After 20 Years, Edmonds Drive-Alone Commuter Turns Vanpool Believer

Vanpool Profile  --  Yang Sook Choe
Manager of Program Operations
Facilities Services Custodial Division

The 160 UW custodians who work the day shift face a big commuting challenge—how to arrive on campus to begin work at 5:00 a.m. before dawn’s first light.  Buses are scarce and irregular at that hour, potentially adding substantial commute time to a hard day’s work, nor are they plentiful for the outbound trip at shift’s end at 1:30 p.m.

Yang Sook Choe, has worked at the University for 20 years, first as a custodian, then as a lead, a supervisor, and now, as the Program Manager for Area C Custodial Division. For years, Yang Sook got up at 3:00 a.m. for a 16.5 mile drive-alone commute from Edmonds to get to the campus early enough to help ferry some of her staff from the Northlake Building to their check-in site at the old Fisheries Building. Several months ago, she discussed the transportation challenges she and her staff face with her supervisor Gene Woodard.  Gene suggested she look into vanpooling. 

Yang Sook followed up on this tip in short order, consulting the U-PASS website and making calls to Metro and Community Transit.  Soon she and seven of her staff were sharing the ride to campus in a Community Transit vanpool, leaving from a grocery store parking lot in Edmonds at 4:15 a.m.  Suddenly, her commute was transformed—she could sleep in an extra half-hour; her car could rest at home in the garage, free from commuting wear and tear; and access to HOV lanes cut her morning travel time by 10 minutes. 

The other members of Yang Sook’s vanpool—all former drive-alone commuters—relished the change in their commute as well. Sparked by Yang Sook’s announcement at a division safety meeting and the enthusiasm of the new vanpoolers, word about vanpooling spread among the custodial staff.  Sue Garcia, a custodian who lives in Shoreline, was among those who helped spread the word.  Sue says that she is very happy with vanpooling because of the time and money savings and she enjoys just relaxing on the way to work instead of driving.

Four months after the start of Yang Sook’s vanpool, 38 out of 160 custodians on the day shift now commute by vanpool. A total of 5 new vanpools have been formed—3  originating in Edmonds, 1 from Shoreline, and 1 from Beacon Hill.

Need More Information?
Click on the green Vanpool icon at www.washington.edu/commuterservices/ , which includes links to resources for help in locating existing vanpools or starting a new one.

Vanpools Looking for Riders

Is Vanpooling Right for Me?
Vanpooling can be an ideal option if you commute from more than 10 miles away, especially if you have location and timing constraints that make public transportation impractical.

Beginning in the late 1970s, following on the heels of that decade’s energy crisis, many public transit agencies established vanpool programs to supplement transit options. The University of Washington currently has vanpool contracts with four transit agencies (Metro, Community Transit, Kitsap Transit, and Island Transit), and 31 groups of UW commuters commute to campus by vanpool.

Unlike a carpool, which involves sharing the ride in someone’s personal vehicle, a vanpool group uses a van that is owned, insured and maintained by a transit agency but driven by one or more vanpool participants. As a U-PASS holder, you receive a substantial subsidy ($40 per month if commuting 3 or more days per week, or $20 per month if commuting 2 days per week) toward your monthly vanpool fare. 

As a vanpool, you enjoy free parking in campus permit parking lots and can save time with preferential loading on Washington state ferries. When you need flexibility, use your other U-PASS options to “mix up” your commute with riding the bus or using discounted Individual Commuter Tickets for occasional drive-alone parking on campus.

The U-COMMUTE News is published twice a year for staff and faculty. For additional information, visit our web site at http://www.washington.edu/commuterservices/index.php. Your suggestions and comments are welcome. Please contact the Transportation Office at upass@u.washington.edu, 206.543.0450 or Box 355212.