Choose Your Way Bellevue Blog

Contributed by Choose Your Way Bellevue Guest Blogger: Hayley Richardson, TransManage

Earlier this month I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Ottawa, the tidy, exceedingly pleasant capitol city of Canada. I had been invited to give a talk at the annual membership meeting for Citizens for Safe Cycling—an advocacy organization that’s been working for the past 30 years to improve the city’s cycling environment. I also came with the fervent intention to ride, to share ideas, and to determine whether my experiences in the social media realm offered anything useful to their relentless quest to fashion the bicycle into a primary mode of transport.

Energy levels in the Ottawa cycling community were high. The mayor had just announced that 24 million would be spent over the next several years to improve cycling infrastructure, and riders of all stripes had been rejoicing in the segregated bike lane that has graced Laurier Street in downtown Ottawa since the summer. This marked contrast to much of the heated rhetoric surrounding transportation modes in our region. There was no palpable sense of animosity between cyclists and the community at-large and many of the elected officials in the metro area are expressly bike-friendly.

And yet challenges remain. Ottawa is a classic North American city, blessed (or cursed) with an abundance of open space, and subsequently built with the automobile in mind. Ottawa’s bicycle mode-split is holding steady at around 2%, and there is a wide gap between the number of male and female cyclists. Many continue to view cycling as “recreation” and the primary iterations of athletic attire showed it. Wherever I went the question on was: “How do we get a new generation of people interested in cycling—so that it’s seen as something cool and fresh, but also incredibly normal at the same time?”

With this in mind I chose to focus my presentation on “telling bicycle stories,” and discussed the various ways in which to use social media to effectively promote cycling to new audiences and generate excitement, build alliances, and sweeten the real-life ride.

I have found social media to be an invaluable tool to help tell the stories of people who choose the bicycle as a way to get around, and to portray cyclists in all their various incarnations—from glamorous to earnest to hale and hearty.  Facebook is a dream for sharing clever transportation memes, exchanging luscious photos, and offering moral support and tips to newbie cyclists. It makes it simple to organize events like “Tweet Rides,” “Bike Polo,” and “Heels on Wheels,” increasing the appeal and fun factor of cycling to disparate audiences. It’s extraordinarily easy to form online relationships through social media—all it takes is a few likes—thereby rendering it more likely that non-cycling groups will help spread your information.

Ultimately social media has the ability to so beautifully demonstrate what could be, thereby allowing organizations to break out of the eggshell of preaching to the converted, and opening up a world of imaginative possibilities.

However, I felt it important to point out that the alluring, but sometimes unrealistic, realm of social media is not one to be inhabited exclusively. There is no substitute for actual civic engagement and rolling up your sleeves to lobby for infrastructure improvements that would make it easier to ride your bike.

Ottawa is an example of an extraordinarily liveable place that is making deliberate strides to increase mobility for all its citizens. Adding social media efforts should not replace any of these ground up efforts, only augment them. With a little more sparkle,  creativity and online engagement, I predict they could easily catapult to the top of the list of the most bike-friendly cities on the continent; the dedication I saw from people in the cycling community was that apparent.

Thanks again, Safe Cycling Ottawa, for the amazing opportunity, and best of luck with your organizing efforts!

Have you ever wanted to share your experience of being a pedestrian in Bellevue? Well, here’s your golden opportunity!

Pedestrian advocacy nonprofit Feet First is joining forces with the City of Bellevue to bring you two walking audits of downtown Bellevue on Thursday, December 1 & Saturday, December 3.

Each walk will take about 90 minutes and will begin with a short presentation by Feet First to describe the purpose of the walk and how to contribute ideas.  If it’s raining, bring a poncho or umbrella as the walks will go rain or shine!

Along the way, attendees will be encouraged to provide feedback and make suggestions to city transportation planners as they begin updates to the Downtown Bellevue Transportation Plan with the intention of improving the pedestrian experience.

The lunchtime walk on December 1st will begin at 11:45 a.m. in the Key Center Building lower lobby (601 108th Avenue NE), and last until approximately 1:15 p.m.

Saturday’s walk will commence at 9:00 a.m. at Top Pot Doughnuts (10600 NE 9th Place) and last until approximately 10:30 a.m.

The City can’t adequately plan without your input, so please join for what will be fun and enlightening afternoons! RSVP to Kevin McDonald, senior planner at the Bellevue Transportation Department at kmcdonald@bellevuewa.gov.

The Downtown Bellevue Transportation Plan Update is a focused, 18-month planning effort just getting underway, intended to update transportation plans and projects that will accommodate the growth that is expected in our city between now and 2030.  As part of their outreach efforts, the City of Bellevue recently hosted a series of bicycle rides, as well as an open house at City Hall. For further information visit www.bellevuewa.gov.

Rick Williams is somewhat of a rockstar in the transportation, parking and land use arena. Between 1989 and 1995 he served as the Executive Vice President of the Association for Portland Progress, a business association representing the 75 largest employers in downtown Portland. While at APP Rick was responsible for the management and operation of the City of Portland’s municipal visitor parking system, Smart Park, comprised of seven parking structures and 3,500 stalls.

In 1995 Rick established his own consulting firm through which he focuses on parking management and transportation demand management programs (TDM) for business districts. He has since created comprehensive parking and TDM plans for over 50 cities. Rick also currently serves as the contract Executive Director of the Lloyd Transportation Management Association which provides parking management, transit, bike, ridesharing and outreach programs to 85 Lloyd District businesses and their 10,000 employees.

We chatted with Rick briefly about economic development, parking garages of the future, and whether any of his congestion-reduction strategies might work in Bellevue. Here’s the manuscript:

CYWB: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Rick. Would you mind talking a bit about the evolution of the Lloyd District and the development of the Lloyd TMA?

RW: The Lloyd District is a neighborhood across the Wilamette River from downtown Portland that recruited me to work with them on their transportation and access issues in 1996. At the time, Lloyd was an emerging business district that was facing serious traffic and congestion constraints because of its geography and relationship to the freeway. Through a grant, we created the Lloyd TMA, the first ever TMA in Oregon, made up primarily of business owners in partnership with the City of Portland, and Trimet, the local transportation agency.

