Smart Transportation Choices Get Rewarded

Community Transit’s Choice Connection program promotes smart transportation options throughout our community. In 2015 these programs combined removed over 538,696 drive-alone trips for our roads, and 5.8 million pounds of CO2 from the air we breathe.Two innovative incentive programs are offered to help reduce traffic congestion and pollution, and encourage healthy travel options.

• Smart Commuter Rewards is an incentive program that helps large businesses motivate employees to reduce their drive-alone trips to work.
• Curb the Congestion promotes smart transportation options to residents and employees on six of Snohomish County’s most congested corridors.

Each quarter Community Transit recognizes standout participants and employers who are dedicated to smart transportation choices. Congratulations to the Choice Connections award winners for 4th Quarter of 2015:


Smart Commuter of the Quarter, Daniel Dootson

Curb the Congestion Champion of the Quarter

Eric Blanchet of Monroe travels over 58 miles a day by longboard, skateboard and bus every day to his job at Microsoft in Redmond. For over seven years he’s been committed to choosing a healthy commute not only for himself, but the environment as well. He’s often seen riding his longboard around the Microsoft campus, and even helps teach his coworkers how to ride.

 

Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Daniel Dootson of Edmonds has biked 50,000 miles over the past 23 years, rain or shine five days a week to work. As Edmonds Community College’s Visual Media Services Director, he applies this same tenacity to his job. He knows that if he can conquer the elements, he can handle anything that might come his way during the day.

 

Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) of the Quarter

Sylvia Peacock of Trade Products & Specialty Manufacturing in Lynnwood is consistent in her Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) efforts. She makes the time to provide extra assistance to her employees, many of which don’t have access to a computer. Thanks to her efforts she increased her number of employees tracking their non-drive alone trips by 20%, and helped save over 2,100 pounds of CO2 pollution during in the fourth quarter alone.

 

Employer of the Quarter

The City of Monroe consistently provides outreach and education to their employees on smart transportation choices to work. By the end of the fourth quarter 2015 they had 20% of their employees participating in their worksite transportation program. In partnership with Community Transit, the City of Monroe is working to expand their efforts to promote smart transportation to other residents and employers in the community. These consistent efforts are making an impact, and helping take cars off the road in our communities.

 

The Choice Connections program recognizes individuals and worksites in Snohomish County and the City of Bothell that support Washington State Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) goals. They go above and beyond to use smart transportation alternatives to driving alone, and encourage workers to do so.

 

To learn more about the Choice Connections program and to sign up to start receiving rewards for your smart transportation choices, please visit www.communitytransit/ChoiceConnections.

Smart Transportation Choices Get Rewarded

Smart Commuter of the Quarter, Erin from AT&T

Community Transit’s Choice Connection program promotes smart transportation options throughout our community. Two innovative incentive programs are offered to help reduce traffic congestion and pollution, and encourage healthy travel options:

• Smart Commuter Rewards is an incentive program that helps large businesses motivate employees to reduce their drive-alone trips to work.
• Curb the Congestion promotes smart transportation options to residents and employees on six of Snohomish County’s most congested corridors. 

From January-September these programs combined have already removed over 376,522 drive-alone trips for our roads and 3.5 million pounds of CO2 from the air we breathe. Each quarter Community Transit recognizes standout participants and employers who are dedicated to smart transportation choices and healthy transportation options. Congratulations to the Choice Connections award winners for 3rd Quarter of 2015:

Curb the Congestion Champion of the Quarter

Valauri Stotler of Lynnwood uses bus, carpool, light rail and walking for 99% of all the trips she makes. These trips include commuting to work to the City of Seattle, walking to the store and getting to the airport. Over the past year her smart transportation choices saved over 7,900 drive alone miles, 3,870 pounds of CO2 from the air we breathe and over $1,500 in personal transportation expenses.

Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Erin, a Senior Field Asset Administrator, tracks and reports out AT&T’s network assets. She walks the talk by choosing to walk, vanpool, bike or telecommute to work for over 15 years. Erin is dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and environment, and makes smart transportation choices a priority not only for her commute from Seattle to Bothell, but also for most of her personal trips.

Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) of the Quarter

Dena Searcy of Comcast Lynnwood is committed to making her worksite transportation program a success. Her diligent efforts to train and educate her employees about their transportation options have made a huge impact. Dena registered 111 employees in their transportation program, far surpassing their original goal of 65. Her efforts helped to save over 7,600 pounds of CO2 pollution during in the third quarter alone.

