VanRide. Commute Together & Save.
Call 877-971-POOL or email MyVanRide@theride.org

Employees in Washtenaw County now have a new commuting option to combat the high price of gas and hassles of parking. Join a vanpool today!

A vanpool allows a group to ride to and from work each day in a comfortable seven passenger van provided to you by TheRide. A monthly fee includes the vehicle, insurance and maintenance to keep your van running in top shape.

Getting to work can be a real hassle. Racing out the door in the morning. Fighting with traffic. Relying on the radio for companionship. Paying sky-high prices for gas. And when you finally get to work, you feel the effects of a stressful, unproductive and costly commute.

With VanRide, you arrive relaxed, because someone else does the driving. If you are the driver, you get to ride for free. But the benefits don't stop there. By vanpooling you can begin to use your commute time productively to catch up on your work, your sleep or read the latest best seller. When you are the driver, you get to use the vehicle for personal use up to 200 miles per month.

A Smart Way to Commute
With gas prices rising, traffic congestion increasing, and energy resources dwindling, smart commuters are seizing the opportunity to turn an often costly and frustrating daily commute into a more pleasant experience.

VanRide is available to anyone commuting to or within Washtenaw County.

What is a vanpool?
Why vanpool?
Forming a Vanpool
The Basics
Vanpool Etiquette
Emergency Ride Home
How Much Does It Cost?
Employer/Employee & Tax Benefits
FAQ

What is a vanpool?

One person volunteers to be the Primary Driver of the van. VanRide allows the driver to ride for free in exchange for taking the van for washes, scheduled or unscheduled maintenance, and providing reports. The driver may also use the vehicle for personal purposes after work and on weekends up to 200 miles per month.

Riders and vans are assessed a monthly fee, that are paid by the riders, employers, or both. Ask your employer if they offer a qualified transportation or vanpool benefit. Riders plan trips that accommodate pick-up and drop-off locations at a starting point or along the commuter’s route. Riders usually meet at a pickup location, such as a park & ride parking lot or a shopping center. The cost of gas is shared among those in the vanpool group. Participants decide the driving, routing, operating and gas cost sharing arrangements themselves.

A vanpool is not a small bus service or shuttle. A vanpool must be used for commuting to a place of work.

If you have an unexpected emergency, an Emergency Ride Home program can help you get where you need to go.

Why vanpool?

Riders let someone else do the driving and take a nap, read, catch up on work, or visit with others. Drivers ride free. The service is reliable, affordable and convenient.

VanRide is a great alternative to driving alone and offers many benefits ranging from financial savings to air quality benefits. By not driving alone each day you are able to save money on gas, maintenance, insurance and parking. Your car will last longer thanks to the reduced miles you put on it. Passengers often comment on the reduced stress and increased productivity that vanpooling allows.

• Reduce or eliminate parking expenses
• Share gas expenses and reduce emissions
• Share your commute with others
• Drivers ride for free, riders relax
• Low monthly fee
• Lower maintenance and cost on your personal vehicle
• Possible decrease in personal vehicle insurance cost

Dollars and Cents
The American Automobile Association (AAA) calculates that operating your own car costs approximately .59 cents/mile. If you drive your car to work alone five days per week, 40 miles one way, it will cost you approximately $944 per month. By contrast, vanpool fees are significantly less, maintenance is included, and the cost of gas is shared amongst participants.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) recently (2011) released figures that the average rideshare participant in southeast Michigan saves $3,000 annually.

The Commuter Choice Provision of the federal IRS tax code allows commuters to deduct up to $120.00/month, pre-tax, from your paycheck to pay for your vanpool costs. This translates into even more savings! Ask your employer about making deductions.

Forming a Vanpool

1. Call 877-971-POOL or email MyVanRide@TheRide.org
2. One person volunteers to drive and a backup driver is designated
3. It takes five to make a vanpool, use miRideshare.org to help organize a group
4. Attend vanpool formation meeting
5. Once your pool is together, you need to decide on a route, pick-up points and schedule
6. Pay a low monthly fee

The Basics

30 Day Notice
A driver/rider must give thirty days notice before leaving the vanpool program. The notice must be in writing. The driver/rider wishing to discontinue ridership should also inform the driver and other riders of the van of the rider’s intent to leave. The driver/rider is not required to ride for the final thirty days, but is responsible for the monthly fees.

