According to Robert Digilolamo, a contracting officer’s representative at Naval Hospital Oak Harbor, community van pools aren’t just a deal, they are a fantastic deal.

“If you’re working, that’s wear and tear on your car you don’t have to deal with and other passengers in the van pool can catch up on their sleep or their palm pilots,” said Digilolamo. “Besides since we’re a six-passenger van that means five other cars are off the road.”

Digilolamo has been driving his van from Greenbank to the Navy hospital for about two-and-a-half years. He drives one of 12 vans provided by Island Transit for transporting military personnel from various points on the mainland to NAS Whidbey Island.

Island Transit currently has 60 community commuter vanpools being used on the road, 12 used by the military.

The incentive to use another form of transportation instead of driving alone comes from the Transportation Incentive Program (TIP).

The program’s aim is to get people out of their cars and into vans thus reducing daily contribution to traffic congestion and air pollution and promoting alternatives to single car commuters.

TIP offers subsidy vouchers that are only negotiable with transit agencies for van pool or bus fare. All Department of Defense military and civilian personnel are eligible to receive the funds.

Julie Lloyd is the Rideshare Coordinator for Island Transit’s program that started in 1988. Based on conversations she’s had with military personnel after they find out about the program, she has a feeling that a lot of military personnel don’t know about van pooling.

“It’s a transportation benefit for Department of Defense employees; it puts more money in their pocketbooks, it saves wear and tear on their vehicles,” said Lloyd. “It’s something tangible they can do to reduce their carbon footprint and feel good about.”

The 12 military vanpools currently in use travel from Marysville, Arlington, Everett, Smokey Point and South Whidbey to NAS Whidbey Island and Naval Station Everett.

The process is fairly simple: Get 5-15 people; define the route, pick-up and drop-off locations and times; determine the round-trip mileage; choose a manager, drivers and bookkeeper; then submit forms. 

Check out http://www.RideshareOnline.com to find the already-formed vanpools on Whidbey Island. Skagit, Snohomish, Jefferson and Kitsap counties also have vanpool programs used by base personnel.

Chief Aviation Boatswain Mate Equipment (AW/SW) Jeff Scarano is the TIP coordinator on for NAS Whidbey Island. He helps approximately 100 sailors who use the commuter vans. Each quarter he receives vouchers from Department of Transportation in Washington D.C. to help pay the monthly fare, fuel, maintenance and insurance expenses. 

Scarano takes one of the two vans that carry 19 people from Bremerton to the air station every day. He likes that the vanpool takes 17 people and their cars off the road five days a week. He also likes that he isn’t driving and putting mileage on his own car.

As for the complaint from co-workers that van riders miss duty days or working late because they have to catch the van, he doesn’t buy it.

“I don’t use the van pool as an excuse to miss out on functions I’m supposed to take part in,” he says. “If Navy requires him he usually knows about in advance and he can take his own car, sleep on the base or at a friend’s house.”

Digilolamo says he gets to the hospital about 20 minutes early and leaves about 15 minutes later than he needs to but it’s a small price to pay.

“It’s a good deal all around,” said Lloyd. “We have the vans. We want to make good use of them.”