This fall, Washington’s universities, colleges and technical schools are bursting at the seams. With parking on campuses at a premium, more schools and students are using King County Metro Transit programs for bus service, carpooling, and saving money on transportation costs.

Probably the most comprehensive program is available to students who attend classes at the University of Washington’s Seattle and Bothell campuses and Bothell-based Cascadia Community College. All of those students have access to the U-PASS program, which provides a full array of transportation services, plus discounts at local businesses. A U-PASS is $35 per quarter and is good for Metro, Community Transit and Sound Transit. [all external links]

Bellevue Community College [external link] has its own transit pass program called "Go-BCC [external link]."  Through Go-BCC, students, faculty and staff can obtain a FlexPass at a discounted price that allows them to travel to campus by Metro or Sound Transit buses. Student carpools of three or more are eligible for special parking permits allowing access to reserved parking.

At Green River Community College [external link], the emphasis is on ridesharing. Students can find a carpool through either the Green River Ride Share program or Metro’s Ridematch services. The school’s transportation department provides financial incentives for carpooling to campus, and offers a set number of discounted bus passes to students. And, the GRCC Commuter Center helps students figure out all their options for traveling to and from campus.

The Seattle Community College District [external link] underwrites part of the cost of passes for some students at its north, central and south campuses. Bus riders save by buying and using GoPass, the transit pass that lets them ride regular Metro bus service anytime, anywhere, all over King County. Some carpoolers receive a reduced parking rate for the driver, and $35 per quarter in bonus vouchers for each student and employee in the carpool.

Other schools offering subsidized transit passes include: Highline Community College; Seattle Pacific University, and Seattle University. And several, such as Shoreline Community College, sell Metro passes on campus as a convenience to students and staff. [all external links]

These innovative programs significantly reduce traffic congestion on and near campuses, and also lessen the impact of "back-to-school" traffic at a regional level.

Judd Creek is a fish passage project, located at Southwest 216^th Street, just east of 111^th Avenue Southwest, on Vashon Island. This project has been in the works for a couple of years and originated as a request from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. Design was completed in 2002, but construction was complicated by several challenges.

A stream bypass system needed to be installed to allow flows throughout the duration of the project. An excessive amount of groundwater meant de-watering wells had to be installed to allow for excavation. And, much of the equipment and supplies for a new under-road culvert were too big to transport on the ferry.

The open house will be held Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 5-8 p.m. in the galleria at the hospital, 12040 NE 128th Street, Kirkland. In addition to information on transit improvements, there will also be a display on how the city and other agencies are planning to implement the community's vision of an Urban Center at Totem Lake.