Driving Change: A Local Non-profit Provides EV Rides to Communities in Need
In 2013, two San Juan Islanders, Bob Reilly and Curt VanHyning, saw a desperate need for free or affordable transportation services in Friday Harbor for disabled and elderly members of the population who couldn’t get around on their own. Born from a grassroots desire to help folks get around town to complete errands, go to appointments, and participate in community events, the two co-founded the nonprofit San Juan Islands Shuttle System, doing business as ‘RoundTowner. With only one vehicle and countless volunteer hours, including local fundraising support from long-time board member and current board chair Robert Barnhart, ‘RoundTowner served residents within the town limits of Friday Harbor and did so successfully for many years.
A few years later, Debbie Haagensen, working in County Senior Services for San Juan Island, was faced with a similar issue. She was getting several phone calls from San Juan Island residents who lived on the west side of the island, or in Roche Harbor, or anywhere else outside of town, who desperately needed transportation solutions to get to town for essential errands and appointments. As much as Debbie wanted to lend a hand, there was nothing she could offer them outside of referring them to the few local taxi services – which many residents cannot afford and are often difficult to book in the busy summer months. That continuous frustration of not being able to offer a solution to residents who needed the support is what led Debbie to approach the ‘RoundTowner board to ask if they could expand their service area.
Debbie was asked to join the board, and in this capacity, worked with the other board members to support an expansion of services across San Juan Island. This was in 2019, around the same time that the organization received a generous donation from the San Juan Island Lions Club towards a used electric vehicle, as well as a San Juan Island Community foundation grant to rebrand to ‘Island Rides’, the organization many of you know today. With more active board member and volunteer driver involvement, increased donations towards operational costs, and a resurgence of passion for the mission, Island Rides took off on its journey to expand to the rest of San Juan Island – and eventually to Orcas and Lopez Islands as well.
When telling the story of Island Rides, Debbie, now in the role of Executive Director, states that, “The San Juan County community, across the islands, has been ultra supportive. There are so many local organizations and residents who support Island Rides in various ways. And, whether it is serving on our board, driving our clients or filling other roles, our dedicated volunteers and staff are an essential part of our success.”
Even with all this local support, what really got the ball rolling on allowing Island Rides to fully expand services to all three main islands – Orcas, Lopez, and San Juan – were two WSDOT grants awarded to the organization in 2021. This allowed for the purchase of three new electric vehicles and much-needed additional funds to cover increasing operational expenses. Grants of this kind are game changers for small communities like ours, where the need for transportation is great. With the help of continued WSDOT grants and generous community donations, Island Rides has been able to serve residents in need on all three main islands, has added off-island transportation to non-emergency medical appointments, and continues to evaluate how it can expand services to meet the needs of San Juan County residents.
One such expanded service is available on Orcas Island. An EV car share program known as the Green CarShare Program was launched in summer 2024 thanks to another WSDOT ZAP grant. This service was initially offered to OPAL households; however, after realizing that the two Chevy Bolts available to program participants weren’t being utilized to their full capacity, the Project Director and Board Treasurer Bruce Benton and part-time Program Coordinator Nick Johns recently expanded the service to all eligible Orcas residents. The program now boasts 27 registered drivers, who have driven 12,830 miles over 1,350 trips since the inception of the program – all using electric vehicles!
Electric vehicles are revolutionizing the world of transportation, helping people get from point A to point B while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions and have motors that are significantly more efficient than gas powered internal combustion engines – we’re talking 85% of electric energy converted to mechanical energy versus less than 40% of gas energy converted to usable power. Electric vehicles are transportation sources that people can feel good about. Island Rides is proud to be able to use EVs to meet the transportation needs of the community.
Island Rides has big plans for the future, including expanding its free or by donation ride service to more under-served residents, supporting EV charging capacity expansion, such as through the current partnership with the Port of Orcas to facilitate EV charger installations on Orcas Island, and making the Green CarShare program available where there is a continued need. All of these future initiatives will continue to be in-line with the mission of the nonprofit organization: to provide affordable, environmentally responsible transportation to San Juan County residents in need of access to essential services.
Are you looking for more information on how to take advantage of this service? Are you looking to donate funds or volunteer your time as a driver? For all program information and details on contributing to the organization, visit islandrides.org or email admin@islandrides.org today.
