Another “It happened on my commute” Story

 Hopefully you saw our last post about our Vanpool program celebrating its 30th anniversary. (If not, here’s the link: http://intercitytransit.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/congrats-it-happened-on-my-commute-vanpool-winner/) Here’s another story:

I ride the Yelm to MAMC vanpool and couldn’t be happier. The group I ride with have all become friends and look out for each other. When someone leaves, it’s like losing a family member. One of our riders relocated to California. Neomi had been on the van since it was formed and had been a regular rider. On her last day, the van riders met at a local restaurant before our pick up time of 0630 to have a farewell breakfast, then we all headed to our regular pick up spot and rode in together. Despite the early meeting time, even people who had scheduled that day off still met for breakfast and headed home following, that’s how close we have all become. Granted, there are many reasons to ride the van pool. Saving on the cost of gas is a reason everyone on our van can agree meets our need, having a parking spot closer than the outlying parking lots certainly doesn’t hurt with the unpredictable Washington weather we encounter, not to mention our regular drivers, Mike and Glenn, frequently drop off and pick up the riders at the front door. The wear and tear we put on our own vehicles is decreased and the set times for pick up and drop off make our commute simple and structured, but what I find for our van is that the friendships we’ve formed keeps all of us wanting to continue to ride together. I couldn’t choose a better group to commute with and I hope they feel the same.

Kandace

Congrats! “It happened on my commute” Vanpool Winner!!

Our vanpool program just turned 30 - and, that’s exciting news! We wanted to share the celebration with our vanpool riders so we decided to have some fun. We held a “It happened on my commute” promotion – asking our vanpool riders to share their funny, interesting, unique, emotional, etc stories about things that happen/have happened while vanpooling. Each rider who submitted a story would get entered in a random drawing for a Kindle Fire. We received well over 35 submissions with some really great stories! Thanks to everyone who sent one in.

We’ll share some of the stories over the next month or two, but for now, here’s the one that won (submitted by Marjorie, Vanpool #9)

In spite of all the obvious benefits vanpool ridership offers and all the good things you hear, they sometimes still get a bum rap.  You know those urban legends of the “bad rider” who’s rude, always late or practices poor hygiene!  Honestly, I was a little nervous about commuting an hour a day, five days a week with strangers.

 Last fall a seat opened up and I finally decided to give it a try.  What could I lose?  Gas prices were skyrocketing, green house gases are bad for us all and the wear and tear of a 90 mile round trip daily commute was getting old, particularly in inclement weather.

 I was nervous my first day, it almost felt like being the new kid getting on the school bus for the first time.  I remember driving to the park & ride lot and opening that van door, not to a bunch of strangers, but to nice, warm people who welcomed me aboard.

 It didn’t take long to feel right at home.  I look forward to seeing my vanpool family every day.  We laugh, tell jokes and genuinely care for each other.  Good times, lasting friendships and doing a small part to help the environment really happened on my commute.

Celebrate Earth Day. Save the Environment. Save Cash.

Sunday, April 22 is Earth Day. Have you thought about what steps you might take to help protect the planet? Did you know, in Washington State, 53% of CO2 emissions from fossil fuels come from transportation uses – like commute travel, freight, and planes? Transportation produces more than three times as much climate pollution as electricity production (according to Seattle-based Sightline Institute).  So, especially with high gas prices, the most effective way you can save money and the environment is to drive less. Maybe you can’t totally give up your car – but there are other ways you can drive less:

1) combine trips – like doing all your errands at once, instead of doing them one at a time

2) share the ride – carpool with a friend attending the same event or a co-worker to going to lunch, vanpool with someone who has a similar commute, or ride the bus

3)  skip the trip - don’t drive; walk or ride your bike, instead!

You just might be surprised how much you can save each month by driving less or using public transportation.The American Public Transportation Association’s latest “Transit Savings Report” indicates that one person riding public transportation can save about $844 a month – over $10,000 a year – living with one less car and using public transportation, instead. (This is based on average national gas price, parking costs, and auto and maintenance costs, as of April 16, 2012).  If you want to find out how much YOU can save by sharing the ride, use our online commute cost calculator.

We’d like to thank the thousands of people who ride our buses each day, the hundreds of  commuters who vanpool, along with the bicyclists and walkers who reduce their carbon footprint by using a more sustainable transportation option. We all benefit!

 

We Won the 2012 Thurston County Green Business Award!

Last Wednesday, we received the 2012 Thurston County Green Business of the Year Award! The Thurston County Chamber awards it to the business demonstrating exemplary efforts in creating a sustainable workplace. Over 40 businesses applied for the award, and our agency was selected as the winner in the large business category (we shared the award with OBEE Credit Union in this category).

We received this award primarily due to the work of our Sustainability Committee. The committe encourages recycling, waste reduction, energy conservation, water conservation, commute trip reduction, and many other efforts to increase the sustainability of our organization. This award follows our recent recognition as a Gold Level participant in the American Public Transportation Association Sustainability Commitment program. Our agency, along with Sound Transit, became the first U.S. transit systems to achieve this level.

We hope these awards show our community the efforts we take to protect the environment and serve as a model for other public agencies and the larger community. Our sustainability efforts also allow our agency to continue developing new partnerships with other organizations in our community. Puget Sound Energy partners with us on a number of programs and our participation in the Green Business Program strengthened our connections with the Chamber of Commerce and the business community.

 

We’re Accepting Applications for Citizen Advisory Committee

Are you interested in having an impact on public transportation in our community? We want you! Our Authority has open positions on their Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), including a YOUTH position (1-year term) for ages 15-19 and the others will fill current vacancies (3-year term). Applications are due Friday, May 18.

