Washington State Ridesharing Organization News (blog)

October 2018 - Wheel Options TOOLKIT

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 20:46:02 GMT

Love Your Commute!
WSRO partners! 2018 Wheel Options is about encouraging employees to love their commute! For the month of October, commuters in our beautiful state can track six days of Wheel Options commutes and be automatically entered to win great rewards. Check-out complete promotion details and the updated online toolkit on WheelOptions.org.

New Wheel Options ETC/Employer Toolkit Online!

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 21:50:17 GMT

Employee Transportation Coordinators! Check out your available resources in the Wheel Options ETC/Employee toolkit! Find everything from Wheel Options Employee Emails and ETC Best Practices to Poster and Banner Graphics to help you promote your commute programs and Wheel Options!

October is Wheel Options Month!

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 19:02:22 GMT

Folks - it's almost that time of year again! Time to encourage your employees and co-workers to sign up for and participate the annual, WSRO-sponsored, statewide Wheel Options promotion and embark on a new commute! This year's theme is all about the adventure of choosing a new commute and the multitude of money, time and emissions-saving modes commuters can explore in our state - from bicycling, walking, taking transit, vanpooling, carpooling, telecommuting or compressing their work weeks. The contest starts in October…but you may create or check-in on your Wheel Options account today!

Adventure Inspired by Evergreen Conference Session 'Think Outside the Bike'

Fri, 08 May 2015 21:37:17 GMT

Did you have a highlight of the conference you'd like to share?

A favorite of mine was (Evergreen State College) Scott Morgan's session on 'Thinking Outside the Bike' where he shared his insight into making biking or other active commuting a part of the way you get around everyday - think about making each day, each commute an ADVENTURE. Well, I took what Scott said to heart and rode to the Park & Ride on a bicycle this week for the first time ever. Adventurous? For me, totally. Just getting on a bicycle is a big feat as I am not that comfortable riding around on two wheels. So I commuted twice this week for just a bit over a mile each..so I'm taking baby steps...or is that baby wheels?

So how about you? Any conference highlights you want to share?

Rocking & Rolling (literally) at the 2015 WSRO Spring Conference!

Fri, 08 May 2015 20:31:26 GMT

Thanks to all our members, presenters and guests who joined us for the WSRO 2015 Spring Conference in Ocean Shores, WA, this past week.

We had two days of learning, networking, innovations, fun and, oh yeah, a bit of shaking as reported tremors rolled their way into Aberdeen and shook some conference guests in session (http://earthquaketrack.com/p/united-states/washington/recent). We had fun evening bowling and taking in the sights during an early morning beach walk as well.

We look forward to the next conference and hope you will join us - the exact dates and details are still being ironed out but please keep the WSRO Fall Conference in mind - we are vying for Lake Chelan in October.

First-time experience at the WSRO conference

Jef Lucero — Wed, 14 May 2014 15:49:29 GMT

Happy National Bike Month, everyone! One of the scholarship recipients to our spring conference recently shared some of her thoughts on her experience with us, and we thought we'd pass them along to the rest of our members. Enjoy!

I’m so grateful for the scholarship I received that allowed me to attend the Spring WSRO Conference. I’m fairly new to the area of transportation management, so attending the WSRO Conference was a great opportunity for me to learn and meet other professionals in the field. At the conference I was inspired by Helen Thayer’s talk about her experience conquering the 364 mile journey to the Magnetic North Pole, I gathered program management ideas through sessions on Bike Sharing and the “Go Bronzeville” program, and I heard directly from state leaders’ Lynn Peterson and Brian Lagerberg about the current and future transportation plans for the State of Washington. Outside of the sessions, I had an opportunity to meet other professionals to share program ideas and experiences. These connections are priceless. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to future conferences and involvement in WSRO.

Meagan Kula

Downtown On the Go Coordinator

Board of Directors election results

Fri, 13 Dec 2013 22:21:05 GMT

Thank you to the panel of excellent candidates that ran for the WSRO Board of Directors positions. Each of you are an asset to the organization and would make a great addition to the board. The election was very close.

