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Pains, Trains And Automobiles: Seattle's Commuting Future

caption: How does the way we commute affect our health and happiness? That's a key part of planning for Seattle's transportation future.
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How does the way we commute affect our health and happiness? That's a key part of planning for Seattle's transportation future.
KUOW Photo/Gil Aegerter

Visionaries conceive of a future most of us can’t imagine. And when it comes to transportation in one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S., vision is crucial.

Beyond the annoyance factors we all face as we navigate our region, there are serious questions to address. How can we plan for a sustainable transit future? What is the impact of infrastructure spending, or the lack thereof? What national and international best practices can we look to? Will technology help solve our transportation problems? And how does the way we commute affect our health and happiness?

The Seattle Department of Transportation, the Office of Arts & Culture and KUOW partnered on a series of talks with transportation experts -- "Where Are We Going? Seattle’s Transportation Future" -- to address these questions.

The first talk featured entrepreneur and transportation specialist Gabe Klein. He began his career working for Bikes USA before becoming a vice president for Zipcar in Washington, D.C. He went on to direct the transportation departments in D.C. and Chicago.

Klein spoke at the Seattle Public Library Central Library on March 25, 2015. He was joined on stage by KUOW’s Cathy Duchamp, Seattle’s Director of Transportation Scott Kubly and Chief Technology Officer Michael Mattmiller. Mayor Ed Murray introduced the panel. Thanks to Kevin Mitchem for our recording.

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