Vehicle Weight Restrictions
The weight of the van is not to exceed the vehicle’s Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). This weight is located on the side pillar of the driver’s door. If asked to add an additional rider and there is a question about the van exceeding gross vehicle weight, the vehicle must be weighed. This can be done at any truck stop, moving company, etc, with a certified scale. All members of the van need to be present and the van must have a full tank of fuel to obtain the true operating weight of the vehicle. The group may request an official signed or certified weigh slip with the address and phone number of the facility.

Pick-up/Drop-off Location(s) and Time(s)
During the mandatory vanpool formation meeting, the vanpool members must discuss and decide on the pick-up and drop-off locations and times. The program allows for multiple stops along the commute to pick-up vanpool members and to drop-off the members at their workplaces. Once the locations and time decisions are made, any changes to the agreed-upon plan must be approved by the entire vanpool.

The only riders who may be picked-up or dropped-off are those registered members of the vanpool program. Other passengers are prohibited from riding in the vanpool.

Approved Drivers
Each vanpool has one primary driver and up to five alternate drivers. In order to qualify as a driver, the applicants must complete the Driver Application and Driver’s Responsibility forms and be approved. Only VPSI can approve drivers, and only those with prior approval from VPSI are permitted to drive the van.

The primary driver has extra monthly responsibilities. Therefore, the primary driver is exempt from paying the monthly vanpool fee and sharing in the fuel expenses, except for personal miles driven.

The primary driver is allowed two hundred (200) personal miles each month by VPSI. He/she may choose to share those miles with other authorized drivers, but cannot exceed the monthly maximum. Alternative drivers using the van for personal use must report the mileage to the primary driver for disclosure on the monthly vanpool report. All personal miles must be recorded and are taxable, similar to earned income. Personal mileage is defined as anything outside of the van commute, having maintenance performed, and taking the van to the overnight parking location.

Becoming an Alternate Driver
Alternate drivers are responsible for all primary driver duties in the absence of the primary driver. Alternate drivers are responsible for fuel and the monthly fee at all times.

Moving/Parking Violations
If the van driver is ticketed for a moving or parking violation, it is the responsibility of the driver, at the time of the incident, to pay for the violation.

Vanpool Etiquette

We do not expect all participants to be great friends. However, all members should interact courteously and professionally with all other members of the vanpool. They must maintain good personal hygiene and be respectful of other riders’ allergies or sensitivities to perfume/cologne. Please keep in mind that not everyone enjoys talking during their commute to and from work; some riders may want to keep to themselves. Behavior deemed intimidating or retaliatory is inappropriate and will result in removal from the vanpool program.

All members must adhere to all vanpool decisions regarding payment of fuel expenses, pick-up and drop-off times and locations, etc. Failure to do so will result in removal from the vanpool program.

Smoking is prohibited in vanpool vehicles.

Emergency Ride Home

How Much Does it Cost?

Out-of-County Origin	Monthly Fee
High Ridership (5-6, +driver)	$119/rider
Minimum Ridership (4, +driver)	$139/rider

Business pricing is available upon request. VanRide can be organized as a benefit to employees. A business can choose to handle all or none of the administration or vanpool membership fees. Businesses can choose to share in the cost of the vans, set up pre-tax benefit programs, or administer part or all of the program internally. Business pricing is determined by these factors.

Vanpool Tax Benefits

Direct Payments
The employer can deduct the cost of any direct payments towards employee vanpool costs as a business expense, saving on federal and state taxes.

Pre-Tax Deductions
Your company can also deduct up to $110 per month for vanpooling costs from employee paychecks before taxes. As a result, your company saves on payroll taxes and your employees don't pay income taxes on those costs. Or you can combine a direct payment and a pre-tax deduction, in any proportion, up to a total of $110 per month for both.

Providing benefits in lieu of salary will not increase costs to employers; it will reduce their payroll costs since payroll taxes do not apply to these benefits. Pre-tax payroll deductions are referenced in IRC Section 132(f), as amended by TEA-21, Title IX, Section 910. Also check with your tax advisor.

• Commuter Choice Toolkit: Federal Transit Administration guide to assist employers with establishing a qualified fringe benefit commuting program for vanpools.

