Community Transit

HOME

Curb the Congestion

Sign In Incentive Prizes How to Participate Resources Eligibility FAQs

Contact Us
CurbIt at commtrans dot org or (425) 438-6136.

Curb the Congestion

Save more. Stress less.
It pays to choose a smarter trip.
Curb the Congestion is a partnership between Community Transit and Snohomish County to reduce traffic and encourage healthy travel options on congested roadways.

 
Ride the bus, carpool, vanpool, bike or walk instead of driving alone on:
  • 164th Street SW/SE (between Lynnwood and Mill Creek) - See map (pdf)
  • 128th Street (between Everett and Mill Creek) - See map (pdf)
  • 20th Street SE (between Lake Stevens and Everett). See map (pdf).

Choose a smarter trip at least 12 days a month, and you could win up to $1,000!

Our Curb the Congestion Specialist is ready to help you plan your trips.


Whether you use one of these streets to drive to work, school, or errands, we can help you find a more relaxing way to get there.

If you have a friend or neighbor who could benefit from Curb the Congestion, send them a copy of this postcard (PDF 905K) or tell them to visit www.CommunityTransit.org/CurbIt or contact us (see above).
Incentive Prizes
Just make bus, carpool, vanpool, walking, or bicycling trips on one of the selected corridors and log them on your Curb the Congestion Calendar.

Every month that you log trips on at least 12 days, you’ll be eligible for a monthly $250 incentive prize drawing.

Read about previous prize winners here.
Log trips for three months in a row, and you’ll be eligible for the quarterly $1,000 incentive prize drawing.

With 12 monthly and four quarterly incentive prize drawings a year, you’ll have 16 chances to win!

Incentives are funded by Snohomish County through grants and development fees.

Your Curb the Congestion Calendar will also calculate how much money, fuel and air pollution you save by not driving alone. Learn more about the calendar here.
How to Participate
Sign In Incentive Prizes How to Participate Resources Eligibility FAQs

See what’s new for Curb the Congestion in 2010. It’s now quick and easy to get personalized assistance and qualify for all new incentive prizes. You can register and track your trips online!

Step 1: Register online. You must register even if you participated in Curb the Congestion during 2008 or 2009. Participants without Internet access can call (425) 438-6136 or email CurbIt at commtrans dot org to request a paper form.

Step 2: A Community Transit Specialist will contact you to help you plan your trip to work, school, or errands. This specialist is your personal assistant at Community Transit, ready to answer your questions and provide information on options like taking the bus, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling and walking. The representative will also ask you to pledge to reduce your drive-alone trips.

Step 3: Start making trips by bus, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling and walking instead of driving alone on one of the targeted road corridors.

Step 4: To qualify for incentive prize drawings, track your trips online using your personalized Curb the Congestion Calendar.
Resources
Sign In Incentive Prizes How to Participate Resources Eligibility FAQs

In addition to personalized commute assistance from a Community Transit Specialist, the following resources can help you improve your trips.
Bus
Carpool and Vanpool
  • RideshareOnline.com: (external link)Find a carpool or vanpool for your daily commute or for regional events.
Bicycling and Walking
  • Snohomish County Bicycle Map (PDF, 12 MB)
  • Bicycle Commuter Tips 
  • Bicycle Buddies and Walking Buddies: an experienced bicyclist or walker to show you the ropes. Email CurbIt at commtrans dot org for more information.
  • Online Pedometer (external link): map your trip, see how long you walked and how many calories you burned!
General
Eligibility
Sign In Incentive Prizes How to Participate Resources Eligibility FAQs

