As part of the update to the Downtown Transportation Plan, the City of Bellevue is sponsoring two upcoming bicycle rides that are must-attends if you’re interested in the future of cycling in our community.

The first ride is geared towards Bellevue residents, and will take place this Saturday, September 24, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. We’ll meet at local favorite Top Pot Doughnuts for a snack, and then take a ride through downtown, visiting places like the Bellevue Downtown Park, the King County Library, Old Bellevue and City Hall. Along the way, we’ll identify potential traffic signal improvements, and make suggestions for future signage and way-finding mechanisms. The pace will be leisurely and relaxed, and the length of the ride is approximately 3 miles.

The second is geared towards bicycle commuters to downtown Bellevue, and will take place on Wednesday, September 28 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. We will meet at Compass Plaza at Bellevue Galleria and from there branch into two groups. One of the groups will head northward towards the SR 520 floating bridge, and the other will head in the direction of the I-90 trail. Along the way, we will identify potential way-finding and signal improvements. Both will loop back and finish at Compass Plaza, with a happy hour to follow depending upon interest.

Both of the events are absolutely free of charge, and all abilities are welcome. Helmets are required and heavy rain cancels. Please RSVP to hayley@bellevuedowntown.org.

See you out there!

As we gear up for Bike Month in May, we want to demonstrate that people do bike in Bellevue—contrary to what the perception may be. So, we’re running a “Spot a Cyclist Contest” from now until April 17th.  To participate, simply take a photo of a cyclist or evidence of bicycle infrastructure—bike lanes, bike racks, or bicycles around town, and post it to our Facebook page along with your email address. Just for posting, you will automatically win your choice of a Choose Your Way Bellevue pen, tote bag or bike/walk safety light! The best photo of all will make it onto our Bike Month promotional materials (with due credit of course)!

Help us give visibility to our bikers! Spot a cyclist—and win!

The darling of transportation planners and urbanists alike, the bike-share concept is exploding worldwide, as cities as diverse as Minneapolis to Montreal to Mumbai seek to increase bicycle usage and decrease reliance on the automobile, particularly for trips less than three miles. According to Portland Online, Bike Sharing has the ability to “increase number of bicycling trips, introduce new people to active transportation, reduce peak-hour pressure on transit and provide the “last mile” connection between transit stop and final destination, reduce automobile trips, and improve livability.” There are now over 230 bike sharing programs worldwide, and along with them comes an incredible number of success stories: Washington DC’s Capital Bike Share has generated 115,000 trips in just four months, Barcelona’s Bicing has replaced 10% of automobile trips, and Dublin’s DublinBikes has over 40,000 active members.

What does it take to implement a successful bike-sharing program? There as many different models as there are colors with which to paint the bikes! Some are membership only and require a membership Smartcard to check out a bike, though some are credit card or cell phone activated. The most successful programs tend to be a self service model with a progressive rate structure that allows the first 30 minutes of the trip to be free, acting as an incentive to try it out. Another determinant of success is how widely available the bikes are—they must be placed in a high density centers near employment and universities, and their placement must be strategic and convenient. The systems also vary a great deal with regard to their funding sources—some operate as public/private partnerships, some are paid for by exclusive advertising rights on shelters and bikes, and some are the recipients of grant and philanthropic dollars.

Would bike-share be a solution to Bellevue’s traffic woes? Bellevue ostensibly presents a challenge to even the most experienced cyclists because so many of the roadways are designed primarily for cars, with heavy, fast moving traffic at almost any hour of the day. However, what we lack in roadspace we make up for in sidewalks—they’re nice and wide and perfectly legal to ride upon. Another obstacle is the number of hills that grace downtown Bellevue—rendering an intense workout inevitable. But there are a number of innovative new technologies such as the Copenhagen Wheel, which give cyclists a boost when they need it and could be included in the bicycle fleet. And of course there’s the chicken or the egg argument—which comes first, improved bicycle infrastructure, or more cyclists on the streets? Janagram has recognized that a huge part of his programs success is connecting commuters to their ultimate destinations—be it from bus stop to office or park and ride to home—which would be difficult in Bellevue, given the distance from which people commute. But if Janagram’s success is any indication, sometimes all it takes is a good idea and a dedicated individual to get an entire city in motion.

