Vanpool
Vanpools
Relax and save money – leave your car at home and share the ride!
Our Vanpool Quick Start Program will help you get your van on the road by paying 50% of the vanpool’s lease the first month and 25% of the lease the second month. We also offer a $100 New Rider Rebate Program for individuals who try vanpooling in an existing or new vanpool.
View the application form and call (805) 521-3831 for more information.
How Vanpools Work
Gas, maintenance, lease costs and insurance are all covered in your monthly vanpool fees. Your monthly fee will drop or increase, depending on the number of passengers. Fees vary depending on the type of vehicle and length of commute; most vanpools in Santa Barbara County cost about $200 per month.
5 Steps to a New Vanpool:
As a commuter, here are the steps you’ll need to follow to get your vanpool on the road:
- Contact vanpool vehicle vendors for rate quotes. We can connect you with our personal contacts or you can call their general lines: CalVans (866) 655-5444 or Commute with Enterprise (800) 826-4967. The vendors will need to know the distance of your commute, the vehicle size you’re considering and what kind of amenities you’d like…e.g. do you want bench seats or captain-style reclining seats?
- Estimate the monthly fares by adding fuel costs to your monthly rate quote for the vehicle and dividing by the number of paying passengers.
- Get a group of 5 to 15 commuters together. Chances are many of your coworkers are commuting the same route as you! The vanpool provider and Traffic Solutions can help you reach out to your coworkers or connect you with other commuters who travel the same route.
- Plan a meeting with your potential vanpool partners to determine the route and schedule. You may want to meet during lunch hour near your work. Tip: When planning the route and schedule, keep it simple with fewer stops.
- Determine who will perform various responsibilities. Each vanpool group needs a driver (the driver often commutes free), at least one back up driver (preferably two), someone who will lease the vehicle, and someone who will act as treasurer (only necessary in some cases). Often, one person has multiple roles.
New Rider Rebate
SBCAG is making it even easier to join a vanpool with the Vanpool New Rider Rebate program! A commuter who joins a vanpool as a new* rider will receive a one-time rebate of $100 after riding in the vanpool for 3 months. The rider is entitled to claim the rebate after the last day of the third month of riding in the van. Rebate form link.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Vanpool must be registered with SBCAG
- Vanpool destination must be within Santa Barbara County
- The participant must ride in a vanpool for three consecutive months and must be new* to vanpool commuting.
- Vanpoolers that receive a monthly employer subsidy of 50% or less are eligible.
- The vanpooler must be registered on SmartRide.org.
- Submit a New Rider Rebate form to Traffic Solutions.
Are you part of a company that wants to start vanpools for employees?
Vanpools can be a great transportation addition for your company in a number of situations:
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- Attract and retain the best employees from a larger geographical range.
- Relieve parking impacts at your workplace.
- Ease transportation challenges when a worksite is relocated, or a new site is opened.
- Qualify for California Green Business certification.
- Help reduce employee stress from long commutes and save employees money.
Contact us to discuss the details and benefits of starting vanpools at your workplace. Did you know, there’s no liability risk for companies that subsidize vanpools for employees? Email us or call us at (805) 521-3831 to start the conversation.
