What is the Low-Car Diet?
For one month, Zipcar is asking you to put down your keys and find out what the Zipcar way of life is all about. Folks from all over North American Zipcar cities will rise to the challenge, committing their keys and their consciences to being car free. They’ll be tweeting, taking photos, and logging miles biked, walked, and driven during their Low-Car Diet experience.

What do you have to do?
Aside from committing to parking your personal vehicle for one month and sharing all the details of your experience, Zipcar asks that you attend the opening and closing ceremonies, where you’ll get to meet your fellow Low-Car Dieters. You may also be asked to give interviews to the press or chronicle your experiences in more depth.

What’s in it for you?
Participants will get their first year Zipcar annual and application fee waived, and driving credit (along with a “car-free” survival kit filled with goodies from our sponsors) for the duration of the program.

So what do you say? Are you up for the Low-Car Diet?
Fill out Zipcar’s questionnaire here. 30 participants per city will be chosen. Low-Car Diet will begin September 14 and end on October 12. Good luck!

Flexible carpooling – also called slugging, casual carpooling, and instant carpooling – is a new option for commuters to get to and from where they need to go by sharing the ride with no prearrangement. This type of carpooling is popular and effective on certain corridors in the Bay Area and DC.

Each ride match will be automatically verified using Avego Corporations’s Shared Transportation system, a smartphone app that combines real-time ridematching with fully automated security features, real-time passenger information, and electronic micro-payments between rider and driver based on vehicle miles traveled.  The system creates an incentive for drivers to conduct at least 20 ride matches per month, resulting in 30,000 fewer trips over the 6-month duration of the pilot.

Avego will partner on the program with Nelson\Nygaard and the University of Washington, who will handle marketing and outreach, and pilot program evaluation, respectively.

For more information, including safety features and project goals, check out what WSDOT and Avego have to say about the pilot. You can also check out Avego in action by watching this video:

Do you think real-time ridesharing will be the answer to the community’s congestion? Is this a service you would use? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

Walk Downtown Bellevue
The first 1,000 Walk Downtown Bellevue participants will receive a free Starter Kit, including an Overlake Hospital pedometer, a walking map, a DavidBartonGym at The Bravern water bottle and a reusable BECU shopping bag.

Sign-up/Starter Kit Locations:

Track your steps and get walking tips at bellevuedowntown.com/walk.  The overall step count will be announced at the Live at Lunch Concert on September 2.  And be on the lookout for the “Walk Downtown Bellevue Prize Patrol”. They will be handing out prizes to walkers who show their pedometer at select concerts.  For a complete Live at Lunch concert schedule, visit bellevuedowntown.org/events/liveatlunch.

Bellwether 2010: Art Walk Bellevue
Take the walk and see the art! This year the Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition has gone outside its traditional boundaries of City Hall and Downtown Park to include art installments all throughout Downtown. The new three-quarter-mile “art walk” features 26 art works and begins at Bellevue City Hall. The route continues on the pedestrian corridor along NE 6th Street to Bellevue Way NE and finishes in Downtown Park. An opening celebration for the exhibit will be held on Saturday, June 26 at 6 p.m. at Bellevue City Hall. Pick up a Bellwether 2010 art guide at City Hall’s Service First Desk.

More info can be found at www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/bellwether2010.htm.

There are a variety of shower options in Downtown Bellevue to help with this smelly situation. If your building doesn’t have shower facilities, there are several Downtown fitness centers that offer discounted shower memberships to bike commuters:

Extreme Fitness Studios
Symetra Financial Center—777 108th Avenue NE
425-283-1971
admin.efsbellevue@gmail.com 

Shawn Casey Results Fitness
Pacific Plaza—155 108th Avenue NE 
425-451-8281 
shawn@shawncaseyinc.com

Skyline Tower Fitness Center
10900 NE 4th Street
425-462-2107

Need a place to park and store your bicycle?
Check out the following options to park and lock up your bike securely:

Commuter Connection:
Located at the Bellevue Transit Center, this facility offers secure bicycle parking, members only restroom facilities, and more. Membership fee: $50 for 6 months.

