The city of Bellevue is handing out free gift cards for its Early Start program, designed to encourage participation in vanpools as the state Department of Transportation prepares to close westbound lanes of the Interstate 90 floating bridge.
The closures will be in effect from July 5-28 to repair expansion joints.
WSDOT is predicting gridlock on regional highways during the closures and commutes from Bellevue to Seattle could take up to an hour.
Early Start offers commuters to downtown Bellevue:
• Up to $300 in MasterCard gift cards by becoming a driver and/or bookkeeper in a new King County Metro Vanpool or VanShare group.
• A $100 gift card by joining an existing or new Metro Vanpool or VanShare group to downtown Bellevue.
The deadline to apply for the Early Start incentive program is June 17. Applications are available through Jason Halvorson at 206-684-2043 and online at Choose Your Way Vanpool.
Choose Your Way offers commuters a one-stop source of information about all alternatives to driving alone.
In addition to Bellevue’s Early Start program, WSDOT is offering incentives to new Metro Vanpool or VanShare groups that routinely use I-405, or the I-90 or SR-520 bridges across Lake Washington, including free fares for three months. The offer is worth $2,295 to the average Metro vanpool group and pays for fueling, maintaining and insuring the vehicle.
The deadline to apply for the WSDOT program also is June 17, and can be done by calling 206-684-2043.
WSDOT is also offering a $20 gift card to those who request an updated ridematch on RideshareOnline.com by July 31.
Both the Early Start program and the WSDOT offer are available while funding lasts and both offers are only available to commuters who have not participated in another public vanpool program 90 days prior to their application.
