King County Councilmember Larry Gossett recently announced that four organizations in his district (King County Council District 2) will receive retired Metro Transit Vanpool vans to provide transportation assistance to for low-income, elderly or young people or people with disabilities.
The retired vans have been part of Metro Transit’s vanpool fleet for at least six years and have reached the end of their service life. When the vans reach this age, they are considered surplus. Vehicles that are not transferred are sold by the County.
In 1996, the Council made its first transfer of vans. Since then, councilmembers have provided the keys of more than 600 vehicles to local nonprofit organizations to assist in providing transportation for the disabled, low-income, young adults, and seniors.
The organizations receiving vans in District 2 this year are:
- Black Dollar Days Task Force/Clean Greens Farm and Market
- Cham Refugees Community
- Community Passageways
- 23rd and Cherry Fellowship, Inc.
“These are vehicles that still have a lot of ‘life’ in them, going to organizations who understand the value of assisting people young and old get to medical appointments or activities,” Gossett said. “This is a program that understand the difference these vans can make in the lives of the people who use them, and I look forward to seeing how they are put to good use.”
The vanpool program provides mobility for a diverse array of King County residents, supports the positive work of various local organizations, and relieves traffic congestion by reducing the need for single-occupancy vehicles.
Interested organizations can contact Councilmember Gossett for more information on applying for a vehicle.
