Around Town

Published 2:45 pm Friday, November 30, 2007

Local man reduces traffic by 6 commuters

Phani Erramilli was so excited to buy his first home in Mill Creek, he never considered what it would mean to his commute. The Microsoft employee previously lived in Bellevue, a short trip to his Redmond office. But from Mill Creek, well, that’s a bit tougher.

Rather than simply fight the traffic alone every day, Erramilli formed a Community Transit vanpool group. When he was transferred to Issaquah in October, he took it upon himself to form a vanpool group with six of his new co-workers. In doing so, the Issaquah Microsoft group became Community Transit’s 300th vanpool group on the road — the first time it has reached that peak since the program began in 1986.

For Erramilli, being in a vanpool simply mades sense.

Vanpool groups consist of 5-15 commuters who ride to work together in a van provided by Community Transit. The agency sets a fare based on the size of the van and the daily round-trip mileage, which includes all fuel, maintenance and insurance costs. An individual’s fare is determined by the number of passengers sharing the cost. All Community Transit vanpool groups must begin or end in Snohomish County.

While many people use vanpools to save on fuel or car maintenance costs, Erramilli’s primary motivation was to save time and reduce stress. Microsoft subsidizes vanpools and educates employees on driving alternatives, offerings that helped Erramilli get this vanpool group started.

To keep up with demand, the Community Transit partnered with the Washington State Department of Transportation to add 45 new vans over the past two years, giving Community Transit 358 vehicles. These additions allow Community Transit to continue to add new vanpool groups and to have spares available when needed.

While some Eastside commuters travel via vanpool, Community Transit also serve the Eastside with bus Route 441, which travels from the Edmonds Park &Ride to Overlake, making stops at the Lynnwood Transit Center and the Canyon Park Park &Ride, dropping commuters near the offices of Nintendo, Safeco, Group Health and Microsoft.

Community Transit operates 33 local bus routes, 31 commuter routes and DART paratransit service throughout Snohomish County. It also offers carpool matching, one of the nation’s largest vanpool programs and offers travel training to disabled and senior citizens. Call Community Transit at 425-353-RIDE or 1-800-562-1375 for bus information, or 1-888-814-1300 for carpool and vanpool information.

Food expert shares NW taste

Braiden Rex-Johnson, a food and wine writer from Seattle, has created what she calls “a love letter” to the Pacific Northwest, riding the wave of place-based cookbooks.

She will visit the University Book Store in Mill Creek at 5 p.m. on Dec. 1 to discuss her book “Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia.”

One may not be able to dine at the Herbfarm, in Woodinville, Wash., for instance, but Rex-Johnson allows home cooks to recreate the restaurant’s Sea Scallops with Spiced Carrot¿Dill Sauce. Better still, she realizes that some of the simplest and most delicious fare is what winemakers serve to their friends and families.

She calls it “vineyard cooking,” and she has persuaded many of its practitioners to offer up their favorites.

Most charming are her stories of leisurely and convivial meals spent at the table with her subjects, such as the hearth-baked pizza she shares with Bob Betz of Betz Family Winery.

The book is organized by region, and the dishes are eclectic.

All welcome at garden club bash

The Mill Creek Garden Club will have its “Merry Christmas” luncheon at 11 a.m. on Dec. 4 at the Mill Creek Country Club.

The annual holiday party will feature music and song from Jackson High School student music groups, an ornament exchange and gifts for members and guests.

Membership in the Mill Creek Garden Club is open to all interested gardeners, both serious as well as social gardeners. Annual dues are $25. Lunch cost is $18 for members and $20 for guests. For reservations or more information call Marla Nulph at 425-918-1669.

Expect noise, delays at 186th intersection

Road crews from the Washington State Department of Transportation are building a new signal and making other improvements at the intersection of 186th Place Southeast and State Route 527 in Mill Creek.

Motorists can expect to see nighttime closures 527 while crews install wiring for the new signal and stripe the roadway. Both directions of the roadway near 186th will be closed on selected nights Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. – 6 a.m.

Officials anticipate completing the project by Dec. 7, but work be delayed by weather. If you have questions or concerns about construction noise, please call 425-489-5403.