SNOHOMISH, Wash. — At 31 years old and with 280,000 miles, the old shuttle bus is not much to look at, but it served its purpose well.
Bill Webster, a Snohomish house painter, bought the bus with $3,000 of his own money. The shuttle is affectionately known as "Shuttly McShutleface."
He used the shuttle to bring hundreds of people to farmers markets, block parties and art walks across Snohomish County - free of charge.
Any tips the driver brought in went directly to the local food bank, totaling about $450 in its first few months.
"That's pretty much my main focus for existing," Webster said. "I want to do good. Everything else is just a side hustle in getting there."
But on one of the final shuttle runs of its first season, the bus was t-boned and totaled. The doors won't open and the entire passenger side is separating from the chassis.
The insurance company denied Webster's claim. He's fighting it, but the shuttle is out of commission for the foreseeable future.
The shuttle's original purpose was to alleviate traffic and parking problems for riders.
For Webster, though, it's much more than that.
"Building community, facilitating joy and connection, and getting people together," Webster said. "That's probably the most valuable thing we do."
The shuttle serves a greater function in the business community.
It gets people to small businesses in Snohomish, Lake Stevens and Stanwood.
Webster is concerned downtown businesses will take a hit if the shuttle is out of commission through the holidays.
"The hope is that people will find a way to get downtown, but people don't like to be inconvenienced," said Sarah Dylan-Jensen, who uses the shuttle to get people to and from events she manages across Snohomish County.
Dylan-Jensen said the shuttle's convenience is key in getting people to shop locally.
"We don't want them to turn to the big box stores and Amazon to shop over the holiday season because it is so detrimental to having our small businesses supported right now," Dylan-Jensen said.
Dylan-Jensen set up an online fundraiser to replace the shuttle.
Webster has faith that the shuttle will be rolling again, soon.
"The good in us is a reflection of the community we live in," Webster said. "We're inspired by our friends, our neighbors and our partnerships. We're gonna figure something out one way or another."