Flexcar and King County Team up to Make Transportation Affordable in White Center

SEATTLE--Flexcar and King County Metro Transit today announced the expansion of their innovative Job Access program to the White Center neighborhood. The collaborative program helps people secure employment by providing easy and affordable access to Flexcar vehicles for training, education and interviews, and then connecting them with bus service to commute to their new jobs.

Metro partnered with Flexcar two years ago to make many of its vehicles available for hourly use at significant savings for qualified individuals –- typically people who receive public assistance or who are enrolled in employment training or other related programs. In addition to White Center, the program has been serving downtown Seattle, Belltown, First Hill, Capitol Hill and Renton. Plans for the coming year are to extend the program, which receives federal grant support, to other areas, including Rainier Valley, Northgate, Ballard, the Crossroads area of Bellevue, and possibly the University District.

In these programs, Flexcar fills the gap for travel to locations that are not conveniently served via Metro, or for trips for which a vehicle is more practical, such as food shopping. In an average month, more than 1,300 trips are taken by Job Access program participants, including a mix of job-related trips and trips for other basic needs, such as shopping, medical needs, child care, etc.

"With 221 routes covering more than 2,134 miles, Metro takes most people where they want to go," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "To supplement Metro's service, Flexcar is a convenient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to help people reach locations Metro may not serve. Through Metro and Flexcar we are connecting people with economic opportunity."

Participants credit the program for helping them to land a job. Bridgett Chandler, whose car “died” just as she found herself out of a job, used the program to help her get to job interviews. “The availability of Flexcar vehicles was an incredible relief at a time I needed reliable transportation to travel from Seattle to various locations for interviews,” she said.

Transportation is key to employment, both in the job-seeking process and once employed. But for many King County residents, vehicle ownership is cost-prohibitive. As a result, they are literally not able to access employment opportunities, particularly as the region’s job market is less and less centralized. The Flexcar Job Access Program complements the existing Metro Transit network, allowing participants to take advantage of the benefits of both public transit and Flexcar. In doing so, they are able to keep their overall transportation costs low, without sacrificing the mobility needed in today’s world.

“The Flexcar Job Access program has literally been the difference for many people in getting a job or remaining unemployed,” said Jamie Cheney, general manager of Flexcar’s Seattle office. “Flexcar helps people land a job, then Metro helps them get to the job.

“In that sense, this program is about more than just transportation. It’s about hope. It’s about helping people get back on their feet. We’re thrilled to be able to expand it to reach even more people,” she said.

For eligible residents, there is no cost to join Flexcar Job Access, and job-related trips are only $3 per hour, which includes gas, insurance, unlimited miles and 24/7 emergency service. All other trips are only $5 per hour. Information on the program is available online at www.flexcar.com/jobaccess or by phone at 206-726-2804.

Editor's Note: Correct spelling and punctuation of name is "Flexcar" (not Flex-car FlexCar, Flexicar or Flex Car).

METRO: King County Metro Transit is among the 10 largest bus systems in the nation. Metro buses provide almost 100 million passenger trips a year, and the agency operates one of the largest carpool and park-and-ride programs in the country. It is also recognized as a leader in reducing pollution with its use of clean-burning fuels, electric trolleys, and hybrid buses. Metro customers consistently give the agency high marks for friendly, on-time service.

FLEXCAR: Flexcar founded the U.S. car-sharing industry and now operates car-sharing programs for tens of thousands of members in eight metropolitan areas, covering nearly 40 cities in seven states and the District of Columbia. With flexible pricing plans, members can reserve and drive any of these cars whenever and wherever they need to, without filling out complicated paperwork, paying for insurance, gas or repairs. Flexcar Business Memberships enable companies to augment or replace their fleet with Flexcar vehicles. Flexcar's fleet includes sedans, gas-electric hybrids, and specialty vehicles, including pickups, AWD, minivans and convertibles. Flexcar is a portfolio company of Revolution Living, the lifestyle-oriented investment firm founded by AOL co-founder Steve Case.