All Participants

Application process

Before riding, each group participant must complete and sign the Commuter Van Program Application (PA) and agree to the Terms and Conditions. 

Responsibilities

Coordinate with your group

• Communicate with the group, including notifying the driver of changes in schedule, if out sick, on vacation, and so on

• Hold group meetings as desired

• Be on time at pickup points

• Notify the bookkeeper at least 15 days before leaving the group and pay your fare during the 15-day period (your fare may be prorated according to the appropriate daily fare schedule)

Awareness of current policies and updates

• Be familiar and comply with Metro Vanpool policies and all applicable laws

• Take time to review program updates sent by the Vanpool office

• Sign up for Vanpool bulletin news

Fare payment

All Vanpool members must pay their required fares 

Assist the group with daily operations

• Keep the vehicle clean

• Help driver navigate parking and backing up

• Assist the driver with reporting any vehicle damage to the Vanpool office

• Assist with inspecting and maintaining the vehicle

• Assist with handling emergencies and breakdowns

Recruitment

Any member may serve as a public contact to recruit riders using internal worksite communications to recruit riders or visit RideshareOnline.com to find additional matches. For additional recruiting assistance, contact vanpool@kingcounty.gov or call 206-625-4500.

Best practices

Everyone plays a part in fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment. Toward that end, each group creates internal guidelines for their operations, including considerations such as the following:

Respect
Encourage all participants to treat each other with respect, communicate openly, anticipate potential problems, and establish a process for resolving conflict. 

Communication
Create a group email or text, or use a messaging app, for quick and easy communication. This is helpful for sharing important info about program updates, breakdowns, emergencies, late arrivals, no-shows, and adverse weather events.

Sharing driving
Having more approved drivers increases reliability and flexibility to manage absences and scheduling conflicts. Beyond that, sharing driving duties prevents burnout.

Centralizing parking
Park the vehicle at a designated driver’s home, ensuring multiple drivers have access for coverage during absences.

Route
Groups decide where riders will be picked up based on park-and-ride lots or other locations central to riders’ homes and the best route to work. Metro encourages 1 or 2 pickup locations to streamline the route and minimize travel time. Any proposed route must be reviewed and approved by Metro. Route changes may affect fares and should be discussed in the group before submittal to the Vanpool office for approval. 

Schedule
Establish a clear schedule with regular pickup and drop-off times.

Wait times
Your group will need to establish how long your group will wait for riders who are late. Metro suggests a 2- to 4-minute wait time to maintain punctuality, respect everyone’s time, and prevent delays. Encourage communication from riders who will be late.

Seating
Decide on seating arrangements. First out sits closest to the door? Assigned seats? Or other arrangement? Rotating seating assignments could be a compromise, if needed.

Noise
Discuss preferences around noise in the vehicle related to taking phone calls, using headphones, and conversation levels.

Radio
Typically, the driver chooses what is played in the vehicle while driving. Having the radio turned off or rotating radio stations or other audio at a low level could be an option if there is disagreement.

Scents
Consider a “no scents” agreement in the vehicle in case participants are sensitive or allergic to scents. Be aware and considerate that some participants may require personal products that are scented.

Resolving concerns
Group participants need to be prepared to compromise if there is disagreement. If a compromise can’t be reached among the group, contact the Vanpool office at 206-625-4500 for assistance.

In the rare occurrence that a group is not able to resolve an issue, the group must come to a general agreement. The goal is for group consensus but if that cannot happen, the Vanpool office may need to get involved to support a decision that's best for the group or the Vanpool program. While very rare, this may include disbanding the group. 

For roles and responsibilities related to specific group participant roles, see Group Roles and Responsibilities.