Curb the Congestion Eligibility
  1. You must currently travel on a selected corridor (164th Street SW/SE, 128th Street, or 20th Street) to get to work, school, or errands.
  2. You must be 16 years or older and live or work in Snohomish County, Washington.
  3. You must register, even if you participated in Curb the Congestion during 2008 or 2009. Participants without Internet access can request a paper form by calling (425) 438-6136 or emailing CurbIt at commtrans dot org
  4. If you are a participant on 164th Street SW/SE or 128th Street SE, you may not use the other road to remove your vehicle trip.
  5. When you log a bus, carpool, or vanpool trip, you must not drive alone in a personal vehicle on a selected corridor to meet your bus, carpool, or vanpool. However, it is permitted, but not encouraged, for 128th St. participants to drive to the McCollum Park & Ride to meet a bus, carpool, or vanpool.
Prize Drawing Eligibility
  1. To be eligible for a monthly prize drawing, held on the 10th day of the following calendar month, you must do all of the following:
    • Make a trip by bus, carpool, vanpool, bicycling or walking on at least 12 days during the calendar month on one of the selected corridors
    • Log your trips on the online Curb the Congestion Calendar or on a paper calendar provided by Community Transit.
    • Complete your Curb the Congestion Calendar online (or submit paper calendar) no later than the 9th of the following month.
  2. To be eligible for a quarterly incentive prize drawing, you must maintain eligibility for monthly prize drawings during all months of the quarter.
  3. Quarterly drawings will be held on the following dates:
    • 1st Quarter (January, February, and March trips): April 10
    • 2nd Quarter (April, May, and June trips): July 10
    • 3rd Quarter (July, August, and September trips): October 10
    • 4th Quarter (October, November, and December trips): January 10
  4. Employees of Community Transit and their immediate family members are not eligible to win incentive prizes. Everyone is nevertheless encouraged to register and log trips on the Curb the Congestion Calendar.
  5. Continuation of incentives is dependent on the availability of funds. Community Transit may adjust program or incentive details to ensure program efficiency. Community Transit and Snohomish County are not responsible for technical failures in entry transmission, or lost, late, misdirected, damaged, incomplete, illegible, or postage-due entries. Entry constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use prize winners’ names, hometowns, and any text submitted for the purposes of promotion on behalf of Curb the Congestion. 
  6. When prize drawing dates fall on a weekend or holiday, the drawing will be held on the next business day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sign In Incentive Prizes How to Participate Resources Eligibility FAQs

  • What is the purpose of the Curb the Congestion Program?
    Reduce traffic congestion and improve quality of life by promoting transportation by bus, carpool, vanpool, bicycling and walking.
  • What are the selected road corridors?
    There are three:
    • 164th Street SW/SE (between Lynnwood and Mill Creek)
    • 128th Street (between Everett and Mill Creek)
    • 20th Street (between Lake Stevens and Everett)
  • I travel on a corridor not listed.  How do I enter?
    Choose “Other” from the drop down list on the registration form. You will be contacted by a Community Transit Specialist to help you plan your trips. You may be eligible for other Community Transit programs, but you will not be eligible for Curb the Congestion program incentives.
  • How is Curb the Congestion funded?
    The program is funded by Snohomish County through development mitigation fees and federal grants. The program is operated by Community Transit.
  • Why is this program only available on selected roadways?
    The Snohomish County Department of Public Works identified these specific road corridor because they will benefit the most from this type of program based on the existing infrastructure (i.e. roads, bike lanes, sidewalks, and transit facilities), constraints to further improve the road, and development patterns.

    Community Transit has also identified all three roads as “transit emphasis corridors.” This means Community Transit supports an integrated vision of land use planning that includes a balanced mix of investment in roadways, land use decisions supportive of transit market development and a long-term commitment to transit services.

