Luigi throws “The Future Takes Transit” T-shirts to fans at the Mariners vs. Athletics game on Thursday, June 30th. More than 150 people registered for our “Ride Transit Night at the Ballpark” event! Read more below.
Can you believe it’s already July?! This time of year always seems to fly, and that’s definitely been the case for us at Transportation Choices Coalition.
Below you’ll find exciting information about the roll-out of Move Ahead WA’s Youth Ride Free provision, a Ride Transit Month recap, local and national transportation news, and so much more. We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter as much as we enjoyed crafting it for you.
Keep moving!
Transportation Choices Coalition
WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO
Ride Transit Month 2022 is a wrap!
All June long, we celebrated riding transit with partners and riders across Washington state – from Tacoma to the Tri-Cities. Governor Inslee joined dozens of cities and counties in declaring June 2022 Ride Transit Month. More than 300 people took our Ride Transit Month Pledge and more than 500 people in total shared photos of their rides on social media and joined us for events including our Ride Transit Kickoff Mixer in the Tri-Cities, Transit Talk, Transit Trivia, and Ride Transit Night at the Ballpark.
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WHAT’S COMING UP
Nominate your pick for Transportation Choices 2022 Hall of Fame!
It’s time to nominate your pick(s) for the 2022 Transportation Choices Hall of Fame! Do you know a transportation champion in your community who is committed to making transportation choices accessible to all? Is there a transit agency, advocacy organization, or community program you know of that has influenced transportation in Washington State or connected you to more opportunities?
Youth Ride Free coming to a transit district near you!
Transportation Choices Coalition was excited to champion the Youth Ride Free provision in last legislative session’s $17 billion Move Ahead Washington transportation package. This policy makes transit fare free for 1.4 million Washingtonians 18 and under – increasing access to opportunity, building a generation of transit users, and putting money back in families budgets by alleviating transportation costs.
Transit agencies that adopt a zero-fare-for-youth policy by October 1st will receive their cut of $1.45 billion in new transit support grants. Over the summer, we’ll be talking with transit agencies to learn about their plans for rollout and sharing policy updates and opportunities for community to weigh in.
Stay tuned!
GET INVOLVED
Pledge to go a Week Without Driving this September
What would it be like to not have the option of driving and to only use alt transportation for your day-to-day needs?
For Washingtonians who own and depend on their cars, this isn’t something they usually think about. But for nearly a quarter of the people in our state — people with disabilities, young people, seniors and people who can’t afford cars or gas — this is their every day.
Disability Rights Washington is making this experience real for our state representatives and electeds across our state by asking them to commit to an entire #WeekWithoutDriving, September 19-25, 2022.
Transportation Choices Coalition is a proud sponsor of Week Without Driving 2022.
Join our ‘Washington Transportation Advocates’ Call!
During the pandemic, Transportation Choices began convening transit advocates from across the state in a regular “Washington Transportation Advocates” Zoom call to discuss major transportation news, updates, and action opportunities. The call is typically held every other Friday from 10:30-11:30 AM and weekly during state legislative session. We are actively inviting new partners to join and we’d love to have you participate!
Please email matthew@transportationchoices.org if you’re interested.
WHAT WE’RE READING
Biden’s rail expansion could impact WA train service
As President Biden’s ambitious passenger rail expansion plan faces an early test on the Gulf Coast, Washington train advocates have expressed concern about how it could affect the Pacific Northwest.
A Gas Tax Holiday is a Gift to Oil Companies, Not Americans
The dramatically increasing cost of vehicles, insurance, and gas underscores the urgency of shifting our transportation system away from one-mode private cars to one where Americans have choices about how they get around.
What Happens When Communities DIY Their Own Transit?
On this episode of The Brake podcast, host Kea Wilson talks to Benjie de la Peña, chair of the Global Partnership for Informal Transportation and author of the Substack newsletter Makeshift Mobility, about all the ways that people navigate their cities on shared modes without the support of taxpayer-funded public institutions.
STAFF PIC
what’s turning our wheels this month
New York City’s “Better Buses Restart”
“When buses are caught up in congestion it is a waste of people’s time and our public resources. But New York City, thanks to powerful advocacy from the Bus Turnaround Coalition, is making strides to ensure people can get around on buses that are fast, reliable, and efficient. Efforts like these give riders their time back and ensure our public space and dollars are being put to the greatest good.”
Alex Hudson
Executive Director