As stakeholders we realized that to achieve our job and housing growth goals, a key economic development strategy for the district would be to enact policies to encourage transit, biking and walking.  The Lloyd District was heavily auto-oriented at the time—80% of people drove to work, and there was an overabundance of surface parking lots and minimal pedestrian and bike infrastructure. We adopted fairly aggressive goals to reduce drive alone trips, and were able to get buy-in from the community by quantitatively demonstrating that congestion would eventually limit our ability to grow jobs.

What’s unique about the Lloyd TMA is that from the beginning, the business community was in charge of making the transition occur. A lot of TMAs were formed in response to state mandates, but our TMA was formed as a forum through which an economic development plan was delivered, with many sustainable byproducts. We were able to create an economic argument for why trip reduction is good for business, and it has paid off.

CYWB: Did you encounter push back throughout the process?

RW: Of course there was opposition, but we’ve always been clear that our mission is to support economic development through sound transportation planning—we’re not just doing these things to feel good. We made the decision to prioritize existing parking for customer and visitor trips instead of work related trips, which meant eliminating the majority of free parking in the district (particularly commuter parking). Of course that was contentious. But we negotiated with the City of Portland to meter the on-street parking in exchange for a significant portion of the net meter revenue. This revenue comes to the TMA and helps support our programs that promote biking, walking and taking transit. Businesses have control of the resources and see the benefit. We also negotiated with Trimet to sell transit passes, and to correlate the number of transit passes sold to the addition of new bus routes or frequency improvements, which was a new concept at the time, and added value to the community as well.

CYWB: How are you measuring your success?

We like to tout that in 1997 about 80% people traveled by car to the Lloyd District, and we’ve gotten that number down to 43% in 2011.  We’ve affected a huge shift in how people move around.  Another measure of success is to disprove the oft-repeated claims that if you take free parking away, you’re going to hurt business. We have a 4-6% vacancy rate, which is an indication of a healthy business district. We’re not anti-car in the Lloyd District, we’ve just become more efficient in how we use parking. We’ve priced it at a rate that favors biking, walking and transit. And we’ve been able to convince property owners that there’s simply more leasable space with less parking.

When we started there were no parking maximums in the area: in 1997 developers were building about 3.5 parking stalls per 1000 square feet. The partnership plan the Lloyd business community took to the City Council in 1997 supported the establishment of maximum parking ratios and a prohibition on new surface parking lots, which was successful. Developers are now building closer to 1.8 spaces per 1000.

CYWB: Given that installing parking spaces IS so expensive, why do so many developers continue to gleefully add parking to the mix? Does the cost remain invisible to people?

RW: I attribute this phenomenon to what I call “underbuild anxiety” and a couple of things play into this. Oftentimes the local building code actually requires it, and they build it because it is a condition of development. Or developers will look at another property and say “I have to do it because they are.”

There’s also a pervasive urban/suburban cultural divide, and oftentimes developers don’t see where they’re at. When you live in a suburban area, you probably should have more parking, but what works in an urban area is often quite different, as are the economics of parking development.

We’ve shown that we can make a surplus of parking profitable by using existing facilities in multiple ways. A lot of our structures in the Lloyd District were overbuilt because they were constructed in the 1970’s. We’ve removed a lot of employees out of those facilities by encouraging non-drive-alone modes. We’re now giving the surplus parking back to attract ground level businesses, and create short term parking for new customers. We have great partnerships with developers, and have found that they’re not afraid to be flexible and diverse with the parking packages they offer new tenants.

CYWB: What’s the bicycling situation like in the Lloyd District?

RW: In cooperation with the partnership we set the goal of achieving a 10% bicycle mode share by 2015, and as such, determined that every building should have parking stalls to allow for 10% of their employees to bike to work. We have used revenue generated through our parking meter funds to cover the cost to purchase and install parking racks, lockers and bike cages in private buildings, up to our 10% goal—the individual building just had to provide the space. In 1997 there were only 239 bike parking spaces in the district, and today we have 2,000. It was a tough sell in the beginning because when we began there was less than a 1% bicycle mode split and no bike infrastructure to speak of. You often heard “there’s no way I want bike racks here; no one would use them.” However property owners eventually bought into the 10% bike parking goal because they started to buy into the economic equation—translating less parking built into more leasable area, more efficient use of existing parking and more attractive, marketable, cost-effective options for tenants and their employees.

Underscoring this is our partnership with the City, who played a crucial role in making investments in bike infrastructure in the public right of way (e.g., bike lanes), which supported and leveraged the investments we were making in bike infrastructure on private property.  In 1995 there were no bike lanes in the Lloyd District and today we have bike facilities on five streets, making it safer for people to bike around. The TMA also organizes and hosts around 15 bike events each year in the district, which continues to educate and assist people who make the decision to bike and further complements our bike infrastructure.  You have to have all three legs of the stool in place, or it won’t work (bike spaces, bike lanes and education).

CYWB: Do you see any similarities between the Lloyd area and the city of Bellevue?

RW: I see many similarities between the two. Lloyd was a very suburban district when we started and very much the “other downtown,” for the City of Portland. We’re the east side, you’re the east side. We have Oregon’s largest mall, a convention center, lots of hospitality and a sports arena. Much like Lloyd, Bellevue is a commercial center with newer construction, a fair amount of residual surface parking, and relatively low ground floor residential where there’s a lot of potential to bring the drive alone rate down.

CYWB: You’ll soon be coming here to speak with property owners, developers, and parking lot operators. What strategies have you found to be effective when talking to these groups about rethinking their parking strategies?

RW: There are a lot of changing trends in the parking market, particularly with regard to what customers want, which is not to have an “either or” choice. We need to break that cycle, and I always encourage property managers to look at offering transit and parking products that would grant their users a degree of flexibility.

There’s a relatively new concept called the Half Pass that allows for 11 days of parking during the month, which recognizes that there are people who still need to drive but don’t want to have to choose between parking and a transit pass. You’ve got tolling soon coming to the Seattle area, and the Half Pass would be a great way for people to avoid having to pay $7 for tolls every single day.

Pricing things in this way takes into account changes that are occurring in the region, or nationwide. Furthermore, people are rational economic creatures and you can have the best transit system in the world, but if you have a transit pass that costs more than a parking pass, people are going to continue to drive! People think the parking equation is difficult, but it’s really quite simple. Look, 30% of people who are 18 years old don’t even have a driver’s license! That’s an astounding statistic, and is indicative of where things are headed. We can help properties add components to their toolbox in order to better reflect these changes in the market.