Employer of the Quarter

Vertafore in Bothell makes smart transportation choices a priority at their workplace. By the end of the third quarter they registered over a third of their employees in RideshareOnline.com; connecting their employees to transportation resources and incentives. Their consistent efforts are making a huge impact, and during the third quarter alone they saved over 32,500 drive alone miles from our roadways.

To learn more about the Choice Connections program and to sign up to start receiving rewards for your smart transportation choices, please visit www.communitytransit/ChoiceConnections.

Community Transit Recognizes Leaders in Smart Transportation Options

Community Transit’s Choice Connections program recognizes worksites in Snohomish County and the City of Bothell who support Washington State Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) goals. They go above and beyond to encourage their employees to use smart transportation options to driving alone.

 

Smart Commuter of the Quarter, Josefina Behymer

Congratulations to the Choice Connections award winners for 1st Quarter 2015:

Smart Commuter of the Quarter
Josefina Behymer is a liaison between internal buyers and engineers at Boeing Canyon Park Commons in Bothell. She is a vital connection to ensure that orders are accurate and streamlined. Josefina displays her commitment to smart transportation choices by taking the ferry and vanpooling for her commute of 88 miles each day. We’d like to recognize Josefina for her devotion to smart transportation choices that help keep the environment healthy for everyone!

Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) of the Quarter
Woody Whitaker has been the ETC for Allstate for eight years. He provides employees with support and information about their transportation options, and helps them find an attractive commute to fit their lifestyle. Woody takes the time to meet with Allstate’s new employees to explain the company’s subsidy program, as well as commute options to their Bothell worksite. Woody’s continued support of the program has resulted in 25% of the worksite’s employees logging trips in RideshareOnline.com, saving over 78,000 miles and more than $22,800 in fuel during the first quarter of 2015. 

Employer of the Quarter
Electric Mirror made a big commitment to smart transportation when it implemented a subsidy program for their carpools and vanpools. Parking was at a premium at their South Everett worksite, so they took a proactive approach to fix their overcrowded parking lots. Electric Mirror announced the rollout of a subsidy program to their employees in the month of February and began sign ups in March. As a result, 20% of their workforce is now carpooling. During the first quarter of 2015 their efforts removed 1,146 trips and more than 12,000 drive alone miles. 

Choice Connections rewards commuters for choosing smart transportation options 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 www.community transit/ChoiceConnections.

 

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.

 

2015 State Legislative Priorities

The 2015 Washington State Legislature convenes today in Olympia. It is a biennial budget year, which means the session is scheduled for 105 days. Many budget-year legislatures continue into special sessions, taking business further into the spring.

Community Transit will be tracking legislative activity closely, as several bills could make a big difference in the future of transit service in Snohomish County.

Legislation that would allow the agency to ask local voters to increase financial support for transit service is the top priority in this year’s state legislative agenda.

Community Transit's 2015 State Legislative Priorities

"Local Option" legislation – Community Transit is at the maximum taxing authority allowed by law. The agency is asking the state legislature to pass “local option” legislation that would allow the agency to seek up to a three-tenths (0.3) of one percent sales tax increase to support transit.

Should this legislation pass, it would be up to the Community Transit Board of Directors to decide if and when to put such a measure to a local vote.

Regional Mobility Grant projects – Approval of the WSDOT Recommended Regional Mobility Project List for 2015-2017, which includes $6.8 million for the Seaway Transit Center near Paine Field and $2.68 million for a Mukilteo Park & Ride.

State transportation package – Secure legislative passage of a statewide transportation funding package that includes significant state investment in public transportation, and includes $1 billion (or 10 percent of total revenue) for Snohomish County transportation projects.

Maintain existing programs – Fully fund the Regional Mobility Grant program at $50 million, plus re-appropriations, for the current biennium. Continue the fee revenue-based transit operating grant program at $26 million per biennium, and maintain funding for the vanpool, special needs and Commute Trip Reduction programs.

Transit-friendly legislation – Support legislation that provides for the effective and efficient delivery of transit services within an integrated multi-modal transportation system. Oppose legislation that would negatively impact the oversight, financing, construction, and delivery of transit service and projects.

