Public transportation - Vanpools
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Measure of public transportation usage: Vanpools in operation & passenger trips
Vanpools
Vanpool programs provide safe, reliable vans so groups can commute together. Washington has the largest public vanpool fleet in the nation. In 2019, each weekday, more than 18,000 commuters ride in more than 3,000 vanpools across the state. Vanpools help to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips, improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the number of cars on the roads.
Source: WSDOT Public Transportation Division.
Multi-year trends
In 2022, the number of average daily vanpools in operation decreased, but the number of vanpool passenger trips increased compared to 2021. In 2021, there were an average of 1,675 vanpools in operation statewide, 36.6% less than in 2020, when 2,642 vanpools were in operation. In contrast, there were 2.0 million vanpool passenger trips in 2021, 39.4% fewer than 2020's 3.3 million. From 2017 to 2019, the average number of vanpools in operation in Washington decreased by 2.7%, going from 3,096 in 2017 to 3,013 in 2019. However, the total number of vanpool passenger trips has decreased by 5.5%, from 9.0 million in 2017 to 8.5 million in 2019. The combination of these two trends indicates that the number of riders per vanpool has decreased over the five-year period, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic mitigation policy in the state.
Annual highlights
In 2022, an average of 1,409 vanpools were in operation statewide, 15.9% less than in 2021, when 1,675 vanpools were in operation. In contrast, there were 2.3 million vanpool passenger trips in 2022, 15.0% fewer than 2021's 2.0 million.
In 2021, there were an average of 1,675 vanpools in operation statewide, 36.6% less than in 2020, when 2,642 vanpools were in operation. In contrast, there were 2.0 million vanpool passenger trips in 2021, 39.4% fewer than 2020's 3.3 million.
In 2020, there were an average of 2,642 vanpools in operation statewide, 12.3% less than in 2019 when 3,013 vanpools were in operation. In contrast, there were 3.3 million vanpool passenger trips in 2020, 61.4% fewer than 2019's 8.5 million.
In 2019, there were an average of 3,013 vanpools in operation statewide, 3.1% less than in 2018 when 3,108 vanpools were in operation. In contrast, there were 8.5 million vanpool passenger trips in 2019, 3.4% fewer than 2018's 8.8 million.
In 2018, there were an average of 3,108 vanpools in operation statewide, 0.4% more than in 2017 when 3,096 vanpools were in operation. Additionally, there were 8.8 million vanpool passenger trips in 2018, 2.2% fewer than 2017’s 9.0 million.