CYWB: How do you demonstrate the added value of the work you do at the TMA?

RW: We are an organization that values sustainability, but our primary purpose is to grow jobs, add tenants and create new development. The byproduct is the feel good sustainability stuff. That’s the story of our TMA, and I think is the reason why we’ve been so successful.

We were curious about the Traffic Signal Priority system being touted as a benefit of the new RapidRideB service, so we took our questions to John Toone, the ITS program manager at King County Metro. John regularly works to expand and extend the capabilities of the ITS architecture of the transportation agency, As program manager, his duties range widely from policy and planning to installation and operation, and he was instrumental in getting the TSP system in place. Our conversation is below:

CYWB: What exactly is Traffic Signal Priority and where is it being implemented?

John: TSP is simply the idea of giving special treatment to transit vehicles at signalized intersections. Since transit vehicles can hold many people, giving priority to transit can potentially increase the person throughput of an intersection. TSP is currently active for RapidRide buses at all but three intersections on the B Line, which will come online as construction in Bellevue finishes.

CYWB: Could you describe how the technology works to a layperson, like ourselves, and explain why we should be excited about it?

John: TSP is part of our Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) architecture where the buses, roadside and central systems are all connected via a single network. The buses know their location using GPS and other technologies. When it reaches a defined point on their trip, the bus sends a wireless message with about 25 pieces of information to a device on the roadside. This device generates a request to the signal controller if the criteria set by Metro and the City are met. TSP doesn’t just make the trip faster, it’s also more reliable. So, buses come more regularly, get to their destination faster, and it costs less for Metro to provide service.

CYWB: How can you tell (as a rider) when it’s in effect?

John: TSP is a priority treatment, not a preempt, so a rider or driver won’t really notice an obvious change happening at the signal as with an emergency vehicle. The green light is held a little longer or the wait at the red light is shortened for the bus, but the lights will never change order. People get to know the patterns of familiar intersections, so if they get the feeling a light has been green for longer than expected, look around for a bus. In general, though, it’s hard to know for certain that a bus got priority at a specific light without looking into the system logs. But over a trip a rider will notice that the bus spends less time stopped at lights than a car.

CYWB: Will we see its use expanding to other routes as well?

John: TSP is a core feature of RapidRide, so the A Line and all future lines (we currently have plans for 6 total) will have this technology. Every bus in the fleet is equipped with the same on-board equipment as the RapidRide coaches so this could be expanded to other bus corridors as well, although there is no budgeted project to do so at this time.

CYWB: Can you name any “TSP success stories”?

John: On the A Line one less bus was needed than was initially scheduled to provide service due to the success of TSP and other priority treatments.

CYWB: What is the relationship (if any) between TSP and the new SCATS system being implemented in Bellevue??

John: SCATS is a very cool new generation signal control system that’s very smart and uses a lot of information inputs to adapt to traffic conditions. The first SCATS intersections with TSP are currently planned to be installed in January/February 2012 at 120th/NE 8th and 124th/NE 8th. With their integration, our system can be considered one of the inputs to their adaptation. As you probably know, modern thinking about traffic management is that the infrastructure is intended to move people and freight, not vehicles. SCATS can be much more successful about moving people by knowing which vehicles are buses full of them. We should be able to be more aggressive in how long we could hold a green light for a bus, as we have confidence SCATS can compensate quickly for those movements that were delayed a little more.

CYWB: At Metro, are you working on any technology-related projects besides traffic signaling that could potentially make bus rides go faster?

John: As I mentioned above TSP is just one part of our ITS architecture. This architecture includes the next bus arrival signs and ORCA card readers located at the RapidRide stations on what we call the “Tech Pylons”. Paying your fare while you’re waiting for the next bus is a great way to get on board and on the road faster. We designed the architecture so that new technology systems can be more easily integrated, which is one of the reasons it was nominated for this year’s ‘Best of ITS’ award that will be announced soon!

If you’ve ever missed a traffic light by mere seconds only to be held hostage for a seeming eternity, you’ll certainly appreciate the intuitive new signaling system currently being implemented throughout Bellevue. Traffic signals may not come across as the most scintillating of topics, but they can absolutely make a difference in the amount of time each day you spend waiting, having a huge affect on your quality of life.

The Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System, or SCATS as it’s more commonly known, continually obtains traffic data from all lanes in order to determine traffic light cycle length, eliminating inefficient cycle time and providing extra time when needed. You’ll see it in full effect in downtown Bellevue at the intersection of NE 8th Street and Bellevue Way, as well as NE 8th Street and 112th Avenue NE and myriad intersections further east.

Bellevue has the distinction of being the first city in Washington to implement the system, and to impressive results: where it has been deployed locally, SCATS has shown to reduce delays by an average of 10% throughout the day, and as much as 20% during rush hour. Or, to put that in more concrete terms, it produces an average 70 second reduction in individual wait times, or saves 6,400 aggregate hours for drivers over the course of a year.

But perhaps you don’t drive? The system dazzles with benefits for pedestrians, as well. SCATS has the capability of producing a walk sign midway through the cycle at the press of a button. Since implementation at NE 8th Street and Bellevue Way, there has a 8% increase in pedestrian opportunities, and this function will be extended to more intersections in the future.

SCATS can also respond to accidents and disruptions in real-time (something that was nearly impossible to do with CompuTran – the former signaling system) and comes complete with the flashing yellow arrow function, which enables it to change left turn rules based on traffic conditions.

SCATS is currently in effect at 28% of the intersections in Bellevue, and partially in effect at 51%. Implementation will continue in phased rollouts until 2015, or until a new technology comes along that knocks us off our feet again. Such is the cycle.

On Tuesday, November 1 from
4:30-6:30 p.m., the City of Bellevue will host an open house and scoping meeting on the Downtown Transportation Plan Update.

The Downtown Bellevue Transportation Plan Update is a focused, 18-month planning effort just getting underway, intended to update transportation plans and projects that will accommodate the growth that is expected in our city
between now and 2030.

There are two main objectives for this meeting: to provide information to a broad section of the community about the purpose of updating the Downtown Transportation Plan at this time; and to receive comments and suggestions regarding specific transportation issues that affect Downtown mobility and livability.