  • I work at an employer and/or worksite not listed. How do I enter?
    Choose "None" or “Other” from the very top of the employer list on the registration form.
  • Can Curb the Congestion participants from 2008 or 2009 participate?
    Yes, they can.  They must register again using the new online registration form.
  • Is Community Transit still subsidizing bus passes for all Curb the Congestion participants?
    No. Community Transit has enhanced and updated Curb the Congestion for 2010. The program now promotes many smart travel options, not just bus and vanpool. We’ve therefore replaced subsidized passes for just three months with ongoing incentive prizes. Prize winners may spend incentive money any way they wish, including on bus passes, commuting gear, or groceries.
  • How will this program work to address traffic congestion?
    There is no single way to reduce congestion. Rather, we need a multi-faceted approach. Curb the Congestion is part of the overall solution by increasing public awareness about transportation choices and eliminating some of the barriers that keep people from trying an alternative to driving alone.
  • What is the purpose of the Curb the Congestion Calendar?
    Community Transit uses the tracking calendars to:
    • Confirm participant eligibility for program incentives. 
    • Determine the number of vehicle trips removed from target corridors.
    • Measure increases in bus ridership, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, and walking on selected road corridors.
    The act of logging trips also helps you:
    • Notice opportunities for making more of your trips by bus, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, or walking.
    • See the money you save and the good you do for your environment.
  • What is the purpose of pledging to reduce my drive-alone trips?
    Pledging is not a requirement of the program, but it is encouraged.  We know it can be hard to change a daily practice, such as always driving alone to work.  Pledging reinforces your commitment and helps you set and reach your goals.
  • How will my personal information be used?
    Your personal information will remain confidential and is only used by Community Transit to send you requested materials and incentives. Community Transit will not sell, distribute, or otherwise disseminate your information to any third party. Information given by participants, both contact information and commuting information, will be kept confidential, unless authorized by you for the purposes of finding a carpool, vanpool or bicycling/walking buddies. Entry constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use prize winners’ names, hometowns, and any text submitted for the purposes of promotion on behalf of Curb the Congestion.
  • How do I receive my prize if I am a winner?
    A Community Transit Specialist will contact you directly to arrange getting your prize to you.
  • Are there any tax consequences for being a prize winner?
    Community Transit will comply with the IRS reporting requirements for prize winners. According to  IRS instructions, a Form 1099-MISC is required for any person receiving over $600 in prizes and awards. For those prizes where there is an issue of what the actual worth of the prize is, the IRS regulations defining the fair market value of a prize will determine whether or not a 1099-MISC is filed. Recipients of prizes qualifying for a 1099-MISC must agree to provide the information necessary for the 1099-MISC in order to receive their prize; they should expect to receive their forms in time to file their appropriate tax returns. For prizes worth less than $600, it is the recipient’s responsibility to comply with all relevant IRS income reporting guidelines.
  • If I’ve previously won a prize, am I still eligible for drawings?
    There are no restrictions on winners for monthly and quarterly cash prize drawings provided they meet the eligibility requirements.
  • I drive alone on a selected corridor in order to reach a park & ride, then take a commuter bus from there. Does that count as a bus trip?
    To count as a bus trip, you must not drive alone on a selected corridor. Our specialist can help you find another way to get to your park & ride, such as by local bus or carpool. If circumstances require you to drive alone to a park & ride, then consider reducing other drive-alone trips you make on selected corridors, such as to errands or leisure activities. (However, it is permitted, but not encouraged, for 128th St. participants to drive to the McCollum Park & Ride to meet a bus, carpool, or vanpool. This is because the McCollum Park & Ride is at the edge of the corridor.)
  • I made 12 trips in one day. Does that qualify me for a monthly prize drawing?
    You must make at least one trip a day on 12 days in the calendar month in order to qualify for a monthly prize drawing.
  • What if I am driving a hybrid vehicle?
    If there is more than one person in the car for the commute, then the hybrid vehicle may count as a carpool. Driving alone in a hybrid vehicle may reduce fuel usage and emissions, but does not reduce traffic congestion. Therefore, Community Transit does not recognize hybrid use alone eligible for prize drawing eligibility.
  • Why are motorcycles not included as an alternative mode?
    There are a number of reasons for this.
    • First, a primary goal of the program is to promote bus, carpool, vanpool, bicycling, and walking to remove drive-alone trips. A motorcycle can qualify as a carpool if more than one person is riding the same cycle.
    • A second goal of the program is to encourage commuting methods that increase roadway capacity. Even given the relative size of a motorcycle to a car, there is still an issue of the number of vehicles using our county’s roadways. We believe that the best way to encourage people to use fewer vehicles overall is to encourage methods that promote personal or community connections, such as riding the bus, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, or walking.
  • What if I use a scooter?
    Power-assisted bicycles qualify as a bicycle in this program. Motorized scooters of any type, whether meeting license requirements or not, count towards the program only when more than one person is sharing the commute, for the same reasons as listed above for motorcycles.
  • Are there other types of foot-powered commuting that are eligible under the “walking” category?
    Yes, as long as it is a method of transportation where the foot is in contact with the ground, it is eligible in the “walking” category. This would therefore include skateboards, jogging, rollerblading, and non-motorized scooters. Trips made by wheelchair are also eligible in the "walking" category, as long as the trip replaces a drive-alone vehicle trip.
Curb the Congestion Calendar FAQs
Sign In Incentive Prizes How to Participate Resources Eligibility FAQs

  • How do I record multiple trips in a day or multiple trip methods?
    You can record multiple trips for each day and multiple legs within each trip.

