by
Shift San Diego
| Jan 20, 2016
Did you know there are currently over 100 vanpools traveling to destinations in the Golden Triangle area (La Jolla, University Town Center or UTC, Torrey Pines, and Sorrento Valley)? Joining a vanpool could help save you time and reduce stress when you commute during construction.
What is a vanpool? A vanpool is like a carpool, only bigger! A vanpool can be a great way to save time, money, and reduce stress when commuting to the Golden Triangle. A vanpool consists of five or more individuals who share the ride to work in a leased SUV or van from one of the approved SANDAG Vanpool Program vendors, Enterprise and vRide.
What is in it for me? Choosing a vanpool can dramatically reduce your commute expenses. A vanpool vehicle lease includes insurance, roadside assistance, and maintenance. Best of all, SANDAG provides a subsidy - up to $400 per month - towards the cost of the lease. Participants simply share the remaining cost of the lease and gas. A 75-mile round trip commute from South County to the Golden Triangle area may only cost about $100 a month per person. Plus, vanpools can travel in freeway HOV/carpool lanes and potentially save you time.
Sounds good, but I don’t know how to find a vanpool. Since there are over 100 vanpools going to employers in La Jolla, Torrey Pines, UTC, or Sorrento Valley, try reviewing the SANDAG vanpool open seat list and contacting a driver directly for a seat in an existing van. You can join the vanpool interest list to be notified if there is a vanpool matching your preferences, or when there is interest in starting a new vanpool in your area. You can also find a vanpool match online with TripPlanner. To get started, sign up for an iCommute account and enter your start and destination address. You can also talk to coworkers with similar commutes, or ask your employer to contact iCommute to set up a company-wide program.
I already have a group of interested coworkers. Where do we sign up? Contact one of the vendors today (Enterprise - (858) 450-2834 / vRide - (619) 377-7669)! For more information, call 511 and say “iCommute” or email a SANDAG Vanpool Program representative.
OK, but seriously, I don’t know anybody who vanpools. There are hundreds of people who vanpool to the Golden Triangle through the SANDAG Vanpool Program alone. Savannah R. works at Covance Laboratories off Campus Pointe Drive, and was commuting over 75 miles round-trip from South County every day. Savannah attended a vanpool formation meeting organized by her employer and signed up the same day. She just completed her first full month in a vanpool and here’s what she has to say:
Joining the vanpool has been an amazing experience. The representatives are friendly and helpful. Not only do I get to spend my driving time with awesome people; I save money while doing so! The van is very comfortable and roomy with all the bells and whistles needed for commuting in traffic in the city. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time so far with my vanpool and will continue using it for as long as I can.
- Savannah R., Golden Triangle Vanpooler
Check out RedesignYourCommute.com for more information.
