Did you know that SANDAG offers a monthly subsidy to reduce the cost of vanpooling for commuters? Vanpools formed through one of SANDAG’s approved vanpool vendors which have a destination or origin in San Diego County are eligible to receive a $400 per month subsidy.

So what is vanpooling? Vanpools offer a comfortable, reasonably priced, and convenient way to get to work for groups of 7 to 15 people who share similar commute patterns. A commuter van is driven by one of the members of the group, and passengers are picked up at agreed upon locations. The vanpool vendor provides insurance, maintenance, and vehicle repair as part of the lease agreement. Each passenger pays an equal share of the monthly lease and fuel costs.

In addition to the monthly subsidy, SANDAG provides marketing, vanpool formation assistance, gathers data on the program, and assists existing vanpools by helping to recruit and place new passengers. A waiting list is maintained of commuters interested in joining existing vanpools.

Since it started in May 1995, the Regional Vanpool Program has grown to more than 300 vans with more than 3,000 riders. Each van carries an average of 10 passengers and travels an average of 57 miles one-way to employment areas throughout the region, including Carlsbad, Sorrento Valley, Rancho Bernardo, downtown San Diego, Kearny Mesa, Chula Vista, and Coronado. The vans travel the region’s most congested freeways eliminating about 85,000 trips per month.

Riding in a vanpool drastically reduces commute costs. Based on figures provided by the American Automobile Association, driving alone to work 50 miles each way can cost over $12,000 a year. Many vanpool riders in San Diego pay around $100 a month. Vanpools also can take advantage of available carpool lanes and realize a travel time savings.

Want more information? Just call 1-800-COMMUTE, choose option 3, and ask for the vanpool coordinator. You’ll soon be on the road to a smarter commute with SANDAG’s regional vanpool program.

The regional vanpool program is partially supported by grant funds from the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District.

Project Manager: Ray Traynor
(619) 595-5645