Following an overview presentation in the Council Chambers, those in attendance will be invited to the Concourse to join in small group conversations with City staff focused on specific mobility modes such as pedestrians, bicycles, transit, and roadways. In this format, the City hopes to hear from the community about the transportation system issues that concern them and their ideas for improvements. People are encouraged to visit more than one of the mobility display tables to help in the challenging task of planning for a multi-modal transportation system in a complex and dense urban environment.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Bellevue City Hall – Council Chambers and Concourse
450 – 110th Avenue NE

For further information, consult the web site: www.bellevuewa.gov/downtown-transportation-plan-update.htm

You may also contact the project manager, Kevin McDonald at 425-452-4558, or kmcdonald@bellevuewa.gov.

See you there!

Who says people only drive in Bellevue?

Deric Gruen is the Sustainability Coordinator and Resource Conservation Manager at Bellevue College, where he works to plan, implement and evaluate initiatives to integrate sustainability into institutional practices.

Deric received his Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington, and has lent his expertise to a diverse array of organizations, including the Sightline Institute, the Puget Sound Regional Council, and the Trade Development Alliance at the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce.

In just one year at BC, he has already spearheaded a successful movement to bring Metro bus route 240 to campus, heightened the campus sustainability web and social media presence (see Facebook and Twitter pages), as well as instituted a college-wide paid parking program that began this fall.

We chatted with Deric about organizing, land use, making biking “cool,” and what’s next for Bellevue College.

CYWB: Can you begin by telling us a little bit about how you came to work at Bellevue College, and what you do there?

Deric: I began working at Bellevue College in September of 2010, following a year of traveling through the Middle East and Southern Africa by bike on a fellowship through the University of Washington. The first thing I was tasked with was tackling the longstanding transportation issues on our campus. I quickly helped to develop a task force comprised of students, faculty and staff that served as a platform for ongoing discussions about how we continue to grow mindfully while remaining an accessible institution for everyone.

CYWB: We hear you’re a something of a community organizer—would you mind telling us the happy story of bus route 240?

Deric: Earlier this year, I worked with student groups in an effort to get the Metro bus route 240 to make a stop at the Eastgate Park and Ride, the closest transit station to the College. We determined that 23% of Bellevue College students come from areas that would be served by this route, and that the cost of this change would be a mere five minutes for some commuters, but would save our students about a half an hour. We encouraged students to send letters and emails of support to the King County Council, and they went and testified before Council about how critical the bus service was to them. Their testimony tipped the scales, and as of October 1, the 240 now stops at Eastgate. Students often don’t count as much as jobs in transportation route planning, but they matter just as much, which I’m glad the Council recognized.

CYWB: Bellevue College has also been in the headlines lately for their new paid parking program, which is quite a change for the suburban-style campus where about 70% of the students and faculty drive alone. Can you explain how this came about?

Deric: We’ve long offered subsidized ORCA passes for our students, but with sharp increases in the cost of the pass, we realized we wouldn’t be able to continue to make the numbers work without a funding source for both parking and ORCA. We hired a consultant to conduct a parking study for us as a requirement of a new building we have permitted, and they issued the recommendation that charging for parking was the best solution to maintain accessibility of our campus. Furthermore, we determined that 75% of our emissions are commute related, and we want to reduce this by 10% over the next 5 years as part of our campus Climate Action Plan.

CYWB: Parking is often a contentious topic—how did you win the support of the campus community in this process?

Deric: The student government came out in support of it after a long review and deliberation—we have a very active student body and strong leaders on campus. The toughest sell was some of the employee union groups—they’ve long considered free parking to be one of their benefits. The whole bargaining process took a good 6 months. But in the end, the students were able to make the case to the Board of Trustees that we would never have a different future if we didn’t make this change now. It was approved in June of this year, and we began implementation this fall. The rates aren’t prohibitively high—$65 a quarter for students, less if you drive less, and just $15 a quarter for faculty and staff.

CYWB: If you could explain why institutions should charge for parking to the unconverted in just a few sentences, what would you say?

Deric: People need to understand that parking is not a free resource, and at Bellevue College, we’ve decided that we’d rather put our resources towards the students. Parking costs about $500 annually per stall, so it’s really a trade off when you think of it like that. As an institution, we want to become mode neutral and not subsidize one commute method over another. We want to always give people the element of real choice.

CYWB: Transportation and land use is often thought of something separate from sustainability efforts—often organizations that have recycling and energy saving programs don’t even mention transportation. Why the disconnect?

Deric: There’s always the fear factor of engaging around commute issues—it’s a very personal thing to people, with often intangible manifestations. It also takes work to organize non-drive-alone commutes, which is why before we enacted the paid parking scheme, we set up 5 informational booths around campus with representatives from King County Metro and the City of Bellevue and other students to help people plan their new commutes. That way it became more tangible, and manageable. Interventions like (PARK)ing day can help to make physical effects of parking more visible, as well. That’s something we might try on campus.

CYWB: Do you have any thoughts or tips for other institutions (schools, hospitals, etc) who might want to shift to paid parking?

Deric: Do the analysis to find out the true cost of parking on your institution and explore whether subsidies for parking are more than your subsidies for other modes and consider if that is fair.  In times of tight budgets consider your priorities.  Once you’ve done that analysis bring the findings to your employees and clients.

CYWB: How will you be able to tell if the new paid parking program has been a success?

Deric: We’re planning to do parking counts and a transportation survey but we haven’t decided whether it’ll be the spring or fall. Sales of parking passes and ORCA cards are going briskly, as expected—we’ve actually sold out of the cheaper ORCA pass—and we will continue to help with individualized commute planning through our SHIFT partnership and RideshareOnline. The parking program is a biennium, so we’ll re-evaluate it in 2013.

CYWB: What’s up with biking on the Bellevue College campus? You’d think it would be the perfect demographic for it.

Deric: Anecdotally, I’ve seen more bikes this fall than ever before. We’re installing covered bike parking, and our gym is free to use for showering purposes. We’re in the process of setting up a maintenance facility, and working with the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to organize safety and maintenance classes that will train our faculty and staff so that they can offer classes on campus themselves.

In the longer term, I want to work to make biking “cooler” on campus. That could look something like organizing something to coincide with the Tour de Fat (beer tour) or a “pimp yo bike” ride, or bike swap similar to the annual one in Seattle.

CYWB: What are some other forthcoming projects at Bellevue College that you’re excited about?

Deric: We’re starting a carshare service with WeCar, a service of Enterprise sometime this fall, which will help those traveling the 5 miles between our two campuses, as well as to our newest location in Issaquah in the future. We’re also researching the idea of installing trip planning electronic kiosks similar to the ones in South Lake Union.

