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Driving Alone Again?

Americans love their freedom and their vehicles, but more vehicles on the roads creates more conjestion and the need for more roads; and more pollution from exhaust, leaking fuels, and heavy metals. In Thurston County, between 1970 and 2000, the population increased by 63% while registered vehicles increased by 82% and the driving miles per vehicle increased 25%. Currently, there are more registered vehicles in Thurston County than people with an average of 1.5 vehicles per licensed driver, surpassing the State average of 1.22 vehicles per licensed driver.

It's not surprising that over 77% of employed Thurston County residents drive alone to work. In 2006, the typical Washington State driver drove 32 miles per day and annually used 685 gallons of gasoline to drive 11,800 miles. More information on Thurston County transportation statistics can be found in The 2006 Profile from the Thurston Regional Planning Council.

Give Your Car a Day Off!

Consider These Alternatives to Driving: With a little planning, using the bus, carpooling, walking, or biking can replace driving alone to work or school, or for errands. Arrange for your children to take the school bus or to walk or bike to school. Consider making the change just one day a week.

• Commuting to Work
• Biking
• Walking
• Taking the Bus

No Car is Off the Hook When it Comes to Polluting Our Water. Why?

• Vehicle exhaust contains pollutants called hydrocarbons that drop out of the air and eventually end up in Olympia's waterways. Many of these hydrocarbons do not break down easily and persist in the environment. Carcinogenic hydrocarbons can lead to tumor and liver damage in fish. Hydrocarbons have been identified as the cause of a 75% drop in birth rates for Puget Sound English Sole that live in urban waters compared to non-urban waters.
• Tires and brakes drop cadmium, copper, and zinc onto the road as they wear down. These heavy metals are washed into storm drains when it rains. Research in California determined that copper from wearing brake pads and zinc and cadmium from tires account for over 50% of these metals found in the lower San Francisco Bay . Exposure to these metals can lead to developmental problems in fish. Copper is toxic to many aquatic species at very low levels and impairs a salmon's ability to find its home stream. Metals bioaccumulate in fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and people.
• More vehicles mean more lanes on roads and larger parking lots need to be built. Between 2001 and 2005, Washington constructed 240 new lane miles at a cost ranging from 1 million to 24.5 million dollars per mile!

Contact Us:

Contact staff member Patricia Pyle 360.570.5841, or send an publicworks@ci.olympia.wa.us.

Need More Information? Contact the Public Works office.

• Physical Address: 924 7th Ave. SE, Suite A
• Mailing Address: PO Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507
• Download printer-friendly (PDF) directions to our office
• Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except City-recognized holidays)
• Phone: 360.753.8588
• TTY: 360.753.8270
• Email: publicworks@ci.olympia.wa.us