May is Bike to Work Month

Pedal into spring with a host of bicycling activities during the month of May.

See the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation website for a comprehensive listing of Bike to Work Month activities including:

• The Fifth Annual Group Health Commuter Challenge--May 1-31.
• Starbucks Bike to Work Day--May 18
• Other special events in Bike to Work Month 2007

Vanpool Riders Needed

Trying to Find a Vanpool to Become Part Of? Look No Further...

The following vanpools that come to campus and the U-District are recruiting new riders.  Read more about vanpools.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Mill Creek to University District and UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.  Pick-up points:  Mill Creek QFC and Ash Way Park & Ride.  Please contact Michael Weaver at wweaver@u.washington.edu or 221-2819.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Bainbridge Island to UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours:  7:00 am – 4:00 pm.  Pick up point:  6:20 am ferry (Bethany Church).  Please contact Nikki Pike at epike@u.washington.edu or 543-9437.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Vashon to UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours:  7:00 am – 3:30 pm.  Pick up points:  Ober Park (Park & Ride), Vashon Ferry Terminal.  Please contact Mike Bussert at bussert@u.washington.edu or 598-3794.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Whidbey Island to UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours: 7:00 am – 4:00 pm.  Pick up points:  Bayview Park & Ride and Clinton Park & Ride (on Whidbey); 6:00 am and 5:00 pm ferries.  Please contact Bruce Fallon at brucer@u.washington.edu or 598-5493.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Bremerton to UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours:  6:00 am – 4:30 pm.  Pick up points:  meet on the 4:50 ferry; 4:30 Purchasing Building, 4:45 Gerberding.  Please contact Gwendolyn DarDen at gydarden@u.washington.edu or 685-1271.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Bainbridge Island to Fred Hutch/UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours 7:15 am - 3:45 pm.  Pick up points:  6:20 am ferry (Bethany Church) & 4:40 pm ferry.  Please contact Lyn O’Doran at lodoran@u.washington.edu or 685-9379.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Lake Stevens to UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours: 6:00 am - 3:30 pm.  Pick up points:  20th & Hwy 99 (4:55 am); 128th P&R (5:15 pm).  Please contact Mike Horm at horm@u.washington.edu or 206-616-5159 or 206-510-8261.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Kirkland to UW/Safeco.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours:  7:30 am - 4:30 pm.  Pick up points:  Holy Spirit Lutheran Park & Ride and downtown Kirkland.  Please contact Collen Marquist at marquist@u.washington.edu or 685-0163.

New Vanpool Forming (October 2007):  Vanpool from Juanita and Kirkland to UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours:  7:30 am – 4:00 pm.  Please contact Collen Marquist at marquist@u.washington.edu or 685-0163.  

New Vanpool Forming:  Vanpool from Dupont to UW/UWMC.  Tuesday through Friday.  Leave from Dupont Park and Ride.  Work hours:  7:00 am – 5:00 pm; could compromise on times in relation to the needs of the group.  Please contact Delonna Zarelli at delonc@u.washington.edu or 253-330-3142.  

Facilities Services New Website

Serving today...preserving tomorrow

Facilities Services didn't stop at a new slogan, they also have a new website. To make searching for a service provided by Facilities Services easier, all FS departmental websites will be changing over to their new format by the middle of May. Take a look and let us know what you think.

Bike Locker Information

I Spy with My Little Eye New K-Court Bike Lockers!

You may have noticed new lockers South of Hitchcock in the K-Wing courtyard. Actually, they aren’t necessarily new. Due to construction on the T-Wing we were forced to relocate the T-wing cluster of bike lockers. Since K-court was the closest open area, that is where they will be housed for the next two years. Current T-Wing locker holders were transferred with the lockers and a new waiting list is now available on the bike waiting list page.

Care to Share that Bike Locker?

Do you rent a bike locker but don’t use it everyday? Would you like to share it and the cost of the annual fee? Do you work during the day but have a friend who comes to campus at night? There has been a suggestion made to offer locker users the option to share their bike locker with another individual. We think this could be a great idea. So we are currently having a trial run on one locker. One of our bike locker users has volunteered to share her locker with a co-worker. We will keep you updated on how this is working out for them.

What do you think of this idea? We are interested in your thoughts, concerns, and objections. Please drop us an e-mail at upass@u.washington.edu

U-PASS & Parking Renewals

Parking Services Online Annual Renewal is May 4th

Have you renewed your annual payroll-deducted U-PASS, parking permit or Pay-Per-Use-Parking yet? All items currently deducted will expire June 30.

You may renew online through midnight on Friday, May 4th at: https://ucs.admin.washington.edu/prking

Renewed items will be given to your department payroll coordinator to be handed out with the June 10th payroll distribution. If you have renewed but do not receive your U-PASS or permit by June 14, please check with your payroll coordinator before contacting Parking Services.

AlterNetRides Applet

AlterNetRides Helps UW Share the Ride and a Whole Lot More

Since 2004, U-PASS has contracted with AlterNetRides to offer UW faculty, staff and students a multi-faceted online ride match service for commuting, home games, and even trips to the slopes during ski season. If you followed the AlterNetRides link from the U-PASS page in the past and thought it might be interesting—you owe it to yourself to try it again. AlterNetRides just added an applet to give members all kinds of new features. Potential drivers and riders can enter trip starting and ending locations on a map, allowing members to scan for flagged locations along their route and propose sharing a ride. Other new features include a commute log (which you will be hearing a lot more about in coming months), a Green Vehicle Guide, Vehicle Log, and Commute Savings Calculator, and the Instant Ride Club – which uses Yahoo! Instant Messenger to connect you with members of an identified group to catch or share a ride.

Find out more; go to the Commuter Services and click the AlterNetRides button.

Biztech 2007 Discover the Possibilities!

YARR! We be victorious in our explorin' & plunderin'

For this year's Biztech six departments in Transportation Services decided to exhibit together and incorporate all the booths in a hunt for some pirate booty. Each of the six booths (Commuter Services, Motor Pool, Recycle & Solid Waste, UW Shuttles, Moving & Storage Services and Surplus Property) had handy little treasure maps and treasure chests with colored dubloons buried inside. Thank you to all who participated. We had a fun year.

photo by Ari Kasapyan Six completely recyceable treasure chest were crafted for this year's Biztech.

photo by Ari Kasapyan Nothing is ever free from a pirate! 6 colored dubloons were needed to bribe your way into the drawing. Hidden dubloons were buried in each Transportation Services' booth

The U-COMMUTE News is published twice a year for staff and faculty. For additional information, visit our web site at http://www.washington.edu/commuterservices/index.php. Your suggestions and comments are welcome. Please contact the Transportation Office at upass@u.washington.edu, 206.543.0450 or Box 355212.