CYWB: What does Bellevue College 10 years from now look like to you?

Deric: A campus that uses of land, energy and material resources only to the extent necessary to advance College goals.  A campus that’s easy to access to bicycle, transit, and personal vehicles.  More space for learning and campus life due to a drop in demand for parking.

The Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts recently released a report entitled: Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts.

For this study, researchers gathered data from departments of transportation and public works departments from 11 cities in the United States. Using detailed cost estimates on a variety of projects, they used an input-output model to study the direct, indirect, and induced employment that is created through the design, construction, and materials procurement of bicycle, pedestrian, and road infrastructure. Their findings indicate that more jobs are created per million dollars to create bicycle lanes than any other type of infrastructure building.

We encourage you to read the entire report, but if you can’t quite commit, we created this handy graph that does a good job of breaking it down.

Under almost impossibly blue skies, the gleaming new RapidRide B line was unveiled this morning before a smattering of elected officials, King County Metro employees and transit aficionados. Two inaugural rides, one originating at Bellevue City Hall and the other coming from the Redmond Transit Center, met at Crossroads Mall to a slew of fanfare, celebration, and even an appearance from a superhero.

“I feel like this is our golden spike moment,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Today, we’re bringing together the Eastside with new, reliable transit service. With RapidRide B, you’ll spend less time waiting and more time moving. It’s a leap forward in meeting the goal of increased efficiency for our entire transit system.”

RapidRide B officially begins October 1, and will speedily shuttle passengers between the Redmond and Bellevue Transit Centers, operating about 20% faster than the current service along the corridor with more frequent headways. As King County Council member Kathy Lambert explained “With the RapidRide B, you can throw out those annoying schedules—you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that your bus will always be coming in 10-15 minutes.” The RapidRide B coaches feature 3 entrances for speedier boarding, low floors, on-board wifi, and have the distinctly 21^st century ability to interact with the traffic signals, meaning prolonged green lights to keep the bus moving. Additionally, 19 RapidRide stations have been installed throughout the corridor, all of which feature real time arrival information, ORCA card readers, benches, and a lighted signal that passengers can activate to let bus drivers know they’re waiting.

RapidRide B service is funded primarily through revenue from Transit Now, a 1/10th cent sales tax increase approved by King County voters in 2006 for improvements to bus service. Additional funding for RapidRide B came through a partnership between King County Metro and the Federal Transit Administration’s Small Starts program, which provides money to transit agencies throughout the country specifically for bus rapid transit initiatives. Any corridor with more than 3,000 riders automatically qualifies for the funding. Executive Constantine highlighted the importance of partnerships in the creation of RapidRide B, and Councilmember Jane Hague seconded: “The fact that we were able to deliver on this during a recession means that we are doing things right in King County, and providing intelligent transportation solutions that connect our region,” she said.

The launch of the RapidRide B Line coincides with a major east side transportation system restructuring, designed to improve the efficiency of the entire network. 12 underperforming routes were deleted as part of the changes, but many new routes have been added. Public officials praised both the changes and new service at today’s event, zeroing in on the importance of transit to accommodate the exponential population and job growth predicted for the Eastside. Bellevue Mayor Don Davidson stressed that  “the B line will support future job growth in our eastside urban centers, and will also connect with future East Link light rail stations.”  Congressman Dave Reichert explained that “not only will this new service benefit commuters, it will also benefit businesses by freeing up space on the roadway for them to move goods and services.”And with tolling scheduled to begin soon on the 520 bridge, Councilmember Lambert predicted that “the B line will become an invaluable service to commuters. As an east sider, you’ll have the choice of spending over $5300 a year commuting by car to Seattle, or just $1300 on a transit pass. Think of what you could do with all that extra money!”

Lambert also shared her experience of riding the B Line with the crowd, illustrating that riding the bus isn’t just about efficiency or fancy technology. “We really enjoyed our trip this morning, and were reminded of what a gift it is to be able to take [time] out of your day to relax with neighbors, check email, and avoid the stress of sitting in traffic. It’s a great way to feel a part of a community.” And as King County Metro employee Malva Slachowitz pointed out, “the bus even looks like it’s smiling!”

The B line will official start carrying passengers this Saturday at 6am, and rides will be free all weekend. King County Metro is engaging in a full scale marketing blitz to promote the service, and will have street team volunteers handing out information at the Bellevue Transit Center from 6:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Thursday-Tuesday.  Maps, schedules and information about all route changes are available at metro.kingcounty.gov/up/scvchange.html

Washington State Bicycle & Pedestrian Counts
Tuesday – Thursday, Sept. 27 – 29
7:00 – 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

It’s that time of year again – the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Cascade Bicycle Club are back for the fourth year of their Washington State Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts. If you have two hours to spare, they need your help counting bicycles and pedestrians at intersections and on trails!

They are still looking for volunteers in Bellevue, so please consider giving your time to collect data that will help WSDOT build the case for future improvements to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in our region.

Click here for more information and to sign up. If you have questions about the project, have trouble logging in, or are unable to make your shift once you have signed up, please email Tessa Greegor.

Hi Bellevue biking community! Yes, we’re talking to you! We need your input!

As part of the update to the Downtown Transportation Plan, the City of Bellevue is sponsoring two upcoming bicycle rides that are must-attends if you’re interested in the future of cycling in our community.

The first ride is geared towards Bellevue residents, and will take place this Saturday, September 24, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. We’ll meet at local favorite Top Pot Doughnuts for a snack, and then take a ride through downtown, visiting places like the Bellevue Downtown Park, the King County Library, Old Bellevue and City Hall. Along the way, we’ll identify potential traffic signal improvements, and make suggestions for future signage and way-finding mechanisms. The pace will be leisurely and relaxed, and the length of the ride is approximately 3 miles.

The second is geared towards bicycle commuters to downtown Bellevue, and will take place on Wednesday, September 28 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. We will meet at Compass Plaza at Bellevue Galleria and from there branch into two groups. One of the groups will head northward towards the SR 520 floating bridge, and the other will head in the direction of the I-90 trail. Along the way, we will identify potential way-finding and signal improvements. Both will loop back and finish at Compass Plaza, with a happy hour to follow depending upon interest.

Both of the events are absolutely free of charge, and all abilities are welcome. Helmets are required and heavy rain cancels. Please RSVP to hayley@bellevuedowntown.org.

