An app is helping to bring transit riders from their home to the nearest park-and-ride in King County, Washington.
A new app may offer an alternative to getting transit riders from their home to the local park-and-ride facility. Matt Spaw of Crosscut writes that King County Metro is partnering with the carpooling app iCarpool as part of its TripPool program, which will allow riders to locate shared van pools near them and hitch a ride to the park-and-ride.
For the program, Metro will provide vans to volunteer drivers. At any time, riders can log in to the iCarpool app and see rides near them. The rider makes their way to the pickup spot, where they will be picked up by the driver. The rider pays through the app and is charged 26 cents per mile.
In addition to providing the marked van, Metro also pays for gas, maintenance and insurance. Unlike with Uber, the driver makes no profit.
Spaw writes that the TripPool program will be tested in Mercer Island and southeast King County. Mercer Island’s park-and-ride facility, in particular, has been suffering from an overflow of users and not enough parking spaces to accommodate them. The TripPool program is scheduled to launch late this year, or in early 2016.
FULL STORY: Metro’s answer for last-second carpool needs
A ‘Playbook’ for Better Bus Service, From King County Metro
King County Metro operates one of the nation’s busiest transit systems—without running any trains. The agency recently released a playbook as a guide to transit service.
King County Postpones August Target for Transit Sales Tax Initiative
King County, home to Seattle, will wait to ask voters to approve a 0.2% sales tax for funding transit until a time both when transit use is higher, and people aren’t facing waves of sudden unemployment.
Pushing for Cameras to Enforce Bus-Only Lanes
Scofflaws are common and enforcement difficult in the 40 miles of surface street bus-only lanes in King County, Washington. Transit officials are hoping cameras can help fill the gap.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service