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Rideshare for the Win!

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Ridesharing makes it easier than ever to leave your car at home. Learn how you can spend less time on the road and less money on fuel, parking, and vehicle maintenance, all while reducing traffic and air pollution. Joining a vanpool is an easy rideshare option that can work for you! 

With King County Metro, if you can get five people together to share a commute schedule for at least three days per week, transit agencies will provide you with a van to use. (Really!) 

 

About Vanpool: 

  • Basics – Vanpool is a great way to share the ride with others who commute similarly to work. These group members remain consistent and can include co-workers, friends, or neighbors. One of the group members drives the van, and the riders meet at a pre-set location or are picked up on the way and typically dropped off at their work location. The program includes everything – van, gas, maintenance, insurance, 24-hour roadside assistance, and the emergency ride home program. 

  • Flexibility – Vanpools are available for any work schedule—full-time, part-time, shift and evening or weekends. You can also request a free bike rack for your van to combine biking with your vanpool commute. 

  • Fares – Cost will vary but may be similar to a monthly transit pass.

 

Vanpool Guaranteed Ride Home Program Benefits: 

An active vanpooler is eligible for up to six emergency rides home per year. These six rides are in addition to any benefits your employer may provide. King County Metro asks if you do have employer-provided benefits, that you exhaust those prior to using your six trips provided by King County Metro. 

Learn how to join an existing vanpool with this handy infographic, or use this infographic to learn how to start a new vanpool! 

 

Find a Vanpool seat 

Use this site to find available vanpool seats. Fill in the "Start" and "End" boxes with an address or zip code and click "Search" to see a list of vanpools going your way! You can also click the buttons on the right side of this site to see lists of Bellevue vans. 

 

What Does It Cost 

The cost is shared with the van members and determined by whether you are a full-time, part-time, or shift/weekend user and how many miles traveled. Please visit King County Metro's fare calculator for your exact fare information. 

 

Learn how to join an existing vanpool with this handy infographic, or use this infographic to learn how to start a new vanpool!

 

Vanpool Promotions 

 

 

Affordable commuting made easy! King County Metro’s Vanpool pilot program is perfect for those earning $25 or less per hour. For just $49/month, get all-inclusive benefits like van, fuel, tolls, and maintenance. Join a vanpool today! bit.ly/kcmvanpool 

 

Already in a vanpool? Did you know that if you refer a friend to King County Metro Vanpool you will receive $50?! Find out more at bit.ly/vanpoolreferral 

 

Vanshare 

King County Metro’s Vanshare program is like vanpool, but the van must connect to a transit hub. Get five or more people to share a commute to or from a Park & Ride, commuter rail station or ferry terminal and King County Metro will provide a van for a flat monthly rate. 

  

Vanshare Basics: 

  • 5-15 people decide on a schedule and share an agency-provided van. 

  • Vanshare riders must meet at a transit hub. 

  • 20-mile round trip maximum daily commute (10 miles each way) 

  • Riders split a flat monthly fare  

  • Fuel, maintenance and insurance are covered. 

  • Vanshare riders are eligible for a reimbursable Guaranteed Ride Home by taxi, so you'll never be stranded in case of suddenly changing plans. 

 

Learn more about the differences between vanpool and vanshare with this infographic.

 

Don’t forget to log your vanpool (and other sustainable) trips to earn exciting rewards! Visit our rewards page to learn more: https://ChooseYourWayBellevue.org/rewards 

 

 

 

2 Line GO! Park and Ride

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Did you know the Park and Rides are a great way to visit Bellevue attractions sustainably? Watch for more information, and be sure to log your trips to earn rewards for non-drive-alone trips!

 

 

 

2 Line GO!

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Welcome back to our series, 2 Line GO! We explore different attractions, shopping, and nature experiences in Bellevue that you can access from the 2 Line. We hope you enjoy it! If you are a Bellevue business close to the 2 Line, email us at info@cywb.org if you want to be featured⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We will do our best to highlight everyone who emails us!

 

Now enjoy Mercer Slough!

 

 

TDM Week 2024!

