.

This year, National Bike to Work Day will be held on Friday, May 20. You’ll find Celebration Stations set up all over the Puget Sound region, where bicycle commuters can stop by for healthy snacks, bike safety checks and some cyclist camaraderie. Community Transit has participated in Bike to Work Day events in Snohomish County since 2001, partnering with Everett Transit as part of both agencies’ commitment to helping businesses reduce employee drive-alone trips. The 2011 Bike to Work Day will see nine Celebration Stations around the county – find the one nearest your home or your workplace.

Community Transit also hosts the annual Bike Commute Challenge, presented this year by B.I.K.E.S. Club of Snohomish County.

Driving Is An Expensive Choice

I went shopping at REI this weekend to spend my dividend and use my discount, along with thousands of other members and shoppers. We started at the Alderwood REI, but soon confirmed that we needed more choices. We had brought our ORCA cards just in case we wanted to take Sound Transit to the downtown Seattle REI.

Just as we were heading to Lynnwood Transit Center, one of those spring squalls passed through. We decided to drive to Seattle instead.

It was an expensive choice.

Commute Alternatives Help Business Move

Note: Korry Electronics was named Employer of the Year at the Community Transit Smart Commuter Awards earlier this month. Below is a portion of the remarks presented at the event by Korry Director of Human Resources Victoria Lindsey.

By Victoria Lindsey
Esterline Control Systems, Korry Electronics

A bit of background - Korry had been Seattle-based employer since it was first established in 1937. We were at our South Lake Union address for 25 years. That was our home, our neighborhood. So moving was – like it would be for many companies – an emotional, traumatic occasion for many employees.

About three years ago, it became inevitable that we had to move locations. The decision to move to the Paine Field area near Mukilteo really raised an outcry. We had employees from all over Puget Sound , and moving 20 miles away was going to really disrupt lifestyles. So we were faced with a real challenge to persuade and motivate employees to come with us!

A committee was formed to survey employees, meet in small groups, and really dive into people’s fears and concerns. The top concern was, “How am I going to get there (new location) and how long will it take?”

Swift by the Numbers

6.3% of Swift passengers bring a bike on board, more than five times higher than our system average of 1.1% bike boardings. The Swift racks hold 50% more bikes than average, too (three bikes vs. two).

9-12% of Swift passengers are students at Edmonds Community College using their EdPass transit benefit.

12 seconds is how long buses spend at each station for passengers to board and deboard.

15 hybrid diesel vehicles are used to operate Swift.

20% less time than local buses to travel the 17 miles from Everett to Shoreline - about 50 minutes.

43 seats per bus – less than usual to leave room for three doors, wider aisles, interior bike racks and easier wheelchair boarding.

44% of Swift riders use an ORCA card for faster boarding and transfer credit.

62-feet long articulated buses, the longest in our fleet

90% of Swift operating costs for its first three years are paid for by grants, fares and our partnership with Everett Transit.

200 or more boardings an hour from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.. on weekdays. That’s a long peak period.