Thursday, May 28, 2015

Art Is Not What You Make - It's What You Make Of It


Over the past several months, we’ve had the pleasure of partnering with art students from Mariner High School. They designed and created 42 panels for our Mariner Park and Ride bus shelters that are now on display. Their hard work is a shining example of the artistic youth in our community, and leaves a lasting artist impression for everyone to enjoy.

We were lucky to capture the first hand experiences from Racheal Yi, a student involved in the art project. Wise beyond her years, she shares with us her experiences and pride for the project:


As a student in the Mariner High School Art department, I feel honored to say that in the past several weeks I participated in one of the most important projects that this classroom has completed during its history. For nearly two months, our classroom worked on a mural to express what is so underrepresented in this community: some of Everett’s finest artistic minds and creative youth. We worked as a team on a total of 42 panels that will be installed at the Mariner Park & Ride bus stop. There was never a moment when we were not working as a team, but this did not limit our room for individual creativity; the production of each panel required thoughtful, original input from multiple artists who brought their ideas forward to produce something with consummate prestige.
Community Transit approached our advanced art class this year with an opportunity that most of us had never come close to having before: to work freely on a lasting piece of artwork that would represent our creative roles in this community for years to come. The unique thing about this project was that as much as we felt free to create something almost completely from scratch, we also felt the pressure of knowing that our art would serve as a demonstration of the creative dynamics of not only our school, but of our entire community.
In the planning stages of this project, our class started out with multiple different ideas that were eventually narrowed down to four major themes: Surrealism, Evolution of Art & Transit, One Way or Another and Transit Through the Ages. All of these themes synthesized different modes of transportation with different styles of art, allowing us to meet the needs of Community Transit while demonstrating our creativity as artists. Surrealism features extraordinary subjects in surreal settings. Evolution of Art & Transit and Transit Through the Ages depict the evolution of transportation over time, as well as various different styles of art. One Way or Another expresses transportation since the beginning of time through modern silhouettes in vibrant settings.
From this experience, our class learned a lot about being mature, individual artists. It will surely be rewarding to see our work age with us as we continue to strive for nothing but the best as creative thinkers. We hope that through the completion of this project, we can encourage more recognition for the artistic youth of this community. The production and installment of this mural will surely last as a major impact on our lives as we grow from students to leaders. Additionally, the production of this mural gave us some real-world experience as contemporary artists - we worked with a client’s needs in mind as we exercised our artistic vision as well. This experience served as a professional example of what many of us may decide to work with in the future, while also giving us the freedom that we need as young adults.
The most important lesson that many of us have learned from our experiences in the Fine Arts department is that art is not to be defined by a sentence or by an image; art can be defined only through one’s interpretation of something new. Art is not the ability to paint well. It is not a measure of intellectual capacity. It is the freedom to let something promote thought and consciousness.
We hope that by leaving this legacy behind, we can advocate more creativity and an increased representation of a student’s artistic capacity. We hope that even after we exit the halls of our school for the very last time, art can be a universal medium through which this community’s students can interact with the world. Perhaps someday, art can become a more recognized mode of expression.
After all, art is not what you make - it’s what you make of it.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

5 Tips (and more!) From A Self-Professed Bike Geek

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By Laurel McJannet



Does the guy pictured above look familiar? He should-- he's Roland, our resident, year-round bike commuter often featured on our Bike to Work efforts (above left is a screenshot from our #MovesLikeTransit video). You can also see him on our video showing how to use our bike racks on buses.

Besides being our resident cyclist, Roland is also a strategic unit planning manager in our Planning and Development Department, pulling together data about our buses and surrounding communities to help the agency create and update our plans for adding service-- like this Transit Development Plan, for instance.

Ah, but this is about Roland and his biking prowess. Here's what he had to say:

How often do you ride to work?
Usually 3 or 4 days a week, year-round.

How long is your commute? 7 miles each way, 25-30 minutes. 

Do you combine bus and bike? 
Frequently. Usually bike and Swift in the morning and then just bike in the afternoon.

How often to you bike outside of Bike Month?  All the time.

Why do you bike?
It's always been part of who I am.  Fitness, mental well-being, I like to see the sights up-close.

I'm a bike geek. 

I like keeping our air clean.  I save a lot of money.  We've always been a one-car family and have been able to 
keep it that way, even with two teenage daughters.  Living where I can bike and bus to work is critical.