Here’s some information on the CAC: It is a 20-member advisory group that provides input to the Authority on local public transportation issues such as: Dial-A-Lift policies, service changes, strategic plans, the budget, fare structures, transit amenities and other issues. They meet the 3rd Monday of every month at Intercity Transit’s Business Office at 526 Pattison Street SE, Olympia, WA. The meetings are open to the public and include a forum for citizen comment. Citizen Advisory Committee members are selected to achieve diversity and geographical representation in the Public Transportation Benefit Area. The group includes senior citizens, youth, people with disabilities, college students, business owners, social service agency representatives, neighborhood associations, the medical community, environmentalists and bicyclists.

To get an application, visit our Web site. You can also contact Rhodetta Seward at 360.705.5856 or rseward@intercitytransit.com  for more information about the CAC or the selection process.

Intercity Transit Earns ‘GOLD’ for Sustainability Efforts

We have exciting news to share! Our agency was recently recognized with Gold-level status for our sustainability work from the American Public Transportation Association’s Sustainability Commitment program. Intercity Transit and Seattle’s Sound Transit are the first public transportation systems in the nation to accomplish this level of sustainability stewardship.

We have long practiced planet-friendly initiatives as part of our mission to be a good public steward. We signed on to the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA’s) Sustainability Commitment in 2009 as a founding signatory of this new program. That voluntary commitment within the public transportation industry, places priority on preserving the environment, being socially responsible, and supporting economic vitality. Organizations that sign the Sustainability Commitment agree to put core internal processes and actions in place which set the basis for continuous improvement on key environmental, social, and economic sustainability indicators. Organizations are eligible for Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum status based on their actions and programs that support sustainability and protect the environment.

I would be remise not to acknowledge the community that supports Intercity Transit and understands the value of a well-functioning public transportation system.  Thanks to our transit stakeholders, community leaders, local taxpayers and great partners, our agency has been effective in operating productive, efficient, environmentally-friendly, and community-minded transportation services. Thank you!

This is an extraordinary achievement for our organization and sets the bar in the mass transit industry. But perhaps most importantly, it has value to the community we serve.  If you would like more information about the recognition, see full press release.

Another leading transit agency, Trans Link in Vancouver, B.C., received Gold recognition just last year.  Much like the environmental leadership the Pacific Northwest demonstrated in the early days of the recycling movement some 40-plus years ago, we are doing it again!

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Harbour, General Manager
Intercity Transit

Get Real-Time Bus Arrival Information with OneBusAway!

As you rush to make it to your bus stop on time, have you ever wondered when the bus will actually arrive? Wonder no more!! In normal driving conditions (not snow and ice!!), our buses typically run on schedule – but, if you want to know for sure – use OneBusAway! This is a great tool for bus riders and you can access it using  a variety of  “methods.”  For instance, you can text “one bus your stop number” message to 41-411 and quickly get a response with bus arrival info. (The “your stop number” is posted at each stop and can be found on the  bottom of the bus stop sign or the outside of the shelter along the top. See photos.)

You can also get the real-time info by calling 206-456-0609,  downloading a app to your smartphone, or even visiting the OneBusAway Web site …. whatever’s easiest for you.

Visit our Web site and click on the green OneBusAway icon (it looks like the image at the top of this post)  in the upper right corner of all our web pages and it will take you to the OneBusAway Web site with all the tools and instructions so you can get started. If you would like additional help, just give Customer Service a call 360.786.1881 and we will be happy to assist you.

 

Appreciate your Bus Driver? Let them Know!

This Sunday (March 18) is International Bus Driver Appreciation Day . . . the perfect opportunity to say “THANK YOU” to all the hard-working bus drivers you know!  They might make it look easy – but think about it:  for hours on end, our operators manage to keep a schedule, check fares, give directions, remember verbal stop requests, provide information about other Intercity Transit programs/services, and MUCH more . . . all while safely maneuvering a big-huge vehicle through unpredictable traffic and detours, bad weather conditions (like all the snow, ice, and RAIN we’ve had this winter), and some really tight spaces. Not only that, at times they face frustrated riders and must remain calm and considerate! And then there’s that little issue of bathroom breaks… Reality is, bus drivers don’t have an easy job, they just make it look that way.

So, if you get a chance on Sunday, or Monday, or even Tuesday, Wednesday, . . . let your bus driver know how much you appreciate what they do to get you where you need to go – day in and day out!

And here’s a great-big THANK YOU to all our 190+ operators – keep up the GREAT work!

And, in case you’re interested:  Bus Driver Appreciation Day was started in 2009 by some bus riders in Seattle. What a great idea!

Come to the Village Vans 10th Anniversary Open House

Village Vans turns 10!

Our Village Vans program turns 10 this year and that’s something to celebrate! This “first-of-its-kind” program is truly a bright spot in our troubled employment world. The program not only provides free transportation for work-related activities to low-income job seekers in the Olympia urban area - it also includes a driver training and job skills program that costs the participants nothing but time.

Here’s a little more information:

Work-related Transportation
In support of work-related activities, Village Vans can provide free transportation (reservations required) to:

• A new job
• Job interview
• Job training sites
• WorkSource Center
• DSHS
• Childcare Centers . . .  and other sites. 

Call the 24-hour message line: 360.705.5840 to schedule a ride.

 

Driver Training and Job Skills Program

This free, non-paid program, provides on-the-job driving experience and professional training in:

• Communication Skills
• Computer Skills
• Resume Writing Support
• Interview Techniques
• Professional Ethics
• Interpersonal Skills
• Organizations Skills

Call 360.705.5831 for more information or to see if you qualify.

 

If you, or someone you know, could benefit from this great program, contact us!  If you’ve participated in the Village Vans program and would like to share your story… please do!