The WSRO Board is excited to announce the two new members elected to the Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2014.

•· Jef Lucero, Washington State Department of Transportation
•· Mark Hazelton, Ecova

Congratulations!

Membership Fee Structure Vote

Tue, 03 Dec 2013 23:29:03 GMT

Please take a moment to select your preferred Membership Structure. The Board is asking to update the structure of our current membership dues to improve administrative processing. Please complete your selection of Option 1 or Option 2by clicking on this link:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WSRODues.

Please submit your vote by end of day, Wednesday, December 11, 2013. The new fee structure will go into place in January 2014.

Board of Directors Election

Tue, 03 Dec 2013 23:27:57 GMT

Please take a moment to complete the ballot to elect the incoming WSRO Board of Directors. We will be electing two new directors with this election. Members in good standing may vote for directors.

Good luck to our five candidates:

Mark Hazelton, Ecova
Jef Lucero, WSDOT
Eric Mamroth, City of Seattle
Terri Putney, Spokane Transit
Dacia Stricklett, WSDOT

The Voter Pamphlet outlines each candidate qualifications.

Please complete the ballot and return to debbie.anderson@commtrans.org or fax to 425-438-6136 by end of day, Wednesday, December 11, 2013.

WSRO member looking for ETCs to participate in a study on intrinsic vs. exstrinsic motivation for commute behavior

Tue, 29 Oct 2013 16:55:36 GMT

Would your company or organization be willing to make charitable donations on behalf of employees who walk, bicycle, carpool, vanpool or ride the bus to work, instead of driving alone?

One of our WSRO members, Mary Anderson with the Whatcom Council of Governments, is currently in graduate school at the University of Washington studying Sustainable Transportation and preparing a capstone project to examine whether donations to the charity of one’s choice are more motivating than receiving financial incentives to not drive alone to work.

Mary is looking for a few employers throughout Washington State who would be willing to take part in a study to test this incentive model. Participating employers would:

Establish the process for selecting charities and making donations
Advertise the program to their employees
Register interested employees
Document employees’ non-SOV trips for 2-3 months
Make charitable contributions on behalf of the employees
Provide anonymous trip and contribution data

If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact Mary Anderson at 360-676-6974 or mary@everybodyBIKE.com. Companies and organizations of all sizes are encouraged to participate.

Talking Transportation - Blog Recommendations from 2013 WSRO Fall Conference

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 17:50:06 GMT

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2013 WSRO Fall Conference! We had a great time and hope all of you did too.

For those who attended the “Talking Transportation” session on Monday morning, here is a list of recommended blogs to follow from our panelists:

Transportation & Regional Agencies

Community Transit: http://communitytransit.blogspot.com/

Intercity Transit: http://intercitytransit.wordpress.com/

King County Metro: http://metrofutureblog.wordpress.com/

Puget Sound Regional Council – Regional View: http://blog.psrc.org/

Sound Transit – Sound Waves: http://www.soundwavespanel.org/

Spokane Regional Transportation Council: http://srtctransportation.blogspot.com/

WSDOT: http://wsdotblog.blogspot.com/

CTR Related

CTR Board: http://ctrboard.ning.com/

Smart Transportation (for RideshareOnline administrators): http://smarttransportation.ning.com/

Mode-Specific

Seattle Transit Blog: http://seattletransitblog.com/

Seattle Bike Blog: http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/

Public Transportation Blog: http://blog.publictransportation.org/

Feet First: http://www.feetfirst.org/blog

Transportation Advocacy Groups

Cascade Bicycle Club: http://blog.cascade.org/

Transportation Choices – Choice Words: https://transportationchoices.org/blog

Transportation Issues Daily: http://www.transportationissuesdaily.com/

Other Blogs of Interest

Bus Chick: http://www.buschick.com/

Transit Zac: http://transitzac.wordpress.com/

Atlantic Cities-Commute: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/

Choose Your Way Bellevue: http://www.chooseyourwaybellevue.org/blog/

If you have suggestions of other blogs that might be of interest, please add it in the comments section.

