WSDOT report on impacts of VMT reduction strategies

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) commissioned a study by the Washington State Transportation Center (TRAC) concerning the Impacts of VMT Reduction Strategies on Selected Areas and Groups (December 2010 - 1.8 MB PDF).  The study is released in the context of RCW 74.01.440, which in 2008 established statewide benchmarks to achieve per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reductions over the next 40 years.

The VMT benchmarks are per capita reductions of 18% by 2020, 30% by 2035, and 50% by 2050, based on an estimated VMT baseline of 75 billion miles in 2020.

The purpose of this study is to identify and assess current reports, studies, and academic literature about potential VMT reduction strategies and their economic impacts on five geographic areas, populations and business groups as specified in RCW 47.01.440(4).

For background information and ideas about VMT reduction strategies, visit the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Encylopedia maintained by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute (VTPI).

MV Chetzemoka gets ship christening

On Sunday, November 14, the MV Chetzemoka, the newest vessel in the fleet of Washington State Ferries, received its ship's christenting, a 4,000-year old tradition. 

The Chetzemoka is the first replacement ferry for the Port Townsend - Coupeville route.  The vessel is named after S'Klallam Indian Chief Chetzemoka (1808-1888).

Click "Read more..." below for more info and a picture of the new on-board bike racks.

Gov. Gregoire congratulates Port Townsend students for submitting winning vessel class name

Gov. Chris Gregoire visited Blue Heron Middle School in Port Townsend on Thursday, April 22, 2010 to congratulate students for naming the new Washington State Ferries (WSF) vessel class. WSF conducted a contest to name the new classification of 64-car ferries with fourth-grade students from Chimacum, Port Townsend and Whidbey Island.

Blue Heron student Rose Dunlap submitted the winning entry, Kwa-di Tabil (pronounced kwah DEE tah-bayle), which translated from the Quileute dialect means “Little Boat.” The first Kwa-di Tabil Class ferry, Chetzemoka, is scheduled to begin service in late summer 2010. WSF is building two more Kwa-di Tabil Class ferries, which will begin service in 2011 and 2012. Click here to see photos of the event and construction progress.

Jefferson Transit – Public Invited to Meet Finalists for General Manager Position

Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
The Jefferson Transit Authority Board, with assistance from the Washington State Department of Transportation, will be hosting two opportunities for community members to meet the top candidates for the position of General Manager. These include an informal reception at the Bishop Victorian Hotel located at 714 Washington Street in Port Townsend on April 5, 2010 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. and a panel interview at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship located at 2333 San Juan Ave in Port Townsend on Tuesday, April 6, 2010 from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Both events will provide opportunities for those who attend to provide written comments to the Jefferson Transit Authority Board about the finalists for the position. For more information call 360.385.4777.

Jefferson Transit to hold open houses about new routes changes coming April 11th

Jefferson Transit will be holding two open houses—one in Port Townsend and one in Port Hadlock—in the coming week to let the public know about the new route changes going into effect on April 11th. Both open houses will be from 5:30-7:30 pm with the Port Townsend one on March 18th at the Marina Room at Point Hudson. The second one will be March 23rd at the Jefferson County Library in Port Hadlock. Both are free to the public. “The open houses are a great opportunity for people to find out about the new route changes,” said Mike Pollack, Interim General Manager for Jefferson Transit. “These new routes are a significant change that makes it much easier for our local community to get around, to get to work and become more ‘Green’. We welcome everyone to attend one of the open houses and learn how this can positively affect your life.” Maps and schedules of the new routes will be available, as well as staff from Jefferson Transit to answer questions. In addition, transit staff will demonstrate Internet-based Google Transit for individuals to determine the best way for them to get from “Point A to Point B.” Some of the advantages the new routes will provide to the community include extended service hours on some routes, fewer transfers between buses, easier commuting (the new schedules match start and quit times of most major employers), and more service to downtown and uptown. For more information, go to www.jeffersontransit.com or call 360.385.4777. Jefferson Transit is a public transit system that began service in May 1981 after a successful vote by Jefferson County citizens in 1980. Jefferson Transit operates as a Public Transportation Benefit Area in the State of Washington.

Jefferson Transit Extends Saturday Morning Poulsbo Service for Four Weeks

When Jefferson Transit staff heard that Kitsap Transit had proposed to cut connecting service in Poulsbo on Saturdays, it didn’t take long to come up with a plan to maintain vital connections until a service adjustment could be made in January. Jefferson Transit staff members first heard about a Kitsap Transit service reduction effective December 13 on December 6. The information passed by word of mouth from riders to drivers to administrative staff members. The service cut eliminates two of the existing 8 round trips on Saturdays on the Kitsap Transit #90 Poulsbo/Bainbridge service. Coincidentally, these two eliminated trips are the only trips on that route that connect with Jefferson Transit’s #7 service between Port Townsend and Poulsbo. In addition, cuts to Kitsap Transit’s #32 Poulsbo/Silverdale schedule will have some adverse effects on Jefferson Transit connections.