The following buildings have locked bicycle facilities for their tenants:
333 Building
City Center Plaza
Key Center
Symetra Financial Center
The Bravern
And over 60 bike racks available in other buildings and throughout downtown!

What about repairs?
The following shops offer quick fix repairs and overhauls:

Commuter Connection (Repair)
Bellevue Transit Center—108th Avenue NE & NE 6th Street
Repair Services available Tuesdays from 8:30 am – 5:00pm
http://www.ChooseYourWayBellevue.org/Commuter-Connection-Store

Gregg’s Cycle (Repair and Accessories)
105 Bellevue Way NE
Weekdays 10:00am – 8:00pm, Weekends 10:00am – 6:00pm
http://www.greggscycles.com/

Need help planning your bicycle commute route?
Check out these online resources to help you plan your bike route to work:

Google Bike:
www.maps.google.com/biking

Cascade Bicycle Club Commuter Messaging Board
www.cascade.org/Community/forum

<< Download a printable version of Downtown Bellevue’s Bicycle Resources >>

-Jordan

• A trip calendar to help you earn rewards and track your fuel and greenhouse gas reductions.

• Matching options to find a “Bike Buddy”.

• Expanded ridematching options to include one-time trips, personal trips, and special events.

• Bus options included with your match list (where Google Trip Planning is available).

Employers can also log in to manage their employee transportation programs, promote the benefits of their program to employees, and track and report the reduction in vehicle miles traveled and fuel and greenhouse gas reductions.

What do you think about the new RideshareOnline.com? Is there a new tool that you find most useful? Tell Choose Your Way Bellevue your reaction by posting a comment below!

-Jordan

To help me get ready to ride, I am planning to take part in the following events leading up to and during Bike to Work Month:

APRIL 6, COMMUTER CONNECTION FREE BICYCLE REPAIR DAY: I can take my bike into Commuter Connection, located at the Rider Services Center at the Bellevue Transit Center, on April 6^th from 8:30am to 5:00pm to receive small repairs such as a flat tire fix or a brake adjustment for free.

APRIL 28, INTRODUCTION TO BICYCLE COMMUTING CLASS: Cascade Bicycle Club and the City of Bellevue will be hosting a free Introduction to Bicycle Commuting Class on April 28, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in City Hall room 1E-113. At the class, I can learn the basics of bicycle commuting directly from the experts!

MAY 21, BIKE TO WORK DAY: The official Bike to Work Day is May 21^stand Choose Your Way Bellevue is hosting Downtown Bellevue’s Commute Station at Commuter Connection from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.  I can stop by on my bike for coffee, snacks and give-aways.

Any other bikers out there have suggestions of steps I can take to get started?  Any stories you want to share?

Check back in throughout April and May to see how I am doing.

-Caryn

In concurrence with the increase of better pedestrian and biking options around Bellevue, Choose Your Way Bellevue recently updated the Downtown Bellevue Pedestrian Guide Map. You may download and print a copy on the ChooseYourWayBellevue.org website, or stop by one of the following locations to pick up your own pocket-size hard copy:

• Commuter Connection (In the Rider Services Building at the Bellevue Transit Center; Monday-Friday, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.)
• Service First Desk at Bellevue City Hall (450 110th Avenue NE; Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)
• Bellevue Downtown Association (500 108th Avenue NE; Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)

Other cities in our region are equally concerned with their pedestrian environments. Some are even launching safety campaigns. The Portland Bureau of Transportation released a short animated film about Oregon crosswalk laws. The film, “Every Corner Is A Crosswalk”, graphically illustrates responsibilities that both drivers and pedestrians have to make our roadway safer for everyone. Should the City of Bellevue or other organizations create PSA’s like the video done in Portland to further increase pedestrian safely? Check out the video below:

What do you think about Bellevue’s environment for pedestrians, specifically in downtown? Is it meeting the needs of the 45,000 workers and 6,500 residents currently circulating in the downtown core on a day-to-day basis? What pedestrian or bike friendly projects would you like to see move forward on the priority list? Comment on this post below and let us know your thoughts.

