Let’s Work. Play. H O S TED BY:
relax ON the way.
Ride Transit Month is brought to you by Transportation Choices, a statewide organization working to bring
Washingtonians more opportunities to take a bus, catch a train, walk and bike.
Learn more at transportationchoices.org
R I D E TR A NSIT MONT H IS P R ESENT ED BY:
COMMUNIT Y PA RT NER S
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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
GET STARTED
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JOIN RIDE TRANSIT MONTH
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RIDE TO SUCCESS
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• Employer Guide
• Rider Guide
THE BENEFITS
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RESOURCES
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G E T S TA RT E D
HIGHLIGHTS
• Registration opens May 1st 2017
• Kick off June 1st 2017
• Sign up at ridetransitmonth.org
• Pledge to support transit and win prizes
• What is Ride Transit Month?
Ride Transit month is a celebration of transit riders in Washington state. Get on board and show
your support for transit by taking the pledge—it’s quick, easy, and enters you to win great prizes.
All month long, join Transportation Choices as we celebrate all riders with events, prizes, and
encouragement. Just choose your favorite mode—bus, light rail, train, ferry, vanpool, or water taxi
and enjoy the ride. Whether you’re new to transit or are a regular rider, we’re all in this together.
Join the community and enter to win at ridetransitmonth.org.
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JOIN RIDE TRANSIT MONTH
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JOIN RIDE TRANSIT MONTH
Take the pledge – It takes less than a minute to show your support for public
transportation. Go to ridetransitmonth.org, to take the Ride Transit pledge.
Get rewarded – Just by affirming your passion for transit you will be entered to
win amazing prizes, and get access to a community that supports transit.
Keep winning – Challenge yourself to go for Gold! Log your trips and be entered
to win. Follow us on facebook and twitter for weekly opportunities to win even
more prizes.
Join the community – Share your transit selfie, the view from your ride, or
a moment shared in motion and see how others are celebrating Ride Transit
month.
FAQ
How can I support ride transit month?
It’s easy and takes less than a minute to take the pledge. For bonus points, tell your friends so they can
win too.
Who can participate?
Anyone! Even if you’ve never taken transit it’s not too late to start. It only takes one trip to discover the
benefits.
What modes are included?
Bus, train, lightrail, vanpool, passenger ferry, and water taxi.
Do I have to log trips?
Nope, but you could win big! After you’ve taken the pledge create an account at Rideshareonline to
record your trips, and challenge yourself to reach Gold level.
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EMPLOYER GUIDE
EMPLOYER GUIDE
Riding transit is a win-win, not only does it help you as an employer meet
transportation goals or compliance, but it supports happier, healthier
employees. With warmer weather on the way, and prizes provided, June is
the perfect time to help your employees make the change. Leverage resources
and enthusiasm from Ride Transit month to help your transportation program
thrive.
TOP 3 WAYS TO ENCOURAGE NEW TRANSIT RIDERS
AND SUPPORT EXISTING ONES
Provide incentives like orca cards
Communicate the details of Ride Transit month
Support your employees with resources and encouragement
INCENTIVES
Orca cards
Make boarding easy, just load the card online and tap the reader when boarding.
• Orca Business Choice - Great for offering a partial fare subsidy
• Orca Business Passport - Annual program that covers all employees
Offer alternatives
Sometimes people worry that if they use transit, they won’t be able to make it
home or to daycare in case of emergency. One way to ease this fear is to offer
taxi/Uber/Lyft rides if employees have to work late or have daytime emergencies
during the month. Not everyone lives near a bus stop.
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EMPLOYER GUIDE
COMMUNICATE
Find sample content below and at Ridetransitmonth.org/resources
Checklist
Send email & post in online hubs
Hang posters in breakrooms and bathrooms
Share on social, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Communication Calendar
• May 9th. Ride Transit Month is Coming! Sign up before June 1st for Early
bird prizes.
• June 1st. Ride Transit is Here! Take the pledge today to win.
• June 5th – 11th. Share your #facesoftransit, with a selfie of you on transit, tag
@transportationchoices, and use #ridetransit to be entered to win.