What do you like most about biking?
It's fun. I always look forward to my commute-- how many people can say that?

What makes biking to work challenging at times?
Carrying cargo.  Dry cleaning, shoes, boxes, plants.  After 25 years of bike commuting, you get very strategic
about what objects to leave in your office and how to carry them on the bike.

What kind of bike do you ride? 
I currently ride a steel-frame Cyclo-cross bike equipped with fenders, rack and lights for commuting.  It's 
comfortable, not flashy and does really well in the rain.


What advice do you have for the beginning bike rider who is contemplating biking to work?
Get out there and try it!  Don't get hung up on having all the right equipment or clothing.  Get a functional bike.  Find a place to park it (rack, stairwell, office).

Look for ways to make it easy-- combining bus and bike can get you over hills, distance or high-traffic areas.

Thanks for the tips, Roland!

Friday, May 22, 2015

This "Scotty" Won't Beam You Up, But He Sure is Great for a Bike Ride

Dana poses with "Scotty," his Scott Peak mountain bike.
Recruited by fellow Team VeloCeeTee member, Rita, Dana has been participating in Bike to Work Month (and the team) for 8 or 9 seasons. 

Here's my interview with Dana, a transportation supervisor at Community Transit. (He's the guy who finds out about city and state construction and road work so we can plan re-routes to keep our service running smoothly.) 

How often do you ride outside of Bike to Work Month?

I ride 2-3 times/week through the year.  (Not quite so much if piles of snow or ice are in the bike lanes or the roadways.)

Why do you ride a bike?
Several reasons for my rides: 
  • My health
  • Saves wear and tear on my car
  • Some quality time without radios
  • Community Transit does give me a TIP* benefit, which I appreciate
  • Personal satisfaction that I have done what I have done
  • Thankfulness that I can do what I have been doing
  • Some pleasing views and fragrances in nature that I would miss in the car
  • Some quality time with other passengers aboard the bus trips
  • I enjoy and appreciate my bus drivers; etc. :)
  • Oops!  I answered this question quite a bit!
What makes biking to work challenging at times?
Weather-- and sometimes getting away from the office a bit later than desired some evenings.

What kind of bike do you ride?
My “Scotty” is a Scott Peak mountain bike, which now has road tires.  I believe it is a 1993 vintage.

Dana's advice for the beginning bike rider contemplating biking to work:
I agree with Alex on being aware of bus schedules and comfort. 

Also, a rider needs to allow enough time for emergent situations, like flat tires, an occasional street/road closure; more than enough bikes on the bus by the time it gets to your stop; know how to change/repair a flat; a helmet-mounted mirror is a very good investment; always be aware of the traffic on all sides of you; always be courteous (There are more than enough snarky or arrogant riders and drivers out there already.).


It can be really easy to become discouraged in the early stages.  If a person does not overdo it or give up early on, the little steps of the beginning and early stages will eventually become an accomplishment that will bring a great deal of satisfaction.  (Take that from a 62-year-old!)

Thanks, Dana! So, you've heard from three of our Team VeloCeeTee bike commuters. Have you put your two wheels to the test?

*TIP stands for Travel Incentive Program where employees earn incentives for using alternate ways to commute to work besides driving alone-- like, biking to work! 

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Want to feel amazing and energized when you get to work? Bike to Work!


By Laurel McJannet

Alex is one of our newest Community Transit employees, but he's not new to the world of biking to work. So, it was only natural for him to join Team VeloCeeTee during Bike to Work Month.

Ok, Alex. Same questions I asked Rita-- ready...set...go! (Answers below!)

Alex commutes to our Kasch Park Operations Base 4-5 days a week.

How often do you bike outside of Bike Month?
Regular bicycle commuter- 4-5 days per week.

Why do you bike?
Primarily health and stress reasons-- I simply cannot put up with sitting in traffic when I could be pedaling through a beautiful forest on the North Creek trail, or zipping past congestion on the InterUrban.

I feel amazing and energized when I get to work, I get the best parking in the office, and I’ve met my daily cardio goals-- and then some!

What do you like most about biking?
It’s such an easy way to get around. No need to worry about parking or traffic, just a straight shot to my destination.

What makes biking to work challenging at times?
Weather can be tricky, and dealing with time constraints or hauling in the middle of the day.