Also, if you would like to contact any of the presenters with questions or follow up to their presentations, here is their contact information:

Jef Lucero, WSDOT, 360-705-7846, luceroj@wsdot.wa.gov

Caryn Walline, Community Transit, 425-438-6163, caryn.walline@commtrans.org

Kate Whiting, Transportation Choices Coalition, 206-329-2336, kate@transportationchoices.org

2013 International ACT Conference

Tue, 03 Sep 2013 19:51:54 GMT

I recently had the honor of representing our WSRO members at the International ACT Conference held in late July in San Antonio, Texas.

First, I want to say it was my first trip to Texas. I was amazed at how green it was there (I thought it was a desert like Arizona) and how HOT it was. Over 100 degrees and humid. But, despite the heat, it was absolutely beautiful. The River Walk was amazing and the Alamo incredible!

The conference theme was Deep in the Heart of TDM, and all the sessions I attended did get to the heart of what we all do everyday. Here’s a brief description of a couple of my favorite sessions.

LEED and TDM: New Opportunities to Provide Value to Developers and Property Managers

This session explored how TDM professionals can help developers and property managers to achieve a significant number of LEED points just for implementing TDM. This great workshop showed how to create new outlets to sell and market TDM services while helping property owners and developers obtain green certification.

Making the Case for TDM

This session explored case studies for the successful implementation of TDM in Mexico City, Chicago and Embarq, Mexico. Each had a very different experience, but they all focused on developing partnerships and keeping their programs flexible to meet the needs of their communities.

Not All Things to All People – Social and Individualized Marketing

The speaker of this session was Aaron Gaul from UrbanTrans North America. What a dynamic speaker. He took us through strategies from implementing individualized marketing, selecting target areas and best practices. We learned simple, cost-effective and targeted social marketing techniques that establish measurable and long-term sustainable travel behaviors.

The entire conference was simply amazing! The speakers were very knowledgeable and engaging. It was great to see and hear all the great things being done around the world.

If you would like more information on any of the sessions I attended I’m happy to share. Or, you can go to the ACT Website for more information. Thank you for the great opportunity.

Debbie Anderson
2013 Chair

Thank You from Maggie Lubov

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:59:16 GMT

Thank you!

I am so pleased to be the recipient of the 2012 Commute Smart Leadership- Washington State Ridesharing Organization Award for Excellence.

I want to say to all my colleagues and friends in this world of TDM that you all deserve this award for all your own dedication, innovation and commitment to excellence.

I was very surprised to find myself on the receiving end at the annual Governor’s Commute Smart Awards at the majestic Rotunda in November. I am humbled , grateful and simply thrilled.

Congratulations to all the award winners. Happy 2013.

Maggi

Margaret Lubov

CTR Coordinator | Department of Community Development

City of Tukwila I 6300 Southcenter Blvd #100 | Tukwila, WA 98188

ph: (206) 433-7142 | fx: (206) 431-3665

maggie.lubov@TukwilaWA.gov | www.TukwilaWA.gov

Congratulations New Board Members!

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:57:51 GMT

The WSRO Board is excited to announce three new members elected to the Board of Directors, effective December 31, 2012.

· Kim Stoltz, CTR Coordinator, Spokane County CTR Office.

· Lee Peterson, Vanpool Coordinator, Intercity Transit.

· Caryn Walline, Program Manager, TransManage.

Congratulations!

Congratulations Maggi Lubov, WSRO Commute Smart Award Winner!

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:42:02 GMT

On Monday, November 5, 2012, Governor Christine Gregoire hosted the Annual Governor's Commute Smart Awards.

Congratulations Maggi Lubov, City of Tukwila.

(pictured below left to right: Maggie Lubov, City of Tukwila and Anne Ward-Ryan, WSRO Board Chair)

Maggi is a longtime advocate, mentor and program manger in the CTR world. She has been an effective partner with transit agencies, planners, employers, CTR implementers and WSDOT. Her leadership has resulted in breaking down barriers between modes and integrating TDM into planning health and transportation initiatives at the local, regional and state level. She leads the Diamond Awards event in King County every year. She is always mentoring new people into the world of TDM. She is an active member of WSRO.

