Traffic on I-5, Courtesy of WSDOT
April 1st is Drive to Work Day, an event created to raise awareness of car driving among pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders. The Seattle Transit Blog is joining with other local groups and a world-wide-movement to promote Drive to Work Day in order to increase gas tax revenues for the Washington State Department of Transportation so that new roads projects can be started in our area. Our state transportation budget is severely in the red and more driving is the only means to more revenue for our state.
Each day millions of car drivers are put in danger, forced to drive more quickly in less traffic or otherwise inconvenienced by those on foot, on the bus or on bike. The millions of Americans who take transit, ride their bike or walk to work each day are not taking part in the American Dream of driving a single-occupancy-vehicle to work, and are causing millions of acres of land in United States to go unpaved every year. Do your part and make roads safe for single-occupancy vehicles: Drive To Work Today!
H/T to Bernie.
Haha. Nice one.
This is so beautiful. What a great way to wake up!
We can only hope that, someday, EVERYDAY will be Drive to Work Day.
In support of this effort, IBM is no longer paying for internet access of its “at home” employees.
This isn’t a joke, actually
link
It is however tax deductible if the employee pays for it, as is a portion of any mortgage or rent payment. IBM is still a great company but take heed those who might think Microsoft will continue to grow forever.
On a happier note, I heard on the news this morning that one area of the economy that seems to be recession proof is the video game industry. Nintendo is rivaling Microsoft now in construction activity and I’m sure Microsoft is glad to have diversified. Plus there are several spin-off software companies in the area.
I saw an article touting why a robust economic system should be like an ecosystem. In made me think that a good transportation system should have the same characteristics. A variety of choices and modes so that when one fails the others can take up the slack. We saw this with ferries in San Francisco after the bridge collapse. Less catastrophic but felt none the less was the shift to transit when gas prices spiked. Weather, volcanos and the business environment can all ground the airlines. Somali pirates can hold shipping hostage. Landslides can stop trains in there tracks. We need to work on them all.
OK, back to pruning my spaghetti bushes now ;^)
Funny you should mention this. I was speaking to a UW professor involved in biotech research last night. According to him Seattle is #1 in biotech research but only #8 in commercial biotech ventures. We’re doing a poor job moving things from the lab to commercial applications.
Clarification: Seattle is #1 in publicly funded biotech research (due to UW, Fred Hutch, and Seattle Children’s). I’m pretty sure the privately funded research in Boston is larger, but I suppose if you count the Gates Foundation as private that might not be true anymore. A big part of the problem is that UW’s TechTransfer office was until recently run by overprotective lawyers mainly worried about liability. The good news is that the new UW TechTransfer management is promoting entrepreneurial training.
(Full disclosure: I work in biomedical translational research.)
http://www.endicottalliance.org/
I realize this is a joke, but the expense of really driving to work today would be a great reminder of why we don’t!
Almost believable…. but the opening two words gave it away.
Thanks to the recession, “Drive to Work Day” has been canceled…We are substituting, “Call and Wait” day where you call your local unemployment office and wait for the next available operator to assist you. Remember, just like “Drive to Work Day” we handle each person on a first come first served and that wait times are less during off hours. :>
Actually traffic was pretty light last night and today. Spring break may have people taking a vacation?
Also if you look at the traffic map, going to Kirkland and Bellevue from points North is backed up but Seattle isn’t. A shift in jobs pattern?
An actual Drive to Work day would do more to create awareness for the benefits of investing in more transit than any ad campaign I can envision. Many just aren’t aware of the # of cars a bus full of passengers is able to eliminate from the roads and parking spots in the downtown core.
Anyone notify Tim Eyman about this? Oh that’s right. He needs a job to commute to.
Good April 1 joke BTW.
I would advocate a day where we use the car, even when it is un-necessary. Like the scene in L.A. Story where they drive from one house to the one next-door. Walk the dog from your car. Drive from your condo or apartment to the corner store, etc. Drive, Baby, Drive! And then show how we car-avoiders can f- up the economy and the city, if you don’t give us our alternatives!
When is Henry Ford’s birthday? That’d be the day for this zany adventure!
haha would if I could (regulars here know why)
And I know I’m a day late, still gives me the giggles
@Lloyd: Henry Ford’s birthday is July 30th. There’s time to organize ;)