The monthly newsletter for UW Tacoma faculty and staff

Commuting News

May 2009:
It's Bike Month

Ready to bike? May is Bike Month, and UW Tacoma pedal-pushers can take advantage of a number of special programs and activities:

Bike to Work Week Commuter Contest: Bike to Work Week is this week! Sign up as an individual or join the UW Tacoma team and compete for great prizes. Track your biking trips for the week and you’ll be entered to win a $250 gift certificate to REI, bike tune-ups, light sets and a team pizza party. Sian Davies-Vollum (IAS) has volunteered to be the UW Tacoma team captain; e-mail her to join the team. Learn more at www.piercetrips.com.

Bike to a Better Tacoma: Join fellow bicyclists and City of Tacoma staff to talk about hopes, dreams and plans for a more bike-able Tacoma from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 13 at The Hub, 203 Tacoma Ave. S. If you ride your bike to the event, you’ll get free pizza and happy hour specials until 8 p.m. and be entered into a drawing for a $50 Hub gift certificate. Bikers can also take advantage of Tacoma’s first-ever valet bike parking.

Bike & Coffee with the City Council: A member of the Tacoma City Council will be at the UW Tacoma Starbucks from 7 to 9 a.m. Friday, May 15 to talk biking, pass out free coffee and meet UW Tacoma bike commuters.

Find more Bike Month events at www.piercetrips.com.

Take the commuting survey

Have you taken the commuting survey yet? You could win a Target gift card! UW Tacoma is one of about 800 Washington employers participating in a statewide commuting survey. The data will help state and local governments learn how more than 500,000 employees in Washington commute to work and may lead to new decisions about how to invest tax dollars in transportation. Please take a few minutes to take the survey – we need 70 percent participation. You must log in with your UW e-mail address.

April 2009:
Vanpool 101 workshop for staff, faculty and students

April 30, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Tacoma Room

Learn how you can use your U-Pass as part of a vanpool fare. Bring your lunch to this free event to find out what vanpooling is and how you can get involved. Pierce Transit representatives will be on hand to answer your questions. Drinks, snacks and prize drawings will be provided.

March 2009:
A small change in your commute can mean big change for your wallet

You can win big by choosing not to drive alone to work at least twice during Wheel Options, March 8-21. Track your trips in the Commute Calendar at www.PierceTrips.com, and you could win $2,500 in cash, a weekend getaway or a gift card.

Commuting options include carpooling and vanpooling, riding the bus or train, bicycling or walking to work, working from home, or working a compressed work week. Commuters who choose not to drive reduce their carbon footprint and help curb climate change. In Washington, more than 45 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are associated with transportation.

Employee Transportation Coordinator Jennifer Burley can help you find the right commute, answer questions about bus or train schedules or help you map out a walking or biking route. E-mail Jennifer or call 2-4412.

Wheel Options is sponsored by UW Tacoma, Pierce Trips and the Washington State Ridesharing Organization.

February 2009:
Ride in the Rain Challenge begins Feb. 15

Join the UW Tacoma team for the annual UW Ride in the Rain Challenge beginning this week. Pedal in friendly rivalry with hundreds of fellow faculty, staff and students. Contact team captain Sian Davies-Vollum to join the UW Tacoma team.

From Feb. 15 to March 14, participating UW bike commuters can track the number of one-way bike trips made between campus and their homes, making special note of when it is raining. Ride statistics will be reported weekly. Teams will compete for prizes for the most commute trips, most rides in the rain, most new riders and most commuter miles.

If you’d prefer not to join the UW Tacoma team, you can still log soggy bike trips on your own. Learn more and register on the Ride in the Rain website.

February 2009:
Update your Relax Rewards calendar

Just a reminder for Relax Rewards participants: Don’t forget to enter your commuting information via the online Commute Calendar. Relax Rewards is UW Tacoma's incentive program for staff and faculty, encouraging the use of alternatives to driving alone to and from UW Tacoma. If you carpool (with anyone over the age of 16 joining you for at least 50 percent of the ride), take transit, bike, walk, work from home, or work a compressed work week, you are eligible to participate in Relax Rewards. Need help with finding a commuting option that works best for you? Contact Jennifer Burley, employee transportation coordinator.

January 2009:
Pierce Transit fare increase

Fares on Pierce Transit buses increased this month. Visit the Pierce Transit website for more information. U-Passes purchased before the increase will still be accepted on Pierce Transit, and the increase will not impact the prices of the U-Pass for the 2008-09 academic year. Learn more about the U-Pass here.

December 2008:
Getting to UW Seattle

Going to UW Seattle for a meeting? Ride the Sound Transit express bus for FREE! ST Express Route 586 to UW Seattle leaves the UWT bus stop (on Pacific Avenue) nine times every weekday. Kick back on the bus and reap the benefits:

• No stress of driving or parking
• Cruise in comfort with high-back seats
• Take a nap, read a book, get caught up on work
• Stay on schedule traveling in the HOV lane
• Reduce CO2 emissions
• No paperwork to fill out for reimbursement for gas or parking and, hey, you even save the university money!

BONUS: For each pair of tickets that you use, you'll be entered into monthly drawings for special prizes. Drawings will continue each month until the ticket supply runs out.

To request free round-trip tickets on the ST Express 586, e-mail Jennifer Burley at least three business days in advance. Tickets are available to UW Tacoma permanent staff and faculty while supplies last. One set of round-trip tickets per individual and meeting will be given at a time.

November 2008:
Win big for your smart commute

How about relaxing to and from work by letting someone else do the driving? Wouldn't it be nice to ride the bus, ride in a carpool or vanpool, walk or bike to work? You could even telecommute or work a compressed schedule that eliminates a commute.

Through the Relax Rewards program, you could win fabulous prizes for choosing one of these commute alternatives.

For more information, contact Jennifer Burley.

November 2008:
Take advantage of motor pool for off-campus trips

Looking for a way to carpool to meetings or take groups to off-campus field trips or events? Consider the UW Tacoma Motor Pool. Facilities Services has three vehicles available for use by faculty and staff.

The vehicles are provided at cost for individuals and departments authorized to travel on UW Tacoma business. Use of a vehicle will be charged to the campus department requesting its use.

A five-passenger station-wagon, seven-passenger van and 3/4-ton pickup are available. Contact Facilities for more information at facility@u.washington.edu or 2-5700.

Commuting News is provided by Jennifer Burley, UW Tacoma Transportation Coordinator.