As the session moves forward, keep reading this blog for updates on activity concerning transit service and funding. We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Community Transit Recognizes Smart Transportation Choices

Community Transit’s Choice Connections program recognizes worksites and commuters in Snohomish County and the City of Bothell that go above and beyond to reduce pollution and congestion by promoting healthy transportation choices.

Congratulations to the Choice Connections Award winners for the 2nd Quarter of 2014:

Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Gina Paterson-Bryant from Premera Mountlake Terrace audits processes and systems to better serve Premera’s customers. She carefully considered her impact on the environment, and made a very deliberate decision to give up her car completely in 2005. Gina uses public transportation, carpools and walks for her commute and all of her personal errands as well. She is a personal advocate and resource for her co-workers on how to use transit and go car free!

 

ETC of the Quarter

Kelly Davis from Seattle Genetics in Bothell used her passion as a cyclist to take her worksite program to the next level.  Kelly led Seattle Genetics to receive the Cascade Bicycle Club Silver-level BizCycle Certification denoting Seattle Genetics as an outstanding employer for commuters. Kelly organized her worksite’s Bike to Work Month Campaign and tied it to a fundraiser for Gilda’s Club. Kelly’s team raised $6,000 for cancer support and together biked over 6,000 miles in the month of May. 

Employer of the Quarter

T-Mobile in Bothell developed a major campaign to encourage their employees to register and log their trips in RideshareOnline.com, a commute tracking program. The campaign included a generous number of gift card as an incentive for new users. The campaign added 88 new participants to RideshareOnline.com for a total of 106 actively participating employees. The successful campaign launched T-Mobile to surpass its tracking goal to reach133% of employees logging trips.

Choice Connections reward 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.

Community Transit Recognizes Smart Transportation Choices

 

Did you know that over 50% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Washington come from transportation sources?

Community Transit’s Choice Connections program recognizes worksites and commuters in Snohomish County and the City of Bothell that go above and beyond to reduce pollution and congestion by promoting alternatives to driving alone.

The Choice Connections award winners for the 1st Quarter of 2014 were:

Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Mark Fagan, Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Mark Fagan from Esterline-Korry gave up his car as part of a New Year’s resolution and hasn’t looked back. He is able to commute to work via vanpool, Swift and bicycle and is enjoying the positive effects to both his health and wallet. Mark’s personal mission is to use his smart commute to reduce his carbon footprint.

Employee Transportation Coordinator of the Quarter
Jeanne Killgore of The Everett Clinic at Smokey Point has been instrumental in evaluating her worksite Commute Trip Reduction program to successfully remove drive alone trips from our roads. Thanks to her hard work she was successfully able to surpass her worksite survey requirements, which helps to gauge future areas for program growth.

Employer of the Quarter
The City of Lynnwood is dedicated to making it easier for their employees to choose smart transportation options. They offer a monthly incentive for those who choose not to drive alone to work. Their worksite show an impressive savings of over 4,700 pounds of CO2 and over 6,000 vehicle trips reduced from our local roads in the first quarter 2014.
     
Choice Connections is a new program that 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.

Free Webinar Helps Businesses Learn How an Employee Commute Program Can Help Their Bottom Line

As traffic congestion and commuting costs continue to rise, the way employees get to work is becoming a larger part of how Snohomish County companies do business. The quality of an employee’s commute experience can have a significant impact on job satisfaction, productivity and quality of life. 

Community Transit is here to help employers meet these challenges with a new program, Choice Connections Business, which provides free services, resources and incentives to help develop a customized employee commute program.

Community Transit will be hosting a free Choice Connections Business webinar for employers in Southwestern Snohomish County and Bothell on Wednesday, March 12 from 2:00p.m. – 3:00p.m. The webinar will highlight cost-effective ways to help employees find better commute options that will help boost productivity and improve morale.

To learn more about Choice Connections Business or to register for this FREE webinar, visit www.communitytransit.org/ChoiceConnectionsBusiness or contact a Community Transit representative at ChoiceConnectionsBusiness@commtrans.org or 425-438-6163.

People Choosing Smarter Travel Options with Curb the Congestion

Curb the Congestion is better than ever with the addition of two new corridors and a new incentive!