Congratulations, Maggi!

Vote for New Board Members

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:30:00 GMT

It's time to vote for the new Board Members! Please take a moment and complete the ballot.

All ballots must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., November 15, 2012.

Please email your ballot to:

Anne Ward-Ryan @nne.ward-ryan@kingcounty.gov

If you have any questions please e-mail Anne Ward-Ryan at the address above.

If you would like your ballot to remain anonymous, please complete a hard copy of this form and fax it to (206) 684-2058..

Lake Chelan was a Wonderful Experience submitted by Claire Karner

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:51:10 GMT

The Fall WSRO Conference at Lake Chelan was a wonderful experience for me and I greatly appreciate being selected to receive a scholarship to attend from the WSRO Board. Thank you! A highlight for me was the emphasis put on planning and promoting sustainable transportation options in a smaller community. I loved the personal touch offered by Ben Higgins about Lake Chelan’s “Get Fit Chelan” program as well as a historical and political context for how the City has grown and developed; and what makes it Shine! Along the same lines, Patrick Walker offered some great advice on bicycle planning in a small town. I benefited from the emphasis on working with what you have, identifying projects that are the low hanging fruit, and using existing ‘dead’ spaces to make the community more livable. On another note, I enjoyed some of the process oriented sessions. The takeaways I gained about successful partnerships will be helpful in growing our local TO programs. Successful partnerships do not require money, you just need to know what each party’s goal is, how each party could benefit, and that each party is willing to track progress. I have also began to brainstorm ways to bring disruptive change to this area the way Josh Kavanaugh is doing at UW. Lake Chelan is absolutely beautiful and I feel lucky to have attended this conference. Hope to see everyone in Vancouver in April!

Claire Karner

SmartTrips Program Coordinator

point2point Solutions

Lane Transit District

Fall Conference submitted by Marcia Maffei

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:00:47 GMT

Not only did I receive a scholarship to ensure that I could attend the WSRO Fall conference, but I also received a great many ideas to keep my job in the transportation options industry interesting. Like what you may ask? How about “Never underestimate your value!” or Make sure you do a recap binder for your project. Or…Use terms like Carbon Neutral or Reduced Impact Modes or Find out who the Community Relations Person is at the business you want to do an “ask” of. And what about creating that Target Partner List starting at the bottom to practice your spiel so when you get to the heavy hitters, you are more articulate and have a better chance of getting to YES! And hey…did you ever check your “dead” spaces around town that might hold a bicycle parking space? Bet you didn’t even think of that…… Yes…I heard all of this along with many other TO professional folks who make their living by promoting sustainable transportation. It was a great conference in a very beautiful place and I am looking forward to the Spring WSRO/TOGO Conference in April in Vancouver, Washington. See you then!

Seeking Nominations

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 21:57:56 GMT

The Washington State Ridesharing Organization is seeking nominations for Board of Directors (due October 26, 2012 at 5:00 pm) and the WSRO Award of Excellence (due October 12, 2012 at 12:00 pm).

The WSRO Award of Excellence will be presented to one individual or group by WSRO for demonstrating the values of the organization. They are an active WSRO member and promote activities that contribute to sustainable transportation across the state. Nominations for the WSRO Award of Excellence are due by Friday, October 12, at noon. Winner will be announced at the Governor's Commute Smart Awards on November 5. Award of Excellence Nomination Form

We are also seeking nominations for three open positions for the WSRO Board of Directors. Nominees must be a member in good standing. The positions are for a two year term. See attached WSRO Board Member Responsibility document for more details on what the Board does. WSRO Board of Directors Nomination Form

Please complete the attached nomination forms for each and return to Anne Ward-Ryan by the due dates above. Please contact Debbie Anderson at debbie.anderson@commtrans.org or anne.ward-ryan@kingcounty.gov for more information.

Share Your Opinion on WSRO Conferences

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 19:51:25 GMT

The Washington State Ridesharing Organization ( WSRO) is seeking your
input on annual conferences.

