Do You Appreciate Your Bus Driver? Tell them so on March 18.

Courtesy of quoteessays.com

Don't you feel good when someone makes you feel appreciated for what you do?

Know what else feels good? Making someone else feel appreciated!

Next week, we will focus on making our coach operators (a.k.a. "bus drivers") feel the love on Wednesday, March 18 which is Transit Driver Appreciation Day.

We invite you to join us in saying "Thank You" to the men and women who, day-in-day-out, command the wheel of our local, commuter and DART vehicles to get us to work, school, and to points here, there and everywhere as safely and as timely as possible.

We think our coach operators are amazing. Like many other customer service jobs where you're more likely to hear the bad (and rarely the good), it can really make your day to hear a simple and heartfelt, "Thank you!"

We'll be sharing our 'Appreciation Day' activities as they happen on our Facebook Page next week. We invite you to join us, even if it is virtually.

In the meantime, tell us what you appreciate about your favorite driver by commenting on this post. Better yet, put your good words onto virtual paper and send it to riders@commtrans.org. Be sure to include the driver's route, bus number-- and name, if possible. Our drivers are rewarded for these customer commendations, so please take a moment to let us know when they've made your day. Here's a past post about how you can appreciate and commend your Community Transit bus driver throughout the year.

What do you appreciate about your bus driver? Tell us in the comments!

It's a Fare Question: What Happens When You Don't Pay?

Drivers may hand you this card which spells out our Fare Policy

Let’s start with our Fare Policy. It states (in our Bus Plus Book and website):

• When you pay with cash, have the exact fare ready. Drivers do not make change.
• Community Transit collects fares on all trips.
• Passengers are not authorized to ride without paying their full fare.
• If you choose to ride without paying your fare, you do so at your own risk and you may be subject to a $124.00 fine (RCW 36.57A.230 is a state law authorizing civil citations for non-fare payment.) 

The majority of our customers pay their fare—thank you! We appreciate it! Occasionally, there are riders who can’t pay their fare, for various reasons. And then there are those who decide not to pay their fare at all.

If you decide to ride without paying your fare, this is what you can expect:

• We will ask for full fare—and we’ll do it politely. The driver is going to tell you how much fare is due for your ride. At this point, we hope that you say, “Oops, my bad,” come up with the rest of the fare and the bus and your fellow passengers will continue on its way.
• We will continue to be polite while we tell you our fare policy. Still don’t have the full fare? The driver will tell you our fare policy. You may or may not get this card while the driver talks to you about the policy (pictured above). This card was developed four years ago to give drivers a tool to educate riders while keeping focused on the road, the safety of other passengers and their bus.
• Swift, Commuter or Local— Swift Ambassadors and Transit Police May Be Along for the Ride . With its off-board fare payment and no fare box set-up, skipping out on paying fare happens a little more on Swift than on our other routes. However, the Fare Policy applies and it is enforced—you will see this as Transit Police Deputies ride Swift along with our Swift Ambassadors to carry out fare enforcement as part of their duties. Transit Police Deputies also ride on other routes and sometimes in plainclothes. So, while the primary emphasis is on Swift, Transit Police can show up anywhere, any time, to carry out fare enforcement as part of their duties.

Simply put, every time you decide to skip paying a fare on a Community Transit bus, you put yourself at risk at being fined $124.00—no matter what the reason.

Play Fare (Pun intended)

Consider these tips for a fare-ly smooth bus ride:

• Get an ORCA Card.  It works like cash or a pass. Avoid the headache of going to the ATM and then getting smaller bills. You can buy it online, from a customer service office like the RideStore at the Lynnwood Transit Center or from a participating retailer. You can manage your card online and add value. There is a one-time cost of $5 for the card, but it will save you money after only a few trips. Plus, you get a 2-hour free transfer!
• Exact change, please! Our drivers won’t be able to make change for that $20 bill you got from the ATM.
• Be kind. Our drivers are tasked with transporting some pretty precious cargo—you and your fellow riders—in addition to making sure fares are paid. When you are short on your fare, it is their job to ask for the full fare and to tell you about our Fare Policy. Please listen to what they have to say and make a mental note for next time. That said, our drivers are not tasked with making you feel like the “example” for all to see. If you experience this, please contact us at riders@commtrans.org or (425) 353-7433.

What tips and tricks do you have to make sure you have the correct fare? Have you ever helped a fellow passenger who didn’t have enough to pay the fare? Tell us in the comments.

Transportation Bills Moving in Olympia

Today, the Washington State Senate took action on a transportation funding bill that would raise the gas tax to pay for roads, bridges and transit improvements over the next 16 years. The bill passed 27-22 amid objections from both Democrats and Republicans about various parts of the package.

