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Everett in Motion

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1. What is the purpose of the Everett in Motion Program?

The purpose of Everett in Motion is to help reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions in and around Everett city limits, while encouraging healthy travel options. The program is administered by Everett Transit.

2. How will this program work to reduce traffic congestion?

There is no single solution to reducing traffic congestion. Everett in Motion focuses on one part of the overall solution, reducing the number of single occupancy vehicles on the road. Everett in Motion will increase public awareness about transportation choices and eliminate some of the barriers that keep people from trying an alternative to driving alone. In short, the program offers rewards to those who are already doing their part to reduce congestion, while encouraging others to try alternative modes of transportation.

3. How is Everett in Motion funded?

The program is funded through a series of grants made available through Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC).

4. If I participated in the program before can I participate again?

Yes! If you participated in the program prior to March 2017, you can enroll in the new and improved incentive and earn three months of rewards. And you will also be entered in the monthly drawing for every month that you qualify.

5. Why is program participation only applicable to trips that begin or end within Everett city limits?

These grants were awarded through WSDOT and PSRC to the jurisdiction of Everett. Even those who are not directly eligible for rewards still benefit from the program through reduced traffic congestion and cleaner air.

6. What is a single occupancy vehicle?

A single occupancy vehicle (SOV) is a privately operated vehicle whose only occupant is the driver. When you drive alone, you are driving an SOV. The drivers of SOVs use their vehicles primarily for personal travel, daily commuting and for running errands. The definition would generally exclude human-powered vehicles such as bicycles. This term is used by transportation engineers and planners. SOVs contrast with high-occupancy vehicles (HOV), which carry many passengers, like buses.

7. What is the purpose of the RideshareOnline.com calendar?

The RideshareOnline.com calendar is an online tool that was developed to help the region record and track the transportation habits of the public. It allows visitors to register and use the calendar to track trips and types of trips taken throughout the calendar year. The calendar also allows organizations to administer rewards to registered users for participating in various programs.
Everett Transit uses the calendar tool to:
o Confirm participant eligibility for program incentives.
o Determine the number of vehicle trips removed from our roads
o Measure increase/decrease in bus ridership, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, and walking.

8. How will my personal information be used?

Your personal information will remain confidential and is only used by Everett Transit to send you requested materials and rewards. Everett Transit will not sell, distribute, or otherwise disseminate your information to any third party. Information given by participants, both contact information and commuting information, will be kept confidential, unless authorized by you for the purposes of finding a carpool, vanpool or bicycling/walking buddies. Entry constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use winner’s name, hometown, and any text submitted for the purposes of promotion on behalf of Everett in Motion.

9. How do I receive my reward if I am a Monthly Drawing winner?

An Everett in Motion Specialist will contact you directly to arrange getting your reward to you.

10. How will I know if I qualify for a Monthly Reward for each of the three months after I register? How and when would I receive my reward?

You can track your progress using the RideshareOnline calendar. Calendars will be evaluated on the first business day after the 5th of the following month. For example: Your November eligibility would be reviewed on December 6th since you have until the 5th to log your trips on the calendar. If December 5th falls on a Friday, your calendar will be evaluated on the next business day.

Participants who met the criteria will be notified via email so that you know to expect your reward. Rewards are sent via U.S. mail. Please allow up to three weeks for mailing. If you have not received your reward within that time, please email EverettinMotion@everettwa.gov or call 425-257-8900.

11. Are there any tax consequences for being a winner?

Everett Transit will comply with the IRS reporting requirements for winners. According to IRS instructions, a Form 1099-MISC is required for any person receiving over $600 in prizes and awards. For those prizes where there is an issue of what the actual worth of the prize is, the IRS regulations defining the fair market value of a prize will determine whether or not a 1099-MISC is filed. Recipients of prizes qualifying for a 1099-MISC must agree to provide the information necessary for the 1099-MISC in order to receive their prize; they should expect to receive their forms in time to file their appropriate tax returns. For prizes worth less than $600, it is the recipient’s responsibility to comply with all relevant IRS income reporting guidelines.

12. I drive alone in order to reach a transit center or park & ride, then take a commuter bus from there. Does that count as a bus trip?

To count as a bus trip, the bus portion of your trip must be longer than the drive-alone portion and begin or end in the Everett city limits. That also applies to meeting a vanpool or carpool at a Park & Ride.

13. I made eight trips in one day. Does that qualify me for rewards?

You must make at least one trip a day on eight separate days in the calendar month and meet other eligibility requirements in order to qualify for a reward.

14. What if I am driving a hybrid vehicle?

If there is more than one person in the car for the commute, then the hybrid vehicle may count as a carpool. Driving alone in a hybrid vehicle may reduce fuel usage and emissions, but does not reduce traffic congestion. Therefore, Everett Transit does not recognize hybrid use alone as consideration for reward eligibility.

15. Why are motorcycles not included as an alternative mode?

There are a number of reasons for this.
o First, a primary goal of the program is to promote bus, carpool, vanpool, bicycling, and walking to remove drive-alone trips. A motorcycle can qualify as a carpool if more than one person is riding the same cycle.
o A second goal of the program is to encourage commuting methods that increase roadway capacity. Even given the relative size of a motorcycle to a car, there is still an issue of the number of vehicles using our county’s roadways. We believe that the best way to encourage people to use fewer vehicles overall is to encourage methods that promote personal or community connections, such as riding the bus, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, or walking.

16. What if I use a scooter?

Power-assisted bicycles qualify as a bicycle in this program. Motorized scooters of any type, whether meeting license requirements or not, count towards the program only when more than one person is sharing the commute, for the same reasons as listed above for motorcycles.

17. Are there other types of foot-powered commuting that are eligible under the “walking” category?

Yes, as long as it is a method of transportation where the foot is in contact with the ground, it is eligible in the “walking” category. This include skateboards, jogging, rollerblading, and non-motorized scooters. Trips made by wheelchair are also eligible in the "walking" category, as long as the trip replaces a drive-alone vehicle trip.