What do you think? Could bike sharing work in Bellevue? Join the conversation!

Question 4:  We are concerned about data security and the amount of traffic our Intranet system can handle. Is this typically a major investment that companies need to make associated with telecommuting?

Rick’s Reply: The technology that supports telework/telecommuting programs has not only become much less expensive over the last several years, but it is also much more robust, user-friendly, and in many cases does not require the purchase of new hardware. Financial and health institutions have found that these systems are robust enough to meet federal requirements.  We also work with several architecture and engineering companies that have no problem with data security needs or handling very large drawing files. Other benefits of these systems are that they track and control access to files, provide file revision control and allow employees to be productive while travelling, working remotely and at client sites. Microsoft, Citrix Online, Adobe and other software providers offer online collaboration tools that support teleworkers at a very low price point. If you have more specific questions or would like additional information feel free to contact TAG.

If you’re planning to speak with your boss soon about this increasingly popular alternative commute option, check out these posts where Goodman offeres insight (and some scientific proof!) that you can use to make your telework case stronger:

• How to convince your boss to let you work from home (11/27/10)
• How telecommuting can save your company big bucks (07/02/10)
• Employees, don’t wait for the next Earth Day to green your job (04/24/10)
• Holiday deals for teleworkers seeking office space (12/04/09)
• More ammo for employees hoping to telecommute (11/21/09)
• How much money could working from home save you? (10/11/09)
• How telecommuters can steer clear of layoffs (04/15/09)

If you’ve experimented with teleworking or have done it for years, comment below and let us know how about your experience. What resources were most helpful in making the switch?

Question 1: What are the risks associated with telecommuting in terms of liability, workers’ compensation, illegal activities in the household, etc.?

Rick’s Reply: A quick disclaimer. Telecomuting Advantage Group (TAG) is not a legal firm. You should confirm any information with a Labor attorney. This response is based on TAG’s experiences and information obtained from our Labor attorneys. A link has been included below that provides information about OSHA’s removal of home-based workers from OSHA standards. In effect, the employee becomes responsible for the safety of their work location, cleaning up spills, toys, etc. As an employer it is still important that you provide both home-office safety and ergonomic guidelines and include a location in your telework agreement that indicates that they have read and understand them. There are exceptions, such as employees who work with hazardous materials, in which the employer may still be held liable. Third-parties, whether co-workers, customers or suppliers are not allowed to conduct meetings at a teleworker’s home-location as the liability laws are not the same as those for the teleworker. Workers’ Comp issues have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. As you most likely do not have consistent visibility of how and where the employee is working, you cannot ensure that they are following the ergonomic guidelines. Again, the policy should state that they must have a suitable telework site and follow the ergonomic guidelines, but if an employee disregards these and files a complaint for something like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome it is up to the employer to determine how to proceed. This is true for any Worker’s Comp issue that may have occurred in the workplace as a result of conducting everyday work. If an employee is participating in illegal activities not associated with the employer while working from home the employer is not responsible. If an employee is using their employer’s data-files, personal information or other employer data the employer will have to show that they put sufficient safeguards in place, possibly including language in the policy, sufficient data access security, password protections, an office or filing cabinet that can be locked or other measures to allow a teleworker to handle data safely. Tracking data access via a remote terminal server or software such as GoToMyPC will allow eDiscovery tracking. Here is a link to the OSHA ruling: www.computerworld.com/s/article/40989/Telecommuters_Exempt_From_OSHA_Rules.

For most businesses, reducing expenses and providing additional employee benefits do not go hand in hand. However, many Downtown Bellevue companies are learning that offering employees various commute options can actually save them money. Employee parking is often a major cost of doing business; however with the addition of commute benefits, such as transit pass programs, companies can better manage and maintain their parking programs.

To learn more about how your company can save money with commute benefits attend the upcoming Commute Advantage Workshops that will be held on Tuesday, October 27 and Wednesday, October 28. Both workshops will be at 2:00p.m. in the TransManage office at 500 108th Avenue NE, Suite 210. Please RSVP to caryn@bellevuedowntown.org or 425-453-0644.

-Caryn