Commute Seattle is the non-profit that makes it easy to walk, bike, ride, and roll for the more than 600,000 people who go to work or school in Seattle every day. Our mission is to make Seattle more affordable, sustainable, and connected.
Our nine staff work directly with over 250 large employers, 150 buildings, and hundreds of small businesses across the city to make sustainable options a reality for their employees, students, and customers.
Big Changes in 2023
2023 was a year of change for Commute Seattle. We…
- Committed to new organizational values of affordability, sustainability, connections, and satisfaction.
- Grew our staff: We added two new positions, welcoming Noah An as our Communications and Policy Director, and Lily Sadataki as our Education and Outreach Specialist.
- Convened a new Advisory Board: This year marked the launch of Commute Seattle’s Advisory Board, bringing together private sector and non-profit leaders to shape our direction.
What did Commute Seattle do in 2023?
Short story: quite a lot. Here are some highlights:
- Debuted the results of our nationally renowned Seattle Commute Survey
- Piloted our first-ever Commuter Insights Reports to help employers make data-driven decisions
- Highlighted outstanding employers at our new Insider Insights event
- Engaged hundreds of people in the Central District at Spin Into Bike Month
- Launched a Policy Brief program to translate our research into actionable recommendations for decision-makers
- Helped Seattlites learn to safely use and park e-bikes and e-scooters at four Demo Days
- Built excitement for the major year ahead at Transportation Transformations with Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm
- Engaged property managers at the ‘Destinations Shape the Journey’ workshop
- Made it easier for active commuters to be safe and seen this winter with education and giveaways at Light Up Your Trip in Occidental Park
- Launched a fresh round of data collection by collecting information from hundreds of employers and property managers about their transportation benefits, programs, and amenities
- Convened the Downtown Transportation Alliance throughout the year to tackle the City’s most challenging transportation issues
- Worked directly with the private sector to provide consulting services and transportation fairs to help bring employees back downtown
Accomplishments By the Numbers
- $316,096 worth of unlimited transit passes into the hands of Seattle workers
- 29 BIPOC-owned businesses started new transit pass programs for their staff with our help
- 664 one-on-one consultations
- 1,060 people attended our educational events
What We’re Looking Forward to in 2024!
As big as 2023 was, 2024 will be an even more important year for transportation in the Puget Sound region. We’re excited to get to work!
- Leveraging Commute Program Reports, together with Seattle Commute Survey data, to identify the most impactful strategies for businesses and property managers
- Strategic outreach to organizations whose employees, students, and customers will have unprecedended access to reliable new transit options
- Tracking our region’s progress towards benchmarks including on affordability and satisfaction
- Applying the strategies that have worked for employers to grocery stores, schools, and healthcare facilities
- Launching our next survey effort
And finally… some goodbyes
2023 wasn’t all rosey. We said some bittersweet goodbyes to members of the Commute Seattle team we loved working with.
We bid farewell to our Transportation Specialist Priya Balan, and to our Executive Director Kirk Hovenkotter. You can read Kirk’s goodbye note here.