On Wednesday, July 28, 1976, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) approved a $600,000 Vanpool Demonstration Project submitted by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, according to an article in the Healdsburg Tribune from August 5, 1976. That project would be funded by the U. S. Department of Transportation, and the Golden Gate Bridge District “would purchase up to 50 vans to be loaned to groups as an introduction to self-sustaining vanpooling.”

Vanpools Eligible for Significant Subsidies

By the start of 1978, the successful, district-sponsored program had grown to 18 vans. Today, nearly 1,500 vanpools operate within Sacramento and the Bay Area through Commute with Enterprise, according to Connie McGee, the company’s Northern California Group Commute Manager. In 2021, it managed an estimated 1,000 vanpools in Sacramento and the Bay Area. Commute with Enterprise, part of Enterprise Mobility, is one of the largest vanpool operations in the United States.

MTC’s Bay Area Vanpool Program recently raised its monthly subsidy to $500 for vanpool groups working with Commute with Enterprise. Both Solano and Marin counties offer residents additional subsidies for commuting by vanpool, McGee notes. Vanpool groups traveling to or from Solano County may be eligible for an additional $200 a month for up to one year to help offset their costs, while Marin offers vanpool groups an additional $150 a month for up to two years.

Joining or starting a vanpool may seem daunting to some commuters, but MTC’s vanpool program makes it easy to get started, especially if commuters work through Commute with Enterprise. It rents new model, low-mileage vans to vanpool groups and manages insurance, maintenance, and roadside assistance for its participants. It also helps match commuters with vanpools, which also need a willing designated driver.

To participate in the program and receive the MTC subsidy, vanpools must start or end in one of the nine eligible Bay Area counties. A vanpool must be open to the public and not restricted to a specific employer. The vanpool group must fill out and submit monthly ridership reports and annual surveys. Finally, vanpools must maintain 50% occupancy each month in order to keep the subsidy for its commuters.

MTC defines owner-operated vanpools as personally owned seven- to 15-passenger vans filled with passengers traveling to and from work together. Passengers pay the van owner for their seats on a monthly basis. The Bay Area Vanpool Program supports owner-operated vanpools by helping drivers find passengers, recruit back-up drivers, subsidize empty seats, complete required forms, get discounted parking, get free bridge tolls, and earn rewards.

While not eligible for the MTC subsidy, owner-operated vanpools may qualify for county-provided rewards. In Contra Costa County, for example, commuters who join an eligible vanpool can get 50% off their costs for the first three months of vanpooling. Drivers who own a van and start a new vanpool can get $2,400 towards the van lease payment and a $1,000 bonus as the driver. In the State of California, companies with at least 50 full-time employees are legally required to offer at least one commuter benefit to their employees. Vanpools qualify, and they can benefit even smaller employers. Some employers also offer programs that allow employees to use pretax dollars to help them pay vanpool or other transit-related fees. A variety of Hacienda tenants and other Tri-Valley companies make such programs available.

Commuting in Comfort

Vanpool programs benefit both employers and employees, especially those returning to office-based work after being at home. It offers “employees a more relaxing and less stressful way to get back to the office during this transition while also reducing the cost of the employees’ commute,” McGee says. “It’s really a win-win. Employers might be surprised to have employees who won't dread their commute every day, and employees will save money."

People new to vanpooling might be surprised by the comfortable ride provided by modern hybrid vans, which include spacious, reclining seats, a place to charge electronic devices such as phones and tablets, and convenient cup holders for coffee or other beverages. Taking a vanpool to work makes it possible for commuters to work while on the road, catch up on email, and even get some sleep.

"The number one pastime in a vanpool has always been sleeping, and I don't see that changing much," McGee says.

"Traditional public transit is fantastic but it does not go everywhere,” she adds. “Vanpools fit into the category of microtransit. It is more customizable and can be more nimble in the places where traditional public transit is not fulfilling all the needs. One of the really great things about the location of Hacienda is BART. Inside of Hacienda, they do a phenomenal job as well. But not everyone can get to that location. If you're coming from Solano County, you're going to have a much longer commute. If you need to take transit the entire way, a vanpool can be more of a door-to-door service, with fewer stops that save you time.”

Commute with Enterprise is working on changes to its vanpool program that will be beneficial for hybrid workers, who do not work full-time at an employer’s office. Of course, vanpooling is but one of many commute choices that protect the planet as well as a commuter’s pocketbook. Hacienda has created a nationally recognized comprehensive program to address commuting needs. It includes a customized Commuter Resource Center and a free carpool or vanpool match list.

Those who choose to use a vanpool for commuting save more than time and money. They directly help fight pollution and climate change. Every new vanpool that starts up reduces emissions by taking six to 14 cars off the road, according to McGee. Moreover, for most companies, 45% of their emissions are generated by employee commuting. “Vanpooling can make a very big impact on reducing that number.”

For more information about Commute with Enterprise, please visit www.commutewithenterprise.com/en/partners/mtc.html.

For more information about Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Bay Area Vanpool Program, please visit www.511.org/vanpool.

For more information about Hacienda commute solutions, please visit www.hacienda.org/amenities/employees-residents/commute-solutions.