Taniguchi: The end of an era means new beginnings
Crossposted from Inside Transportation (Note: Below is an email that Director Harold Taniguchi sent to all Department of Transportation employees.) Dear colleagues, At the end of this month, the nearly quarter-century history of our King County Department of Transportation will come full circle. The department was first created by Executive Gary Locke in 1996 to bring together the related functions of Transit and Roads in King County under one roof called Transportation. Other lines of business were added, and over time our staff strength grew to more than 5,000 today. It is… Read More
Navigate around the SR 99 closure
Starting January 11, 2019, after the evening commute, SR 99 through downtown Seattle will close for approximately three weeks, and the SR 99 Viaduct will permanently close, so make sure you visit kingcounty.gov/getready to review your options and find out which routes are affected. This week, we’re highlighting the King County Water Taxi for employees living in West Seattle, which provides a quick 10 minute sail from Seacrest Park to Downtown, departing every 20 minutes during commute periods. Metro is adding a second vessel at commute times during the closure to increase capacity. Shuttles are… Read More
Pet of the Week: Slinky and 50% off adoption fees
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC She’s fun for a girl or a boy – she’s Slinky, our Pet of the Week! This young black cat is an affectionate lovebug who likes getting attention on her own terms. She can get overstimulated with petting, so you just need to keep an eye out for signs she may need a break. Since she is so spirited, she’s one of our “Rambunctious Red” pets. Read more at Tails from RASKC Additionally, throughout the month of December, RASKC is offering 50% off dog and cat adoption fees at our… Read More
2019 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Jan. 10
Please join us in honoring our nation’s foremost human rights leader and our County’s namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The theme for this year is “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.” This year’s keynote speaker is Ijeoma Oluo, local New York Times bestselling author of “So You Want To Talk About Race.” The celebration will take place Thursday, January 10 from noon to 1 p.m at The Sanctuary Seattle, located at 811 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104. Program includes music, spoken word, and comments from King County Executive Dow Constantine. For more… Read More
Metro Transit operator shares experience in KUOW story
King County bus operator Nathan Vass was profiled in a recent KUOW article. It focused on his experiences driving a bus throughout different parts of Seattle and his community engagement work as a filmmaker, writer and photographer. The article quotes Nathan saying: “If I say hi to people on the 7, they will say something in response. I don’t drive that route because it’s more cool, or more dangerous, or something like that, but because the people are more friendly. If I’m going to spend eight hours in one neighborhood, I want… Read More
Saving SoundGuardian
Crossposted from the Downstream Blog On the night of Saturday, Nov. 10, a four-alarm fire started at a lumberyard right across from the King County Environmental Lab. The fire was the largest Seattle has seen since 2010 with flames shooting over 100 feet into the air, according to the Seattle Fire Department blog. In the end, the fire that burned two buildings to the ground and damaged three others was determined to be arson. That night, in addition to the 142 firefighters that helped fight the fire, King County employees were coordinating their own… Read More
King County partner named best cat café in America
RASKC partner Seattle Meowtropolitan was named “Best Cat Café in America” by a national online news magazine, Hoodline. The café in Wallingford was recognized for its work to find new homes for cats, as well as its financial contributions to animal welfare organizations. The ranking was also based on its Yelp reviews, which are some of the highest in the nation. RASKC shared the honors on its social media channels, and the Executive also shared the good news with his social followers, saying, “One of the ways we increased the pet adoption rate by a record… Read More
Plan ahead, expect delays during SR 99 closure beginning Jan. 11, 2019
Dear fellow King County employee, Starting January 11, 2019, after the evening commute, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will close SR 99 through downtown Seattle for approximately three weeks, and permanently close the SR 99 Viaduct. Additional ramp closures mean this work could create up to six weeks of traffic disruption. No matter how you commute, or where from, you should expect significant delays during these closures and be prepared for crowded buses, trains, water taxis, and light rail. All buses coming into or through downtown Seattle will face delays…. Read More
Pet of the Week: Kingston
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC This regal-looking fellow is Kingston, our Pet of the Week! Kingston is a German Shepherd/Australian Shepherd mix who is smart, playful, and protective of his people. Since he’s so spirited and fun-loving, he’s one of our “Rambunctious Red” pets. Read more at Tails from RASKC
Inmate program provides opportunity and education
The Maleng Regional Justice Center’s Janitorial Certificate Program was recently featured on KING5 News. A story highlighting the program aired on Nov. 2 that featured how the custodial program sparks positive change for inmates. Through an interview with Renton Technical College instructor Martin Douthit and current students, the video shows how programs like this provide people a second chance. View the below or at this link.
Employee News 