If your drive to work is a bit further than the average commuter, vanpooling may be the perfect option for you. Most of our vanpool routes travel 15+ miles one way, but shorter routes may be possible if mass transportation options aren’t available and there’s enough demand.
Vanpooling is like carpooling, but with more people – and more saving. With an Every Commute Counts vanpool, you and up to 14 other people share the commute to and from work in a passenger van provided by Every Commute Counts. Each participant pays a monthly fare; the more people in your vanpool, the less you pay. And if you’re the primary driver, you pay no monthly fare at all!
Plus, it benefits our community by reducing congestion.
For employees of the Federal Government (in our service area, this most commonly includes Fort Knox, the Veterans’ Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Defense, but it can include others), your commute may be paid for in full or in part by your employer!
Federal employees wishing to join a vanpool should consult with their Human Resources contact to complete the process for getting the Mass Transit Benefit, which is what you would use to pay up to $300 of your monthly vanpool fare. This benefit may also be used to purchase transit tickets and passes if you also ride the bus.
Contact us at info@everycommutecounts.org for more information about how we can help you find a vanpool and/or start a new vanpool.
And don’t be discouraged if you don’t work for a Federal Agency and don’t yet have access to this benefit. Private employers can offer it to their employees, too. For more information, see our Employers page!
The short answer: a lot less than driving by yourself every day. As an Every Commute Counts vanpool participant, you will be billed individually each month. Here’s how we calculate your monthly fare:
| Fee | Description |
|---|---|
| Maintenance Fee | Monthly mileage x $0.21 |
| Insurance Fee | $150.00 |
| Fuel Expense | Fuel expensed by driver using fleet card |
| Total Operation | Maintenance fee + insurance fee + fuel expenses |
| Monthly Fare Per Rider | Total operating costs ÷ number of passengers |
Even if you don’t vanpool every day of the week, the savings quickly adds up.
In addition, there may be tax benefits. If your employer participates in a commuter benefits program, these benefits may be available through tax-free employer-paid subsidies, pre-tax employee-paid payroll deductions, or a combination of both.
By volunteering to be the primary driver (the one who drives 75 percent or more during a month), you pay no monthly fare and have access to the van for personal use up to 200 miles. All you need is to be age 25 or older, have a valid driver’s license, and be approved by our vanpool insurance provider.
The Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program serves as a safety net for our registered ridesharing commuters. If you vanpool and have an emergency, such as a family illness or mandatory overtime, you can get a ride back to your home or car and be reimbursed 100% of your fare for transit, a cab, or a transportation network like Uber or Lyft.
To find out more, check out the Every Commute Counts FAQs.