Category: Transit

Northwest Hospital,
Seattle

• CEO*: James Hart, Chief Executive Officer
• ETC: Gaylen Krebs, Security Supervisor

Near, yet still too far away

Northwest Hospital is located less than a mile from the Northgate Transit Center in Seattle, but for many years that proximity failed to help Northwest's employees get to work. Direct transit service to the hospital was very limited, and the hospital is sited on the west side of I-5, while the transit center is on the east side, with a traffic-congested connection between them.

Northwest Hospital's General Manager Diane di Furia and Security Supervisor Gaylen Krebs display their Diamond Award.

Adding to the hospital employees' commuting challenges was limited on-site parking. There are only 110 spaces available on the hospital campus for a staff that numbers 853 during the day shift. Parking is free, but only by permit. Employees must have eight years of tenure before they can be issued an SOV parking permit.

Shuttle service made the difference

In 1984, Northwest Hospital took a major step to try and help employees with their commuting issues. It purchased a 23 passenger bus and offered shuttle service between Northwest Hospital, a parking lot eight blocks north of the hospital, Northgate Park & Ride, and Northgate Hospital. The parking lot was eliminated in 1994, due in part to the success of the shuttle service. Three years later when growing demands overtaxed the shuttle, the hospital approached King County Metro and requested a custom bus. In September 1997, Metro began operation of the expanded shuttle, doubling the amount of service. Northwest Hospital helps fund the shuttle, which now operates two buses on a continuous route between 7 am and 6 pm. It services Northgate Mall, the Northgate Transit Center, North Seattle Community College, Northwest's Outpatient Center, the hospital, and Four Freedoms Retirement Home. The hospital fully subsidizes King County Metro FlexPasses and subsidizes 75% of the cost of passes for Community Transit of Snohomish County and Pierce County Transit.

The new shuttle has proven a huge success with hospital employees, North Seattle Community College students, and shoppers. In 1998, the hospital alone issued 400 FlexPasses to employees, most of whom use the shuttle. Many students ride it to the college, and residents at the retirement home use it for doctor appointments at the Outpatient Center and hospital, as well as shopping trips to Northgate Mall.

Never one to be satisfied with the status quo, Gaylen Krebs, Employee Transportation Coordinator, seeks more improvements to the shuttle schedule. He is working to expand the service so it begins at 6 am. This will make the shuttle available to nurses who need to be at their stations at 7 am. The ever-changing face of health care requires continuous improvement and flexibility in the employees' commute trip reduction program. Northwest Hospital continues to meet that challenge.

*Some definitions: An “ETC” is the staff-level employee transportation coordinator responsible for the daily administration of the transportation program; “PM” is the transportation program manager; and “CEO” refers to the top management-level person at the worksite. “SOV” stands for single-occupant vehicle, and “CTR” for commute trip reduction.