    1. Select the day you would like to add a trip. Trips may be added during the current month, one month previous and one month in the future.
    2. Next to the words + Add Trip, select the type of trip you are making. For example, are you going to work, out for errands, on a leisure trip to the ball game, or to school?
    3. Select the time you are traveling. Pick the hour and 15-minute interval closest to the actual time of travel.
    4. Next to the words +Add Leg, select the mode of travel for this leg of your current one-way trip.
    5. You can have multiple legs in a one-way trip. For example, you could walk to the bus stop, take the bus, then carpool the rest of the way to work. That’s three legs for your one-way trip to work.  To include additional legs, repeat Step 4 above for each additional leg.
    6. To include return trip or additional trips made throughout the day, repeat steps 2 through 5. 
    7. Click Save Stats when finished recording your trips for the day.
    Note:  Each Trip and Leg box contains arrows and an “X” in the upper right corner. You can use the arrows to move the legs up and down within the trips to put them in a different order. You can use the arrows to move the trips up and down to move them into a different order. To delete a trip or leg, click the “X” in the upper right hand corner. 
  • How do I enter the same trip on multiple days?
    If you make the exact same trip on multiple days of the month:

    1. From your main calendar page, select the first day you would like to add a trip.
    2. Next to the words + Add Trip, select the type of trip you are making. For example, are you going to work, out for errands, on a leisure trip to the ball game, or to school?
    3. Select the time you are traveling. Pick the hour and 15-minute interval closest to the actual time of travel.
    4. Next to the words +Add Leg, select the mode of travel for this leg of your current one-way trip.
    5. You can have multiple legs in a one-way trip. For example, you could walk to the bus stop, take the bus, then carpool the rest of the way to work. That’s three legs for your one-way trip to work. To include additional legs, repeat Step 4 above for each additional leg.
    6. To include return trip or additional trips made throughout the day, repeat steps 2 through 6.
    7. Click on the Select Multiple Days button. Three calendars will appear.
    8. Click on all the calendar days on which you repeated this trip. Days selected will appear highlighted. To deselect a day, click it again.
    9. When done, select Save Stats.
  • Can I delete or edit an entry after I have saved it?
    Yes, you can delete or edit a saved trip in the current month, one month previous and one month in the future.

    1. From your main calendar page, select the day of the trip you wish to delete or edit.
    2. To delete a trip or a trip leg, click on the “X” in the upper right corner trip or a trip leg. Then select Save Stats.
    3. To edit a trip, edit the appropriate information. Then select Save Stats.
  • When I log in, I’m prompted to type a string of two displayed words. Do I have to do this every time I log in?
    Yes, this is part of our website’s security system and it helps to protect your privacy. If you are having trouble reading the words, you can click the arrow button for new words. Visually impaired users can click the audio button to hear a set of words that can be entered, in place of the visual challenge.
  • How do I record my commuting behavior if I work from home or when I have an alternative working schedule, such as four 10-hour days?
    If you work from home, do not record a trip on that day in your calendar. For any other alternative schedule, record the actual time of your travel. 
  • Do I have to record my travel behavior all at one time, or can I access the calendar more than once?
    You can access your calendar anytime. You are able to make entries on your calendar during the current month, one month previous and one month in the future.
  • I was on vacation and therefore did not commute. How do l enter?
    Just leave the calendar date blank for that date.
  • I'm having trouble logging in to my calendar and I have cookies turned off. How do I allow cookies for this website?
    You may have trouble logging in to our site if you have cookies turned off on your computer. If you use Internet Explorer and you have cookies turned off, please try the following. If you use another browser, please email CurbIt at commtrans dot org for assistance:

    1. Open your browser.
    2. Go to the TOOLS menu and choose INTERNET OPTIONS.
    3. In the pop-up, go to the third tab, PRIVACY.
    4. Click on the "Sites" button.
    5. Type in http://www.commtrans.org/Programs/curbit.cfm
    6. Press "Allow".
    7. Press OK, then OK again.
  • How did you calculate how much pollution I prevented and how much money I saved by participating?
    We use the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Emissions Facts (external link; PDF 120K) to calculate the average emissions and fuel consumption for passenger cars. The document also contains statistics for SUVs and light trucks, which generally consume more fuel than passenger cars. We use AAA statistics (external link) on average gas prices in Washington State to calculate money saved. We update this figure annually. We are currently using $2.97.