By mid-morning the following Monday, a plan had been made to extend the #7 route on Saturday mornings all the way to the Bainbridge Island Ferry terminal until a service adjustment in January once again makes it possible to have efficient connections from Port Townsend to Poulsbo to Bainbridge and back on Saturdays. “We realized that this was just about the worst time of year to lose this connection. Many people depend on those trips to get to and from the airport, especially during the holiday season. We needed to act fast in order to keep our riders happy”, reported Jefferson Transit’s general manager Dave Turissini. The #7 will run morning service from Port Townsend to the ferry terminal on Bainbridge Island on the following dates:

Saturday, December 19
Saturday, December 26
Saturday, January 2
Saturday, January 9

The regularly scheduled Saturday #7 departure will leave from the Haines Place Park-and-Ride at 8:20 AM, as it does now, and continue on to the Bainbridge Island Ferry terminal. It will make one stop in Poulsbo at the Poulsbo Transfer Center at 9:40 AM and will arrive at the ferry terminal at 10:05 AM. That same vehicle will then depart the ferry terminal for its return trip to Port Townsend at 10:15 AM, stopping at the Poulsbo Transfer Center at 10:35 AM and arriving back at Port Townsend at its regularly scheduled time of 11:49 AM. There will be no changes to the regularly scheduled Saturday afternoon service that departs Port Townsend at 3:22 PM; however, this bus will not connect with any Kitsap Transit Services upon arrival in Poulsbo. This bus will accept transfers from Kitsap Transit #90 as it does now. Passengers should note that the only way to get beyond Poulsbo on Saturdays using Jefferson Transit between December 19 and January 9 is to use the 8:20 AM #7 Port Townsend departure. After January 19 Jefferson Transit will operate a modified schedule that will restore connections with remaining Kitsap Transit services.

For further information, please contact Jefferson Transit directly at 385-4777.

Jefferson Transit Public Hearings December 15

There will be two public hearings at the next regular meeting of the Jefferson Transit Authority Board to take comment regarding a proposed service change in April, 2010 and the proposed Operating and Capital Budgets for 2010. Materials for these two subjects can be found at http://www.jeffersontransit.com/ The Authority Board meeting will be held at the Port Townsend Fire Station training room, located 701 Harrison St., Port Townsend, at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 15. For more information, please call 385-4777.

"The Transportation Prescription"

A coalition consisting of PolicyLink, Prevention Institute and Convergence Partnership has published a report entitled, The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Healthy, Equitable Transportation Reform in America that accompanies an edited volume of detailed transportation and health policy advocacy.

The policy perspective addresses a wide variety of issues and choices in the broad field of transportation, while continually returning to public health as a focal point.

The Foreward to the report is contributed by Congressman James Oberstar, Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Congress is currently considering a successor to the current surface transportation legislation, last enacted in 2005. This legislation will directly affect the investment of billions of dollars in transportation infrastructure and programs.

“Environmental sustainability, access, and our collective well-being must combine with mobility and safety as the cornerstones of our transportation investments. The following report represents an important contribution to our emerging understanding of the connections between transportation and public health and is an invaluable resource for policymakers and all those interested in building healthy communities. With a greater recognition of the strong linkage between public health and transportation, I believe we can build a network that supports our mobility and creates access and economic strength while promoting equity, sustaining our good health and quality of life.”

Representative Jim Oberstar

Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Jefferson Transit Public Meetings September 9

Jefferson Transit will hold three public meetings to discuss and receive feedback about proposed route changes.
Jefferson Transit’s comprehensive service planning process of last year has been blended with a plan to streamline service. The current service design, which Jefferson Transit proposes to implement in January of 2010, reflects community input from previous meetings, surveys and customer comments. Before the current revision of the service plan is approved by the Jefferson Transit Authority Board in October, Transit staff will conduct three more public meetings and a public hearing. Maps and proposed change summaries can be found at our web site.
The public meetings will be:

• Wednesday, September 9, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the Pope Marine Building in Port Townsend (next to the Police Station on Water St.)
• Wednesday, September 9, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at the Just Ask Rental training room, across Ness’ Corner Road from Hadlock Building Supply.
• Wednesday, September 9, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at the Pope Marine Building

Please call us with questions or if you require special arrangements for transportation to the meeting.

385-4777
www.jeffersontransit.com