The following is a release from Snohomish County Community Transit:

Community Transit’s Choice Connection program promotes smart transportation options throughout our community. In the last year, the program helped to remove 598,187 drive-alone trips on Snohomish County roads, saved 363,333 gallons of gas from being used and avoided more than 7 million pounds of CO2 from reaching the air.

Two innovative incentive programs are offered to help reduce traffic congestion and pollution, and encourage healthy travel options:

· Smart Commuter Rewards is an incentive program that helps large businesses motivate employees to reduce their drive-alone trips to work.

· Curb the Congestion promotes smart transportation options to residents and employees along six of Snohomish County’s most congested corridors.

Each quarter Community Transit recognizes standout participants and employers who are dedicated to smart transportation choices and healthy transportation options. These are the Choice Connections award winners for the 2nd Quarter of 2015.

Curb the Congestion Champion of the Quarter

Chris Lyson of Lynnwood made changes to do his part for a healthy planet and lifestyle. He opted to sell his car and use only transit for his commute to Swedish Hospital in Seattle. Chris has taken the bus to work every day for over three years. His smart choice to Curb the Congestion has saved more than 2,000 pounds of CO2, more than $1,000 in fuel costs and 5,200 drive alone miles.

Smart Commuter of the Quarter

Samantha Brown of Mill Creek shares her talents in Human Resources as Cascadia College’s Manager of Professional Development. She is a walking, breathing human resource herself as she advocates for smart commutes to more than 450 full-time and part-time staff and faculty at her worksite in Bothell. Samantha has walked the talk by walking, carpooling, biking or taking the bus to work for the past 20 years.

Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) of the Quarter

Kelvin Nesvog works diligently to put strategies and programs in place to help make the transportation program at Edmonds Community College a huge success. He is constantly messaging to EdCC students and employees, as well as networking in his community to provide the most up-to-date information and programs. His efforts helped to reduce more than 1,000 drive alone trips in the second quarter alone.

Employer of the Quarter

The City of Edmonds is a shining example of a worksite transportation program. They sponsor a successful Bike to Work Day commute station, and had outstanding participation in the Bike Month Challenge. The City of Edmonds worked hard to surpass its established worksite goals, and in the second quarter saved more than 800 gallons of gasoline from being used and prevented more than 16,000 pounds of CO2 from being emitted by reducing its employees’ single-occupant work trips.

The Choice Connections program recognizes individuals and worksites in Snohomish County and the City of Bothell who support Washington State Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) goals. They go above and beyond to use smart transportation alternatives to driving alone, and encourage workers to do so.

To learn more about the Choice Connections program, visit www.communitytransit/ChoiceConnections.