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Volunteer Driving during COVID-19
Jun 15, 2021
Before there were vaccines, there were drivers... and there's a need for volunteer drivers now more than ever.
Without volunteer drivers, thousands of people in our region would be left without adequate transportation options. We are thankful for the time and energy they contribute every day, especially in times of crisis when their services become even more critical.
Take the time to thank a volunteer driver today – and read on to learn about the volunteer experience from their own perspective! If you're interested in becoming a volunteer driver, view resources at the bottom of this post or visit www.findaride.org/volunteer
to find out where to start!
Mobility and transit are the tangible and intangible connectors we use in life to access services, community, and make essential trips. Yet, in our daily lives, managing transportation is a commonly underrated factor in our interactions with the outside world. And for some, community programs fulfill this transportation need in places where they'd otherwise go unmet.
While transportation programs, such as public transit and the volunteer-driver programs discussed here, are ingrained into the fabric of our communities constantly – the value of connection becomes even more emphasized in times of crisis. More than ever, we recognize that a supportive mobility network plays a vital role in keeping society functioning. We're seeing that mobility connects essential workers to employment. Mobility connects people who are experiencing illness to recovery. And amongst the heightened needs, mobility connects us to our friends, family, and communities. Past, present, and future, we rely on transportation services to get us to where we need to go.
COVID-19 has reminded us how impactful our transportation system is; it has reminded us who is connected, how they connect. Moreover, this crisis has shown how necessary mobility is to access. And in this realization, we've been hearing an appreciation echo from various transportation programs -- not just about the services they provide to others as lifelines when mass transit scales down, but about the people providing a service to them: volunteer drivers.
Volunteer drivers are how many smaller community-based transportation providers sustain their services. Volunteer drivers lend their time and energy to getting people where they need to go, developing personal relationships along the way, and filling the transit gaps in our community. Their clientele tends to be individuals who require unique support and are dependent on their services. For many volunteer drivers, continuing to work during this time was a decision as natural as the desire that initially prompted them to serve.
To better understand their roles and insights on driving others during COVID-19, I talked to five volunteer drivers in the Central Puget Sound region. Each of them represented a variety of programs that meet the mobility needs of diverse clients. These five drivers all expressed different reasons for getting involved with mobility, and yet their stories shared significant undertones about giving back and being involved in community work. All authentically answered with an innate will to provide service. Some mentioned an intentional desire to support elders, while others appreciated the flexibility of this style of service. Then others mentioned their personal experience needing transportation options that prompted their involvement. Whatever their reason for driving, the choice to be good-hearted and give back seemed simple and obvious to all of them.
I spoke to these drivers specifically about their work during COVID-19. They shared with me some trends that they noticed in both their service and clients. For example, one driver talked to me about the shift from transporting people to delivering food. This was a transition he lobbied for himself, quickly realizing the need to connect the people he serves with food during COVID-19 when driving them to and from the food bank was no longer an option. He also noted that this might even be a more accessible option for higher-risk community members or riders with disabilities, who would typically carry their grocery bags themselves. In describing this to me, I recognized this volunteer driver's commitment to his role and his automatic aptitude for problem-solving. It was evident that it was the will to serve behind his volunteering, and he was dedicated to using his efforts as a volunteer driver to meet the needs of those he interacts with.
Interestingly, a few drivers shared that COVID-19 was not always the most pressing thing on the minds of their clients when it comes to prioritizing safety. Around half of the volunteer drivers noticed elevated anxiety in their riders concerning Covid safety; the other half of volunteers noted relative calm in their riders. All drivers mentioned that the key to feeling secure and safe was the support they received from their host driver programs. Their programs provided them with personal protective equipment and strict safety protocols to follow before, during, and after their rides. This support was crucial in cultivating a good experience for the riders and those driving. Many of the drivers commented on the policy of riders having to sit in the backseat as opposed to the front for distancing -- stating that this makes it harder to connect with them, but they understand the value in it. One driver said he tried not to mention the virus because it's always on everyone's mind anyway.
Still, adjustments are hard. One driver told me about a rider that had trouble talking to her through the mask. She noted that they had to pull over and write instructions on a piece of paper due to mask requirements. It was difficult not to chat with him during the ride, she stated, but necessary. Another driver believes the people relying on their rides have become even more dependent on them, as their pre-COVID support networks are sheltering in place. This same driver shared a story with me about a woman who needed to quarantine in her room for two weeks after a doctor's appointment, sharing that the resident sounded lonely and sad without opportunities to socialize through things like communal dining. The value of interaction is something volunteer drivers put a lot of emphasis on when it comes to serving their priority clientele.