Luckily, Community Transit accommodates for all of that--I can shower and change at the office, take transit for part of my trip with my ORCA Card, and use a company vehicle for midday meetings.

Alex’s Bike: I have a Spot Wazee, which is a little company based out of Golden, CO that specializes in belt-drive bikes. I love it.

Alex’s advice for the beginning bike rider contemplating biking to work:

Plan your route in advance and give it a trial run on the weekend. That’ll give you an idea of the time it’ll take-- and you don’t even have to factor in rush hour since that really doesn’t apply to bikes! Also, bring a few changes of clothes and some shower stuff and leave it at your office for those days you get rained on or are a little too sweaty for business as usual.

Thanks, Alex-- and welcome to Community Transit! Has Alex inspired you to bike to work?


Friday, May 15, 2015

Team VeloCeeTee Redefines Commuting with Heart


By Laurel McJannet

The wheels on the bus go round and round, but employees on Team VeloCeeTee get all over town (and to work) with the velocity of two wheels and lots of heart.

The team represents a cross section of employees that make up Community Transit: Transportation, Strategic Planning, Transportation Demand Management/Marketing, and Transportation Service Planning.


Pictured (left to right): Rocky Cazares, Rita Fox, Roland Behee, Alex Mehn, Sara Hayden and Dana Osborn.
Biking goes beyond Bike to Work Day and Month for members of Team VeloCeeTee. Some bike year-round. Many dust off their bikes as soon as the weather warms up. Given all this experience (and because I'm a hesitant wanna-be bike commuter myself), I posed this question to the team:

What advice do you have for the beginning bike rider who is contemplating biking to work?

"Get out there and try it! Don't get hung up on having all the right equipment or clothing. Get a functional bike, Find a place to park it (rack, stairwell, office). Look for ways to make it easy-- combining bus and bike can get you over hills, distance or high traffic areas." - Roland

"Plan your route in advance and give it a trial run on the weekend. That'll give you an idea of the time it'll take-- and you don't even have to factor in rush hour since that really doesn't apply to bikes!" Also, bring a few changes of clothes and some shower stuff and leave it at your office for those days you get rained on or are a little too sweaty for business as usual." - Alex

"Try it, even if you only do it once a week. You don’t have to have all the latest gear or an expensive bike, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the exercise you get, and how you contribute to making your carbon foot print just a wee bit smaller.  It counts." - Rita


"It can be really easy to become discouraged in the early stages.  If a person does not overdo it or give up early on, the little steps of the beginning and early stages will eventually become an accomplishment that will bring a great deal of satisfaction.  (Take that from a 62-year-old!)" - Dana

Do you bike to work? What advice do you have for biking to work? To school? Let us know in the comments.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

5 Answers, 1 Piece of Advice On Why to Bike to Work

If you haven't already heard by now, May is Bike to Work Month. This Friday, May 15 is Bike to Work Day where diehard bikers and tentative beginners will hit the road to get to their 9-to-5 gig, biking alone or on a team.

Speaking of teams, we have one at Community Transit. While it's gone through a few name changes over the years, this year's team, Team VeloCeeTee (Get it?) is six members strong. We interviewed some of the team members to find out why they bike and asked what their advice would be for first time bike commuters.

First up: Rita, an administrative assistant in our Transportation Department. She has biked on the team for several years and also enjoys biking in her free time. 

picture of Rita with her bike
How often do you bike outside of Bike Month?
Once a week or so from Spring to Fall. I'm a weekend cyclist basically, but do enjoy mid-week riders in the summer when there's more light.

Why do you bike?
Because I love outdoor exercise and have always loved riding bikes ever since I was a kid. I love riding trails and just soaking up nature along the way. Stationary bikes are good exercise, but just aren't the same.

What do you like most about biking?
Going fast! Having a destination and getting exercise along the way-- challenging myself to hills and feeling the breeze (on a hot day) on the way down the other side.

What makes biking to work challenging at times?
Hard it do it with after work commitments and when you're sick or when it's just dumping down rain. Or, pea soup fog. I won't ride in fog.

Rita's Bike: a Specialized Dolce road bike.

Rita's advice for the beginning bike rider contemplating biking to work:
Try it-- even if you do it once a week. What matters is the exercise you get and how you contribute to making your carbon footprint just a week bit smaller. It counts!

Thanks, Rita! 

What do you think? Will you be biking to work anytime soon?