• June 12th – 18th. Where does transit take you? Share your favorite Transit
Destination, tag @transportationchoices, and use #ridetransit to be
entered to win.
• June 19th – 25th. Share a connection you’ve made on transit! Maybe it was a convo
with a stranger, crossing paths with an old friend, or meeting your soul mate. What
connections have you made? Tag @transportationchoices, and use #ridetransit to
be entered to win.
• June 26th – 30th. Tag a friend! Share why you take transit, and tag a friend who
should try it. Tag @transportationchoices, and use #ridetransit to be entered
to win.
• June 20th – Don’t forget to take the pledge and get rewarded for your trips!
• June 27th – June is almost over, have you completed your pledge yet?
• June 30th – Congrats, you’ve completed Ride Transit month.
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EMPLOYER GUIDE
Email
• Hi Team!
• June is Ride Transit Month! During the month of June, show your support by
taking the Ride Transit pledge and earn prizes!
• It’s simple – just go to http://www.ridetransitmonth.org and register. You can
also log your trips online to win more prizes!
• Visit http://www.ridetransitmonth.org for more information and while you
are there check out the cool events scheduled for June.
• Let me know if you have any questions!
Hang posters in breakrooms and around the office
Download posters in different sizes at ridetransitmonth.org/employer-resources
or connect with the Ride Transit Team to get some in the mail at
[email protected].
Newsletter
Short description: This June is your opportunity to try public transportation. Whether you’ve never
ridden a bus or train or there’s a new route you’ve been meaning to try, Ride Transit Month offers the
resources, motivation, and incentives you need to take the plunge. Register at www.ridetransitmonth.org.
Medium description: Ride Transit month is a celebration of transit riders in Washington state. Get on
board and show your support for transit by taking the pledge—it’s quick, easy, and enters you to win
great prizes. Whether you ride a bus, train, light rail, ferry, or vanpool, we are in this together! Take the
pledge and join a community of transit riders. You’ll gain motivation to keep going, not only in reducing
your carbon footprint and increasing your health and you’ll be eligible for prizes just for riding! Register at
www.ridetransitmonth.org.
Longer description: Are you transit curious? Want to take the bus but not sure where to start? Tired of
watching trains whiz by while you sit in traffic? Maybe you just want to save money on gas and parking.
Now is your chance to give public transportation a try! This June, challenge yourself to take the bus or
train to a place you would normally drive. Ride Sound Transit’s Sounder commuter train to work, take a
King County Metro bus to a Seahawks game, or relax on Amtrak for a business trip to Portland. Participate
in Ride Transit Month, and you could win prizes just for riding! Register at
www.ridetransitmonth.org.
Post in your employee hub
June is Ride Transit month! Take the bus, lightrail, train, vanpool etc. and be rewarded with awesome
prizes. Now is the perfect time to discover how riding transit can save you money, time, and headache.
Learn more and sign up at www.ridetransitmonth.org.
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EMPLOYER GUIDE
Social media
Follow Transportation Choices at @transpochoices and www.facebook.com/
TranspoChoices.
All month long we’ll be using the hashtag #RideTransit. Just tag your posts with
#RideTransit during the month of June and you’ll be eligible to win prizes! Here are
some sample posts to get you started.
• Join us and @transportationchoices all month long in celebrating transit in
Washington state with Ride Transit month, show your support for transit and take
the pledge at ridetransitmonth.org.
• Saving money, time searching for a parking spot, and the freedom to enjoy the
ride are just a few of the reasons transit makes for a great commute. Find out how
a new mode could revolutionize your commute at ridetransitmonth.org.
• When you take transit you can work, play, and relax on the way. Hop on board
and experience the benefits during Ride Transit month, June 1st – 31st.
Email signature
June is Ride Transit Month! Take the pledge and win!
n!
SUPPORT YOUR RIDERS
WORKPLACE TRANSIT CHEAT SHEET
Transit isn’t just about getting to and from work. Post a list of the
routes serving your workplace to areas your employees might
like to go for lunch or after work (e.g. the Stadiums, International
District, or to Westlake to run errands).
