Council approves “retired” County van for Camp Berachah Day Care of Auburn

May 28, 2013

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The Day Care program for Auburn’s Camp Berachah, which has been serving King County Communities for four decades, will be the new home for one of King County’s newest “retirees.” The Metropolitan King County Council today unanimously approved the handover of retired Metro vans to the camp as well as other groups throughout the County to provide transportation assistance to local governments, community programs, senior citizens and young people.

“Camp Berachah has been serving the children in the Pacific Northwest for over three decades,” said Councilmember Reagan Dunn, who donated the van to the camp. “It is fitting that one of these retired vans will continue to serve the community in the hands of this superb organization.”

“It was great news to hear that Camp Berachah will be the recipient of a vehicle from King County,” said Steve Altick of the Berachah Foundation. “As we celebrate our 40th anniversary of providing programs for families, and summer camps for 4,000 kids each summer, this van is much needed and appreciated. Thank you King County and Councilmember Dunn.”

The retired vans have been part of Metro Transit’s vanpool fleet for at least six years and have reached the end of their service life. When the vans reach this age, they are considered surplus. The vehicles that are not donated are sold.

Since 1996, the County Council has been donating retired vans from Metro’s Vanpool program to local nonprofit organizations to provide transportation for the disabled, low-income, young adults, and senior citizens. Governments, agencies and organizations that receive the vans must meet specific requirements:

• Capacity to support ongoing van operation, including assured funding for licensing, insuring, fueling and maintaining the van;
• Ability to provide qualified and trained drivers;
• Specific plans for use of the van to transport low-income, elderly or young people or people with disabilities, and assurance that the use shall be available to those persons without regard to affiliation with any particular organization;
• Ability to support county's public transportation function by reducing single occupancy vehicle trips, pollution and traffic congestion; supplementing services provided by the county's paratransit system and increasing the mobility for the transit-dependent for whom regular transit might not always be a convenient option.

The vanpool program provides mobility for a diverse array of King County residents, supports the positive work of various local organizations, and relieves traffic congestion by reducing the need for single-occupancy vehicles. Interested organizations can contact Councilmember Dunn for more information on applying for a vehicle.