Annual Report 2025
Photo by Glenn Landfield for Sound Transit.
The Joy of Transit Advocacy: A Note from Our Executive Director
2025 was a year where joy and transit advocacy went hand in hand. When we think of advocacy, we typically think of people channeling their frustration into action. 2025 had a lot of that, but it also had so much joy.
We saw that joy in the “Race the L8” event where hundreds of people danced, juggled, and conga lined faster than one of the slowest buses in the state.
We saw that joy at our Bark at the Board action where we called on the Sound Transit board to allow dogs on light rail.
We saw that joy in the thousands of people who came out to celebrate the first Sound Transit 3 light rail extension, Downtown Redmond link, opening just 9 years after we led the ballot measure campaign that funded it. And we saw it through nine straight hours of talking to people at the Federal Way Link opening.
We saw that joy at our events, including our largest Transit Trivia and our largest Tuxes & Trains ever.
And we had a lot of joy welcoming two new staff members: our Education & Engagement Manager, Iz Berrang, and our new Advocacy Manager, Holden Ringer.
I won’t shy away from the challenges we face. We have a federal government that fundamentally believes that investing in transit is a waste. Funding for transit is being stripped away. And the rights of our neighbors are being trampled on.
In the face of headwinds at the federal level, it’s easy to feel down and dispirited. But that’s not what I feel after this year’s work with Washington’s transit advocacy community. There is such joy in this work. If there wasn’t, I know I wouldn’t be doing this job.
We are going to carry that joy into our work in 2026. Next year, the long-awaited Crosslake light rail connection will open, bringing Seattle and the Eastside together like never before. In the fall, major transit funding ballot measures will go to the ballot in Pierce County, Seattle, and Spokane.
We can’t do this work without you. Thank you to all of our donors, supporters, sponsors, members, and advocates who make the transit community great and who help advance our work across Washington.
Ride on!
Kirk Hovenkotter, Executive Director
Work and Wins
We Stood Up for Transit Riders in a Tough Legislative Session
The 2025 Washington State legislative session was a challenging one. While mourning the loss of leaders like Frank Chopp and Senator Bill Ramos, legislators grappled with an $8 billion deficit in the transportation budget over six years. Despite this, we helped ensure minimal cuts to transit, walking, and biking programs — and even won new funding for some of our most important priorities: $100 million to fund a Megaproject for Safety and $5 million to expand intercity bus service. When new taxes on buses and e-bikes were proposed, we organized people to send more than 21,000 letters to defeat them. Read more about our work in the legislative session here.
We Helped Keep Ellensburg’s Transit Going Strong
We were proud to support community leaders with Yes on Ellensburg Transit, a campaign to permanently renew the levy that funds transit and paratransit in Ellensburg. On Election Day, Ellensburg Prop. 1 passed with 65% of the vote! We hosted several phone banks, and our Advocacy Manager Holden Ringer led a door knocking event in Ellensburg. The success of Prop. 1 means that thousands of seniors, students, and working families can continue to use transit to get to healthcare, school, and jobs! And with Ellensburg Central Transit’s ridership seeing record highs in the past couple of years, it couldn’t come at a better time. This successful campaign highlights the power of locally driven solutions when paired with strong organizing and strategy.
We Launched the “Build the Damn Trains!” Campaign
In 2025, Sound Transit announced new cost estimates for its Sound Transit 3 projects, raising concerns about the agency’s ability to deliver on projects promised to voters. In response, Sound Transit launched the Enterprise Initiative to look at solutions and do a fundamental reset in how they are delivering projects.
As a regional leader for transit advocacy and a key contributor to the passage of Sound Transit 3, we brought together advocates, labor, and business groups from across the region to launch the “Build the Damn Trains!” campaign. Together, we are preserving our region’s transit vision by keeping the public informed and holding leaders accountable. We’re working to ensure Sound Transit’s leaders don’t cancel light rail projects, keep projects moving to avoid further cost increases, and stand together as one region.
Photo by DP Images for Sound Transit.
We Celebrated Transit Openings in Downtown Redmond and Federal Way
In 2025, communities across the region saw the results of a decades-long efforts to expand high-capacity transit, with new light rail extensions and station openings now carrying riders and connecting neighborhoods from Federal Way to Lynnwood, and from Bellevue to Redmond on the Eastside.
While these openings are recent, they reflect decisions made and coalitions built many years earlier. Transportation Choices Coalition helped lead the successful ballot measure that authorized these investments, mobilizing voters, aligning partners, and securing the public commitment needed to build a truly regional light rail system.
Looking ahead, the upcoming Crosslake light rail connection opening next spring will mark a particularly significant milestone. By linking the Eastside and Seattle light rail lines, this connection completes a long-promised regional spine—transforming separate segments into a fully connected system and dramatically expanding how people can move across the region.
In the Media
Transportation Choices Coalition successfully elevated our work in local and national media. In total, we were mentioned in the news at least 47 times. Much of the coverage centered around our work in the 2025 legislative session, our Walk & Talk in Spokane, and our advocacy to keep Sound Transit 3 projects moving. We also spoke to the media about why the Federal Way light rail opening is so important for transit riders in South King County.
Events & Engagement
Another Ride Transit Month for the Books!
All throughout June, we celebrated Ride Transit Month with partners and riders across Washington State. Here are a few highlights:
- Governor Ferguson, King County, Pierce County, Jefferson County, Walla Walla County, and 20 other jurisdictions proclaim June Ride Transit Month!
- We joined community partners like Cascade Bicycle and Futurewise to organize a transportation and housing Seattle candidate forum with over 150 attendees.
- We joined the Valley Transit team in Walla Walla for their first Mobility University.
- With Hopelink, we organized a Rural Transportation Advocacy 101 event in Duvall that included a panel of local elected leaders and a workshop on how to provide effective testimony for the 50 attendees.
- We hosted Ride Transit Night at the Ballpark where we had 240 people join us to watch the Mariners beat the Cleveland Guardians.
- We hosted our biggest transit trivia on record with over 100 transit fans joining us at Stoup Brewing on Capitol Hill.
Hosting a Rural Transportation Advocacy 101 Workshop
Transportation Choices Coalition, Hopelink, and the Snoqualmie Valley Mobility Coalition hosted a Rural Transportation Advocacy 101 Workshop in Duvall, Washington in June 2025. This event brought together over 40 local residents, elected leaders, and transit users united by a common goal: to strengthen rural transportation advocacy and improve mobility options in the Snoqualmie Valley region.
Attendees heard from an inspiring panel including Michelle Allison, General Manager of King County Metro, King County Councilmember Sarah Perry, State Representative Osman Salahuddin, and Anna Zivarts of Disability Rights Washington. Together, they painted a powerful picture of how decisions get made at the local and state levels, and how community members can play a role in shaping them.
Following the panel, Kirk Hovenkotter led a training on effective advocacy strategies, and the workshop culminated in a hands-on activity where participants put what they’d learned into practice by drafting mock public testimony advocating for expanded transit service in the Snoqualmie Valley.
The event was a powerful reminder that advocacy is an ongoing practice, rooted in relationships, persistence, and community voice.
Megaproject for Safety Walk & Talk in Spokane
On July 16th, we hosted our first Megaproject for Safety Walk & Talk along Spokane’s Division Street. Division is one of Washington’s most vital but dangerous urban corridors, also known as main street highways. The Walk & Talk brought together over 70 community members, advocates, agency staff, and elected leaders to walk a mile-long route and experience firsthand what it’s like to navigate Division Street without a car. Along the way, we paused at various intersections to hear from local and statewide leaders who offered insights into the corridor’s history, ongoing projects, and vision for what’s possible.
During the 2025 legislative session, TCC successfully secured $100 million in the state transportation budget to fund Megaproject for Safety investments. This is a significant step forward and a sign lawmakers are taking this crisis seriously. However, the need is far greater, which is why events like the Walk & Talk are so crucial. They bring abstract policy into sharp local focus, giving decision-makers a chance to see real conditions up close and community members a platform to share their experiences and vision for change.
Photo by Danny Ngan
Tuxes & Trains: Together We Build
We hosted another standout night at the Seattle Art Museum, with more than 300 transit riders, advocates, and partners joining us for our annual fundraising gala. Together, we raised more than $389,000 to keep bringing fast, frequent, and reliable transit to people all across Washington (far surpassing our goal of $275,000)
During the program, we were thrilled to welcome the Fix the L8 campaign and Move Redmond to our Transportation Hall of Fame. And Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello spoke about the challenge of winning funding at the ballot to expand bus service in Pierce County, and the critical role that TCC and our partners like Tacoma On the Go will play in 2026.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Tuxes & Trains 2025 and helped make it such a resounding success!
Speaking Engagements
TCC staff presented on our work throughout the year, engaging with new audiences and expanding our impact:
- Executive Director Kirk Hovenkotter presented to the Washington State Transportation Commission on our Megaproject for Safety proposal
- Policy Director Katy Ricchiuto presented our Megaproject for Safety proposal to a WSDOT Coordinating Committee for Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Regional Transportation Planning Organisations
- Katy shared updates on the 2025 Legislative Session with the Leafline Coalition
- Kirk shared updates on transportation in Western Washington at a breakfast for Windermere Real Estate
- Katy was on a Transportation Justice panel at Puget Sound Sage’s Community Leadership Institute
- Kirk was on a panel about Policy and Funding for Complete Streets Initiatives at the UW Taskar Center for Accessible Technology’s Open the Paths Conference
- Kirk gave a keynote at the Street Trust’s Oregon Active Transportation Summit
- Kirk was on a panel on Democracies as Laboratories at the 2025 MPact Annual Conference
About Us
Transportation Choices Coalition is a policy and advocacy nonprofit bringing people together to fight for safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation across Washington. Since 1993, we have been leading the way to build a transportation system that connects people to jobs, education, housing, health care, communities, and each other. Together with our partners, we have won more than $65 billion in transit, bike, and pedestrian investments at the state and local levels. We are making Washington State a national leader on transportation.
Our Staff
Kirk Hovenkotter, Executive Director
McKenna Lux, Deputy Director
Katy Ricchiuto, Policy Director
Susan Gleason, Associate Director of Development
Natalie Lubsen, Associate Director of Communications
Iz Berrang, Education and Engagement Manager
Raven Cruz, Operations Manager
Nivya Murthi, Policy Analyst
Holden Ringer, Advocacy Manager
Our Board
Emily Mannetti, Chair
Sam Zimbabwe, Vice Chair
Angie Peters, Treasurer
Caleb Weaver, Secretary
Richard de Sam Lazaro, Past Board President*
Katie Garrow, Board Member
Jacob Gonzalez, Board Member
Dan Kully, Board Member*
Les Reardanz, Board Member
Kylie Rolf, Board Member
Kelly Rula, Board Member
Osman Salahuddin, Board Member
Charla Skaggs, Board Member*
AJ Walcott, Board Member
*Stepped off in 2025
New Faces
Transportation Choices Coalition knows that our power comes from our incredible people. In 2025, we welcomed two new staff members.
Iz Berrang joined TCC as our new Education and Engagement Manager in April 2025. Iz brings experience in public health, community engagement, and education, with a focus on creating systems that reflect and respond to community needs. Prior to joining TCC’s staff, she supported the organization as a graduate intern to hold youth focus groups and draft our Youth Perspectives on Transit report.
At TCC, Iz leads educational events and programming, public engagement strategies, and campaigns like Ride Transit Month that connect people across Washington to sustainable transportation and mobility justice. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Washington and a Bachelor’s in Human Studies and Child Development from Tufts University. Outside of work, she loves running ultramarathons, skiing, and exploring Seattle by bike.
Holden Ringer joined TCC as our new Advocacy Manager in October 2025. Holden joins us from Washington Bike Law and was previously Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck’s campaign field director. Holden brings experience in campaign management and organizing people in communities of all sizes.
In his free time, Holden has been organizing Super Saunters across the state. These events bring out hundreds of people to go for long walks in their communities. Holden also gained national renown for walking across the country as a fundraiser for America Walks, which was featured on CNN and the Washington Post.
Momentum Worth Investing In
At Transportation Choices Coalition, we know real transportation change takes bold vision — and the staying power to keep showing up year after year. That’s only possible because of supporters like you: individual donors, volunteers, coalition partners, foundation funders, member agencies, and event sponsors who believe Washington can do better. In 2025, we advanced major safety investments, defended transit funding, and organized alongside partners across Washington to win real change. We also continued building long-term support to ensure Washington delivers on the transit expansion voters demanded, including historic milestones like the Crosslake Connection now becoming reality. Progress like this doesn’t happen overnight. It takes sustained advocacy, deep coalition work, and a community that’s willing to invest in what’s possible. This is long-haul work — and it takes long-haul support. If you’re inspired by what you’ve read in this report, please consider making a generous gift today. We can’t do this work without you. Thank you for staying with us for the long haul.
Susan Gleason
Development Manager
Transportation Choices Coalition
Partner Testimonials
“When a proposition to renew Ellensburg’s transit funding was on the November 2025 ballot, Transportation Choices stepped up to campaign for the measure. They purchased campaign signs, organized a phone bank and door to door canvassing, and supported an informational website. The effort paid off with an overwhelming 65% of voters supporting a continued sales tax! Thanks to Transportation Choices Coalition we can still catch a bus in Ellensburg!”
“Transportation Choices Coalition helps put the Seattle Building Trades to work. Light rail projects put over 1,000 tradespeople to work everyday. We were proud to partner with their staff on the Build the Damn Trains campaign to make the case to keep light rail projects moving forward in Puget Sound.”
“Transportation Choices Coalition has been an invaluable partner in Spokane Reimagined’s work to make Spokane more people-centered. TCC organized a Walk and Talk event last year to highlight Spokane’s most dangerous road (Division Street, a state highway) and their ongoing advocacy for the Megaproject for Safety has been crucial to building local momentum for safer streets. We could not ask for a better statewide partner to bounce ideas off of and look to for support in our efforts.”
2025 Income: $1,605,947
- Grants: $712,000
- Memberships: $259,382
- Individuals: $95,042
- Corporate: $45,679
- Annual Event: $361,491
- Other: $132,353
2025 Expenses: $1,536,912
- Programs: $1,216,267
- Operations: $320,645
News & Updates
March News: Bring Your Sense of Wonder
We look forward to seeing you on March 28th for the opening of the Crosslake Connection. Read on for an update from the Build the Damn Trains campaign and to register for a Transit Town Hall near you.
Wins, Losses, and What’s Ahead: Reflecting on the 2026 Legislative Session
An honest accounting of where things landed in the legislative session, and what it all means for getting around Washington State.
Build the Damn Trains: Seven Policy Priorities for the Future of Light Rail
Our coalition worked together to send a letter to the Sound Transit Board outlining seven concrete policy steps we want to see pursued now.
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