Rita Hoak has long been an advocate of carpooling. She uses a vanpool to commute from her home in Poulsbo to her work, KPS Health Plans in Bremerton. She says using the vanpool minimizes wear and tear on her own car, plus it helps create new friendships. “On the days when I’m not the driver, it’s also very relaxing,” she says.
Drivers may hesitate to use alternative transportation because it limits their mobility during the workday or lunch hour. A couple of car-sharing options in Kitsap County help to fill that gap in some geographic locations.
One of those options is SCOOT, or Smart Commute Option of Today, available to participants of Kitsap Transit’s Smart Commuter Program who live or work in certain areas. Kitsap Transit currently has seven SCOOT locations, where smart cars can be reserved for use during the day Monday through Friday.
Hoak said having a SCOOT car available makes her feel like she’s not stranded while at work. She’s used a SCOOT car to drive to medical appointments, Soroptimist meetings and, most recently during the severe weather, to provide community outreach services like collecting blankets for distribution to the homeless.
“It’s totally awesome and easy to reserve,” she says. “It’s an incentive for me to be a ‘smart commuter’ — it’s a bonus to have that flexibility.”
SCOOT cars can be used for personal errands only, and there is no charge to the user. Kitsap Transit pays for the gas, and the cars can be reserved for several hours as long as they’re being used within Kitsap County and during daytime; there is no limit on the miles traveled at a time. Registered users receive electronic “keys” that only unlock the vehicles during their reserved time. Reservations can be easily made online, and the cars are equipped with a button that communicates directly with the transit center in case of any problems.
John Clauson, service development director at Kitsap Transit, said SCOOT is a unique program for a public transit agency and came as a result of input from transit riders who wanted a way to run personal errands during the workday. The cars were strategically placed in areas where major employers are concentrated, including the Kitsap County Courthouse in Port Orchard, the Norm Dicks Government Center and Kitsap Mental Health in Bremerton. The initial investment for the cars and technology to automate the reservations was paid through grants.
Clauson said due to the technology used, the program is very low-cost and self-sustaining.
“It’s used very well — there are peak periods during the day where there is great demand,” he says. The demand for the courthouse SCOOT car is so great, in fact, the agency is considering adding a second one there.
A survey of SCOOT drivers showed that most of the respondents considered SCOOT important or very important to their willingness to be a “smart commuter,” and most use it at least once a month.
“We’ve seen an increase in ‘smart commuting’ since this program became available,” Clauson says.
Bainbridge Island commuters have a different option available to them: Zipcar. A nationwide car-sharing program, Zipcar provides cars at major metropolitan areas, and two Zipcar locations on the island are part of the Seattle market area. Currently, there are about 250,000 Zipcar members in more than 50 cities in North America and the United Kingdom. The service is also available on many major college campuses.
Zipcar members can reserve a vehicle for a few hours or a few days, and the system is similar to SCOOT — it’s self-serve via online reservations and members use special cards to unlock the vehicles during their reserved times. IPhone users can also make a reservation through a built-in program on their phones. It can cost as little as $9.50 an hour — and that includes gas and insurance!
“With the times we’re in with the economy, creates a lot of value,” says Carla Archambault, general manager of the Seattle office. “It’s a great alternative to owning a car and it reduces the number of cars on the road.”
Charlie Wenzlau, who owns Wenzlau Architects on the island, has been a member of the program for about three years. He uses a bicycle to commute to work, and finds Zipcar a convenient option when he needs to travel to job sites off the island. He signed up for corporate membership, making the option available to his entire six-person office.
“Our firm is very interested in green building and sustainable design, and this is one more way to exercise those ideas,” he says. “I like the idea of using a car only when you really need it — it sends a message about environmentally sound practices.”
Another Islander, Tom Moench, is a longtime believer in public transportation and car pooling. When his car was totaled in a car accident, he decided not to replace it. “I use feet first, bike next then Zipcar,” he explains his choice of transportation methods, and adds that he uses Kitsap Transit buses when they’re on the route he’s traveling.
A faculty member at Bainbridge Graduate Institute who lives in downtown Winslow, Moench ends up needing Zipcar a few times a month, but even so he’s conscientious not to rent it for simple errands. He says being a member of Zipcar is like owning your own car, only without the financial or environmental costs.
“I like knowing I can have a car — with a little planning — pretty much when I want to do something,” he says. “And I’m sharing the costs with others.”
For Moench, embracing a “noncar” lifestyle has been easy. He enjoys taking the train when he wants to see his daughter at college in Portland, and even his dog is benefitting from all the extra walks. He’s considering investing into an electric moped.
“I don’t think I’ll go back to buying a car if there is a Zipcar in the area where I live or some other alternative transportation,” he says. “The overall goal is to reduce costs—both financial and environmental.”
