ThurstonHeretoThere.org Launched in March 2012
Linking Travel Choices for Thurston Region Residents, Employees, and Visitors

Looking for the best route for your daily travels - or an alternative to driving in your car? In March 2012, TRPC launched a new user-friendly website that offers a variety of traveler resources and tools to help people get from here to there, regardless of age, physical ability, or income level.

A visit to ThurstonHereToThere.org will connect travelers to a range of local and regional travel options and services:

Join the more than 1,000 travelers that have accessed this new local resource. You may just find a better way to get from here to there!

Here to There Travel
Challenge:
Drive Less, Save Cash and
Enter for a Chance to Win!

From July 1st - December 31st people who carpool, vanpool, ride the bus,
bike or walk to replace a drive-alone trip can visit ThurstonHeretoThere.org and enter their trip information weekly for a chance to win a bike helmet, lock, safety lights, bus passes, or other great prizes to support their efficient travel habits. 

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Healthy Kids - Safe Streets
Helping Students Identify - and Use - Safe Routes to School

Are your kids Walking & Rolling?

Thurston Here to There supported the addition of three new schools to the Walk & Roll program during the 2011-12 school year. Tumwater's Michael T. Simmons Elementary and Yelm's Mill Pond and Fort Stevens Elementary Schools all kicked off Walk & Roll activities that provide safety information and encourage more walking, biking and bus trips. These healthy travel options beat riding to school in the family car! Each quarter, students compete among grade levels or classes. 

The great news doesn't stop there - surveys taken at schools that began Walk & Roll programs prior to 2011 prove that continued participation = increased success. The number of Peter G. Schmidt Eagles who enjoyed the benefits of fresh air and exercise by arriving to school under their own steam more than doubled during the school's second year of participation - from 10% during 2010-11 to 23% in 2011-12!

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It’s the Water – Full Steam Ahead:
Olympia Brewery Site Visioning Advances to Action Plan 

In 2011, Thurston Here to There asked the community to imagine what they want next for the former Olympia Brewery site. Hundreds of community members took part in the collective visioning process. They said:

To complete the first phase of the project, the city of Tumwater adopted a Brewery Action Plan and hired a Brewery Project Manager to spearhead the redevelopment of the site.

The City and TRPC then focused on obtaining a Community Challenge Grant to expand the visioning and planning process to the adjacent neighborhood or "Brewery District". The Brewery District Planning Project will kick off in summer 2012.

Learn more about the Community Visioning Project »

Capitol Boulevard Planning Project:
Neighborhood Transformation Planning Process Underway

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Maintaining Community Character:
South County Planning Efforts Aim to Offer Sense of Place

As part of the Thurston Here to There project, TRPC and the Cities of Rainier and Tenino have begun work to define a vision for the future of each community.  Results of these efforts include development of potential scenarios for the future of commercial areas, as well as the crafting of zoning standards that are tailored to support the character of distinct areas within each community. While the potential zoning changes vary between the two cities, they share similar goals:

Craft standards that build on the distinct characteristics of existing 
   development and enhance the identity of the community

These zoning changes, along with additional ongoing placemaking efforts, will promote additional commercial and residential infill development within Rainier and Tenino, and support the revitalization of the communities.

Survey Reveals South County Residents'
Work Travel Patterns
Alternatives to Driving Alone could Boost Household Budgets 

Where people live and work influences how they travel. Most south county commuters drive alone to work. However, a recent survey of Bucoda, Rainier, Tenino and Yelm residents indicated a small population of residents is carpooling, vanpooling, teleworking, or fitting work hours into fewer days per week. 

Tools such as ThurstonHeretoThere.org can help individuals and families learn about different ways to travel that reduce
fuel consumption and possibly save money.


If more people share their commute trips or eliminate a work trip entirely by teleworking, the transportation network will perform better. Everyone benefits as a result of less congestion, air and noise pollution, and energy consumed.

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Thurston Teleworks
Local Pilots Soar 

Here to There intends to expand the use of telework in the region, through identification of barriers, training, pilot programs and sharing of best practices. 

Who?  Thurston County and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)

Why?  These efforts began with data and policy goals – and a people push!

Early results: Early reports tell a great story!  Participants reduced their vehicle miles traveled and feel positive about the experience; managers reported an increase in productivity and work quality; and technical services noted no significant increase in customer support.
 
At WSDOT, the pilot exceeded the goal and participants saved money!  The agency documented that telework fosters a more efficient and satisfied workforce; increases office morale; improves workload organization and prioritization; and fits within the culture.  They also noted that non-teleworkers benefit from a quieter workplace; and that telework can reduce office space needs.

What’s next: The Board of County Commissioners will hear the quantitative results this fall and make policy decisions about next steps.  WSDOT already expanded the pilot once and is in the process of expanding to other offices.

Commute Trip Reduction is good for Business
Promoting CTR to Tumwater Business Community

TRPC is expanding the region’s commute trip reduction (CTR) program to small businesses and non-affected public worksites in the City of Tumwater. Staff has visited over 140 businesses such as accountants, hair stylists, law firms, healthcare providers, restaurants, and automotive repair shops along the Capitol Boulevard Corridor, from Southgate Shopping Center to Tumwater Boulevard. The objectives of these efforts are to:

• Increase employers’ and employees’ awareness of commute alternatives (and their benefits) including cycling, teleworking, transit service, carpooling, vanpooling and ride matching programs such as RideshareOnline.com

• Solicit employee participation in a voluntary commute behavior survey

Thirty-two percent of businesses have returned their employees’ surveys. About half of the respondents indicate a willingness to try an alternative commute mode. This survey data provides a baseline for measuring comparisons with future commute behavior data collection efforts along this corridor. Over the next several months, TRPC will conduct similar outreach efforts in the communities of Bucoda, Rainier, Tenino, and Yelm.

To learn more about how CTR is good for business or to review the report, Promoting Commute Trip Reduction: CTR Outreach in Tumwater’s City Center Neighborhood, visit www.ThurstonCommutes.org.

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