Commuter Challenge I News

This page includes:
• Headlines and links to recent transportation news articles
• Newsbriefs about local and national transportation happenings
• Press releases about Commuter Challenge events and projects
• Pacesetter Newsletter (link)

Headlines

Eastside sounds off about Sound Transit's new plans,
Seattle Times, July 6, 2006.

Flexcar expands fleet, partners with city to make it easier to commute to Bellevue, theautochannel.com, June 13, 2006.

Seattle's bold bioneers: Meet the bikers, bus riders, and moochers of carless Seattle, Seattle Weekly, June 7, 2006.

Commuting programs take bite out of gas prices,
CNNMoney.com, June 6, 2006.

Bills aim to combine area transportation agencies,
Seattle P-I, February 8, 2006.

A drive toward fewer cars,
Seattle P-I, February 8, 2006.

Mobile teleworkers are phoning it in from all over
Seattle P-I, August 1, 2005.

Businesses drag their feet on disaster planning, especially telecommuting Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 30, 2005.

News Briefs

Report quantifies cost of transportation
The Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) has released a June 2005 report detailing the growing cost of transportation and housing and its impact on the American household. Transportation has been the number two expense for households, second only to housing, since at least 1984, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. Transportation costs in 2003 claimed 19.1% of household expenditures, nearly double the 10% figure spent on transportation in the 1960s. The report, based on 2003 figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, does not incorporate the spike in gas prices and the impact is likely to be much greater on transportation costs today.

The report compares expenditures of the average household relative to other expenses such as health care or food and also ranks the top 28 major metropolitan statistical areas. For example, the average cost of transportation and housing combined increased to $21,213 or 52% of expenditures for the average household. Even when combined, the costs of health care and food are still less than transportation. The full report is available at the STPP website (www.transact.org).

TDM milestones reported
Monitoring Report for Puget Sound Transportation Demand Management Programs, Puget Sound Regional Council, February 2005. This is the first Puget Sound Milestones report on transportation demand strategies. Read more.

Remote working increasing across enterprises
This, according to a global survey of senior executives by AT&T in cooperation with the Economist Intelligence Unit. Two-thirds of executives surveyed said that at least some of their staff work from home regularly, a substantial increase from the same survey conducted a year earlier. The survey underscores that remote working is a key factor driving corporate success resulting in reduced costs and increased employee productivity. Read more.

Press Releases

New Workshop Gives Employers the Tools to Start Successful Telework Program. Local businesses to share best practices in developing and managing telework programs, May 27, 2005. Press release (Word file)

Commuter Challenges Announces “Diamond Award Winners” for 2004.
County Executive Ron Sims delivers keynote as nine local organizations and four individuals receive awards for outstanding Commute Trip Reduction efforts, February 17, 2005. Press release (Word file)

Pacesetter Newsletter

Commuter Challenge publishes the Pacesetter newsletter quarterly in print and online versions.

Photo Courtesy of King County Metro Transit