Resource Guide
More than 70 free and low-cost government services are available to help Seattle industrial firms. Seattle First can help connect you with each and every one of them.
Transportation
Carpools, vanpools, freight and just about every other transportation mode is addressed by a wide spectrum of organizations attempting to serve Seattle industrial business owners and managers. One will even pay you cash just for trying their services. Here’s what’s available:
• Duwamish Transportation Management Association. Street signs, crosswalks, road and highway projects and improved transit services are among the issues addressed on a continuing basis by the “TMA,” a non-profit business organization addressing transportation issues in the Duwamish. TMA members are eligible for direct help with transportation problems and can also participate in meetings with top government officials involved with transportation. Learn more by calling 206-762-2470 or go to www.duwamishtma.org.
• Earn cash incentives in 2008 for trying alternatives to drive-alone commuting. Employees will be paid up to $250 for trying an alternative mode for at least three months. The incentives are available through a grant program cosponsored by the Duwamish TMA, Metro and the Washington State Department of Transportation. Call the Duwamish TMA for details at 206-762-2470.
• The Duwamish TMA and Metro can help employers set up carpools and vanpools. They can also help individual employees hook up with existing carpools or vanpools operated by nearby businesses. Thanks to help from Metro, Alaskan Copper and Brass was honored in 2004 for getting 40 percent of its work force to try alternatives to drive-alone community. For more information about carpools and vanpools, call the Duwamish TMA at 206-762-2470.
• Freight Mobility. The Seattle Freight Mobility Advisory Committee is an industry-based advisory board that provides input on freight issues to the City of Seattle, the Port of Seattle, and the Washington State Department of Transportation. The committee meets once a month and occasionally sponsors forums on special topics. The committee is sponsored by the City of Seattle, the Manufacturing Industrial Council and the Duwamish TMA. Call Ron Borowski for more details at 206-762-8370.
• Freight Resources. WSDOT also provides a Freight Resources web site with maps, statistics, news, information about freight programs and links to other resources at www.wsdot.wa.gov/freight/default.htm.
• Traffic Conditions. The Washington State Department of Transportation’s Traffic Conditions Web Site provides a real time snap shot of traffic on all major Puget Sound highways. Go to: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic. You will find the home page very helpful as well www.wsdot.wa.gov.
• Weather Conditions. The National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provide highly localized forecasts and updated information about land and marine weather conditions at www.nws.noaa.gov/.
