We hope you and your loved ones are doing well! We realize many of you are still not commuting, and that some of you are beginning your return to work. While there are still several unknowns related to the current health crisis, we want to keep you updated with current vanpool information so that you are in the best position possible when the time comes to start commuting again.
Key updates:
Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, Pierce Transit Vanpool will continue to provide fare credits, waivers, and minimum ridership flexibility through the month of June 2020. We will continue to assess the situation and provide additional information on future months as we move forward.
Five new vehicle disinfecting sites are available to vanpool customers at no charge. Disinfecting sites are open 7 days a week from 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM.
Vans that are not in use for an extended period of time need to be started periodically to prevent the battery from going dead. If your van is parked, please start it each week and allow it to idle for 10 - 15 minutes.
New riders are welcome to join one of our 300+ vanpools! New riders can try vanpooling for FREE. If you know someone who is interested in joining a vanpool, please have them contact our office for more information.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions at Vanpool@PierceTransit.org or 253-581-8000 (option 3, then 2).
FARES & RIDERSHIP
Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, Pierce Transit Vanpool will continue to provide fare credits, waivers, and minimum ridership flexibility through the month of June 2020. We will continue to assess the situation and provide additional information on future months as we move forward.
We will continue to prorate monthly fares based on number of commute days and/or temporary loss of ridership. Credits are valid for up to 12 months. Vanpools that do not operate for an entire calendar month will have their fares waived.
We will continue to temporarily ease ridership requirements for vanpools. Groups falling below the required minimum of five commuters can continue to operate.
If you receive an employer subsidy for all or part of your vanpool fare, please check with your employer on possible changes to subsidy requirements in response to COVID-19.
STARTING YOUR COMMUTE AGAIN
We have been contacted by several groups in the past few weeks about what to do if you have been called back in to work and need to start commuting again. Vanpool remains an essential service. There are no restrictions that would prevent vanpoolers who are required to return to work from operating their van.
Maintaining the current social distancing guidelines in a vanpool may be difficult. Riders should use their personal discretion when deciding to participate in a vanpool.
As part of the current social distancing guidelines, we will continue to temporarily ease the ridership requirements for vanpools. Groups falling below the required minimum of five commuters will be allowed to operate.
As part of our commitment to keep our customers safe and our vehicles clean and disinfected, we will continue to:
Disinfect our fleet of spare vans and vans that come in for service, focusing on “high touch” areas.
Place a container of disinfecting wipes for customer use in each spare van and vans that arrive for service while supplies last. You can also stop by the Pierce Transit Vanpool office at 9622 40th Ave SW in Lakewood to pick up a complimentary container of disinfecting wipes for your van. The wipes are located on the south side of our building in a crate near the spare van key box. Use your van’s gate pass to access the lot.
As an added precaution for groups returning to the road, five new vehicle disinfecting sites are available to vanpool customers at no charge. Disinfecting sites are open 7 days a week from 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM:
Wear a cloth face covering as recommended by public health officials
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and/or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Cover your coughs and sneezes
Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces
Please refer to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department website for additional information on COVID-19 and instructions on how to keep yourself, your family and the community healthy.
Pierce Transit is closely monitoring all available information, including updated recommendations from local, state and federal authorities. We will continue to update our customers with any changes that would further impact operations.
JOIN A VANPOOL
New riders are welcome to join one of our 300+ vanpools! If you know someone who is interested in joining a vanpool, please have them contact our office for more information.
New riders can try vanpooling for FREE. Check out our list of Current Vanpools and call 253-581-8000 (option 3, then 2) for details.
Please continue to submit monthly ridership reports and fare sheets on time, even if your vanpool is not operating, operating occasionally, and/or operating with fewer riders than normal. We still need this information to keep things running smoothly as we move forward.
Submit ridership and mileage reports at www.PTVanpool.com by the first of the month.
Submit fare and payment sheets to your account contact at Pierce Transit by the first of the month.
Please reach out to your account contact at Pierce Transit with questions about completing the monthly reports.
MAINTENANCE
Even though many vanpools are currently sidelined, we are still reaching out to schedule routine service so that your van stays ready to run when the time comes. Please be responsive to our requests to bring your van in for maintenance. No-contact drop-off options are available.
Pierce Transit continues to disinfect all vans that come in for service, focusing on “high touch” areas. We are also providing a container of disinfecting wipes for customer use in each van that arrives for service, while supplies last.
PARKING
If your vanpool is not currently operating, please keep the van parked at a group member’s home, ideally at the home of the primary or secondary driver. If there are no viable options for parking the van at a group member’s home, please contact our office at 253-581-8000 (option 3, then 2) or Vanpool@PierceTransit.org and we will work with you to find a suitable place to park the van.
Vans that are not in use for an extended period of time need to be started periodically to prevent the battery from going dead. If your van is parked, please start it each week and allow it to idle for 10 - 15 minutes.
Thank you for choosing to commute with Pierce Transit.
