Switch Your Trips graphic with a group of people carpooling. Text reads "log your sustainable trips by Nov. 7"

This campaign is brought to you by the Washington State Ridesharing Organization.

"Switch Your Trips" is ending, but there's still time to log your trips!

Switch Your Trips is coming to an end on Oct. 3. We hope you have enjoyed trying a new mode of transportation. Please log your sustainable trips by the end of Nov. 7 to qualify for $1,500, $500 or many other prize drawings.

If you log at least 10 sustainable trips—carpool, vanpool, bus, train, light rail, foot ferry, bicycle, walking, rolling or skateboarding, you will automatically be entered into the prize drawing.

Winners are drawn at random and will be contacted mid-November.

Learn More About Switch Your Trips

Commuting in the Dark

Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 1 and Ride Together Pierce urges Pierce County commuters to keep each other safe by following the rules of the road and looking out for fellow travelers. Give yourself a few extra minutes to get to your destination in the safest manner.

Don't enjoy driving in the dark? Find a carpool buddy on the trip calendar.
Riding transit in the winter? Check for Pierce Transit and Sound Transit rider alerts in case of detours.
Want to continue walking or biking? Be visible and layer up for the activity level and weather.

Person walking in a crosswalk at night, wearing a high-visibility jacket and red light on their backpack.

Order a Free Bike Safety Item

Be ready for some fall-season riding by enhancing your riding kit! Nov. 1-12, you can order a free safety item from Ride Together Pierce such as a zip-up safety vest, reflective spoke covers, touchscreen gloves and reflective stickers while supplies last.

Request a Bike Safety Item

Sign Up for the "Emergency Ride Home" Program

If you are a sustainable commuter, Ride Together Pierce has a program to ensure you always have ride home in case of an emergency. The "Emergency Ride Home" program allows Pierce County commuters to request a Lyft voucher or submit a taxi receipt to get reimbursed in case of an emergency.

To participate in the program, sign up through the Ride Together Pierce trip calendar, under "Rewards." New calendar users will be able to see this benefit after two weeks of registering. Once opted in, you will receive three ride credits to use each calendar year.

Learn More About Emergency Ride Home

"Find Your Commute Buddy" Winners

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the 2026 Find Your Commute Buddy campaign this September! In total, 230 users updated their trip calendar profile and/or commute on the ridematch tool. Eight randomly selected users from Eliseo, Pierce College, Pierce County, Pierce Transit, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health were awarded $25.

Thank you for enhancing the ridematching database for all Pierce County commuters!

See the Winners

"Rider Rewards" Continues in November and December

In November and December, Ride Together Pierce will award a lucky sustainable traveler $150 for taking 10 sustainable trips (or five roundtrips) and logging those trips on the trip calendar.

Learn More About Rider Rewards

Save the Date for the 2027 Bike Swap

Mark your calendars! The 16th Annual Pierce County Bike Swap will take place on Saturday, April 24, 2027 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Tacoma Community College!

Want to share feedback and ideas? Let us know now as we are starting the planning process.

Photo of the bike buy/sell rack from the 2026 Bike Swap, two people looking at bikes.

Transit Updates

Pierce Transit Ballot Measure - This November, registered voters in Pierce County are voting on Proposition No. 1 in which Pierce Transit is asking voters to approve or reject a measure that would authorize the collection of an additional sales and use tax of three-tenths of one percent (three pennies on every $10 spent) to maintain and expand transit service.
Route 100 on Detour Oct. 24 - Nov. 8 - Pierce Transit Route 100 will be on detour due to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge repair project. All westbound Route 100 bus stops on 6th Avenue between Mildred Street and Jackson Avenue will be closed, including the Narrows Park & Ride bus stop. Riders should allow extra time when traveling west of the bridge.
Intercity Transit Offering Vanpool Incentives - If you commute to or from Thurston County, consider joining a vanpool to cut your commute costs! A vanpool commute from Olympia to Tacoma would only cost $75 a month. Intercity Transit is offering $50-$100 incentives for joining or forming a vanpool through November.
Changes to Pierce Transit Rideshare Program - As demand for Pierce Transit Rideshares (also known as vanpool) continue, Pierce Transit wants to make the best use of their available fleet. For that reason, Pierce Transit will be updating the minimum group size for the Rideshare program from three to four full-time participants, effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Events

Sound Transit Special Event Service - Catch the Sounder train on this special event day: November 8 (Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals). Sound Transit is now offering three trains from Lakewood and Sumner on Sunday afternoon gamedays.

Engagement Opportunities

Redesigning South Tacoma Way - Community members are invited to provide feedback on how to improve transportation and safety on South Tacoma Way between South Pine Street to South 60th Street. An online survey is open through the end of Thursday, October 29. Those who finish the survey can enter to win a $50 gift card.
Cascadia High-Speed Rail and I-5 Program Public Survey - The Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) is looking for feedback on their I-5 Master Plan and Cascadia High-Speed Rail Service Development Plan to improve the way we travel today and in the future.

News From Around Pierce County

Major I-5 HOV construction project completed in DuPont/JBLM - This project intends to increase safety, reduce congestion and improve access to nearby communities. The project includes extended HOV lanes on I-5 and a barrier-separated shared-use path on the new overpass between JBLM and DuPont.
SR 167 Completion Project Reaches New Milestone - A new section of this project is now open to traffic! This section (Stage 1b) features a new 2-mile highway linking I-5 in Fife and SR 509 near the Port of Tacoma, new and widened sidewalks and a new 2.5 mile shared-use path from SR 99 to Alexander Avenue East.
WSDOT E-Bike Rebate - Washingtonians ages 16+ can apply for a $300 or $1,200 rebate to help reduce the upfront cost of an e-bike any time before March 29, 2027. Rebate winners are selected monthly.

How Do You Ride?

Photo of star commuter Cynthia P. smiling in an ice cave, an activity she enjoys using the money she saves from her commute.

"I can do anything online needing done and save money on gas for family outings and other things." - Cynthia P., regarding her train and bus commute to Kaiser Permanente, which costs her $4 a month.

Have a transportation-related photo to share? Reply to this newsletter and share your travel photo with a brief description. If we use your photo in an upcoming issue, we will send you a $10 Starbucks card. Submit a Commuter Profile and receive a $20 gift code.

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