Welcome to our new Transportation Coordinator Spotlight Series! We’re celebrating the work of Employee and Building Transportation Coordinators across the city. ETC and BTCs do more than just implement programs and benefits to reduce traffic — they make the lives of working people better by saving employees time and money and improving the air quality for all who call Seattle home.
Read on for our first spotlight Q&A with Building Transportation Coordinator, Nick Barker.
Q& A with Nick Barker, Building Transportation Coordinator for Columbia Center
What is your job title?
Property Administrator
How long have you been an ETC or BTC?
12 months
What does a typical workday look like for you?
On a typical day, I am doing lots of work on tenant communications (newsletters, marketing for building events, answering questions via email). I also communicate with tenants and building staff to set up access to bike storage and other building amenities.
What’s one success or positive experience you’ve had in your role as ETC or BTC? What made it successful?
We recently hosted our first Transportation Fair after a few years off, which was a big success. We had several regional and governmental transportation organizations on site to answer questions and provide swag to building tenants and neighbors. The feedback from tenants was all positive, and we learned lots about how to elevate the event for next year!
What’s one challenge you’ve faced in your role as an ETC or BTC? What strategies did you use to face that challenge?
Folks can be nervous around public transit if they haven’t used it before, so offering resources to make it as simple as possible is a priority.
What’s one thing you’ve learned as an ETC/BTC?
Everyone has different priorities when it comes to their daily commute, so it’s my job to find a general solution to make everyone happy in their individual situations.
What advice would you give to a brand new ETC/BTC?
Talk to people! You’d be surprised what hidden tricks people find and keep in their back pocket that you’d never know about or think to find on your own.
Is there anything else you want to share?
Commute Seattle ROCKS! Thanks for all you do for folks getting around!
Are you an ETC or BTC that wants to be featured in a future spotlight? Fill out our form!