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.  

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.