Kohl-Welles to transfer retired Metro Vanpool vans to three District 4 nonprofits

May 2, 2023

King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles on Tuesday announced that three non-profits in District 4, which she represents, will receive retired Metro Transit Vanpool vans to better support their work in the community. The allocations were approved Tuesday by the King County Council with its passage of Motion 2023-0117, authorizing three vans to be provided per council district. These vans will help transport people with disabilities, low-income individuals, seniors, young people, or needed supplies.

“The van retirement program is an opportunity for us to show our appreciation for the efforts of organizations across the county that work to make our region a more secure, equitable, and supportive place to live, work, and thrive,” Kohl-Welles said. “Each year, I am delighted to allocate vans as additional resources for such deserving organizations.” 

The organizations receiving vans this year are:

• Nomad Boxing Club, a non-profit boxing organization in Ballard with a mission to promote and sustain the well-being, self-confidence and personal strength necessary for individuals to achieve goals. 
• Ballard Boys & Girls Club, which has been an institution in our community for so many decades, offering academic, active, and out-of-school care for youth. 
• Sound Generations, an organization which promotes the well-being, independence, and quality of life for older adults and adults with disabilities in King County.

The surplus van program began in 1996, when Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer put forward a proposal after seeing retired vans gathering dust at a storage site in Bellevue. Inspired by the need he saw through his position on the Board of Directors with the Federal Way Boys & Girls Club, von Reichbauer found a way to repurpose the utility and value of these vehicles for the betterment of the community.

While also working to limit traffic congestion with fewer single-passenger vehicles, the King County Vanpool Program has proved widely successful in providing more efficient mobility options for essential organizations to execute their vital services.