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EMPLOYER GUIDE
BUS BUDDIES
Partner up less experienced riders with transit pros. Set up a listserv or forum for employees who are
coming from the similar locations to meet up and ride together. Having a friend to show you the ropes
your first time makes transit much less intimidating! Transit newbies will be riding confidently on their
own in no time!
FUEL FOR RIDERS – WORKPLACE LUNCH OR BREAKFAST
Host a fun breakfast or lunch for your employees who rode transit that day! It’s a great incentive and
motivation to try transit. It can be as simple or elaborate as you like. You can honor the employees who
take the most trips during the month of June with bagels, or you can just have a fun happy hour with
other transit loving staff members.
CELEBRATE AT RIDE TRANSIT EVENTS
We have a lot of Ride Transit events to share with participants. The goal is simple: Have fun. Most of
the events are low or no-cost and will get your employees thinking outside of the box when it comes to
taking transit. Get the most up-to-date information at ridetransitmonth.org/events.html.
TRANSIT TRIVIA NIGHT
• June 8 | Fado Irish Pub | Seattle | 5:30PM to 8:30PM
• Can you tell the difference between an electric trolley bus and a bio-diesel? Does TOD make you weak
in the knees? Do you like to drink cold beverages and eat food? If you answered yes to any of these
questions, then Transit Trivia night is for you! Win prizes, bragging rights, and fun transit facts to wow
your friends.
TRANSIT TALK: MOMENTS IN MOTION
• June 15 | Rendezvous, Jewelbox Theater | Seattle | 6:00PM to 8:00PM
• Have you ever had a moment that made you realize how great transit is? Maybe a spontaneous
conversation with a stranger that left you smilg? Join us for a collection of these moments presented
at a live storytelling event. We’ll be highliting the unique way that transit connects us to each other
with short stories told by riders of all kinds.
Transit Happy Hour Celebration
• June 29 | Optimism Brewery | Seattle | 7:00AM to 9:00AM
• It isn’t often our transit riders get to hear “Thank You!” just for taking the bus or train. We’ll be out
thanking commuters for using transit. Coffee, treats, and prizes will be handed out to thank everyone
for using transit and promoting signups for trip logging for Ride Transit Month.
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EMPLOYER GUIDE
FACES OF TRANSIT
Help tell the story of transit by profiling riders, or encouraging them to take a selfie while on
transit. New riders are more likely to try transit if they see their co-workers riding, and regular
riders deserve a thank you! Acknowledge employees who ride by sharing their story, celebrate
transit heroes by giving them a shoutout, or show us how your team celebrates Ride Transit month
with a photo. And don’t forget if you use social media to use the #RideTransit hashtag!
Here are some fun examples
• http://www.nextstopstl.org/14442/passenger-profile-annie/
• http://www.nextstopstl.org/14679/passenger-profile-greg/
• http://howweroll.trimet.org/2012/08/07/rider-profile-one-of-the-reasons-i-moved-to-portland-waspublic-transportation/
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RIDER GUIDE
RIDER GUIDE
BE IN THE KNOW
Apps make knowing when your bus will arrive and planning
your trip easy! There are a lot of options; you can feature your
favorites with testimonials in communications to your employees.
• Google Maps: google.com/maps
• King County Metro Trip Planner Mobile App: metro.kingcounty.gov/trip-planner/mobile-apps/
• One Bus Away: onebusaway.org
• Transit App: transitapp.com
• Sound Transit Trip Planner: soundtransit.org/Trip-Planner
KNOW YOUR SCHEDULE
• Reading a transit schedule can be a challenge. What stop do I look for? What route will get your
employees closest to home?
• All routed bus schedules read from left to right, as the bus travels. Across the top of each schedule
is a list of places along that route that the bus will pass by and the times the bus is due at that point.
These are called “timepoints”. The list of timepoints are there to help you judge when to expect the
bus to come by your stop. The locations of those time points are also show on the schedule route
map.
• Bus operators are very friendly and willing to help, just be sure to ask when the bus isn’t moving!