WSRO currently holds two conferences each year. One is held in Western
Washington, the other in Central/Eastern Washington. The WSRO Board of
Directors is seeking input from our members and potential attendees to
see if maintaining the two conferences is feasible or if a modification
of how conferences are currently scheduled should be discussed.

Please take a moment to complete the survey by clicking on the link. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WSRO2012

Thank you.

The WSRO Board

2012 WSRO Spring Conference: Adapting to a Changing Environment Submitted by Jennifer Hass, TDM Supervisor, Community Transit

Thu, 24 May 2012 21:16:51 GMT

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend the WSRO 2012 Spring Conference. Many thanks to the WSRO Board for accepting my scholarship application.

The speakers were great! I especially enjoyed Andrew Austin and his political commentary on local, state and federal issues. I found his perspective, and the humor he used to deliver it, both interesting and educational. I also enjoyed listening to Todd Litman’s presentations, and gained valuable insight into the world of accessibility and how it can complement mobility. His use of funny pictures and commentary during his presentation on Parking Management Strategies was a pleasant way to explain what can be a data-heavy topic.

I found the session from Dr. Andrew Dannenberg, University of Washington, to be very eye-opening. The health of a community has a direct impact on transportation and transportation choices, and the trends he depicted are both intriguing and a bit scary at the same time.

I have always valued the WSRO organization and what it provides to its members, and this conference was definitely one of the best I’ve attended. The variety of speakers and topics was well orchestrated, and the food was scrumptious!

Thank you, WSRO Board, for all of your time and effort that was spent developing this conference. I believe those in attendance will integrate ideas and themes they discovered to further their professional success. I look forward to more great conferences!

It is What You Make It. Submitted by Mark Melnyk, TDM and Outreach Specialist, Community Transit

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:27:13 GMT

How many times have you heard someone say “it is what you make it”? This statement is simple in construction yet complex in practice especially if you want to make it, successful.

For over 20 years, ridesharing professionals like myself, have been working with a public that is generally resistant to choosing a commute alternative. The it consists of programs, campaigns and other initiatives aimed at encouraging behavioral change that leads to the goals of reduced air pollution, traffic congestion and energy consumption. However, finding new ways to achieve these goals in the face of budget reductions can be downright discouraging especially when resources that offer creative approaches and new ideas seem to be dwindling.

That is why I value my participation in WSRO and attending their conferences. Each conference offers a variety of speakers on current topics in the field of ridesharing and transportation demand management. The past WSRO conference, Adapting to a Changing Environment, was especially beneficial in generating new ideas on how I can make a difference. Todd Litman, from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, got things started with a presentation that introduced the idea that communities can achieve greater mobility by enhancing accessibility. By focusing on local infrastructure changes, such as making it easier to walk to a transit hub, a community can gain greater mobility through better access to regional transportation. This shift in thinking serves as a reminder that the longest trip can be traveled with small steps.

The great ideas and information did not end with Todd Litman. Brian Lagerberg, from WSDOT, presented information on the Moving Washington program while encouraging us to make the “intellectual choice to be an optimist” and embrace the opportunity to be a “positive agent of change”. Since we are to be the agents of change the right mindset makes all the difference. A positive approach helps us facilitate the efforts that expand the conversation to include multiple stakeholders that have just as much to gain with our success as we do. By increasing the number of stakeholders, we are able to expand our access to resources we need to accomplish our goals.

While Lagerberg’s presentation was energetic and inspiring, the panel discussion on whether or not electric vehicles should be considered a commute alternative provided the biggest charge. The panel explored this topic in great detail, offering a variety of perspectives, but did not come to a conclusive answer. However, this presentation will definitely serve as a conduit for future conversations as this idea and technology continues to advance.

The conference offered many topics that provided a fresh outlook on the programs I work with on a daily basis. While the challenges that I work with each day did not disappear, I did gain new ideas on how to approach them. The work that I continue to do will be what I make it. However, now after attending the recent WSRO conference, I feel more confident that what I make it will be more successful.

2012 WSRO Spring Conference Submitted by Sue Masel

Fri, 04 May 2012 18:43:37 GMT

WSRO Spring Conference 2012

Thank you so much to the WSRO Board for accepting my scholarship request and allowing me the opportunity to attend the WSRO 2012 Spring Conference.

