Community Van Connecting You to Where You Need to Go!
By Maritza Lauriano
The Move Redmond Team recently made a trip to the Kenmore Bowling Lanes using the community van for a team celebration and it couldn’t have been easier! The community van is an amazing and wheelchair accessible resource co-managed by Hopelink and King County Metro that allows you to go where bus service isn’t available. It is a simple and affordable way to get around. You may pay with Transit GO mobile tickets, any monthly ORCA card, or Human Services Bus Tickets. A standard Metro fare covers round-trip transportation in the Community Van, which is $2.75 for the standard adult fare and youth ride free! Community Van is available to community members in Redmond, Sammamish, Shoreline-Lake Forest Park, and Snoqualmie Valley. To request a ride, you have to fill out the request form at least 2 days in advance, but the sooner you submit your request, the more likely your trip can get scheduled.
These trips are made possible thanks to volunteer drivers. Once you submit your request form, a volunteer driver will check their availability to see if they can accept your request. Hopelink is currently looking for more volunteer drivers. Volunteer drivers ride for free and choose which trips to take. To provide a stress free experience, King County Metro provides gas, insurance, and maintenance! To become a volunteer driver, email communityvan@hopelink.org a copy of a filled out Community Van Driver Application. Once your application has been reviewed, King County Metro and your Community Transportation Coordinator will contact you to complete a 30-45 min in-person training and self-led online orientation.
Whether you are going for a fun trip, errands, or visiting friends and family, the community van is a great resource for everyone! Just keep in mind that a minimum of two riders are required to request a trip. So reach out to your friends and family and begin planning your community van trips for 2025 or become a driver and initiate your own trips!