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| Vol. 1, No. 1 September 2010 |
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In this issue:
Options: new Aurora Avenue North sidewalk and bus rapid transit
Tools: transit score, tips on transfers and more Inspiration: donating a car brings simplicity and whimsy Upcoming: Walk to School Month, Wheel Options and more
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 New Name and Look for Newsletter
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Your Way to Go newsletter is now called The Walk Bike Rider and it has a new look -- we hope you like it. This monthly resource is now more easily identified as one part of the City's broader efforts to make walking, biking and riding the easiest ways to get around Seattle.
Who is a Walk Bike Rider? You are, and so is anyone else who walks, bikes or rides transit to get around Seattle. You're in good company because Walk Bike Riders save money, get more exercise and are generally happier because they spend less of their lives searching for parking. | |
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Options to Get Around | New sidewalks on Aurora Avenue North improve connection to route 358
As part of the Aurora Traffic Safety Project, SDOT built a new sidewalk, curb ramps and a marked crosswalk with a pedestrian countdown on Aurora Avenue N at 115th Street. This makes getting to and from the bus stop for route 358 easier and safer.
Aurora Ave. N before and after improvements |
Bus service changes start October 2
Every four months King County Metro updates its bus schedules. For this round, due to declining revenues, a number of bus routes are losing one to three trips per day during periods of low demand. On the other hand, thanks to the voter-approved Bridging the Gap transportation levy, the City of Seattle is funding increased service on routes 5, 30, 60 and 75. Metro's website will have information on all changes about a week before October 2.
RapidRide bus service to launch between Tukwila and Federal Way
 Metro launches the first of six bus rapid transit (BRT) lines on October 2. RapidRide is the brand for Metro's BRT system. BRT has some of the benefits of light rail: it is a premium bus service with enhanced reliability, speed and amenities. RapidRide is funded primarily through the voter-approved "Transit Now" ballot measure. Click here for information on the Tukwila to Federal Way RapidRide A Line. | |
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Focus of the Month: Transit | | |
Transit is a vital service in our region. Consider these facts:
· Transit is efficient.
o One rail car removes up to 200 cars from the road.
o One bus removes up to 60 cars from the road.
· Transit provides a crucial service.
o King County Metro provides over 100 million rides per year.
o Sound Transit carries over 18 million riders in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties annually.
· Transit is supported by the community.
o In 2006, Seattle voters approved Bridging the Gap, which includes funding for maintenance and bus improvements to Seattle streets.
o In 2006, King County voters approved the Transit Now levy to expand bus service.
o In 2008, voters in the region approved Sound Transit 2 to add 36 miles of light rail to the existing 16-mile system, increase ST Express bus service and expand Sounder commuter rail.
More transit service is on the way
Bus rapid transit and rail lines are funded and will open before you know it.
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Service and Location |
Year service opens | |
RapidRide bus rapid transit |
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Tukwila to Federal Way |
2010 | |
Bellevue to Redmond |
2011 | |
West Seattle to downtown Seattle |
2011/2012 | |
Ballard to Uptown and downtown Seattle |
2012 | |
Shoreline to downtown Seattle |
2013 | |
Burien to Renton |
2013 | |
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Streetcar |
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First Hill connecting to LINK light rail |
2013 | |
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LINK light rail from downtown Seattle to: |
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University of Washington |
2016 | |
Northgate, Bellevue and Highline Community College area |
2020 | |
Overlake in Redmond |
2021 | |
Lynnwood and Redondo / Star Lake |
2023 |
Click here for a map of future Sound Transit bus and rail lines.
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Tools to Help You Walk, Bike and Ride |
Walkscore now provides a "transit score" that rates a location's proximity to transit and its commute options. Click here for more information.
Transfer two-fer
 Make a round trip on transit within two hours and you only have to pay for a one-way trip. Simply pay your fare to board transit, do your errands within two hours and use a free transfer for your return trip. Note: If you pay with an ORCA e-purse, your ORCA card has a two-hour transfer valid on any transit accepting ORCA. However, if you pay with cash or a bus ticket on Metro, the paper transfer you receive is only good on Metro buses.
Online transit tools
Plan your transit trip in advance at Trip Planner then use One Bus Away for real time data on when your bus will arrive. Receive transit alerts from Metro on the status of your bus so you'll know when to plan ahead for traffic, accidents, street closures, etc. Metro suggests other apps for your mobile device as well.
 Question: What costs less than $100 per month and makes the average car use less gas than a Prius? Answer: A transit pass. Take transit, drive less and you'll use less gas than someone driving twice as much in a Prius. Click here for transit pass prices.
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Inspiration to Walk, Bike and Ride |
Donating a car brings simplicity, plus cheers and a free bike
 Mrs. DeGroot reports how donating her car has simplified her life: "Owning fewer cars feels less complicated. Not getting the oil changed every three months, not buying gas, not washing the car, no insurance -- wow, that is a lot less complicated. Everyone in the house now thinks about alternate methods of transportation. That is a big plus for the planet. I am just learning all the benefits to riding a bike, but I must say I am enjoying the process." As if that were not enough, Mrs. DeGroot was selected by the Tour de Fat festival to receive a new bike in exchange for donating her car. This blog post on the "My Wallingford" blog includes an article and a video on the whimsical "trade my car for a bike" ceremony featuring Mrs. DeGroot.
Bike access matters for many home buyers, as discussed in this Seattle Times article.
Our world of mobile devices makes riding the bus and urban living more attractive. Read more in this article in The Atlantic. | |
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Current and Upcoming Events | |
September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month to help address this national epidemic. Walking and biking for transportation are easy ways to make exercise part of daily life, and most transit trips start and end with a walking trip.
Puget Sound Heart Walk for the American Heart Association is October 2.
October is Walk to School Month. Plan a walking school bus or simply walk your child to school. Ask what's planned at your school or start something new!
 Wheel Options starts October 17. Commute without driving through the end of October and you could win fantastic prizes. | |
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We Would Like to Hear from You |
We appreciate your feedback on the newsletter. Please let us know if there's a topic you would like us to cover or if you have a story to share. Email us at waytogo@seattle.gov .  Regards, Dave Allen Way to Go, Seattle! Team www.seattle.gov/waytogo | | v 1.3 |
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