Call for Regional Mobility Grant project proposals due December 22, 2008
A commuter bikes to her C-Tran bus stop. |
WSDOT is accepting Regional Mobility Grant project proposals from cities, counties, and transit systems through
December 22, 2008 at 4 p.m.
The project proposals will be reviewed, prioritized and submitted to the Washington State Legislature. The legislature will make the final determination on projects and awards. Pending Legislative approval and available funding, WSDOT may award up to $40 million for 2009-2011 Regional Mobility Grant projects.
Examples of grant program-funded projects include:
- New transit services that connect regional population centers
- New park and ride lots and lot expansions
- New buses
- Rush hour transit service on our most congested roadways
If you need assistance or have questions, please contact:
Washington cities, counties and transit agencies interested in applying for a Regional Mobility Grant will find the grant application and more information at WSDOT's Public Transportation Web site.
Special Needs Transportation Coordination Study
A transit agency dropping off
passenger at his stop. |
The Joint Transportation Committee (JTC) has recently completed a draft report on coordinated transportation. This Special Needs Transportation Coordination Study was commissioned by the JTC to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of special needs transportation within the State of Washington.
The study was authorized in 2007 through the passage of Substitute House Bill (SHB) 1694, which also extended the duration of the Agency Council on Coordinated Transportation (ACCT) through June 30, 2010.
The study has nine broad findings.
- Strengthen ACCT’s Role as Statewide Oversight Body
- Establish Local Coordinating Boards and Community Access Managers
- Promote Coordination of Public Transit and Medicaid Services
- Establish and Use Uniform Definitions and Reporting Requirements
- Provide Adequate Funding to Support Coordination
- Improve Service Connectivity for Customers
- Influence Facility Siting Practices
- Enhance Coordination with Pupil Transportation
- Seek to Influence Federal Planning and Program Requirements
The draft study is available on the JTC Web site. It will also be discussed at the next ACCT meeting on December 12.
New program provides transportation choices for small employers
Bellevue commuter bikes to work from his home. |
WSDOT is collaborating with local governments, transit agencies, and businesses to support economic development in growing urban centers. The new
Growth and Transportation Efficiency Center (GTEC) program, which is part of the
Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) law, works with businesses to find new ways to encourage employees to ride the bus, vanpool, carpool, walk, bike, work
from home, and use other
commute options besides driving alone.
“We need to provide transportation choices to people all around the state,” said Joe Hyer, owner of Alpine Experience in downtown Olympia and Olympia City Councilmember. “CTR is great for the large employers, but those tools haven’t been available for smaller employers until now. A GTEC helps smaller employers like me that want to be a part of transportation solutions. A GTEC allows us to
leverage resources in order to achieve goals for the least amount of investment."
While the statewide CTR program focuses on commuters traveling to major employers, GTECs provide comprehensive programs to smaller employers, residents and students. By working with small businesses, neighborhoods and schools, the program is providing services to more than 235,000 commuters around the state who are not currently a part of a regional CTR program. The goal of the GTEC program is to reduce more than 14,000 vehicle trips by 2011 that would otherwise be traveling on some of the state’s most congested highways.
Achieving this goal will mean a reduction of nearly 95 million annual Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). The GTEC program is one of WSDOT’s
Moving Washington strategies for reducing traffic congestion by managing demand. Offering more choices to commuters will make the best use of highway capacity by better distributing the demands placed on our most congested bridges and roadways. The program will also help communities meet their local goals for growth and economic development, reduce their carbon footprint, and improve air quality and public health.
Learn more... (pdf 2 mb)
Washington State 2007 Summary of Public Transportation is now available
Intercity Transit bus at the Capitol. |
Each year WSDOT prepares a report that summarizes the status of public transportation in Washington State. This annual report provides data to transit providers, Legislative Transportation committees and local and regional governments. This year’s summary is organized into four main sections and includes five appendices, with the bulk of the report devoted to profiles of each transit system’s operating characteristics, services and achievements for 2007.
Read the full-report online.
Reinvent your Commute
WSDOT is partnering with the Washington State Transit Association, transit agencies, businesses, and others for the “Reinvent Your Commute” public outreach campaign.
Our mission is to raise awareness about commute alternatives and change the way people consider their commute. More and more drivers are turning to commute alternatives. The “Reinvent Your Commute” campaign prompts drivers to think about their options and gives them information and tools to act. The campaign helps create a unified effort for promoting the use of smart commute options such as riding or driving with others, riding the train or bus, bicycling, walking, or working from home.
Special thanks to our partners who are helping us raise awareness about commute alternatives and change the way people consider their commute. Learn more about the recent winners of the Governor's Commute Smart Awards. Download the Reinvent Your Commute presentation. (pdf 322k) Look for a toolkit of marketing materials and artwork coming soon to help you promote "Reinvent Your Commute" to your customers.
Training opportunities
To learn more about the latest training opportunities available, visit the Washington State Transportation Training Coalition's Web site.
Help is available for training expenses from the Washington State Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP). An RTAP scholarship for qualified applicants covers tuition and limited expenses for training courses, workshops and conferences.
If you have questions about RTAP or any of these training opportunities, contact Ronda Fullerton.
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Upcoming events
Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Board Meeting
Friday, December 5
10:00 a.m.
WSDOT Department of Transportation Building - Commission Board Room (1D2)
310 Maple Park Avenue SE
Olympia, WA
Meeting Information
The agenda will focus on providing general policy guidance for the CTR program. Read more...
Agency Council on Coordinated Transportation (ACCT) Meeting
Friday, December 12
11:30 a.m.
WSDOT Department of Transportation Building - Commission Board Room (1D2)
310 Maple Park Avenue SE
Olympia, WA
Meeting Information
The agenda will focus on coordinating transportation planning and human services. Read more...
2009-2011 Public Transportation Consolidated Grant call for projects
Due: Friday, December 12
5:00 p.m.
Deadline for submitting your grants. For more Information...
2009-2011 Regional Mobility Grant call for projects
Due:Thursday, December 18
5:00 p.m.
Deadline for submitting your grants. For more Information...
The WSDOT Public Transportation Division prepares this monthly report as a service to those interested in the activities of the division and its partners within the agency. For questions regarding newsletter articles, please contact us at pubtrans@wsdot.wa.gov.
Public Transportation Monthly Reports Archives
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