Service Increases Coming this Fall

Community Transit is adding a modest amount of bus service in September. A proposal of where that new service will go was announced earlier this month, and public comment is being taken through May 2.

This is the first of two planned service increases; the second will be in June 2015.

Community Transit is able to add service because sales tax revenue has been higher this past year. You may recall that it was a massive drop in sales tax revenue (which is our primary funding source) in 2008 that led to our service cuts in 2010 and 2012.

The two service increases planned for this year and next are just a fraction of what was cut (32,500 service hours being added vs. 160,000 service hours that were cut), but it is significant enough that Sunday service may be able to return in 2015.

The additions planned for this fall will address some problems that came about after our last cut in 2012. We also are doing our best to run a highly efficient operation, given our limited resources, so one of the proposals is to eliminate Route 110, which has had few riders since it was created in 2012. That frees up service hours for other improvements that will serve
many more people.

Please check out the proposal and send your comments. Later this fall, after these changes have been made, we will announce plans for the 2015 service increase based on the input you have been giving us the past two years.

We invited discussion on this blog and our other social media, but remember, if you want to submit formal comments you must send them to servicechange@commtrans.org.

Curb the Congestion Expands to I-405

Curb the Congestion is better than ever as the program expands to I-405!

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 since the program launched in 2008, with over 3,650 participants removing 375,000 trips from local congested roadways.

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

• NEW I-405 (between Lynnwood and SR-522)

• 128th Street (between Everett and Mill Creek) 

• 164th Street SW/SE (between Lynnwood and Mill Creek) 

• 196th Street (between Edmonds and I-5) 

• 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 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, visit www.communitytransit.org/CurbIt or contact our Curb the Congestion Outreach Specialist at (425) 438-6136 or CurbIt@commtrans.org. 

Smart Commuters Recognized at 17th Annual Awards Luncheon

On April 10, Community Transit recognized the achievements of employers, Employee Transportation Coordinators and smart commuters from across Snohomish County and Bothell at our 2013 Smart Commuter Awards Luncheon.

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

Smart Commuter of the Year – Lynette Boulch, Premera Blue Cross

Lynette has been committed to choosing smarter ways to work for over 25 years.  She’s currently a vanpool driver and has recruited numerous new vanpool riders over the years.  When she’s not vanpooling, she takes the bus to work.

Employee Transportation Coordinator of the Year – Karen Lee Kimber, Swedish Edmonds

Karen has been in her role as an Employee Transportation Coordinator for over 20 years and continues to make an impressive mark on her company’s Commute Trip Reduction program.  This year, Karen developed a “HAVEAGR8RIDE” newsletter that gives her employees the cost of driving alone, tips on how to find other commute options and how to determine their carbon footprint.

Employer of the Year – AT&T

AT&T has had a great commute program for many years.  In 2013, AT&T promoted seven different campaigns to educate and encourage employees to choose smart options to driving alone.  The result of the campaigns was phenomenal, including having 47 employees log more than 14,063 bicycle commute miles during an eight week bike competition.  Not only does AT&T’s management support these activities for their employees, they also provide ORCA Passport that provides transit and vanpool fares for their employees.

The 2013 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 drive alone vehicle trips to their worksites by providing services such as the Smart Commuter Awards, advanced training for Employee Transportation Coordinators, a Guaranteed Ride Home program, transportation fairs and resources on commute options to approximately 24,000 employees at 74 worksites.

More details and the list of the winners and nominees are posted on Community Transit’s website.  To learn more about Community Transit’s services for employers, visit www.communitytransit.org/ChoiceConnections.

Doing What We Can to Help the Darrington Community

When the deadly landslide struck on March 22, it wiped out a section of Highway 530 between Oso and Darrington. That was the corridor our Route 230 used to provide "lifeline" bus service to residents of Darrington, taking them into Arlington and back home each weekday.

Flag flies at half-staff outside the Darrington Post Office.

With Route 230 truncated at the town of Oso, we considered how we might be able to serve residents east of the slide. Our CEO challenged us to "find a way" to get bus service to those who previously used Route 230 and those who might now need affordable transportation into and out of the area.

Thus, Route 231 was born. It was the quickest route created in Community Transit history -- three days from idea to implementation. On Friday, March 28, the first "Route 231 - Special" bus rolled into Darrington just before 7 a.m.

This bus takes an 80-mile "re-route" north on I-5, east on Highway 20 at Burlington, and south on Highway 530 at Rockport. Early morning and early evening trips travel directly between Everett and Darrington to help people get to work, or elsewhere in Snohomish County. Two morning and mid-day trips loop between Whitehorse (west of Darrington) and Burlington, providing a link to shopping, medical and other amenities in Skagit County.

Community Transit has also been called upon by Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management to provide large vans to help transport rescue workers to the landslide scene, and families of victims to the shelter areas to visit loved ones. Each day for the past week, 2-to-4 of our vans and drivers have provided this emergency transportation assistance.

We have also let local residents know that vanpools are an attractive option for people needing to get to work in Snohomish County without making a long and costly trip by themselves. At least three vanpools have been created to get people from Darrington to worksites in the Arlington area each day.

At a time of unprecedented tragedy in our community, we are doing what we can to help.