Before finishing my conversations with the volunteer drivers, I asked if there was anything else they might wish to share with readers of this article. The motivation each driver had in contributing to their community and investing in the lives of the people they serve coalesced in their responses. Almost everyone I talked to paused before conveying a version of the following: If you can get out and drive, do it.
The overwhelming gratitude and positivity you receive on behalf of those you are driving for is extraordinary. Some drivers shared the same thought process: I'm healthy, I have the time, and these people need the help. If I'm not doing it, will it get done?
Many people feel drawn to give back during the pandemic. Volunteer driving is a way to support access to vital services and, nowadays, bring vital services to people in need. As many of the drivers mentioned, driving for these programs provides flexibility and agency in designing your schedule as you get to accept or decline trips. And as reflected in each of the conversations I had with drivers, getting people around facilitates a connection that goes far beyond the already critical nature of providing a trip to someone who needs it. Relationships are built, trust is gained, stories are told, and people are heard.
Don't know where to start? Lucky for you, resources exist! Check out FindARide.org's Volunteer Driver Programs page, where you can check out tools like the Driver Guide to Volunteer Transportation in King County. Until August 31st, 2021, simply fill out this Volunteer Driver Interest Form, which acts as a first step in requesting a Mobility Manager who can help you decide which program best meets your volunteer interests.
Mobility News
Recently, the Hopelink-based project helped make history. Throughout the last two years, Hopelink staff helped the Washington State Department of Transportation create almost two dozen new data feeds. Our work helped set a new data standard called GTFS-Flex. “Flex” is an extension project for GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification). The new data standard can tell the story of volunteer transportation, Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT), Dial-A-Ride, Door-to-Door, and other critical services.
2024 SVMC Mobility Resolution
Celebrating Inclusion in Community!
A Celebration of Opportunity, Equality, and Independence!
Cross-County Transportation Needs Between King and Snohomish Counties
The Open the Paths 2023: An Open Data & Transportation Equity Conference brought together data professionals and academics with community members, transportation professionals, and organizations working to increase community mobility. There was a palatable and shared passion among every attendee and speaker around simplifying transportation in our communities. The technical focus on data specification standards was particularly relevant for a multi-year project Hopelink is working on, a One-Call/One-Click system , which will begin with the launch of a beta trip planner website in 2023. The TDEI (transportation data equity initiative) is a project led by the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology and Washington State Transportation Center (TRAC), sponsored by the ITS4US Program, US Department of Transportation. Led by Anat Caspi Ph D, the mini-conference had wide-ranging implications for mobility and accessibility in our communities. People with limited options make agonizing decisions for both necessary and joyful trips around their communities. The barriers for non-drivers include geographic, language, financial, cultural, time of day, lengthy planning ahead, and many other factors. Open the Paths 2023, located at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science building, focused on refining relevant data standards to improve mobility for people with disabilities and an analysis of other barriers to transit. Data quality and continuity ensures more comprehensive information in transit planning tools. Better data standards can help transit agencies and policymakers to identify and address gaps in our systems. Keynote speaker, Karen Braitmayer, FAIA, architect, and wheelchair user, emphasized that working towards better data standards is both “an art and a science.” The conference also made connections to community mental health. Braitmayer explained how barriers like tree routes, steep hills, and bumps on sidewalks may make people afraid to leave their homes. Crafting data standards which help tell the story of our built environments is an urgent problem to address. During Day 2, the conference focused on evaluation criteria for equity and access. Anat Caspi Ph D emphasized a need for less “squishy” criteria so transportation data can accurately reflect the experiences of multiply marginalized community members. The day ended with a synergetic community visioning conversation towards best practices in tagging community collected sidewalk data. Over the two days, April 21 and 22, attendees pondered thorny questions like: Are wheelchair users pedestrians? What is meant by ‘good’ and ‘bad’ data? How might researchers assess when community members feel left out due to a lack of abundant transit options? How reliable are crowd-sourced data? How might lack of maintenance of existing data sources undermine the data integrity of existing data sets? What are collectible data? Neuropsychologist Taylor Kuhn, Ph.D., presented on the Human Connectome Project and their work at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. This project “aims to provide an unparalleled compilation of neural data, an interface to graphically navigate this data, and the opportunity to achieve never before realized conclusions about the living human brain.” Learn more . Kuhn’s presentation demonstrated how Connectome modeling may predict future mode shift from single occupancy car travel due to congestion pricing. Community volunteers are often co-creators in the data for sidewalks. This creates unique challenges for creating data standards. For example, Braitmayer described