The speakers, the location, even the food, everything was fabulous. Everything was very organized and I really appreciate you staying right on schedule for both days, that’s not easy to do.

I really enjoyed Todd Litman’s presentation. He was a great speaker and kept everyone interested the whole way through. I came back to work after the conference and looked up his website and got even more gems but my favorite was one line in his presentation, “Creating paradise in our own communities”, it has just stuck with me. His presentation, “The future Isn’t What it Used to Be” really makes me think about the things I do and don’t do on a daily basis and about how we can incorporate his ideas into our programs at my office. Thanks Todd!

While I also enjoyed the “Social Media Marketing for TDM” presentation with Jillian Derscheid but I’m a bit biased since I work with her and she’s as amazing at work as she was in her presentation. She’s a wealth of knowledge and we at Community Transit are lucky to have her.

I think out of all of the speakers my favorite was “Change Happens, What do I want to Become?” Brian Lagerberg. He’s a great presenter and I absolutely love his sense of humor. He’s always a treat to get to listen to. We immediately started talking about how we could incorporate “Moving Washington” into our agency.

And of course, last but not least “Keep the Change” by Dorothy Wilhelm. I actually saw her about 13 years ago at a conference and she is always such a treat and so funny. She was a great end to a fabulous conference with a reminder that sometimes, it’s important to just take a minute to laugh.

Great job WSO and thanks again!

Sue Masel

Submitted by Christopher Aiken, San Juan County, Community Transportation

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:11:22 GMT

While this WSRO conference was not my first, it was my first representing San Juan County, and my first WSRO scholarship receipt. I thank the WSRO board for supporting my attendance. I found many useful and applicable ideas for my work in San Juan County, primarily from Todd Litman and Brian Lagerberg.

I enjoyed Todd Litman’s presentation immensely. Mr. Litman is an engaging speaker and a very relatable expert, he describes concepts in instantly accessible way, which is fitting for him as one of his main points revolved around mobility vs. accessibility. Another main topic from Todd was the idea of government needing to shift from compartmentalized functions acting in self-interest and at times working counterproductive to one another, to comprehensive and preventative planning models anticipating problems and preventing crisis. I think this is a fundamental building block for government looking to the future, we cannot continue to wait to respond to pressure or wait until things change around us to act on them, we must actively participate in the changing itself.

Another major piece I took away from Todd’s talk was the idea of multi-modal LOS. I work with engineers who glaze over immediately at the words “complete streets” or “non-motorized infrastructure,” but I think the concept of multi-modal LOS and developing a San Juan County specific approach to defining that LOS could improve the conversation significantly.

As a former employee of WSDOT, and specifically as a former employee of Brian Lagerberg’s, I’ve heard Brian speak about Moving Washington numerous times before. Always quirky, often zany, Brian truly “brings it” to the Moving Washington concept. I always appreciate Brian’s willingness to be both human and a WSDOT Director, it’s not that easy to do. I have always viewed Moving Washington as a bit of a Trojan Horse program, just waiting for the right time surprise everyone and change the world of Washington State transportation. I hope that time is now; it would be stunning and perhaps paradigm-shifting in itself to hear WSDOT employees from all parts of the state talking about Moving Washington and how it impacts and informs their day-to-day work.

Another important concept Brian mentioned was about the lack of comprehensive transportation system performance measures, he pointed out we measure parts or pieces, but not the whole. I connected this back with Todd’s point about multi-modal LOS, maybe this represents the beginnings of more comprehensive performance measures.

As optimism is a super power I happen to share with Brian, I believe we are all capable of changing our worlds just by being engaged. And while few things actually change overnight (daylight savings, the Eastern Hemisphere), being engaged is not about one conversation and saying it just right, it’s about STAYING engaged, even when it’s difficult and uncomfortable. Anyone can say something once and walk away it’s making the choice to try again in spite it being hard that leaves the door open. It’s all about creating the space for change, by being willing to sit out there in the middle, and simply hold the space until change arrives.

