In this edition …

  • The state's biggest polluters are now funding free Amtrak Cascades rides for youth within Washington.
  • The WTA's Transit Access Fund supports new Lummi Nation bike and transit improvements.
  • Tuesday event: Bellingham Plan's Housing Types and Neighborhoods Open House is tonight, 5-7 p.m. at Bellingham H.S.
  • June 11 event: WTA transit trivia at Larrabee Lager Co.

WESTERN WASHINGTON

State's Biggest Polluters Now Funding Free Amtrak Cascades Youth Rides Within Washington 

Last week, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced that youth that are age 18 and younger can now ride Amtrak Cascades trains and buses within Washington for free.

“We’re hoping to inspire an entire generation to consider trains as a viable choice when traveling along the Interstate-5 corridor,” Jason Biggs, director of WSDOT’s Rail, Freight, and Ports Division, said in WSDOT's May 28 announcement. “With scenic views from comfortable seats and onboard food and beverage choices, train travel is enjoyable for parents and kids alike. It’s a great option for families and people who don’t or can’t drive. Plus, it’s much better for the environment than driving.”

The state's new program is the first of its kind for the Amtrak network, funded through the Move Ahead Washington transportation package and the state’s Climate Commitment Act.

As KUOW Public Radio in Seattle reported, the approximately $1 million annual cost to subsidize the free youth rides are being covered by state fees paid by large polluters:

State-run auction of permits to emit carbon dioxide and other climate-harming gases have raised more than $2 billion since February 2023. Most of the proceeds are going to projects aimed at reducing pollution or helping communities weather the impacts of fossil fuel burning.

The free youth fares do not apply for rides on Amtrak's two long-distance routes that serve cities in Washington, the Empire Builder to and from Chicago and Coast Starlight to and from Los Angeles. 

LUMMI NATION

WTA Transit Access Fund Aids Bike, Transit Accessibility Upgrades for Lummi Nation

On May 24, officials from the Whatcom Transit Authority and the Lummi Tribal Business Council gathered to cut the ribbon on new bike and bus stop upgrades on the Lummi Nation's reservation west of the City of Bellingham. According to a WTA announcement, via Mass Transit Magazine, the ​project included "a new covered bus shelter serving a counseling services center, several bike lockers at the Lummi Tribal Administration Building and accessibility improvements to two additional bus stops." The improvements were made through the WTA's Transit Access Fund where local governments can apply for funding for eligible infrastructure projects including sidewalks, intersection improvements, mid-block crossings, curb cuts, sidewalk ramps, shared use paths, pedestrian crossing signals, bicycle parking and pedestrian lighting. 

Buses serving the WTA's Route 50 (Downtown to Lummi Nation) connect the Bellingham Station with the Lummi Tribal Center, Northwest Indian College, and the Lummi Island Ferry terminal via Northwest Avenue, Marine Drive, and Haxton Way. 

A graphic reading "The Bellingham Plan" with a Route 232 bus, Old City Hall, and Taylor Dock.
A Housing Types and Neighborhoods open house is being held Tuesday evening as part of the City of Bellingham's public outreach efforts around the Bellingham Plan. (Image via City of Bellingham)

CITY OF BELLINGHAM

Tonight: Bellingham Plan's Housing Types and Neighborhoods Open House at Bellingham High School

The City of Bellingham, as part of its ongoing public outreach efforts around the development of the Bellingham Plan, will be hosting a Housing Types and Neighborhoods open house in the Bellingham High School Commons, from 5–7 p.m. According to the COB: "This session will delve into what design considerations are most important as we plan for new housing types across all of our unique neighborhoods." At 6 p.m., "participants will gather with staff to take part in organized conversations" around the evening's topic. Registration is encouraged but optional.

How to Get There: Take the WTA's Route 331 via the Gold GO Line corridor to Bellingham High School (2020 Cornwall Avenue at Ohio Street) using the stops at Cornwall Avenue & Ohio Street (northbound) or Cornwall Avenue & New Street (southbound). 

WHATCOM COUNTY

June 11: WTA Transit Trivia Night at Larrabee Lager Co.

Bellinghamsters: Help celebrate Ride Transit Month on Tuesday, June 11, by heading out to one of the city's most transit accessible breweries and put your transit smarts to the test in the Whatcom Transit Authority's Transit Trivia Night.

The event, which is open to all ages, will be 6–8 p.m. at Larrabee Lager Company, a short stroll or roll over from the WTA bus hub at Cordata Station. (If you're hungry, the New Mexico Tamale Company, which I recently visited as part of an exploration of transit-oriented tamales, is conveniently located in the same shopping center.) 

How to Get There: Larrabee Lager Company (4151 Meridian Street, Suite 100), in the Cordata Place shopping center, is a short stroll or roll across Westerly Road from Cordata Station, a major WTA bus hub served Routes 3, 4, 15, 24, 26, 27, 29, 48, 232 (Green GO Line), and 331 (Gold GO Line).