PMRF — The Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) officially adopted another means of alternative transportation for its employees: Vanpool Hawai‘i. Through the efforts of George Evanoff, a Department of Defense (DoD) employee at PMRF, DoD civilians accepted the first seven
PMRF — The Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) officially adopted another means of alternative transportation for its employees: Vanpool Hawai‘i. Through the efforts of George Evanoff, a Department of Defense (DoD) employee at PMRF, DoD civilians accepted the first seven passenger van on March 5, from Vanpool Hawai‘i as part of the transportation demand management program sponsored by the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT).
This ridesharing commuter program is gaining popularity on the island of Kaua‘i as it is already in use by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. employees. Participation in the vanpool offers the opportunity for tremendous savings for the riders, is environmentally friendly and helps ease island congestion while providing another low-impact commuter choice already provided by the Kaua‘i Bus.
“PMRF is trying to be a good neighbor by trying to reduce pollution and improve traffic conditions,” said Evanoff.
The vanpool consists of a group of seven to 15 people who share the commute to and from work in a Vanpool Hawai‘i van. Vanpool participants save time and money on parking, gas, wear and tear on personally owned vehicles, and possibly reduce their personal auto insurance bills. Vanpoolers are advocates for the environment by reducing air pollution, they help reduce traffic, and demand for roads and parking facilities. Riders arrive to work with less stress and can use the time in the morning to read, sleep, socialize or do paperwork, according to the Vanpool Hawai‘i website.
“Our previous executive officer worked with (Kaua‘i) bus services and was met with great success. It’s been so successful that sometimes there is standing room only and other times the bus has reached its maximum capacity… We’re looking into the future with the possibility of more students using the bus and that was when we learned about the state sponsored vanpool program,” stated Evanoff.
The Vanpool program is available to anybody wishing to take advantage of it in the state of Hawai‘i. The HDOT provides a van at a reasonable monthly rate based on the age and model of the van and the average distance traveled. The costs are covered by the riders however, people are encouraged to seek company reimbursement for participation in the program.
More employees at PMRF look to take advantage of the vanpool program as news spreads of its appeal.
PMRF’s first vanpool is operating from Lihu’e. There are currently plans to start up two more vanpools within the next few months, based in Kalaheo and Kekaha.
“More people are forming vanpools,” said Evanoff, “They see the clear value of the vanpool. For example, there are 15 employees currently taking their own cars to work. When they start up their vanpool, they could possibly save $100 per person per month.”
