Reminder: Blog Has Moved

Just a reminder, our blog has officially moved to our new blog page:
http://transportationchoices.org/blog

Please add our new blog page to your feed as I will be shutting down this blog within the week.

Thank you for sticking with us as we update and improve our technology and communications.

The blog is moving!

Having you seen our fancy new website yet? If not you need to go check it out ASAP.

Part of our 21st century website is that we have the blog integrated into the home page. 

Blogger has been good to us, but that means it is time to say goodbye.  Please adjust your feeds and readers to our new blog page:
http://transportationchoices.org/blog

I'll leave this page up for a few more days, slowly move over some older most read posts, and then we'll fully shut off the blogger page and move to our new integrated blog page.

Thanks for reading!

We welcome four new board members including former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels

Transportation Choices Coalition Board of Directors welcomes four new members. Joining TCC’s board are Greg Nickels, Genesee Adkins, Josh Kavanagh and Pearl Leung. 

“People are looking for an affordable alternative to driving roads that are increasingly in disrepair and paying high gas prices. But we’re cutting transit service as demand is going up. TCC is in a great position to push for meaningful reform in our transportation system, making sure it works for everyone and gets Washington moving again,” said Kathleen Huckabay, TCC board president and former Sammamish City Councilmember. 

“TCC is really fortunate to have such an outstanding class of new board members to help us succeed. They bring a wealth of experience and skills that will bolster the organization’s ability to fulfill our mission of advocating for reform and real transportation choices for everyone.”

Serving three year terms, the four join TCC as it is poised to help Washington state step up to the challenge of enacting meaningful reform to transportation policy and making critical investments in our infrastructure to give people transportation choices and keep our state moving forward.

“I’m honored to join TCC’s board. As Mayor, we worked together to expand light rail, tackled Seattle’s transportation maintenance backlog, and wrote complete streets legislation,” said Greg Nickels, former Mayor of Seattle. “I’m looking forward to the next set of transportation challenges facing our state, ensuring that we provide long-term funding to meet the growing demand for transit service and that we make smart investments to build great communities.”

TCC will welcome the new board members at their annual event ‘What Choices Look Like’ Thursday September 22^nd from 5:30 – 7:30pm at EM Fine Art Gallery – 410 Dexter Avenue North in Seattle. At that event TCC will also be launching their new website and logo as part of a complete rebranding of Transportation Choices.

Below are short bios on the new board members:

Genesee Adkins is the Director of Government Relations for King County Executive Dow Constantine. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Rochester. She is the county’s chief lobbyist in Olympia on state legislative issues and oversees the county’s federal priorities and lobbying in Washington, DC.

Josh Kavanagh is the Director of Transportation at the University of Washington where he oversees the U-PASS transportation demand management program (transit, ridesharing, & active transportation), on-campus shuttles, parking, and fleet management. He serves in national and regional leadership positions with the Association for Commuter Transportation and International Parking Institute. He holds an MBA from the University of New Mexico.

Pearl Leung is the Community Relations Manager at Vulcan, Inc, where she is responsible for the development and implementation of public outreach strategies and education of Vulcan projects and initiatives. She holds a Masters in Urban Planning from UW and also is a commissioner of the Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs.

Greg Nickels was the 51^st Mayor of Seattle serving from 2002-2009. During his tenure as Mayor, he was both a local and national leader on climate change, creating the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which now boasts commitments from over a 1,000 Mayors representing 86 million Americans. In 2008, Nickels spearheaded the effort to pass an $18 billion expansion of light rail to build out a 52-mile system in the Puget Sound region. Most recently, he has served as a Public Delegate (citizen ambassador) of the United States to the 65th General Assembly of the United Nations.

Today is Don't X Out Public Transit Day

Today is a national day of action asking Congress not to X out Public Transportation.

The day is of action is focused on what the real world local impacts would be to transit systems if the proposed House Republican cuts went through in a future transportation bill at the federal level.

In conjunction with the day of action across the country APTA has released a report highlighting the local impacts by state if the House cuts plan went through. First and foremost, under the Republican plan over 600,000 transit jobs cut across the country would be lost. Additionally, the House cuts plan would slash new starts funding as well as capital budgets in a way that would hurt nearly every transit agency in Washington State.  At a time when our transit agencies' budgets are already constrained these national cuts would likely lead to further service cuts across the state.  A reduction in new starts would have grave impacts for Metro’s Rapid Ride program and Sound Transit’s University Link.  In sum, APTA estimates that under the House reduction plan WA State transit agencies would lose $565 million dollars over the next 6 years and over 20,000 jobs!