We're Growing, Slow But Sure

Good news! A rebounding local economy in Snohomish County may give Community Transit the capacity to increase transit service by 20 percent over the next six years.

Bad News! These service increases would total less than half the service hours that were cut during the recession, and fall far behind the demand for transit in the county.

This news comes as part of Community Transit’s Draft Transit Development Plan (TDP) 2014-19, an annual update to the agency’s six-year transportation plan. If you are interested in learning more about revenue, service and capital program forecasts through 2019, (as well as specific plans for annual expenditures, service levels and projects), this document is a great resource. The Draft TDP is available for review at www.communitytransit.org/futureplans.

Public comment on the plan is being taken through April 10. Anyone can submit comments by emailing planupdate@commtrans.org or by calling (425) 353-RIDE (7433).

A public hearing on the Draft TDP will be held at the monthly Board of Directors meeting at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 3 at Community Transit headquarters, 7100 Hardeson Road, Everett, WA, 98023.

2,4,6,8...Who Do We Appreciate?

For purposes of this particular post, Coach Operators!

Yesterday was Bus Driver Appreciation Day (March 18). While non-holiday, notable days help us give drivers of all modes of public transportation some props, we work to recognize our Coach Operators throughout the year for the good things they do every day.

Here are some of the ways we do this:

• The Reliability Award. That Perfect Attendance award you got in school translates to this award when you drive for Community Transit. This award is given to Coach Operators who have zero unscheduled absences during the quarter. In 2013, anywhere between 29-35 percent of our Coach Operators received this award each quarter (approximately 73-88 Coach Operators on average each quarter).

• Coach Operator of the Quarter. The coach operator earning this distinction has driven skillfully with no infractions, is reliable (there's that perfect attendance again!), has had no disciplinary actions, no preventable accidents, and no negative public comments during the last 12 months. Also very important-- s/he has provided great service to our customers. Each of the four Coach Operators of the Quarter automatically become finalists for Coach Operator of the Year. The reigning Coach Operator of the Year is Ray Harnish, who earned this award for 2012 and who happens to also be 2 Million Mile Driver.
  
  2013 was the last year of this quarterly reward. In its place is the Transportation Department of the Month/Quarter/Year Award which enables coach operators, dispatcher, supervisors and management staff in the department to earn recognition.

Million Mile Drivers are honored by having their name and designation assigned to a bus in our fleet.

• Million Mile Driver. We have 69 active Million Mile Drivers and eight 2-Million Mile Drivers we are pleased to call Community Transit Coach Operators. In case you were wondering, a million miles is equivalent to 40 trips around the Earth or two round trips to the Moon.

• It usually takes a Coach Operator 12 years of full-time work to rack up one million miles, but add the distinction of driving those million miles without incurring a preventable accident (not even clipping a side mirror on a tree branch!) and you’ve got one heck of a milestone. In addition to receiving a commemorative jacket and a plaque, Million Mile Drivers have their Million Mile Driver (MMD) status displayed on one of our buses. You've probably seen them around town (as shown in the photo above).

• Certificate of Appreciation. When it’s “all hands on deck” at Community Transit (inclement weather, a Super Bowl celebration parade, for example), you can be sure staff agency-wide roll up their sleeves and ask “What can I do to help?”
  
  For example, our Coach Operators have helped shuttle firefighters to forest fires in the Leavenworth area, evacuated residents from homes due to threats of flood, assisted in police transports and participated in mass casualties drills for Snohomish County.

• For example, our Coach Operators have helped shuttle firefighters to forest fires in the Leavenworth area, evacuated residents from homes due to threats of flood, assisted in police transports and participated in mass casualties drills for Snohomish County.

• Official Commendations. We welcome commendations from our customers! Compliments from you are not only appreciated by our drivers, but also earn them recognition among their peers and supervisors. When you send in a commendation (using the methods below), please include the bus and route number.

• Email riders@commtrans.org

• Call (425) 353-7433

• Send a letter to Community Transit, 7100 Hardeson Road, Everett, WA 98203, Attn: Customer Service

What does your workplace do to make you feel appreciated and recognized for the work you've done? Please share in the comments below.

Bus Driver Appreciation Day: Thanks for the Great Ride!

Tuesday, March 18 is Bus Driver Appreciation Day, which was created in 2009 by a couple of bus riders in Seattle who wanted to show gratitude for the men and women behind the wheel. Since its creation, the bus riding public and transit agencies far and wide have embraced this day of recognition— and Community Transit is no exception. As we did last year, our employees are organizing to show our appreciation of our co-workers as they leave to cover their routes from our Merrill Creek base.

We think our coach operators are amazing people! Like other customer service jobs where all you hear is the bad (and hardly ever the good), it can really make their day to hear a simple and heartfelt, “Thank you!”

So on March 18, we invite you to give your bus driver a word or two of appreciation. We suggest:

• Showing your virtual support of Bus Driver Appreciation Day by joining the event on our Facebook Event Page.
• Share what you appreciate about your bus driver either by commenting on this post or on our Facebook page.
• Giving your driver a virtual "High Five" on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #high5
• Just say, "Thank you" as you de-board the bus.

Consider sending an official email to riders@commtrans.org or call (425) 353-7433. Commendations from our customers are not only appreciated by our drivers, but give them recognition among their peers and supervisors.

Thanks for taking the time to give 'em thanks!