Sound Move will create a regional transit system that is easy to reach and use by everyone including pedestrians, bicyclists, people with disabilities and other public transportation customers.
The RTA will work with local public transportation agencies, communities and local governments to place and design transit facilities that fit with local community plans. This will include making improvements within one-half mile of each station for safe, easy transit, pedestrian and bicycle access.
Transit facility designs will be flexible, allowing each station to reflect and fit into the community it serves while providing standard features for transit customers such as:
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Security and safety design standards,
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Consistent route and schedule information,
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Easy-to-read and consistent signs,
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Pedestrian-friendly design and full access for people with disabilities,
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Bicycle access and storage,
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Transit-friendly access to allow smooth transfers from one type of public transportation to another (i.e. bus to rail, or bus to bus), and
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Convenient taxi access.
A One-Ticket Ride
Since high-capacity transit is just one part of the overall regional transportation system, it is important that Sound Move work well with services already being provided or planned at the local and statewide level. One way to make sure Sound Move provides a smooth connection with other services in the region is to develop a uniform, single-ticket fare system among local and regional transit providers. This will allow customers to use a single ticket or pass to travel on any and all of the types of transit within the region (i.e. local bus, regional bus, light rail, commuter rail and ferries). The RTA will work with public transportation providers in the region to develop an integrated fare policy for the entire public transit service network.
Coordinated Routes and Schedules
Simple and coordinated connections are necessary between all parts of the regional transportation network - buses, rail, ferries, carpools, vanpools, shuttles, circulators, intercity rail lines, taxis, airports, bicycles and pedestrians. These simple and coordinated connections can be achieved by sharing stations, simplifying transfer policies and using common fares.
An important part of integrating these services is providing several stations or transit centers where many transportation services come together, making transfers and connections convenient and expanding the scope of the entire transportation system.
For example: Say you live in Bellevue and want to go to the University of Washington. You catch a local bus to the Bellevue Transit Center, transfer to a regional express bus which takes you directly to the University - all accomplished with a single ticket.
Or say you want to take advantage of the state's new intercity rail service between Portland and Vancouver, B.C. but don't live near an Amtrak station but do live near a commuter rail station. You can take commuter rail to one of three combined commuter rail, intercity rail and Amtrak stations and purchase a ticket for either an intercity rail or Amtrak interstate destination. Those stations will also be served by local and regional bus service as well as taxis.
The RTA will work with local transportation providers to make sure that local and regional transit schedules mesh and that parallel, competing services are avoided.
