Council to consider commute routes

Options will help deal with closures

THE OLYMPIAN STAFF

The Olympia City Council will this week discuss improvements to the street system in the vicinity of the Fourth Avenue and Fifth Avenue bridges to help move traffic more smoothly. Improvements for walking and biking will also be examined to encourage those modes for commuters and visitors downtown.

With the closure of the Fourth Avenue bridge, commuters traveling between downtown and the west side are encouraged to explore options other than driving alone.

There will be increased congestion on the Fourth and Fifth avenue corridors due to the closure of the Fourth Avenue bridge.

Here are some things you can do starting Monday to help ease congestion on the Fifth Avenue bridge:

-Car pool. Call a neighbor or talk to a co-workers about sharing rides to work. Intercity Transit can help find a car-pool partner. Contact IT's car pool services via e-mail at commuterservice@intercitytransit.com or at 786-8800.

-Ride the bus. Five Intercity Transit routes operate between the west side and the downtown Olympia Transit Center. Look for route maps and timetables on www.intercitytransit.com, IT's Web site, or call 786-1881. Free bus passes are available for state, county or city employees. Students at The Evergreen State College and South Puget Sound Community College can use their student identification cards and ride transit for tree.

-Bike to work.

-Walk to work.

-Employers can help by allowing employees to arrive and leave work earlier or later to avoid peak congestion. They can support telecommuting and eliminate the commute trip completely.

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