Seattle Children's is one of the nation's leading children's hospitals, research institutes and pediatric training centers. They are also one of the region's most progressive supporters of alternative transportation both for their employees and for the community at large. For employees, Seattle Children's offers a host of innovative programs designed to make biking, walking, transit and carpooling to work irresistible. These include giving each employee who leaves the car at home a commute bonus of $3.25 per day. Seattle Children's also runs its own small transit system with shuttle connections to downtown and the University District every 15 minutes all day and employees who commit to bike to work 2 days a week receive their own bicycle, a helmet and a lock. This program, called Seattle Children’s Company Bike now counts 175 bikes including 10 electric assist cycles.

To support transportation choices in the community at large, Seattle Children's has committed nearly $4 million to improve transportation in NE Seattle, including $2 million for bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Dubbed the Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Initiative, this effort envisions creating family friendly bike and pedestrian facilities that encourage kids, families and older adults to bike and walk. Foremost among these projects is a series of "Neighborhood Greenways" making connections between schools parks and the Burke Gilman trail on quiet residential streets that have been improved to slow traffic.

With the support of the community, the mayor, and city council, Children's plans to implement the first of these projects by the end of 2012 to match the opening of its Building Hope Cancer Care and Emergency Care expansion in early 2013.

*Some definitions: An "ETC" is the staff-level employee transportation coordinator responsible for the daily administration of the transportation program. "SOV" stands for single-occupant vehicle, and "CTR" for commute trip reduction.