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Week of August 25, 2008
Green Bike Project adds to King County commute options
Green Bike Project participants can earn a new commuter bike by driving less and cycling more. | A new project to reduce traffic congestion is offering bicycle commuters a free ride, if they take a pledge to drive less and bike more.
The Green Bike Project will provide commuter bicycles, tune-ups, training, and gear for up to 300 commuters in exchange for the pledge to reduce drive-alone trips by 60 percent between now and May 2009. The project is a partnership between King County Metro Transit, the Washington State Department of Transportation, Cascade Bicycle Club, and outdoor gear retailer REI.
"From personal experience I know bicycle commuting is a great way to improve your health, reduce your carbon footprint, and save money,” said King County Executive Ron Sims, who has lost 40 lbs. since he started biking more often during the past two years. “We want to help people find out what a great commute option this can be, and give them the tools and training to ride safely.”
The Green Bike Project partners are working with local employers who want to help their employees cut back on transportation costs and improve their health. Employers who have already signed on include: Foss Maritime; Expedia; PATH; the city of SeaTac; ZymoGenetics; Perkins Coie; Boeing; the city of Kirkland; the city of Kent; Univar USA; North Seattle Community College; Cutter and Buck; REI; Washington Department of Ecology; the Fairmont Hotel; Quadrant Homes; the city of Renton; and Swedish Medical Center.
King County Executive Ron Sims is a frequent bike commuter. | The Washington State Department of Transportation is providing funding for the project from the Trip Reduction Performance Program, a program that pays for projects that reduce the number of commuters who drive alone.
“Removing commute trips from the road is a quick and cost-effective way to help balance demand and capacity on the highway system, particularly during rush hour,” said Brian Lagerberg, WSDOT Assistant Public Transportation Director and Commute Trip Reduction Board Chair. “Choices made by commuters have huge impacts on our transportation system, our environment and the quality of life in Washington state.”
REI is contributing 200 discounted Novara commuter bicycles for the project, and each come with a free tune-up. Additionally, REI is contributing 100 tune-ups for people who already have bikes but want to participate in the Green Bike Project.
The Cascade Bicycle Club will provide the training and education to teach the new cyclists how to commute safely on two wheels, and make sure they know all the rules of the road about cycling.
The Green Bike Project is geared toward major employers in King County who are required by law to have an employee commute program. Employers must have five to 15 employees willing to participate to be eligible. The employers are also asked to provide: secure bicycle parking; access to showers and lockers; appoint an in-house coordinator for the project and provide bicycle gear, tools or an incentive to all of their bicycle commuters. There is still time for a limited number of employers to join the project.
Employers who want more information about the Green Bike Project can contact Susan Whitmore, with King County’s Commute Trip Reduction Services, at (206) 684-1057 or by email.
Labor Day weekend transit service On Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1, Metro Transit will operate with a Sunday schedule. If a route does not normally run on Sunday, there will be no service on Labor Day. The Elliott Bay Water Taxi and Water Taxi Land Shuttle will both operate on a Saturday schedule. All Metro offices will be closed on Labor Day. |
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TRAFFIC ALERT: Football games, festival may cause congestion The Labor Day weekend in King County will be filled with sporting events and special events – all of which may cause traffic congestion and delays for transit service. It starts Friday night, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m., when the Seattle Seahawks host the Oakland Raiders in a final pre-season game. Traffic around Qwest Field is expected to heavy, and regular bus commuters may want to leave work a little early or take alternate routes out of the city. Also on Friday, the annual Bumbershoot Festival kicks off at the Seattle Center. The three-day festival is host to dozens of live music acts and other artists. On Saturday, Aug. 30, the Washington State Cougars travel over the mountains to host Oklahoma State in a football match-up that’s always attracts scores of westside WSU alumni and other fans. The game is at 12:30 p.m. at Qwest Field. Metro is not offering special shuttles to any of these events, but there is a lot of regular service to the stadium and Seattle Center. Use Metro’s convenient online Trip Planner to calculate your best route. Or, call Metro's Customer Information line at (206) 553-3000, but note that the customer service office will be closed on Labor Day. |
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