See you out there!

Meet VeloBusDriver (@VeloBusDriver on Twitter), the part-time driver for King County Metro who loves everything transit-related. He’s also an avid bicycle commuter and a renewable energy enthusiast. In his previous life, he worked in the tech industry as a SQL database developer and a system administrator.

A tweeter extraordinaire, he’s amassed quite a following in the virtual transportation community. We chatted with him briefly about particulars of life as a bus driver, bicycling in Bellevue (yes, it does happen!) and his views on the future of transportation in our region.

CYWB: Your background is in software testing—how did you come to be a Metro bus driver?

VeloBusDriver: I worked for Microsoft for roughly 12 years. As the company grew I became interested in a different direction. I grew up riding the bus and have many fond memories of riding the #4 trolley on Queen Anne with my grandmother. I continued to ride the bus when it was relatively convenient and during my last year at Microsoft I often wondered what it would be like to drive a bus. During one of my commutes I ran across a driver I knew from church who told me all about the wonderful world of bus driving. It took a while before I actually decided to apply, but that’s when the idea took root.

CYWB: What’s your favorite route to drive and why?

VeloBusDriver: I really don’t have a favorite route. Really, it’s more of a favorite type of route. While I currently can be found driving Sound Transit’s 550, I’m equally comfortable driving the 73 in the U District, and soon the RapidRide B Line. I enjoy routes that are busy, well utilized, with a diverse mix of passengers.

What role do you see smart phones and technology playing in encouraging more people to live car-free/light?

VeloBusDriver: First off, there is the ability to get real time bus arrival information using One Bus Away, Metro’s bus “Tracker”, or Bing’s iPhone app. Knowing how long you have to wait for the next bus goes a long way to make the wait more comfortable. Once you’re on the bus, a smartphone is great for reading the news, Tweeting, or listening to music (with headphones, of course).

CYWB: Bellevue is getting excited about the RapidRide B Line, which will begin service from Bellevue to Redmond in October. We’ve heard some rumors that you’ll be driving. Can you confirm, and tell us what’s cool about Rapid Ride B?

RapidRide B Line has many Bus Rapid Transit features that will increase the speed and reliability of the old 253 bus line. RapidRide B coaches have 3 doors. When you couple that with the ability for passengers to pay off the bus using their ORCA card at the busier stations, you can see that loading the bus will go much faster once people get used to the system. Simply tap your card while you’re waiting for the bus and get on at any door. Another speed enhancing feature for folks utilizing mobility aids is the passive restraint system that allows the individual to simply park their mobility aid and set the brake—the driver no longer needs to secure them into position. (For those who are uncomfortable with the new system, RR B coaches still have a standard forward-facing restraint system like existing buses.) RapidRide coaches also have the ability to interface with the city’s traffic control system to keep green lights green just a little longer and turn red lights green just a little faster. Given the number of traffic lights along the RapidRide route you can quickly see how this will speed the buses along.

CYWB: You’re also a professed cyclist—aside from painting a bunch of bike lanes, what do you think could be done to encourage more bicycling in Bellevue?

VeloBusDriver: Personally, I’d like to see more city employees out on bikes where it makes sense. Given the maneuverability and cost effectiveness of bicycles, they make a lot of sense in denser areas like downtown. I’ve seen Bellevue bicycle police but they are hard to find. Though Bellevue appears to contract out parking enforcement, there is no reason that function couldn’t be done by bicycle. Reading water meters seems like a natural task for a bike for certain parts of the city. I’m not suggesting the city switch over completely to bikes but looking for ways to integrate these inexpensive and useful tools into the city’s operations would go a long way to showing others that you can get around by bike. It could also save the city money!

CYWB: What else are you looking forward to in the realm of regional transportation plans?

VeloBusDriver: While the car will be with us for a very long time, I’d like to see more of a focus on moving people, not simply vehicles. The key is to give people many options to get from point A to point B. Today, for much of our region, the only comfortable choice is to use a car. Sadly, that “choice” leaves us stuck in traffic.

CYWB: From a driver’s perspective, if you could tell the public one thing about how to make the ride go more smoothly, what would you say to them?

VeloBusDriver: Have your fare ready when it’s time to pay. The best way to do this is to use an ORCA card ePurse or monthly pass. ORCA cards can be loaded with cash, credit cards, or debit cards and also offer a 2 hour transfer for use on other public transportation systems/modes. Given the larger number of people on the buses these days, every little bit of time savings adds up. But more broadly speaking, I just wish folks would slow down a bit in life and be willing to try the bus for at least a trip or two per week. Everybody is in such a rush that they always answer “the bus takes longer” as to why they don’t take public transportation. Many of us who ride the bus would answer, “So what? At least I can read, nap, smash birds into blocks, etc… You can’t/shouldn’t do that when driving.” Frankly, I don’t really enjoy driving and do everything I can to avoid it. Yes, I know that is ironic—that’s kind of the point!

Thanks to the participants in our “Once Upon A Bicycle Story!” Here is our winning story, coming to us from Juliet Swedlund. Congrats, Juliet, and happy riding!

“Life in Tandem”

Four years ago, at age 25, I learned to ride a bike. Literally, I had forgotten how to ride a bike, and it wasn’t so easy figuring out how to do it! I started timidly commuting to and from work, but soon entered a world of bicycle enjoyment. Everything from bicycle scavenger hunts and 7-seater rides to painted-body bike riding in the Fremont Solstice Parade and recently completing a 2-day ride from Seattle to Vancouver. Never did I imagine I could enjoy bicycling so much – this coming from a Tennessee native who scoffed when I saw a cyclist on the road! Bicycling changed my life, changed my perspective, and I’m happy to see roads in my hometown are getting more and more bike friendly – something I strongly support even though I live 2000 miles away in the bike-friendly pacific northwest!

I love bicycling so much that my husband and I decided to have a bicycle themed wedding! We had bicycle ties made, bicycle wine charms, a bicycle cake topper, and road off together on a tandem bike! My brother-in-law even wrote and played us a song called ‘Tandem Bike Ride’! For my husband’s birthday I signed us up to ride the RSVP (Seattle-to Vancouver), and I can’t believe I road nearly 200 miles in 2 days! I never would have imagined it! Riding our bikes together has always been something from which we both receive great joy, and look forward to sharing with our future family.

