Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

-Jordan

Bellevue Magic Season and other holiday events are now in full swing. This season, enjoy all the holiday fun without the hassle of sitting in traffic or searching for parking. Take one of 24 Metro and Sound Transit bus routes that pass through the Bellevue Transit Center from locations near and far—Redmond, Everett, Issaquah and Kirkland just to name a few. Most Bellevue Magic Season venues are accessible by bus and a walk of 0.3 miles or less, so get on board and let getting here be part of the adventure. Plan your own excursion using ChooseYourWayBellevue.org or the regional trip planner at http://transit.metrokc.gov.

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

In recognition of International Walk to School Month we thought we would provide Choose Your Way Bellevue reader’s with a list of online resources to help you jump on the bandwagon of walking to school! Check out the links below, then talk with your children, friends, co-workers or schoolmates about starting up a walking (or biking) program at your own school!

• Official Website of International Walk to School Month
• Walking School Bus
• School Programs with Feet First: A local organization with the mission of building walkable communities
• Washington State Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School Program

-Jordan

Hey bicyclists―check out this “don’t miss” event! The City of Bellevue and Cascade Bicycle Club are presenting the Bicycle Maintenance Series during the month of November. Become a master of bicycle repairs and
start saving time and money!
Here are the details:

Cascade Bicycle Club professionals will teach the intricacies of bicycle mechanics and train participants to tackle all repairs efficiently on their own. Taught in a three-part series. Pick the course you need, or enroll in all three at a discount price. Necessary supplies and helpful handouts provided. Ages 15 and up only please. Enroll in all three courses for $120 and save! For more info and to RSVP visit www.MyParksAndRecreation.com or call 425-452-6885.

Fix a Flat
Monday, November 2, 6:30-9:00 p.m. $45
Learn basic maintenance techniques, including efficient flat tire repairs and everyday adjustments.

Chains and Derailleurs
Monday, November 16, 6:30-9:00 p.m. $45
Sync up those squeaky gears and bring your bike up to speed. This course will focus on the mechanics of shifting and turn you into a gear repair expert.

Brakes
Monday, November 23, 6:30-9:00 p.m. $45
Coaster? Disk? Pad? Don’t let technical braking mechanics keep you from obtaining premium braking power and safety. This course will focus on repairing braking systems so they are as strong and quite as when you bought the bike!

-Jordan

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

Riding the bus and saving energy go hand in hand! On Wednesday October 7, beginning at 7 a.m., Puget Sound Energy will give away energy-saving compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs to Sound Transit bus riders.

A magician will also be on hand at the transit center to entertain the Wednesday morning commuters. The magician will then ride the 564/565 Sound Transit routes through South King County, giving free CFL bulbs to bus passengers and at the Renton, Kent, and Auburn stations.

If you can’t make it Wednesday morning, or don’t ride the bus, don’t worry!  PSE customers can exchange up to 10 incandescent bulbs for free CFL bulbs at the remaining weekend Rock the Bulb events:

• Oct. 10-11, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Auburn Lowe’s (1232 A Street N.E.)
• Oct. 17-18, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Puyallup Lowe’s (301 27th Ave S.E.)
• Oct. 24-25, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Lacey Lowe’s (5610 Corp Center Lane S.)
• Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.: Olympia Lowe’s (4230 Martin Way East)

-Jordan

Photo Credit: Joshua Trujillo / seattlepi.com

The festive Blue Angels show is upon us. So to ensure to a worry-free Seafair weekend, make sure to plan ahead for the annual I-90 closures across Lake Washington. WSDOT will close all lanes of I-90 between I-5 and Island Crest Way for the following times between Thursday, July 30 and Sunday, August 2:

Date                                         I-90 Bridge Closures

Thursday, July 30                       9:45am-12pm &1:15 pm-2:30pm

Friday, July 31                           12:45pm-2:40pm

Saturday, August 1                    12:45pm-2:40pm           

Sunday, August 2                      12:45pm-2:40pm

The Island Crest Way and East Mercer Way exits will remain open however drivers, bus riders and bicyclists should be expectant of heavy congestion during and around the closure times.

If you still plan to cross Lake Washington via I-90, plan to get to the bridge an hour ahead of the closure time. As an alternative, The SR 520 bridge will be open to traffic during closures.

For additional information, please visit the WSDOT site: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2009/07/28_SeaFairBlueAngels.htm

Join TransManage every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday beginning July 7 at the Bellevue Downtown Association’s summer concert series, Live at Lunch. Bring your lunch and stop by the TransManage table to learn how to have a stress-free summer commute. For a list of what TransManage will be featuring each week, visit our events calendar!