-Jordan

The best solution to saving money and time each day might be to give up the commute all together and live near work.  The financial cost of commuting is well documented.  Solo drivers in the United States spend on average $4,000 per year on driving to and from work.  The environmental impacts by commuters are gaining increased attention.  But less discussed are the social implications in commuting.

People that commute less tend to be happier.  In a German study, it was concluded that a person’s life satisfaction steadily decreases with longer commutes.  One reason, according to Robert Putnam (Harvard University professor and leading author) is that a person’s social connections are reduced by 10% for every 10 minutes of commute time.  This reduces the number of interactions with friends and the community.  People have less time to spend on personal relationships, attend events and have fun.

There are also health benefits to reducing a commute.  First, commuters have less time to eat well, get good sleep and participate in physical activities.  Additionally, a University of California at Irvine study has shown that commuting stress takes a major toll on health.  High levels of stress can lead to increased blood pressure, a weakened immune system, and a number of other physical symptoms.  In fact, a BBC study concluded that commuters had higher blood pressure levels than pilots and police officers in training exercises.  Finally, sitting in a car for extended periods of time can easily lead to back problems.  Reducing one’s commute provides an opportunity to reduce health risks and have more time to take care of one’s self.

Downtown Bellevue has a number of downtown housing options to bring people near work.  In fact, there are over 6,000 units in the downtown core and over 3,300 new units have been added since 2005.  An extra hour each day is five hours per week.  Over the year, this is an extra ten days to do something other than being stuck in traffic- that adds up to two full work weeks!  A move downtown can bring financial savings, physical well-being and increased life satisfaction!

-Michael

Also follow these easy travel tips to spend more time enjoying the holiday sights, sounds and celebrations in Downtown Bellevue.

TRY THE NE 4TH STREET EXIT: Driving to the Bellevue Collection? You may save time by skipping NE 8th Street. NE 2nd and NE 10th will help you bypass backups as well. And, if you’re coming from the east side of Bellevue, try the new NE 10th Street overpass bridge.

RIGHT TURN STRATEGY: If The Bravern is your destination, make a right turn into garage entrances on 110th Avenue NE, NE 8th Street or 112th Avenue NE. If you’re traveling west on NE 8th, you can legally make a U-turn at the 110th Avenue NE intersection to get going in the “right” direction.

2+ PEOPLE: Arriving with friends or family in your car? Take advantage of the direct access ramp at NE 6th Street, as well as HOV lanes on I-405, I-90 and parts of SR-520.

ON-STREET PARKING: Park steps from the doors of your favorite shops in Old Bellevue for up to two hours.

WATCH FOR PEDESTRIANS: With so much going on downtown, even more people will be out and about on foot. Please use caution when making turns.

TRANSIT:Try the bus. Metro and Sound Transit provide many routes to the Downtown Bellevue Transit Center. Route and schedule information is available at metro.kingcounty.gov and soundtransit.org.

Have a holiday travel idea to share with other Choose Your Way Bellevue readers? Click on the “Add a Comment” link below this post to share your tip!

-Jordan

Given the location of the world’s petroleum reserves, when Americans pull out their credit cards at the gas pump, they indirectly fund the economies of countries like Iran, Venezuela, Libya, Sudan, and not to mention Al Qaeda (whose financial backers include many who are in the fossil fuels business). Even if the oil sold in the US comes from Alaska, Texas or allies like Norway, American demand drives up the price of the commodity, thereby pumping huge flows of dollars into the treasuries of its enemies. If Americans start thinking about their dependence on oil as equivalent to providing assistance to our enemies, more citizens would be open to looking for and practicing alternatives.

Dujarric doesn’t believe we should throw out the environmental arguments altogether. He instead believes supporting them with a new patriotic message might do the trick to cutting down our oil consumption. What motivates and inspires you to decrease your carbon footprint? Is it saving endangered species and improving air quality or is it protecting US borders? Let us know your thoughts about the climate change debate by submitting a comment below. Also, be sure to calculate your own carbon footprint on our carbon emissions calculator. You may be surprised at what you find!

-Jordan