You ought to be in pictures!

Calling all photo enthusiasts! TCC invites all budding photographers to submit photos of your favorite transportation-oriented locations for our upcoming annual fundraiser on Sept 22, “What Choices Look Like.” 

Got a kickin' sunset shot along the Myrtle Edwards bike path? How about a cityscape shot taken from the light rail? Or, maybe you want to capture your favorite bus line/bus stop, pedestrian crossing, or transit hub. Submissions can be photos of locations with or without people in them, but all submissions must be original work and include a mode of transportation. Please provide a photo caption that describes where the photo was taken, and why it represents "what choices look like."

We'll leave it up to the sound judgment of TCC staff to pick the best photos, so show us what you've got! Several photos will be showcased at “What Choices Look Like,” our highly attended annual fundraiser. (Did you register yet? What better way to spend World Car-free Day on September 22?)

Buy your ticket today and get an early bird discount!

Give us your best shot! Send your photo submissions in .jpeg format in the largest file size possible to Jennifer Olegario at jennifer@transportationchoices.org by Tuesday, September 13.

Our Summer Happy Hour is Tomorrow at 4-6pm!

It is finally summer in the Puget Sound – or at least trying to be.

To celebrate the sporadic sun, instead of having our regular Friday Forum, we will be holding a Friday happy hour. Please join our members, supporters, & future members for this social event! It will be a great opportunity to bring together our friends, celebrate successes for the first half of the year, and catch up with all of you. Also, if you haven’t met our new Membership Manager, Carla Saulter (a.k.a. BusChick), you can do so on August 5th over a cocktail!

Last but not least, we will be announcing some exciting news at the event.

The event is free (though donations are always accepted), and TCC will buy appetizers, but you are on your own for drinks (unless you can get a friend or stranger to buy you one, of course).

WHAT: TCC August Happy Hour
WHEN: Friday August 4-6pm: drop by whenever you can
WHERE: The Triple Door Musicquarium Lounge 216 Union Street, Downtown Seattle

Please RSVP here so we know how many people to except!

More Events Than you Could Ever Ask For

Transportation continues to be a hot topic in the Puget Sound and across Washington State.

We've been busy at TCC tabling and speaking at various events around the region and there are ton coming up in the next few days and weeks.  For all of those transportation nerds and political junkies there are plenty of events to chose from. So pick one or five, and we'll see you there.

1. TCC's April Friday Forum on federal transit funding in a divided Congress is tomorrow at noon at the  Seattle-King County Public Health - Chinook Building, Room 121, 401 Fifth Ave.,Seattle  
2. Great City is putting on an equitable growth dialogue summit this weekend, Friday and Saturday.  This is shaping up what looks to be a great event.  Friday's event is unfortunately the same time as our Friday Forum at City Hall.  Saturday is a full day of panels with yours truly speaking on the transportation panel with Mayor McGinn and Councilmember Rassumsen.  It should be a lively discussion to say the least. Update: STB had a full agenda posted for Saturday.
3. In a non work related event the Seattle MS walk is on Sunday.  I'll be with the throngs of thousands walking.  If you like seafair clowns come by gasworks park to say hi.  In a work related alert, if you are a Burke-Gilman trail cyclists, stay away Sunday morning between UW and gasworks.  You will not be happy with your travel times.
4. April 8th is the Ms home opener!  Take the bus or train there!
5. As we mentioned in a previous post Pierce Transit's hearings on proposed 35% bus cuts this fall are starting on April 11th in Lakewood and going on through the month of April. If you take the bus in Pierce County please try to attend of of these hearings.  If you can not attend a hearing please send Pierce Transit an e-mail about the proposed cuts HERE!
6. The Second of two series called Getting from Here to There, put on by the Pacific Science Center, Seattle Councilmember Mike O'Brien,'s office, and Streets for All Seattle will be on April 12th at 6:00pm at the Seattle Vocational Institute.  We'll be there tabling before the main event.
7. Also on April 12th the C-Tran public transit board in Clark County will be voting on a measure to put a sales tax vote to the voters this November to save bus service across Clark County.  Clark County folks, please go and testify in support of saving bus service!
8. Publicola reports that King County Metro's report on trolley buses says Metro should replace the aging trolley buses with... trolley buses! There will be a meeting on the findings on April 19th at Plymouth Congressional Church, 1217 6th Ave., Seattle.

Do you have enough to do now? See you out there!

Eastside Transportation Town Hall with Councilmembers Hague & Lambert Rescheduled

The Eastside Transportation Town Hall with King County Councilmembers Jane Hague (Council District 6) and Councilmember Kathy Lambert (Council District 3) has been rescheduled for February 8th.  If you are an Eastside resident who cares about transportation choices in your community make sure to attend this upcoming event!  There are no transit directions in the announcement below but the community center is a short walk from the Mercer Island Transit Center, which has frequent service from Seattle, Bellevue, and Issaquah.  

Invitation to a town hall meeting on Eastside transit

Join Councilmember Jane Hague (Council District 6) and Councilmember Kathy Lambert (Council District 3) for a town hall discussion on Eastside transit. This town hall has been rescheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2011, 6:30 p.m. at the Mercer Island Community Center. Hope to see you there!
Driving Directions to the Community Center at Mercer View:
8236 SE 24th Street
Mercer Island, WA 98040
(206) 275-7609

I-90 Eastbound from Seattle: take exit #7A, 77th Ave SE. Turn left across the freeway. At stop sign turn right onto North Mercer Way. Go one long block to the stop light. Go straight though the stop light. Turn left onto 81st Avenue SE. Turn right onto SE 24th Street. The Community Center is two blocks up on your left.

I-90 Westbound from Bellevue: take exit #7, Island Crest Way. Continue straight ahead. Turn right on 81st Avenue SE. Turn right on SE 24th Street. The Community Center is two blocks up on your left.

Bill LaBorde V. Senator Ken Jacobsen: Progressive Battle Royale?

Our very own Bill LaBorde will be debating Senator Ken Jacobsen about the initiative process tomorrow at noon in the Vance building. Should be an informative and entertaining way to spend lunch. See you there?

Lunchbox* Debates The Budget & Policy Center is hosting a series of lunch-time debates that will provide an opportunity to learn more about current progressive issues and engage in a lively discussion with other community leaders.

Debate Topic: What to do with the Initiative Process? Featuring debaters State Senator Ken Jacobsen and Bill LaBorde of the Transportation Choices Coalition. Would it be better to use the initiative process to advance a progressive agenda or to get rid of it all together? That is the question that State Senator Ken Jacobsen (D-46th) and Bill LaBorde, State Policy Director of the Transportation Choices Coalition will tackle in what should be a very timely Lunchbox Debate.

Take a break from your busy day to be part of this important discussion:

When: Wednesday, October 28th, Noon - 1 pm

Where: The Vance Building, 1402 Third Ave, Room 530

Please RSVP to Ben Secord at bens@budgetandpolicy.org

It will be a casual, friendly and internal event. The opinions and perspectives expressed do not necessarily represent the organization or individuals, as we may ask people to take a more extreme position to help us better understand a particular perspective.

* Sorry no lunchboxes provided, we just thought this title sounded good. It's BYOL!

Hope to see you tomorrow!

Blueprint for Transit-Oriented Communities Launch is TONIGHT!

Please join Futurewise and TCC for the official launch of the Transit Oriented Communities Blueprint.

We will be at Pike Place Brewing from 4-6pm tonight for the official launch of this exciting document followed by a gallery of photos transit oriented communities that is being hosted at GGLO.

Please join us!

For more information see Futurewise's website.

Some more coverage from Huge Ass City.