We here at Choose Your Way Bellevue have been waiting with bated breath for the official start date for tolling on the SR-520 bridge. Well, it looks as though our wait is finally over, as WSDOT announced on August 25th that the tolls will begin in December of this year.

From the WSDOT press release:

“We’re confident we can start tolling SR 520 in December with a system that is reliable, accountable and able to handle more than 100,000 daily transactions,” said Dave Dye, WSDOT deputy secretary.

Dye said the department received valuable input from an expert review panel, an internal audit and from ongoing testing of the system. The feedback is being used, he said, to ensure that all components, including software and hardware, are fully operational before tolling starts.

“We appreciate the thousands of drivers who have already set up Good To Go! accounts and we thank them for their patience,” Dye said. “December will arrive quickly and we encourage others to set up an account now so they’ll be ready when tolling starts.” ”

Tolling was originally scheduled to begin in the spring, but Electronic Transactions Consultants Corp, the state’s tolling vendor, encountered relentless difficulties with the all-electronic collections technology. WSDOT forecasts indicate that over 100,000 cars a day will be travelling over the bridge, and delays were intended to ensure that the technology could keep pace. As Dye explained, “we’re on the cutting edge of tolling technology in Washington and it has taken longer to ensure that everything is ready.”

This delay has not affected the pricing scheme, which remains a dynamic one that will charge up to $5.00 each way during peak times. Tolling is expected to raise approximately 1 billion and will be used to pay for improvements to the bridge. WSDOT’s goal is to reopen a wider, safer incarnation of the bridge in 2014.

If you are a frequent commuter, purchasing a Good to Go! transponder is still the cheapest, easiest way to pay the toll on the bridge. You can purchase a Good To Go! Pass at retail stores, online at GoodToGo520.org, or by calling 1-866-936-8246.

But if you’re interested in other commuting options, King County Metro and Sound Transit have added 130 daily bus trips to routes on SR 520 for a total of 700 every weekday in anticipation of tolling. The Go520 project continues to operate real-time ride sharing for people travelling across the bridge. Additionally, if you live or work in Downtown Bellevue, we encourage you to sign up for the Downtown Bellevue Commute Club, a brand new pilot program designed to help people by providing commute resources. By creating a free online profile, you can find carpool and vanpool partners, plan transit, bicycle and walking trips, and connect with fellow Bellevue commuters.

We feel fortunate to have been granted a brief reprieve from tolling, but December is right around the corner, so make sure to have a plan in place before it begins!

Watch the video below to learn more about 520 Tolling and using the Good To Go! Pass:

Carla Saulter is a writer, parent and bus rider from Seattle who blogs about being car free on her website BusChick.com. She also writes about public transportation and children at Grist.org. According to her bio, she exchanged her car keys for a bus pass in March of 2003, and has never looked back. You can read more about why she takes the bus in her lovely This I Believe essay, Bus Chick’s Manifesto.

In honor of the “back to school” time of year, we chatted briefly with Carla about the delights and challenges of living car free with kids. Take a peek at our conversation with the Bus Chick herself below. Then feel free to add your own ideas and thoughts on how to work public transportation into your own family in the comments section.

CYWB: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us, Carla! It would be fantastic if you could begin by giving us a brief overview of the landscape of your car free life.

Carla: Because my family does not own a car, transportation considerations were one of our key selection criteria when choosing our home. To me, the location of our home mattered more than the house itself. Even a few blocks can make a huge difference when you spend a lot of time walking.

My husband and I both bus to work (he works in Redmond and I work downtown), and our kids’ daycare is within walking distance. So, one of us can drop them off and catch the bus from there.

CYWB: A lot of people think about going car free or light and say, “that’s great, but it couldn’t possibly be me.” In surveys we’ve conducted, parents often indicate that they need to be able to pick their kids up from school, run errands after work, etc.  I wondered if you could speak to whether going car free could actually be anyone.

Carla: By the time we had kids, we had fortunately already set up our life in such a way that would enable us to continue to be car free. If you’ve already got a home and a job and your life set up a certain way, making the shift can be more challenging.

It’s doesn’t have to be all or nothing, though. The key is thinking about your life differently, and identifying opportunities to make the choice to not drive. Take going to the grocery store for example.  People always think it takes longer to walk, yet if I were to get my kids in the car, drive the 7 blocks to the grocery store, look for parking, get out of the car, unstrap them, and get across the parking lot to the store, the time savings are negated. We tend to accept the daily hassles of driving as given parts of life, when there are lots of other options.

The huge thing for parents is getting kids to and from school—a large percentage of traffic during rush hour is caused by parents taking their kids to school, and many people think they are doing their kids a favor by driving them to school.  But in fact the most dangerous place for a kid to be is in a car, and traffic created by parents driving their kids to school also creates  danger for the children who do walk. The key is re-imagining how your kids get to school, and separating your commutes from theirs. If your kids walk, bike or take the bus to school, that frees up your options for how to get yourself to work.  If you have questions about commuting with children, I would check out the organization Safe Routes to School and  Anne Lutz Fernandez’s book, Carjacked. Both have good, reassuring information for parents who are considering this.

When you’re accustomed to driving, any other choice seems like a lot of hassle –on the surface, getting in the car seems the easiest. When trying a new commute, there is considerable work on the front end, and the challenge is getting people over the initial hump. Challenge yourself to try something for a week—or even once—with the understanding that it’s only a test. If you don’t like it, you can stop.

CYWB: Something you’ve written extensively about is how your kid’s lives have been improved by their experience being on public transportation. Can you talk a bit more about this?

Carla: One huge positive is that my kids are going to be great walkers! Exercise is always going to be an integral part of their life, because they’ve grown up with it as something that’s completely normal.

Their experience is such that getting around doesn’t mean being strapped in a box. The going somewhere for my kids is the adventure, being on the bus, waiting for the bus, walking around in our neighborhood. We’re partners in crime, and everything is an adventure for us. And the majority of the time, young children LOVE buses.

CYWB: Do you have a “survival kit” that you bring on the bus?

Carla: Good question! Not exactly, though there are things I always have with me. I don’t bring toys on the bus, because they take up a lot of room in my bag, and I don’t find that they provide much distraction for an antsy child. We live very close to the library, so I always keep compact, age appropriate books in my bag.  I also have bubbles for bus stops, and nonperishable snacks: raisins or crackers. I am intrigued, however, by the idea of having a special (compact) toy box that only comes out on the bus!

