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
Pass The Map!
Pierce Transit's future rests in your hands! There is a proposal on the table to shrink the boundaries to a more reasonable size that is aligned with service. Please attend this public hearing this Thursday and tell the Public Transportation Improvement Conference...
Stop Sprawl
Sprawl in Texas Transit cannot work without good land use. A few years ago I traveled to Texas. Anyone who has been to Texas knows that unchecked and endless sprawl, creates awful places for humans beings. If you are crazy enough to walk in Texas cities, like I was,...
Health AS Transportation Goal? Yes! Says a New Poll
The Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition released a poll today that finds 71% of Washington State voters support adding health to the State's transportation goals. This is all the more reason why the Washington State Senate should pass House Bill 2370 without any...
ZipCar Enters Peer-to-Peer Carsharing Market
Last Tuesday, we had one last chance to preserve bus service that gets hundreds of thousands of people to work, school, and services each day. But we fell short. Some will say that this result is a stark reminder that we need more progressive funding sources for...
State Senate Shortchanges Transit
The House and Senate Transportation committees are both proposing a package of increased transportation fees to help meet the budget shortfalls in transportation across the board. These proposals would direct those fees to various transportation investments. Sadly,...
Rep. Fitzgibbon Stands Up For Passenger Ferries
WSDOT's preliminary plans for their replacement of Colman Dock eliminate the passenger ferry landing as part of their terminal redesign. I covered this issue extensively on this blog and it was written up in Publicola and the Seattle Times. I just got word from...
WSDOT Plans to Eliminate Passenger Ferry At Colman Dock
WSDOT is undergoing a process to plan for the replacement of the Colman ferry terminal. We fully support preservation projects and our state's ferry system, but the current replacement project will eliminate the existing passenger ferry dock, which will threaten the...
Transit Is Still Under Attack
Transit continues to be on the chopping block in Washington D.C. as House Republicans lead the charge to essentially defund transit in America. Today Puget Sound Transit agencies stood together to articulate the dangerous impacts of the House Republican anti-transit...
WSDOT Report: Climate Change and Transportation
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) released a report completed for the Region X Northwest Transportation Consortium (NW and Alaska state DOTs), titled "Climate Change Impact Assessment for Surface Transportation in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska"....
Response To Washington Policy Center’s False Claims
The Truth About Washington State's Public Transit Funding Recently the Washington Policy Center released a report titled, “Public Transit is not underfunded in Washington”. Here at Transportation Choices, we respectfully disagree with this bogus and ill-supported...
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