Transportation Choices Executive Director Alex Hudson speaks at our 2022 fundraiser, “Tuxes & Trains: Generation Transit,” on October 1 at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP).
Happy October! This month, we’re celebrating California’s new “Freedom to Walk Act” which limits enforcement of jaywalking regulations across the state. Here at Transportation Choices, we know that jaywalking laws are disproportionately enforced on Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. We also know that these laws can be used for pretextual stops and can lead to police violence. Check out our blog post by Policy Director, Hester Serebrin, about why it’s time to end jaywalking laws in Washington state.
Big shoutout to everyone who attended our 2022 gala fundraiser, Tuxes & Trains: Generation Transit! We met our goal and raised $200,000 for Transportation Choices — and we couldn’t have done it without you.
Check out event highlights and pics below. And while you’re here, be sure to watch our “Generation Transit” video that premiered at the gala celebrating Move Ahead Washington and “Youth Ride Free” and all the work it’s taken to get us here!
If you want to learn more about “Youth Ride Free” and how young people qualify, check out our blog post outlining what you need to know: Free transit coming to nearly 1.5 million young Washingtonians with ‘Youth Ride Free!’.
Keep moving,
Transportation Choices Coalition
WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO
2022 Hall of Fame awardees take a picture with Transportation Choices Executive Director, Alex Hudson.
Tuxes & Trains: Generation Transit was a HUGE success!
Our 2022 gala fundraiser, Tuxes & Trains: Generation Transit, was a HUGE success thanks to you and so many others!
More than 300 people lit up the iconic MoPOP venue for an evening of celebration and community and helped us raise $200,000 for Transportation Choices! This is amazing and we are so grateful for the support of our Transportation Choices community.
We’ve heard people call Tuxes & Trains “the party of the year” and this year’s fundraiser didn’t disappoint! The evening featured dancing, a live DJ and visual artist, tarot readings, art exhibits, and transportation leaders from across the state coming together to toast to a new era in Washington state transportation.
The highlight of the evening was hearing from our 2022 Transportation Choices Hall of Fame awardees — Senator Marko Liias and Representative Jake Fey; former interim general manager of Ben Franklin Transit, Ed Frost; the Helmet Law Working Group; and the Ben Franklin Transit Coalition. Read more about our Hall of Fame awardees here.
Picture courtesy of King County
Youth Ride Free has arrived! Here’s what you need to know.
The “Youth Ride Free” program came out of the historic Move Ahead Washington transportation package passed by the Washington State Legislature in early 2022. This first-in-the-nation program supports Washington’s 32 transit agencies, Washington State Ferries, and Amtrak (coming soon) in providing zero-cost transit service to the 1.4 million Washingtonians 18 and under.
As of Oct. 1st 2022, virtually every agency in the state has adopted “Youth Ride Free.”
It’s as simple as the name — all young people 18 and under in Washington can ride transit for free!
WHAT’S COMING UP
Transit-Oriented Development Webinar: Planning for 1 Million+ New People Near Transit
The region is growing and making historic investments in transit, with over one million new residents expected to live near high-capacity transit by 2050. Join Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) and industry and community leaders on October 21st for a webinar exploring innovative techniques and best practices for building and sustaining equitable transit communities accessible to all people.
Additionally, three walking tours are scheduled – in Seattle, Everett, and Kent. More information can be found here: psrc.org/our-work/tod-all-planning-1-million-new-people-near-transit
GET INVOLVED
What’s next for bus lanes on Rainier Ave S? Take SDOT’s survey and share your thoughts!
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is considering options to extend the existing bus lanes on Rainier Ave S. and is looking for riders’ feedback! Survey closes November 13th.
Pierce Transit looking for riders’ feedback on its service
Pierce Transit is partnering with EMC Research, a local, independent market research company to conduct a survey of riders to gather opinions about Pierce Transit and its service. Your input will be used for research purposes only.
WHAT WE’RE READING
October marks start of ‘Move Ahead Washington’ legislation impacts
“Several measures took effect on October 1 that will impact drivers and public transit users in Washington state. Some were tied to the passage of ‘Move Ahead Washington,’ a transportation package that invests $16.9 billion over 16 years in projects statewide.”
Transit Workforce Shortage: Root Causes, Potential Solutions, and the Road Ahead
“Public transportation providers across North America face a shortage of operators and mechanics during a period of economic instability and reshuffling exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In order for the public transportation industry to better understand the workforce shortage’s causes and provide best practices for recruiting, hiring, and retaining transit operations workers, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has produced a new report entitled Transit Workforce Shortage: Root Causes, Potential Solutions, and the Road Ahead.”
Jaywalking will no longer be a crime in California under new law
“Californians will soon be able to jaywalk without getting ticketed, allowing pedestrians to informally cross streets ‘as long as it’s safe to do so.’ The new law, which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, says police officers can only ticket someone jaywalking when there is ‘an immediate danger of a collision.’”
STAFF PICK
what’s turning our wheels this month
There Is No Mobility Justice Without Racial Justice
I’m new to Transportation Choices, but in the four-plus months I’ve been here, I’ve been struck by my coworkers’ real commitment to equity and the social-justice lens they bring to their work. This organization’s dedication to advancing mobility justice is a big reason I took the job. Today, I’d like to share with you an excerpt from this 2020 letter from our director and board president about why mobility justice is a priority for Transportation Choices (now and forever):
“Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by polluting highways that cut through their communities, discriminatory housing and land use practices, insufficient walking and rolling infrastructure that cause higher rates of injury, and longer, less frequent and less affordable transportation options. It is our responsibility as transit advocates to speak the truth about the barriers that stand in the way of meeting the mobility rights and needs of every person. Everyone should have the right to move freely and safely through our public spaces and transit systems.”
Jessica Schreindl
Transportation Choices (New) Communications Manager