Since 2008, Community Transit and Snohomish County have partnered to offer Curb the Congestion, a program that reduces traffic congestion, parking demand and greenhouse gases on local roadways. The program offers resources and rewards to residents and employees who use smart travel options such as bus, carpooling, vanpooling, biking or walking.  We have seen pretty dramatic results over the years with over 2,750 participants removing:

·         Over 250,000 trips from local congested roadways

·         4.6  million pounds of CO2 from our air

·          5.3 million miles of driving alone

This year the program expanded to provide resources and rewards to people traveling on these four congested Snohomish County roadways:

• 128th Street (between Everett and Mill Creek)
• 164th Street SW/SE (between Lynnwood and Mill Creek)
• NEW 196th Street (between Edmonds and I-5)
• NEW Bothell-Everett Highway (between 128th Street and downtown Bothell)

Choose a smarter trip on one of these corridors at least 8 days a month and you could win the following incentives. 

·     Monthly Rewards: Receive $50 a month for three months!

• Continue to log smarter trips to qualify for a $150 drawing each month and earn a coupon for a discount or free item at a local business through our NEW Preferred Partner Reward program.
• Recruiter Rewards: Earn up to $100 a year when you refer friends, neighbors or co-workers.

For more information on the program or assistance with your travel options, contact our Curb the Congestion Outreach Specialist at (425) 438-6136 or CurbIt@commtrans.org.

 

Athena’s story is a great example of how the Curb the Congestion program works!

Athena Parker of Mill Creek first learned about Curb the Congestion when she read a brochure.  She went home and signed up.  

Athena says, “It was nice that I could win but I really started putting in my hours to show that people do use the buses every day and that bus service is a valued thing.”

“When I ride I save myself the stress of driving and I give myself some more time to work. Since I'm a college student, anything that I can do to make my time easier and stress free is awesome. Riding the bus also saves me the cost of buying a parking permit each quarter and gas for my old car. And that saves me around $180 dollars a quarter.”

Smart Commuters Walk the "Green" Carpet

By Caryn Walline, TDM & Outreach Specialist

At Community Transit, we work hard to operate by the motto “Earth Day, Every Day.”

Recently, the agency celebrated Snohomish County and Bothell businesses and commuters that walk the talk (sometimes literally!) at our 2012 Smart Commuter Awards Luncheon. The ceremony honored individuals and companies that reduced greenhouse gas emissions and congestion by using greener alternatives to driving alone such as riding transit, vanpooling, carpooling, biking and walking.

This year’s honorees prove that choosing sustainable transportation options not only helps individuals save money and stress, but also makes our community a better place to live and work for everyone.

Employer of the Year – Crane Aerospace & Electronics 
By promoting the Curb the Congestion program, Crane Aerospace was able to encourage their employees to remove 2,117 trips on 164th Street in 2012.

Employee Transportation Coordinator of the Year – David Kemp, Brooks Sports 
In 2012, David Kemp launched the Commute Happy campaign at Brooks Sports in Bothell to motivate his employees to try greener travel options. During the Commute Happy campaign, Brooks’ employees reduced more than 35,000 lbs. of CO-2 and logged more than 3,800 trips using green commute options.

Smart Commuter of the Year – Astrella Norell, Brooks Sports 
Astrella commutes to her job as an Apparel & Product Developer at Brooks Sports by bus most days. She also decided four years ago to live without a car and uses the money she saves on gas, insurance and car loans to travel.

Caryn accepted the Employer of the Year
award from Bob Drewel at the
2011 Smart Commuter Awards when she was
an ETC. Now Caryn facilitates ETC activity
for Community Transit.

The 2012 award recipients were all from businesses throughout Snohomish County and Bothell who support Washington State’s Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) goals. Community Transit receives funding from the state to help these employers reduce single-occupant vehicle trips to their worksites by providing services such as the Smart Commuter Awards, advanced training for Employee Transportation Coordinators (ETCs), a Guaranteed Ride Home program, transportation fairs, and resources on commute alternatives to approximately 24,000 employees at 74 worksites.

As a former ETC at Puget Sound Energy – Bothell, the winner of the 2011 Employer of the Year Smart Commuter Award, I have personally seen the positive affects that the Commute Trip Reduction program has on businesses and employees.

The benefits to the company were being able to provide a desirable benefit to our employees that helped with recruiting and retention, while also meeting Puget Sound Energy’s mission to protect the environment. Employees participating in the Puget Sound Energy CTR program were able to save money on gas, were less stressed and enjoyed living healthier, greener lives.