The Senate bill contains a local option provision that would allow Community Transit to ask voters in its service area to raise the local sales tax to support increased transit service.

HB 1393 also accomplishes the same "local option" for Community Transit. That bill passed out of the House Committee on Finance last week and is awaiting a floor vote.

These items are important to the future of transit service in Snohomish County. While Community Transit is set to bring back Sunday and holiday bus service this June, current projections would see only 45 percent of the service that was cut during the recession return by 2018.

New revenue generated by a local option could help fund a second line of Swift bus rapid transit, increased commuter service to downtown Seattle and UW, more frequent bus trips throughout Snohomish County all week and late-night bus service.

Increasing demand for transit service far beyond what is now provided is a main reason why various supporters have spoekn in favor of Community Transit's local option, including Workforce Snohomish, Associated Students of the University of Washington, the Puget Sound Regional Council, Economic Alliance Snohomish County, United Way and the Transportation Choices Coalition.

Stay tuned for further legislative updates as these bills advance.

Feb. 4 Hearing for House Bill 1393, 'Local Option' for Community Transit

HB 1393 is Community Transit’s top legislative priority during this 2015 legislative session (see the original blog post here). Passage of HB 1393 (or its Senate companion bill SB 5326) would give the transit agency authorization to increase its sales tax up to 0.3 percent upon voter approval.

A hearing in the House Transportation Committee for HB 1393 is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4 at the John L. O’Brien Building, House Hearing Rm B. Community Transit Board of Directors Chair, Mike Todd, will travel to Olympia to testify in favor of the bill, along with supporters from throughout Snohomish County.

If the bill is passed by the full Legislature, Community Transit’s board would be authorized to send a ballot measure to voters in the service district asking their support for increased transit funding.

This Thursday, Feb. 5, the board will take action on a June 2015 service expansion plan that could bring back Sunday and holiday bus service. However, current forecasts indicate that any new service hours added in the next few years are likely to be taken up by schedule maintenance—adding time to current trips because their actual travel time is getting longer.

New transit funding could be used for:

• a second Swift bus rapid transit line
• increased commuter service to Seattle and UW
• extended bus hours each day
• more trips throughout the county

If you are interested in learning more about HB 1393 and the public hearing process in general, you might find these links of interest:

All about Committee Hearings (along with some great tips on how the public can participate:http://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Testify.aspx

About House Bill 1393:http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1393&year=2015

Can’t attend the hearing in person? You Can Watch Live:http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwliveplayer&eventID=2015020084

For Fun: the Lyrics to Schoolhouse Rock’s, “I’m Just A Bill”
http://www.schoolhouserock.tv/Bill.html

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.

 

You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks, So We'll Tell Him About Our Animals on the Bus Policy

By Laurel McJannet

There’s an old saying in the journalism biz:

“When a dog bites man, that is not news. But if a man bites dog, that is news.”

Well, this week, the news was all about a dog who took the bus.

Media outlets far and wide went doggone crazy over the story of Eclipse, a dog who learned to ride the bus alone to a Seattle dog park. That’s right—a Seattle dog park, which makes Eclipse a KCMetro bus rider. It was on ABC News, the Washington Post, even Huffington Post picked up Seattle’s own KOMO-TV coverage.

We love this story. Many of us at Community Transit are dog owners and have 1, 2, 3 of our own at home. However, we’d like to take this opportunity to let you know we don’t plan to change our policies about animals on our buses in light of this story. You can read up on our animals on buses policy here, but I’ll take a moment to give you the highlights here.

Service animals are allowed on all Community Transit buses as long as they are harnessed, leashed or tethered. This is per the American’s with Disabilties Act (ADA). If the device used prevents the service animal from doing their job or the individual’s disability prevents them from using a device, the service animal must be controlled through voice, signal or other effective control.

This is my 10-month old dog, Bandit.

Bandit the Shih Tzu

Bandit is a non-service dog. He is not allowed to ride on Community Transit’s commuter buses (those are routes numbered in the 400s and 800s).

Bandit can explore Snohomish County on our local buses (with his person, of course) as long as he is on a leash and is wearing a commercially-produced muzzle that covers he mouth and is secured behind his head.

Now, if you have another type of small animal, (a reptile, bird or cat), s/he must be in a confined carrying container and held on your lap or at your feet.

Whether you have a service animal or a non-service dog, all owners must have complete control of their animals at all times. Animals can’t occupy a seat, block the aisle or wander around the bus annoying our fellow passengers.

We have this policy in place to ensure the safety of your animals and your fellow riders. Thanks in advance for being great pet owners and transit riders.

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.