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COMMUTER CHECKLIST
The great thing about transit is that you don’t “need” much more
than yourself and an ORCA Card. However, a few items may be handy
especially with unpredictable weather in the springtime!
• ORCA Card or fare for your ticket.
• Ride Guide Bus Schedule.
• Hand sanitizer, plastic bag, wipes or napkins – Because you just never know, and it’s better to be
prepared.
• Backpack or bag – To hold everything you need for the day while keeping your hands free in case you
need to stand and hang on for your ride.
• Comfortable shoes – Even if your bus stop is close, chances are you’ll have to walk a little bit on one
or both ends of your transit trip. Nothing creates a cranky transit rider quicker than soggy cold feet.
• Headphones – Catch up on the latest podcast or jam out to some transit friendly tunes.
• Packable tote bag – Everyone has to schlep something sometimes, might as well be prepared for it.
Groceries, extra space for bringing work home. It’s versatile, earth friendly, and space saving!
• Entertainment – A smart phone, tablet, Kindle, or a book. The best part about taking transit is it
allows you to kick back, relax and take some time for yourself!
• Rain jacket or umbrella – for those surprise rain storms or misty mornings.
• Portable charger – for your device is a “nice to have”, not essential but a dead phone can make for a
very long bus ride.
• Bright Clothing or reflective gear – Transit riders are all pedestrians too. Make sure you wear
clothing that can easily be spotted in a crosswalk, or consider attaching blinking lights to your jacket
or backpack.
• Snacks – Of course we don’t condone eating on the bus. But it’s always nice to have a backup plan for
those times when unforeseen delays cause your stomach to start growling. A snack bar stowed away
for just such an occasion can prove invaluable.
• Last but not least: a good attitude! Riding transit is great for your health,
the environment and for your pocketbook. Just keep that in mind when
One Bus Away is telling you that your bus is late!
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THE BENEFITS
THE BENEFITS
The benefits of transit are already well known, but heres a refresher
Reducing Congestion
Transit’s impact on reducing congestion has also resulted in significant savings
for drivers and their communities.
Without transit, drivers would have used:1
• 450 million more gallons of gasoline because of added roadway congestion;
• Drivers would have been stuck in traffic an additional 865 million hours.
• 1 full bus carries the same number of people as 60+ cars.
Savings in your Pocket
Individuals who switch from driving to taking public transit can
save, on average almost $9,986 this year, and up to $828 a month.2
publictransportation.org/tools/transitsavings
Happier Employees
Public transportation options are considered the best for digital socializing and
among the most likely to connect the user with their communities. Transit also
allows for more productive employees who can work as they travel.
Healthier Employees
• Public transportation tends to increase physical activity, since most public
transit trips involve walking links and transit systems often provide amenities
such as bike racks on buses and lockers at stations.
• Although Americans only walk an average of about 6 daily minutes overall,
public transit users spend a median of 19 daily minutes walking, which nearly
achieves the target of 22 daily minutes of moderate physical activity.3
1. Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University, Urban Mobility Report (accessed April 3, 2015) Online: http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/
2. American Public Transportation Association, Transit Savings Report (accessed April 3, 2015) Online: http://www.publictransportation.org/tools/
transitsavings/Pages/
3. Lilah M. Besser and Andrew L. Dannenberg (2005), “Walking to Public Transit: Steps to Help Meet Physical Activity Recommendations,”
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Vo. 29, No. 4 (www.acpm.org); Online: www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/articles/besser_dannenberg.pdf
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RESOURCES
WEBSITES
Choice Words: http://www.transportationchoices.org/blog
Seattle Transit Blog: http://www.seattletransitblog.com
Bus Chick: http://www.buschick.com
West Seattle Transit Coalition: http://www.westseattletc.org
Transit Riders Union: http://transitriders.org
Benefits of Using Transit: http://www.publictransportation.org
4 Reasons to take transit to work: http://www.workawesome.com/general/public-transportation
VIDEOS
How to Sound Transit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E585uaQpvU
How to ride link to the airport:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvH4Xg3pT4w
How to take your bike on a bus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WplF_wxhgzM
How to take your bike on light rail:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkMZ7Vtc9ZE
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