Commute Trip Reduction can also have major impacts on air quality and congestion throughout our communities. Across the state of Washington, participants in the CTR program reduce more than 71,500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year and save commuters more than $22 million in fuel.

Here in Snohomish County, businesses in six out of nine jurisdictions that receive Community Transit’s CTR services reduced drive-alone trips since 2007, resulting in a savings of almost 28 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per employee each day.

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.

Join the Curb Club

By Debbie Anderson, Transportation Demand Management and Outreach Specialist

Suzanne D., Ph.D., rides the bus to work almost daily. As a biostatistician for the University of Washington, research is a part of her everyday work. Finding a smarter way to work and saving money – no Ph.D. required!

Through Community Transit’s Curb the Congestion program, information about how a person’s travels impacts her community can be gleaned once that person switches from driving alone to an alternative mode of travel.

Suzanne says, “Curb the Congestion is a useful way to provide important information to Community Transit, to obtain some monetary incentives, and to get stats concerning how much you save in terms of gas, mileage and the prevention of pollutants into the environment.”

Curb the Congestion is offering great rewards for participants. Log trips on at least 8 days monthly in your online calendar and you may be eligible to receive a $50 bus or vanpool voucher, gas card or REI gift card for three consecutive months. After those initial three months, participants are eligible for a monthly $150 drawing. (Incentives are funded by Snohomish County through federal grants and developer fees.) Visit www.communitytransit.org/CurbIt for complete eligibility rules.

Participants can also recruit family, friends and co-workers and receive an additional $25 incentive, up to four times!

Curb the Congestion offers participants personal assistance in finding carpools, planning bus trips and considering other alternatives to driving alone. You can contact your personal assistant at CurbIt@commtrans.org or (425) 438-6136.

Curb the Congestion is a partnership between Community Transit and Snohomish County to reduce traffic and encourage healthy travel options on congested roadways. Curb the Congestion is funded by Snohomish County through development mitigation fees and federal grants.

The program started in 2008 after Snohomish County declared 164th Street SW between Lynnwood and Mill Creek at “ultimate capacity,” creating a program to invest in transportation demand management and safety improvements rather than halt development or try to widen already built-out roads. In 2009, the county added 128th Street south of Everett and 20th Street SE near Lake Stevens to the Curb the Congestion program.

Curb the Congestion is helping relieve the congestion on these roadways. So far in 2011, the program has removed almost 56,000 drive alone trips, reduced travel by more than 1.2 million miles and has saved participants over $196,000 in fuel costs.

If you travel on one of the targeted roads, contact the Curb the Congestion Specialist about your commute options: (425) 438-6136 or CurbIt@commtrans.org.

Local businesses shine at state commute awards

By Tom Pearce, Public Information Specialist

When it comes to commute trip reduction, local companies Amgen and Esterline Control Systems, Korry Electronics are leading the way. They are two Snohomish County businesses that work with Community Transit’s Employer Outreach program, which helps companies throughout the county meet state requirements to reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles on the road.

Their efforts also helped each earn a Governor’s Smart Commute Award last week. Amgen was honored with the Employer Leadership Award for Voluntary Employers while Esterline Korry received the Employer Champion Award for Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Affected Employers in Snohomish County.

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the Commute Trip Reduction law, which requires Washington businesses with 100 or more employees to develop programs that encourage their staff to use alternatives to driving alone for their commute. Worksites with fewer than 100 employees can participate in the program voluntarily.

Amgen and Esterline Korry are shining examples of success. Both offer ORCA pass programs that allow their employees unlimited access to buses, trains and vanpools in the Puget Sound region. The also have internal programs to support CTR goals and provide a guaranteed ride home program so employees who choose to use a commute alternative don’t get stranded without a ride home in case of an emergency.

Amgen’s Bothell Campus remains part of the state’s commute trip reduction program even though the company transferred employees to other sites so the Bothell campus has fewer than 100 employees. In addition to the other benefits, Amgen offers a subsidy to employees that walk, bike or carpool to work on a regular basis.

Its transportation program helped Esterline Korry retain almost its entire workforce when it moved from Seattle to Mukilteo two years ago. Thanks to quality transportation benefits, 51 percent of the company’s Mukilteo employees use an alternative to driving alone.