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TMD Week is September 16-20th! What is TDM and why is it important? Glad you asked!  

 

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) uses strategies to inform and encourage travelers to maximize our transportation system’s efficiency, leading to improved mobility, reduced congestion, and lower vehicle emission levels. TDM aims to provide all people with transportation options that enable them to travel in an affordable, efficient, sustainable, and even more enjoyable way.   

According to the Association of Commuter Transportation (ACT),  some effective TDM strategies can include: 

  • Employer access to the federal Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefit for employee commute expenses (i.e. pre-tax purchasing, subsidies) 

  • Incentives (gift cards, no-cost transit passes etc.) and gamification 

  • Strategic pricing of parking, tolls, transit etc. for the purpose of encouraging non-drive alone trips 

  • Carpooling and vanpooling 

  • Trip planning & ridematching 

  • Parking management and pricing 

  • Use of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV)/High-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes 

  • Promotion and support of telecommuting, remote & hybrid work schedules 

  • Marketing, outreach, and education to inform people about sustainable transportation options 

  • Support of bicycle & pedestrian infrastructure and programming (i.e. an office bicycle-share program). 

     

Governor Inslee has proclaimed September 16-20 as Transportation Demand Management Awareness Week! Part of the proclamation below states that “all residents are encouraged, when possible, to consider an alternative commute option and support local TDM initiatives within their communities to reduce congestion, reduce their carbon footprint and improve air quality...” 

At Choose Your Way Bellevue, are proud to be working on TDM initiatives in Bellevue. We hope you join us in celebrating everything that TDM offers our city! Find more information on the Choose Your Way Bellevue program and how we can help you travel affordably, efficiently, sustainably, and enjoyably at https://chooseyourwaybellevue.org 

Service Change Notification

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With the August/September service change reflecting the new light rail lines and scheduling changes, you're probably wondering how transit routes running in Bellevue will differ. Here's a quick breakdown of what's happening.

 

2 Line  South Bellevue-Redmond  

  • We are adjusting the schedule to accommodate pre-revenue activities and simulated service between Downtown Redmond and Redmond Technology stations. 

Route 554  Issaquah-Seattle

  • This route is using Eastgate P&R Bay 1, instead of East P&R Freeway Station.

Route 556  Issaquah-University District

  • This route is using Eastgate P&R Bay 1, instead of East P&R Freeway Station.

 

2 Line GO!

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Welcome to our new series, 2 Line GO! We will explore different attractions, shopping, and nature experiences in Bellevue that you can access from the 2 Line. We hope you enjoy it! If you are a Bellevue business close to the 2 Line, email us at info@cywb.org if you would like to be featured⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We will do our best to highlight everyone who emails us!

 

Bellhop is Here to Stay!

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In partnership with VisitBellevue and provider Circuit  Bellhop has been providing electric shuttle rides in Bellevue. The pilot program has been running since August of 2023, but VisitBellevue recently announced that Bellhop is here to stay! It covers roughly six square miles in Bellevue (see map below) and will provides free 100% electric rides.   

According to Circuit, 60% of vehicle trips are under five miles. Bellhop aims to help people get around without a car and reduce vehicle trips!   

Bellhop Circuit Bellevue Service Area  

Hours Of Operation 

Sun-Thur, 9 AM – 9 PM and Fri-Sat, 10 AM – 10 PM 

EARLY COMMUTER EXPANDED SERVICE 

The BellHop service is expanding to include a new weekday, on-demand morning service starting June 17th. This service is designed to accommodate early morning riders by providing direct transportation from Bellevue's Downtown Transit Station (Light Rail & Metro stations) to additional downtown stops, operating from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM, Monday through Friday. 

How to Use 

To use Bellhop is simple – just download the Circuit App, make an account, and request a ride within the limits, and a driver will start making their way toward you! It's that easy.   

Feel free to bring your children or four-legged friends too! For children, please note Circuit follows Washington state car seat and child passenger laws and does not carry a car seat. For pets, your furry friend must be seated on your lap or on the floor between your legs at all times.