Vanpooling

Seven years ago, carpooling and vanpooling were not as prevalent as they are today and Delmayne Carter really had to work hard to find out how she could save money on gas, and help the environment at the same time. 

Carter, governmental affairs assistant for Sprint, works in downtown Richmond, but lives in Louisa. “I looked in the phone book, I called RideFinders, and I even ran an ad in my local paper looking for a carpool or a vanpool,” Carter said. “Nothing worked.”

For three months, Carter made the one-hour commute from Louisa solo, and racked up a $30-a-week gas bill. 

“I kept seeing this van going in the same direction I was, so I called RideFinders again, and said, ‘Do you have a van coming from Haydensville?’ ‘No.’ ‘How about Gum Springs?’ ‘No.’ I couldn’t believe anyone was coming from Charlottesville, but finally I asked.” 

Carter talked to someone from the group that commuted from
Charlottesville on a Thursday, and on Monday she was in a vanpool. That was seven years ago, and she’s been making the one-hour trek via 15-passenger van ever since. 

“It’s a very nice group,” Carter said. “You can hear a pin drop in the morning because it is so quiet. Many people sleep or read the newspaper or a book. In the afternoon, it’s a little more lively.” 

In seven years, Carter has only missed the vanpool once, but RideFinders offers a Guaranteed Ride Home program for just such an emergency. Participants can catch a cab or drive a rental car home for free for the first three emergencies per year. For the fourth emergency and each thereafter, the commuter has a $5 co-payment.

How it works in Richmond

VPSI, a private commuter vanpool company, provides a 15-passenger van and insurance to vanpool participants. Riders can share the driving, or a designated driver can do all of the driving, and ride for free. Riders also share the gas costs which vary depending on the cost of gas and number of participants. Carter pays $100 per month to participate in her vanpool. She has paid as much as $130 per month. Some employers (such as VDOT) participate in a Commuter Choice Program where they pick up or share the cost of vanpooling for their employees, and enjoy special tax credits from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Other areas in Virginia have Rideshare agencies that offer similar vanpool programs.