Amgen and Esterline Korry offer two examples of how CTR programs can help businesses attract and retain experienced, well-trained employees. If you or your company is interested in providing an employee transportation program, Community Transit’s Employer Outreach is ready to help.

National Recognition for Curb the Congestion

By Tom Pearce, Public Information Specialist

The Curb the Congestion program has taken thousands of trips off busy streets in Snohomish County. Now it has been recognized with a national award. The Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) presented a second-place Marketing and Outreach: Partnership Award to Community Transit and Snohomish County for their innovative and highly successful Curb the Congestion program.

Curb the Congestion is a community-based approach to reducing traffic congestion on three specific corridors in Snohomish County – 164th Street between Lynnwood and Mill Creek, 128th Street between Everett and Mill Creek, and 20th Street SE between Everett and Lake Stevens. Through financial incentives and a lot of legwork, people who live, work and/or travel on those roads every day are making pledges to change their commuting habits.

The national honor recognized the success of the 2010 Curb the Congestion program. Through the end of last year, 361 people were signed up and participating in the program, removing an estimated 18,000 drive-alone car trips from these three crowded corridors. A follow-up survey reported that 90 percent of those who signed up for the initial three-month incentive vowed to continue to use an alternate commute method.

The program’s strategy has evolved in each of its three years. For 2011, Curb the Congestion offers a $50 monthly incentive to help participants pay for alternative transportation for the first three months they get out of their single-occupant vehicles and take the bus, bike, walk, carpool or vanpool instead. After three months, those who stay with the program are eligible to win a $150 monthly random drawing.

The program started when Snohomish County decided it could not afford to build more infrastructure on 164th Street to handle traffic. The county turned to Community Transit for a solution. The county funds the program through development mitigation feeds and federal grants, and Community Transit does the legwork, like holding community fairs, promoting the program to apartment complexes and businesses and administering the program’s incentives. The county’s original goal was to take 100 trips off the road each day.

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.

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?”

Do the Math and Curb the Congestion

By Debbie Anderson, Curb the Congestion Specialist


Looking at facts, figures and strategies is what Matthew Cail does every day in his job as an analyst. But he didn’t need any of that expertise to figure out the most cost-effective way to get from his home in Lynnwood to Downtown Seattle – it was easy!


Matthew rides Route 413 or 415 almost every day, taking the bus instead of driving his car on 164th Street. “Transit was a major factor in where I bought a house. I intentionally bought on a bus line,” he says. In the last quarter of 2010, Matthew logged more than 260 bus trips totaling more than 5,700 miles and saving him hundreds of dollars in gas alone.


Matthew’s trips are among the thousands removed from Snohomish County roads last year thanks to Curb the Congestion, a program funded by Snohomish County through grants and development feed and operated by Community Transit. “Curb” targets crowded roads in unincorporated Snohomish County with the goal of convincing people to choose alternatives to driving alone.

Curb the Congestion started in 2008 after Snohomish County declared 164th Street SW at “ultimate capacity,” creating a program to invest in transportation demand management and safety improvements rather than halt development or try to widen already built-out roads. In 2009, the county added 128th Street and 20th Street SE to the Curb the Congestion program.

As much as 25 % of Snohomish County’s population lives within the “traffic-shed” of these roads, living in almost 70,000 homes and apartments. Curb the Congestion offers each household personal assistance in finding carpools, planning bus trips and considering other alternatives to driving alone.

Lake Stevens participant Jennifer Dawson makes smarter trips on both 164th Street and 20th Street. In 2009, Jennifer started carpooling with a coworker who lives near Marysville. During the summer, they meet at the Lake Stevens Transit Center and share a ride to Bayer Healthcare in Lynnwood. During the school year, they meet at Everett Station. Jennifer often rides the bus home to Lake Stevens.

“Bus schedules can be confusing sometimes,” she says. “The Curb the Congestion personal assistant helps.”

There’s also an online calendar where participants commit to change and log their trips. It all adds up to behavior changes that make a difference in individual lives as well as on the roads of Snohomish County.

“Sitting in traffic is stressful. Sitting on the bus or chatting in the car with a friend on the way home is easier,” Jennifer says.


If you travel on one of the targeted roads, contact the Curb the Congestion Specialist about your commute options: (425) 438-6136 or curbit@commtrans.org.