Rider Tools
Commute Calculator
Have you ever wondered what your commute really costs?
Find out with our quick and easy commute calculator! Just enter a few details about your trip and let our calculator do its thing. You might be surprised by the cost of your ride!
What would it cost you to pick another method?
| Method | Monthly Cost |
| Walking | $0 |
|
Biking |
$25 |
|
Transit ORCA PugetPass allows access to Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro Transit, King County Water Taxi, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Seattle Streetcar, and Sound Transit) |
$80 |
|
Vanpool for 6 passengers commuting 25 miles roundtrip in King County |
$81 |
Reasons Why
Want a good reason to take the bus, ride your bike, catch a train, or walk? We have plenty! From saving money to saving the planet, these transportation options can help.
Be Green
- Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington State, averaging around 50% for the last several years.
- Seventy percent of cancers caused by airborne pollutants come from diesel exhaust.
- At least 14 million pounds of toxic chemicals flow into Puget Sound every year including motor oil spill, drop, or runoff from paved-over areas.
- In Washington, driving accounts for almost 60% of air pollution.
- Each light rail train can carry 200 people in the space of 3 moving cars.
Save Time
- Work, read, or even nap on bus or train.
- Biking, walking, or taking transit avoids wasted time finding parking, dealing with parking tickets, or being towed.
- Trains and streetcars ar the safest and most reliable forms of transportation during inclement weather.
Be More Active
- One in three Washingtonians doesn’t get enough physical activity. .
- Walking and biking are good exercise and good for your health. They burn calories, build muscle tissue, strengthen the cardiovascular system and help control weight.
- People who take the bus or train are more likely to get their 30 minutes of recommended physical activity each day.
- 3.6 million americans 65 or older stay at home and are less mobile because they lack transportation options.
Be Safe
- In the US, riding a train is 20-30 times safer than driving, and riding the bus is about 60 times safer.
- Walking or biking is about 4 times safer than driving.
- Air pollution from cars has been linked with childhood asthma and stunted lung growth, along with cancer and other health impacts.
Save Money
- Transportation is the second largest household expense, only behind housing.
- Households that live further away from transit spend more than 45% of their budget on housing and transportation costs than households that have transit access.
- The percentage of a family’s income that is spent on transportation is highest for the lowest income earners: 8.2% for high-income and 15.7% for low-income.
- The annual economic impact of car crashes in the US is $277 billlion.
Transportation Resources by County
Select a County
King
Pacific
Whatcom
Skagit
Kitsap
Jefferson
Mason
Grays Harbor
Thurston
Wahkiakum
Cowlitz
Lewis
Clark
Skamania
Okanogan
Chelan
Walla Walla
Spokane
Pend Oreille
Stevens
Ferry
Lincoln
Adams
Franklin
Benton
Grant
Yakima
King (6)
Pacific (1)
Whatcom (1)
Skagit (1)
Snohomish (3)
Pierce (2)
Kitsap (1)
King (2)
Clallam (2)
Jefferson (1)
Mason (1)
Grays Harbor (1)
Thurston (1)
Wahkiakum (1)
Cowlitz (1)
Lewis (1)
Clark (1)
Skamania (1)
Okanogan (1)
Chelan (1)
Kittitas (2)
Asotin (1)
Columbia (1)
Walla Walla (1)
Whitman (2)
Spokane (1)
Pend Oreille (1)
Stevens (1)
Ferry (1)
Lincoln (1)
Adams (1)
Franklin (1)
Benton (1)
Grant (1)
Yakima (1)
Ways to Explore Washington State
You don’t need a car to explore the state! You can get from Seattle to the coast by taking public transportation. Here are some testimonials from people who’ve tried it and resources for you to start your own adventure.
News & Updates
Metro’s “Painful Proposal”
Yesterday, King County Metro released a list of the cuts and service reductions that will begin in June unless the agency finds a sustainable source of revenue. You can find detailed information about the proposed cuts here. It’s a devastating list that will affect...
Yes For Tacoma Streets!
It was an unseasonably dry and warm October evening, and I was on my way to the Tacoma leg of the Senate Transportation Listening Tour. I strapped my lights to my bike and took off from my home in the Central Tacoma Neighborhood to the Evergreen State College Campus....
Small Agency, Big Vote!
Tomorrow's election may be an "off-year," but it’s not an off year for transit! In Okanogan County, a county as large as the entire state of Connecticut, has formed a public transit authority and is asking voters for a 0.4% sales tax increase to fund transit service...
Tacoma Pierce County Equity Summit
What does equity mean? When it comes to transportation and conversations around transportation investments in the Puget Sound region, what considerations to ensure equity must be made? Last week in Pierce County, the Tacoma Equity Network held a summit which aimed at...
Did They Listen?
250 in Tacoma, 400 in Bellevue, 450 in Seattle. Across the state on the Senate Transportation Listening tour, transit advocates have turned out in huge numbers. Thanks to you, we’ve packed rooms, sent thousands of comments, waited in line to testify. Legislators have...
Tacoma Families “Try Transit” To Point Defiance
As part of Try Transit Month, Tacoma’s Downtown On the Go (DOTG) hosted a transit-powered zoo adventure on Oct 19, 2013. After meeting at the historic Wright Park in downtown Tacoma, participants were provided with free ORCA cards and guidance on reading bus maps and...
48,443 Transit Miles in 10 Days
We’re 10 days into Try Transit Month, and what a start its been! As of today, our 823 (and counting!) participants have taken over 5,200 transit trips, totaling more than 48,000 miles. That means we’re almost halfway to our goal of 10,000 trips, and we still have 20...
Improved Prospects For Transit
July brought some great news for Pierce Transit’s riders. The agency announced on Thursday, July 25, that better-than-expected growth in sales tax revenue was leading the PT Board of Commissioners to reconsider the service cuts planned for September. After many...
A New Book To Read On Your Rides
Books on the Bus is excited to announce the selection for summer/fall 2013: Unaccustomed Earth, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri. Lahiri is the author of a number of acclaimed books, including Interpreter of Maladies, The Namesake, and the soon-to-be...
Grants For Bike And Pedestrian Projects – PSRC
The Call for Projects for PSRC’s 2013 Transportation Alternatives Program is now open. Applications are due to PSRC by August 26, 2013. Please refer to the attached memo for more information. All materials in the Call for Projects are posted on PSRC’s website...
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