Federal Employees
All Federal employees are eligible for transit/vanpool benefits now. They have to get a form from their HR office and they can receive up to $110 a month to use for transit passes or vanpool fares.

Employer Sponsored Programs

VanRide can be organized as a benefit to employees. A business can choose to handle all or none of the administration or vanpool membership fees. Businesses can choose to share in the cost of the vans, set up pre-tax benefit programs, or administer part or all of the program internally. Business pricing is determined by these factors.

Vanpool benefits can be offered at low cost by employers as part of a commute benefits package. Providing these commute benefits could qualify an employer for the Best Workplaces for Commuters program, which recognizes employers who voluntarily meet the National Standard of Excellence in employer-provided commuter benefits.

University of Michigan vanpool program - The University of Michigan (UM) has sponsored vanpooling for its faculty and staff since the 1970s. UM currently partners with TheRide’s VanRide program. UM provides a pre-tax incentive to eligible employees and shares in the cost of the van. Up to six passengers and a driver meet each day in their community and ride in together, are dropped off near work, and the van is parked in a reserved parking place on campus. For more information, click here.

FAQ

Who can use VanRide?
Anyone who is traveling to a work site in Washtenaw County, including those who reside outside of county lines.

How do I sign up to participate in VanRide?
Visit MyVanRide.org
Call 877-971-POOL
Email MyVanRide@theride.org

What if I can’t find enough people to participate in VanRide?
TheRide will help you find a group or you can utilize an online ridematching tool at miRideshare.org.

How much does VanRide cost?

In County Origin	Monthly Fee
High Ridership (5-6, +driver)	$79/rider
Minimum Ridership (4, +driver)	$99/rider

Business pricing is available upon request. VanRide can be organized as a benefit to employees. A business can choose to handle all or none of the administration or vanpool membership fees. Businesses can choose to share in the cost of the vans, set up pre-tax benefit programs, or administer part or all of the program internally. Business pricing is determined by these factors.

What’s included in the monthly VanRide fee?
A 7-passenger van for vanpool and limited personal use is provided, plus, insurance, maintenance and incident coverage are all included in the monthly fee.

Do participants pay the VanRide fee separately or together?
The fee is applied separately per person.

Why is there a requirement for the number of people who have to use VanRide?
In order to make the program sustainable and affordable for participants, group membership must remain at five (5) or higher. To qualify as a vanpool, there must be two (2) riders, including the driver, on any given day.

Is there a required time commitment for using VanRide?
The commitment is month to month. Thirty (30) days written notice is required to exit a vanpool, during which time you are still responsible for the member fees and shared gas expenses. You may choose to not ride during these thirty (30) days.

What if members of my group live both inside and outside of Washtenaw County?
It does not matter if your group lives inside and outside of the county, but the origin of the commute does impact the monthly fee for the whole van. The commute origin is the location of where the vanpool originates its trip, usually the residence of a driver or a parking lot. The individual membership fee is determined by this point of origin and applies to all passengers.

I’m an employer and want to offer VanRide service to my employees. How does this work?
VanRide can be organized as a benefit to employees. A business can choose to handle all or none of the administration or vanpool membership fees. Businesses can choose to share in the cost of the vans, set up pre-tax benefit programs, or administer a part or all of the program internally.

Where do I pick up the van?
Van delivery will be arranged with the primary driver by VPSI, the third-party vehicle management agency.

Does the van remain in my group’s possession during our participation in VanRide?
Yes, the van will remain in the group’s possession during participation in the program. The van is normally kept at an agreed upon meeting place or at the primary driver’s residence.

Does the driver have to be the same throughout our use of VanRide?
Each vanpool has one primary driver and up to five alternate drivers. These drivers must be approved in advance.

Do the participants have to remain the same throughout our use of VanRide?
No, as long as a vanpool group has a primary driver and remains above the minimum required ridership, its actual participants may change throughout the use of VanRide.

What if someone in my group needs a separate ride home from work?
Free taxi rides can be provided in emergency situations for vanpool participants to return to their vehicle or to any location (home, school, daycare provider, etc.). Emergency Ride Home reimbursement is limited to six times per year. Reimbursement for an Emergency Ride Home is available to vanpool participants with an account on miRideshare.org.

Ask Us! Tell Us!