Public Transportation
Watch the Episode
Original Air Date: 01/14/2010
Public Transportation
The Urban Mobility Report by the Texas Transportation Institute ranks Seattle and the Puget Sound with the fifth worst traffic congestion in America (we’re tied with Miami and Boston). Another study warns that by 2030, Seattle will experience worse traffic delays than what Los Angeles has now. On top of that, the new EPA air quality standards could put much of our area in violation of Federal air quality regulations.
One answer to these scenarios is how we structure and adopt mass transit. Millions of dollars have already been spent on transportation issues… and many more millions of dollars are in line to follow. What’s been done? What will be done? And are the plans realistic and user-friendly?Guests
David Dye – Deputy Secretary, Washington State Department of Transportation
As the Deputy Secretary of WSDOT, David works directly with Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond to oversee the workings of the DOT. The department’s duties include road-building, the administration of ferries, and traffic maintenance around the state.
Visit the WSDOT website here.
Joni Earl – Chief Executive Officer, Sound Transit
As the CEO of Sound Transit, Joni is responsible for ensuring that the inter-county services Sound Transit provides run smoothly across the board. In order to do this, she must work closely with regional transit agencies and the WSDOT.
Visit the Sound Transit website here.
Lynne Griffith – Chief Executive Officer, Pierce Transit
As CEO of Pierce Transit, Lynne is responsible for overseeing the second largest regional transit agency in the state. As a major population hub in the region, Pierce Transit must collaborate with Sound Transit and WSDOT in order to move people through the county.
Visit the Pierce Transit website here.
Stats and Facts
The Puget Sound Regional Council estimates it is receiving $136 million in funds from the federal stimulus package to distribute throughout Pierce, King, Snohomish and Kitsap Counties for transit projects.
Pierce Transit will recieve:
· $4.4 million to perform preventative maintenance
· $1.6 million to build a compressed natural gas fueling station and backup power upgrade at its agency headquarters
· $5.4 million to buy hybrid buses.
Pierce Transit reported 14.87 million boardings on the local fixed route system during 2008, up from a base of 9.4 million riders when Pierce Transit was first established in 1980.
Sound Transit was created by the state legislature to build a mass transit system that connects major regional job and housing centers in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Voters in 1996 approved a plan that provides the foundation of that system – regional express buses, commuter rail and light rail. Today, Sound Transit carries nearly 14 million riders a year.
Since September 2000 when service began, 3.6 million riders have boarded Sounder trains in Pierce County.
The ORCA network offers the convenience of using a single card to pay for rides on buses, trains, boats, streetcars and vans.
The ORCA card is supposed to replace some 300 varieties of passes, tickets and transfers. And there's an advantage to governments, because ORCA software allocates each day's fare income among the agencies.
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