CYWB: Not to put you on the spot, but is there anything that King County Metro could do to improve the public transportation experience for parents?

Carla: Taking a stroller on the bus is terrible. The current policy is that you need to fold the stroller down before you get on the bus, which is extremely time-consuming, cumbersome, and inconvenient. There are some good reasons why this policy exists, but it’s not communicated well or enforced consistently. Low-floor buses help with accessibility for all riders, including parents with children. Link Light rail is easy because you can roll your stroller onto the trains, but there are still some issues. Parents: I recommend using an infant carrier instead of a stroller, but if you are going to bring one, make sure it’s a lightweight umbrella model.

CYWB: For some people, money talks, and according to AAA, you can save up to $9000 annually by not having a car. Have you ever been able to do something awesome with the money you’ve saved?

Carla: My husband has never had a car, so he’s been able to put away quite a lot over the years.  Our kids’ college funds are basically already taken care of, and we can go on adventures when we want. But besides savings, another way to think it is that when you’re a car owner, a lot of your time working is spent towards paying for it.  If you’re not doing that, perhaps you’d be able to work less and have more time with kids. Or, you could choose to retire early so you have more time with your family that way.

CYWB: Some parents express the concern that if they don’t drive to work and an emergency happens, they won’t be able to easily get to home or school. Has that ever factored in to your considerations?

Carla: I think that’s crucial. When I started out riding the bus to work, even before I had kids, I would worry, how would I be able to suddenly leave work if I had to? What would I do if I needed to go home? Now my husband’s employer offers the Guaranteed Ride Home service as part of the ORCA Passport program, and it provides tremendous peace of mind. But even if that service isn’t offered at your workplace, you can always give yourself permission to spend $100 a year on taxis. That’s a small amount compared to the cost of driving every day.

CYWB: Do you find that having a car forces you to become hyper-local? Do you think you miss out on experiences because of that?

Carla: People feel like having a car provides them with unlimited options. It’s true that cars are useful for certain purposes, but not for every trip, every time—certainly not for the majority of trips that Americans use cars for, which are two miles or less. What I’ve found is that there’s so much in my neighborhood!  We go to the library twice a week, and we have three community centers, the lake, and amazing parks all within walking distance. My husband and I also take the bus to go to night events all over town, and we take a Zipcar when we need to go somewhere far.  I love being part of my community, knowing my neighbors, and feeling connected. I think this really gives your kids a sense of place. I mean, why do you live in a neighborhood? What does a neighborhood mean to you if you are always in a car going somewhere else? We just moved onto our street, and we’ve already met most of our neighbors because we’re always out walking. Our lives are not limited, but absolutely enriched.

We are organizing a photo shoot in downtown Bellevue designed to promote walking, bicycling, and transit as attractive and viable commute options. In order to capture a realistic view of green commuting in Bellevue, we are looking for volunteer models who live and/or work in downtown Bellevue to help us out. Photos resulting from the shoot will enliven and enhance our ongoing marketing campaigns, and will be used in future print and web publications.

The shoot will last approximately 4 hours and will be held on either Friday, September 9 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. or Saturday, September 10 from 1:00-5:00 p.m., depending on when the majority of respondents indicate they’ll be available.

By sending a photo to us, you give us permission to consider you for inclusion in photographs promoting Choose Your Way Bellevue. In addition, you acknowledge and agree that the photo becomes the property of Choose Your Way Bellevue and we are under no obligation to choose you for the photo shoot. You further acknowledge and agree there is no compensation for your services.

Send a photo of yourself to hayley@bellevuedowntown.org, along with your name, contact information and availability (Friday, September 9 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. or Saturday, September 10 from 1:00-5:00 p.m.). We’ll be in touch if you’ve got what we’re looking for!

Thanks so much, and we’re excited to hear from you!

-Team CYWB

We here at Choose Your Way Bellevue have been hearing quite a bit about the new ridesharing service go520, a pilot project sponsored by WSDOT that aims to pair drivers and riders in real-time as they travel. However, we had no idea what it was like to actually use it.

We know there’s nothing like a first hand account to alleviate the inevitable questions and concerns around trying something new. So, the folks involved with the project were kind enough to share this brief interview with one of their users, whom we’ll call Ronen Y.

Ronen uses go520 to commute from the Central District in Seattle to the Redmond Microsoft campus across the 520 bridge five times a week. Ronen initially became interested in the go520 project because he thought it would be a good way to earn cash for gas and have a faster commute. He primarily serves as a driver, so if you’re booking rides on this route you might get matched! Here is his story:

Pioneer Profile: Ronen Y.

Some info on Ronen:

Where do you commute from/to? Central District in Seattle to the Redmond Microsoft campus

How many days a week do you commute across the SR520 bridge? 5 days

Do you use the system mainly as a: Driver mainly (but also rider)

How did you hear about the go520 pilot program? Email from my employer

What made you interested in the program initially? Get some cash for gas and travel a little faster on the 520 on-ramp (as a driver or rider)

Q&A with Ronen:

What do you think of Avego’s go520 service?

I like the “stop-based” system go520 uses. The way I see it, it gives better chances of matching folks and gives riders flexibility to find a ride from different locations.

You took part in Avego go520 WP7 beta testing.  How did you find the app?

I thought the app was easy to install—within a few steps you’re up and running. Just have your data entered on the website and you can easily find riders. The app is intuitive and reliable, and you can count on it to match you with riders along your route.

You have attended Avego go520 events—how did you find this experience?

The events were well organized and fun. I really enjoyed meeting the crew and learning about their system, and also giving direct feedback to the folks at Avego.

Do you have concerns with the system in general?

No, but you need lots of drivers/riders to use it to be effective. Let’s get some more people on board!

Do you have any other comments about the go520 Program or Avego?

go520 is a great idea that takes commuting to the next level. Its simple design allows users to find a match to carpool within seconds once there’s a rider on your route. The flexibility this system has allows you to depart whenever you want, and find a driving match without binding to a schedule. Driving over the 520 bridge can be faster on the ramp, and the riders pay you some money back which isn’t something to dismiss so fast, especially with the new bridge tolls coming soon.

Curious about real-time ridesharing? Visit Avego’s go520 website to learn how you can earn money—and save time—by participating in the project. Have you tried the project? We’d love to hear your story, too! Post a comment below: