Last month, we unveiled the Transportation Choices Hall of Fame at our 20th anniversary celebration, and we thought it was about time to share it with all of you. We hope you enjoy learning about, remembering, and celebrating the accomplishments of these committed, creative transportation heroes. (If you’d like to see photos of the inductees, click here.)

1. Patty Murray
US Senator representing Washington State
Senator Murray has championed a balanced, safe, modern transportation system and is working tirelessly to make this a reality in Washington and across the country.

2. Aubrey Davis
Lifelong transportation advocate
Aubrey Davis was an effective and respected transit champion. From helping to start King County Metro to his longtime service as a State Transportation Commissioner, Aubrey’s accomplishments are a tribute to his quiet, pragmatic style.

3. Ruth Fisher
Former Chair, State House Transportation, former 27th District representative 
Rep. Fisher spent 20 years in the State Legislature fighting for transportation alternatives.  She is called the mother of Sound Transit and is one of the “Steel Magnolias,” a group of six women legislators who helped pass the Growth Management Act.

4. Ron Sims 
Former King County Executive and Sound Transit Board member 
Over the last 20 years, Ron Sims’s leadership at King County Metro and Sound Transit and his efforts to develop of system of regional trails has made King County a leader on sustainable transportation.

5. Bullitt Foundation
A philanthropic foundation founded by Dorothy Bullitt in 1952
The Bullitt Foundation’s visionary commitment to sustainable transportation and land use helped start Transportation Choices 20 years ago and has continued to support a number of nonprofits that are working hard to make that vision a reality.

6. Transportation Choices founders (Honorees: Aaron Ostrom, Jemae Hoffman)
Some of the committed people who created Alt Trans, the organization that would later become Transportation Choices
The courageous work of Jemae, Aaron, and others laid the foundation for all of Transportation Choices Coalition’s accomplishments.

7. Greg Nickels
Former Seattle Mayor
Greg Nickels’s transportation accomplishments stand tall in Seattle and in the region: helping to lead the first-ever advisory ballot approval to plan a rail system in 1988, the passage of street improvements with Bridging the Gap in 2006, and light rail expansion in Sound Transit 2 in 2008.

9. Richard Walsh
General manager, Whatcom Transit
Richard Walsh began his career at Whatcom Transit—then named the Bellingham Transit Department—in 1978. His 35 years of exceptional service to transit riders in Whatcom County includes a 2009 Federal Transit Administration Ridership Award for Whatcom Transit.

10. Joni Earl
CEO, Sound Transit
Sound Transit has been transformed under Joni Earl’s leadership. After successfully guiding the agency through growing pains, Joni is now spearheading Sound Transit’s 51 mile light rail expansion in the Puget Sound region.

11. U-PASS (Honorees: Mayor Mike McGinn, Heidi Wills, Mike Williams, and Bill Roach)

The University of Washington’s first-of-its-kind universal bus pass 
U-PASS is a shining example of creativity and perseverance. This program has provided transportation options to thousands of students while improving our air and reducing congestion.

12. One Bus Away (Honorees: Brian Ferris and Kari Watkins)
A free service that provides real-time transit arrival information
Puget Sound residents can use OneBusAway’s website, touch phone service, SMS interface, and smartphone apps to find out when their ride will arrive. It is not a stretch to say that the service has changed the lives of Western Washington’s transit riders.

13. Undriving (Honoree: Julia Field)
A creative program that encourages people to drive less
Julia Field’s creative and fun program to encourage people to drive less has encouraged thousands to become “Undrivers”—and reduce their impact on the planet one trip at a time.

14. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 
The ATU local that represents transit workers in King, Clallam, and Jefferson Counties
As the largest transit employees’ union on the west coast, Local 587 has advocated successfully for fair wages and working conditions of bus drivers. More recently, the organization has increased its impact by collaborating and forming alliances with riders.

15. Walkscore

A Seattle-based startup that calculates the walkability of any address
Walkscore has popularized the concept of walkability and revolutionized the way people choose where they live and work.

16. Barb Culp and Chuck Ayers
Culp: Former, two-time executive director of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington
Ayers: Former executive director of Cascade Bicycle Club 

Barb Culp and Chuck Ayers have helped build Washington’s robust bicycle movement.  These stalwarts are responsible for the increased bicycle infrastructure, better education for all users, and Washington’s ever-growing population of bicycle riders.

17. Flexcar (Honorees: Bill Roach, Neil Peterson, Ref Lindmark, and Tracy Carroll)
Carsharing company, purchased by Zipcar in 2007, that pioneered the concept of carsharing in the Puget Sound
The innovative, committed group of people that founded Flexcar can take credit for providing Washingtonians with a cheaper alternative to car ownership and removing thousands of cars from our roads.

18. Island Transit 
Fare-free public transit agency serving Island County
Island Transit’s philosophy is simple – encourage and emphasize rider use.  In their words, “There is no farebox at the door of a public library. Its mission is to provide the means to books and education. Why put barriers in the way?” We agree.

19. Valley Transit campaign (Honorees: Dan Clark, Barbara Clark, and Norman Osterman) 
Volunteer-led campaign to save Valley Transit in Walla Walla
Valley Transit’s 2010 ballot measure asked residents of Walla Walla and College Place to raise the sales tax by .3% to prevent 50% cuts in service. It passed with over 76% approval, thanks mostly to the hard work of committed volunteers.

20. Anirudh Sahni
Citizen activist responsible for the Capitol Hill 545 stop
Anirudh Sahni’s eight-year crusade to add a single bus stop to Sound Transit’s 545 route is a wonderful example of informed, committed, and yes, stubborn activism.

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