significant challenges translating concepts like “sidewalk bumps” into a data description standard. Several attendees mentioned how disruptive it can be when a paratransit trip that is supposed to be door-to-door takes extra time due to inefficiencies. The conference highlighted projects in Minnesota, Chicago, and Seattle tackling mobility options that currently are not included in Google or Apple Maps. The collaboration fostered in the mini-conference ensures a more coordinated approach at the federal, state, and local levels. It reinforces the need for organizations rooted in the local community, like Hopelink, to be engaged in data creation and long-term continuous maintenance. At Hopelink, in connection with our partners in Pierce, King and Snohomish, we are helping set best practices for mobility management data projects in the Puget Sound Region that prioritize the needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Hopelink’s One-Call/One-Click system, Find a Ride, will begin a multi-year roadmap with the launch of a trip planner website in 2023. This work arose from an inclusive planning process with King County Mobility Coalition and other partners. Hopelink’s guiding principles for Find a Ride include eventual integration with Access Map sidewalk data which focuses on understanding and improving the pedestrian experience through better data collection. At first, Find a Ride will be trip planner with “call ahead” and “right now” service. Longer-term plans include integration with mobility options like taxi services, micro-mobility, and more. As of April 2023, there are twenty-six services complete and twenty-six services in progress in Find a Ride. We appreciate the thoughtful data feed creation with our partners at WSDOT. Our project is shaping an emerging data standard for specialized transportation providers. Find a Ride Program Manager, Laura Loe, reflected on the event: “Open the Paths 2023 demonstrated the need for lived experts to be involved from the beginning, and at every aspect of mobility management, something Hopelink has ensured with support from our Advisory Committee. Hopelink’s engagement and outreach, new community navigator program, and transportation resources phone line are all rooted in listening to non-drivers and connecting them to choices to increase their independence and community connection.” At Hopelink, our mobility programs benefit from robust community connections. Find a Ride’s trip planner will lead to gap assessments, a theme woven throughout Open the Paths 2023. Our project will help the Puget Sound Region right away while also leading to long-term improvements for those who have been left stranded by current systems. Analogous to the work on sidewalk data, it will take on-the-ground feedback to increase accuracy and meaning to our One-Call/ One-Click program.
Consultants from the University of Washington will present recommendations to reduce barriers for cross-country travel.
Major updates from the Hopelink and King County Mobility Coalition (KCMC) project that aims to simplify and streamline the way community connects to specialized transportation options.
Program Overview To long-time partners of the King County Mobility Coalition, the story of the Community Transportation Navigator pilot will sound familiar. In 2018, Hopelink, on behalf of the King County Mobility Coalition, was awarded an inclusive planning grant to evaluate how people find and secure non-cost barrier transportation. From this process two major solutions emerged, Community Transportation Navigators and Central Puget Sound One-Call/One-Click . Two innovative and transformative projects which will connect community members to mobility options that work best for them. In the five years that have passed since the Inclusive Planning grant the Hopelink Mobility team has continued to work with community partners to refine and design this peer-to-peer approach to outreach so that people learn directly from trusted transportation champions in their community. In August of this year Hopelink and King County Metro launched the Community Transportation Navigator pilot to connect community members to travel options introduced to them by trusted sources. These community leaders have shared experiences, languages, cultures, and geography. This pilot will primarily serve community members who have lower usage rates of transportation resources. This includes low-to-moderate income community members, people with limited English proficiency, older adults, and immigrant and refugee populations. Program Goals & Aims This pilot project aims to reach the "hardest-to-reach" communities and improve communities' mobility, confidence level, and equitable access to opportunity and independence. Individuals benefiting from the program will receive information in a culturally inclusive manner. The program will provide: Education , access to navigation tools Program Enrollment , support in enrolling in reduced fare options & eligibility-restricted programs Training Sessions , creating trust and relationship building with other community avenues Incentive Distribution and opportunities for continuous engagement. Next Steps We are incredibly excited to share that we have recruited and onboarded our first cohort of Community Transportation Navigators that are part of the Filipino community! Navigators learn vital information about the transportation layout and resources throughout King County during the onboarding process. With this knowledge, Navigators can perform outreach in culturally appropriate strategies to educate and engage with community members. Navigators will have the experience and skills to provide nuanced support and creative solutions to meet the needs of the communities they represent. Contact Information For more information or to serve on the project team, contact: Sandy Phan Program Coordinator, South King County Mobility Coalition sphan@hopelink.org 425-457-3940
On June 24th RARET partners will gather to plan and structure the long anticipated Emergency Transportation Provider Network