What can you do? Click Here and tell Congress not to X out public transportation!

 

Moving Planet Seattle This Saturday

This weekend, come celebrate Moving Planet: A Day to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels, a community gathering with workshops, events, and a rally calling for clean energy and transportation solutions for the 21st century. There will be lots of fun and exciting activities as well as compelling discussions with interesting speakers. Stop by for a fun Saturday, learn a lot, and show your support for a healthier environment! Below is the schedule:

Take Action
10am-12pm: China Harbor Restaurant on Lake Union
2040 Westlake Ave N, Seattle
Learn how to be a powerful advocate at two concurrent workshops: Power Past Coal and Transportation for Washington. More information on activist workshops: http://cascade.sierraclub.org/node/2716.

Move Yourself & Have Fun!
12-2pm: Lake Union Park
860 Terry Ave N, Seattle
Join the parade of boats and bikes, feet and wheels, pedaling, rowing, sailing, walking, dancing, and skating all around Lake Union, and lots of other family fun activities at noon. Music by the Black Whales starts at 1pm.

Rally to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels!
2-3pm: Lake Union Park
860 Terry Ave N, Seattle
Show your support for moving beyond fossil fuels while enjoying inspirational speakers, community information booths, and a crowd photo for 350.org.

RSVP for the rally: www.facebook.com/MovingPlanetSeattle
or www.moving-planet.org/seattle

Speakers include:
Michael McGinn, Mayor of Seattle
Christopher Williams, Seattle Parks & Recreation Superintendent
Sarah van Gelder, YES! magazine Executive Editor
KC Golden, ClimateSolutions Policy Director
Lisa Quinn, FeetFirst Executive Director
Rev. Rich Lang, University Temple United Methodist Church

Engage on Environmental Justice
4:30-6pm: Plymouth United Church of Christ
1217 6th Ave, Seattle
Be inspired by recipients of the David Brower Youth Award given to outstanding young adults working on environmental justice issues in their home communities. Stay for a reception marking the launch of the new national United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Center in the Seattle area.

More info at http://www.moving-planet.org/seattle.

Neighborhood Greenways: This Thursday

Mark Lear and Greg Raisman, the "dynamic duo" behind Portland's Neighborhood Greenways program, are coming to the Unversity of Washington to explain the dramatic transformation happening on Portland's street right now. Within five years, Portland will have transformed itself into a city where 80% of residents live within a half-mile of a "Neighborhood Greenway," a family-friendly street where families can safely enjoy bicycle rides together and kids can walk to school, to the park, and even play basketball in the street. Neighborhood Greenways are solving neighborhood concerns about walking and biking safety and these new streets have given residents an increased sense of community and improved quality of life.

Come listen to their stories and learn how Seattle can follow their lead:

Where: UW - Savery Hall, Room 264
When: Thursday, September 22, 7PM

Facebook Event Page:
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105586422882727

If you are heading to our fundraiser first (at 5:30) you can show up to this event a little late.

Tacoma City Club this Wednesday!

I'll be speaking at Tacoma's City Club this Wednesday in what should be a good event with lively discussion (and I promise fun historic photos with current day political commentary).  

The topic of the program is "Buses and Bikes and Streetcars, Oh My!"

The program will run from 11:30 until 1:15 this Wednesday at the Tacoma Art Museum. To RSVP for the event just email office@cityclubtacoma.org.

Here are the full details, see you on Wednesday:

Don't forget to register today for City Club's lunch this Wednesday about the future of transportation in Tacoma! (Note, if we have confirmed your reservation via email, then we know you're coming).

RSVP by replying to this email by today, September 19, at 5:00 pm. Members: $16; Non-Members $22.

What is Tacoma's transit future? How will rising gas prices affect our mobility around the city?

Diane Wiatr, Mobility Coordinator for the City of Tacoma, and Andrew Austin, with the Transportation Choices Coalition, will speak about Tacoma's transit plans and the state of bike lanes, street car extensions, and getting people moving in Tacoma.

Lunch: Tacoma Art Museum. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., lunch is served at noon and the program ends by 1:15 p.m. 

Special Pricing! City Club is trying out a special pricing option for this program. Lunch will be a light sandwich and salad option, with dessert. Price for the lunch for members is $16 (instead of a normal $22).

Members may still attend for the coffee and dessert rate of $8 and skip the lunch altogether. This is an option available to members only.

Non-members may attend the program for $22.