Loaner Vans Give Pools a Boost

Reducing traffic congestion is a top priority for the Orange County Transit District. In addition to operating the county’s bus system, the district, through its Commuter Network, is in the business of promoting and helping to organize van pools for business firms in the county.

Last Monday the district’s board took another step in that direction when it approved buying 11 vans to loan out for up to 90 days to companies to help them start van pools for employees.

The district’s goal is to increase the number of van pools by making it less costly and less risky for companies to start and keep operating them. Making the vans available should certainly help do that. And as more cities make van pools a requirement for approval of commercial and industrial projects, as they should be doing, the need for van pools will grow. There are now about 186 known van pools in the county that carry about 2,000 passengers each day. They are run by companies such as Pacific Telephone, Rockwell International Corp. and Wells Fargo Bank. The loaner vans should encourage more companies to join them.