Today Kicks off Ride Transit Month!

Did you ride transit today?

You’re not alone, you joined the 2000 individuals, 127 teams, and 59 organizations who are logging their trips for Ride Transit Month. We anticipate this number to grow as thousands more ride transit for the first time, 1,000th time and and every trip in between. If you live in Seattle you’ll get to experience all the exciting new service coming online June 6th.

We’ll be blogging an update every Monday so you can follow along on everything happening for Ride Transit Month! (Don’t miss our events this week; Thanks for Riding Seattle and Transit Trivia)

ESSENTIALS FOR COMMUTERS

Riding transit can be daunting for first-timers. If this is your first time riding transit, here’s a list of essentials the staff here at TCC came up with to ease a commute (or trip to the park or the museum).

The great thing about transit is that you don’t “need” much more than yourself and an ORCA Card. However a few items may be handy especially with unpredictable weather in the springtime!

Your ORCA Cardor fare for your ticket.
Ride Guide Bus Schedule.
Hand sanitizer, plastic bag, wipes or napkins. Because you just never know, and it’s better to be prepared.
A backpack or bagto hold everything you need for the day while keeping your hands free in case you need to stand and hang on for your ride.
Comfortable shoesto walk in. Even if your bus stop is close, chances are you’ll have to walk a little bit on one or both ends of your transit trip. Nothing creates a cranky transit rider quicker than soggy cold feet.
Headphones. Catch up on the latest podcast or jam out to some transit friendly tunes.
A packable tote bag. Everyone has to schlep something sometimes, might as well be prepared for it. Groceries, extra space for bringing work home. It’s versatile, earth friendly, and space saving!
Something to reador entertain you on your ride. A smart phone, tablet, Kindle, or a book. The best part about taking transit is it allows you to kick back, relax and take some time for yourself!
A rain jacketor umbrella that can easily be stuffed in your bag for those surprise rain storms or misty mornings.
A portable chargerfor your device is a “nice to have”, not essential but a dead phone can make for a very long bus ride.
Bright Clothing or reflective gear. Transit riders are all pedestrians too. Make sure you wear clothing that can easily be spotted in a crosswalk, or consider attaching blinking lights to your jacket or backpack.
A Snack. Of course we don’t condone eating on the bus. But it’s always nice to have a backup plan for those times when unforeseen delays cause your stomach to start growling. A snack bar stowed away for just such an occasion can prove invaluable.
Last but not least: a good attitude! Riding transit is great for your health, the environment and for your pocketbook. Just keep that in mind when One Bus Away is telling you that your bus is late!