Christopher Aiken

San Juan County, Community Transportation

WSRO Spring 2012 by Karen Lee Kimber

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:32:55 GMT

First of all, thank you for the opportunity to apply for a scholarship and for choosing me to attend the Spring, 2012 WSRO conference.

What I first noticed about the conference was the commendatory between the participants; the networking was wonderful. The conference was very organized and stayed right on schedule – kudos to the board for this and for coming up with a good agenda and the food was great.

Tuesday – I have to say the highlight was riding the “double tall” bus. I applaud Community Transit for looking beyond the “box” and finding a bus that has more seating and that is drivable in the snow. I am hoping that these buses are very successful and that other transit agencies are able to replace their fleet with this style of bus.

Todd Litman was a good presenter – I like his approach that we need to look at mobility VS accessibility – mobility is not always the best way to find solutions; we in most cases we can add accessibilities to find the best solution. The other thing that he spoke about was “breaking silos” – take about change – this is and will be a huge change for almost every organization; in fact almost every other presenter referenced silos in their presentations – it was very evident that this was on everyone’s mind.

Wednesday – other day with a great agenda and speakers – what I enjoyed the most was Jillian Derscheid. I never thought about social media being able to assist me with my transportation program. Yesterday, I started checking on the policies as I would love to have a group Facebook page for my department. I have already put together the items that I will place on our Facebook page and hope to be able to have this in place by the end of 2^nd quarter.

Again, thank you very much for the opportunity to attend my first WRSO conference I was able to bring a lot of ideas back that I will start implementing.

Dorothy Wilhelm was a great closer for the conference; I think we all know that laughter is truly the best medicine, but I find that most people get so busy that it is often forgotten.

Karen Lee

Karen Lee Kimber | Transportation Coordinator | Parking & Commuting Service | Swedish Health Services

WSRO Spring 2012 Conference

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:00:00 GMT

Thank you to all the great speakers and the participation of the attendees. We learned a lot from all about adapting to our rapidly changing environment. The positive energy of both days was inspiring and confirmed our importance in making Washington State a better place.

To all the transportation professionals and Employee Transportation Coordinators, Thank you for all you do.

Value of a WSRO Membership

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Written by Craig Snyder, WSRO Chair 2010

Washington State Ridesharing Organization (WSRO) is on the forefront of creating a better transportation future in Washington State. WSRO fosters connections between innovative ideas, proven best practices, and user friendly technologies to make a significant impact on the transportation demand management of employers and agencies throughout the Pacific Northwest. WSRO's strength resides in having a membership that is collaborative, engaged and dedicated to improving mobility throughout the region.

WSRO conferences bring together Employee Transportation Coordinators from the regions largest employers to exchange ideas and develop new solutions to achieving significant commute trip reduction. Employers work side-by-side at the conferences with staff from regional and state wide transit and regulatory agencies to form increasingly effective ways of impacting our communities for the better.

WSRO reaches across the state by producing the Wheel Options campaign, which brings education, resources, and incentive programs to employer-based commute reduction efforts regardless of how many employees an organization may have.

WSRO's education and outreach efforts support Commute Trip Reduction in every aspect of our work. The Wheel Options campaign, the Best Practices Guide for Employer-based Transportation Demand Management, our own conferences and the conferences of our affiliated membership organizations such as the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) provide a platform for delivering strategic and consistent information to employers, employees and state-wide residents about the benefits and necessity of significantly reducing commute trips.

There is a remarkable opportunity in front of us to create a better transportation future in Washington State. Your WSRO membership will support an organization dedicated to providing the critical resources and education needed to bring employers and agencies together in an effort to achieve the goals of commute trip reduction. Further, your membership will allow us to reach beyond those goals by joining our combined knowledge and experiences into actions that create long lasting changes in how we travel for work and pleasure in our communities and throughout our state.

Membership Benefits include:

Discounted Registration Fees at Conferences
Voting Privileges
Eligibility to Join WSRO Board and Committees
Best Practices Guide Published by WSRO
Networking Opportunities Across a Diverse Membership

To find out more, please contact the current Board of Directors.