Bay Area Vanpool Commuting 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. Vanpooling is a great, cost effective choice for your daily commute. You can enjoy the convenience of sharing a ride to work with others together in a friendly environment. You'll arrive at work safe, on time and relaxed. 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 the latest best seller. BACS is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation and administers the Bay Area Vanpool program. Vehicles are provided by HART and VPSI. Bay Area Vanpool works in conjunction with BACS to help organize vanpools throughout the Tampa Bay area. By sharing a ride to work, local commuters not only eliminate the stress of their daily commute and save money, but they also help reduce air pollution and congestion on our busy roadways. What is a vanpool? A vanpool is a group of 5-15 people who commute together on a regular basis in a van. How does it work? One person volunteers to be the Primary Volunteer Driver and two or three other group members volunteer to be Alternate Drivers. The vanpool group shares the monthly cost of operating the vanpool and saves money. Riders usually meet at a designated pick-up location like a shopping center parking lot or a Park-N-Ride location; it's the same with drop-off points at the destination. It all depends on the needs of the vanpool group. The group decides the location and time they meet, how long the van will wait, etc. The program includes the van, vehicle insurance, all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance/repairs and a loaner vehicle (when available). Best of all, there's no long term commitment. Volunteer Driver agreements are written on a month-to-month basis. The Primary Driver only needs to give a 30-day notice to terminate the vanpool. Emergency Ride Home Program All vanpool participants automatically qualify for the Emergency Ride Home (ERH) Program. ERH provides a free taxi ride home from work in the event of illness, unscheduled overtime or a family emergency. To find out more about this program click here. Is vanpooling right for me? If you travel 15 miles or more one-way to work and have a schedule that's relatively consistent, you're a good prospect! What's the cost? Because the vanpool group shares the monthly expense of operating one vehicle, vanpooling is typically much less expensive than driving yourself to work. Typical expenses include the monthly fee for the vehicle, fuel, tolls, washes, and parking (if applicable). To see what your drive alone commute costs are click here. Incentives The Federal government has recently made changes to the Internal Revenue Code, which can benefit employers and employees who participate in vanpooling. These changes, commonly referred to as Commuter Choice Initiative, allow employers to offer a tax-free fringe benefit to employees using qualified commute options. Vanpooling qualifies for this benefit. Vanpooling offers many benefits including: • FREE enrollment in the Emergency Ride Home Program (ERH) • Save money on your monthly commuting costs. • Reduce wear and tear on your personal vehicle. • Ease the daily grind and stress of traffic congestions. • Turn commuting time into productive time to read, catch up on work, or sleep. • Make new friends with fellow vanpool riders. • Contribute to improving our environment. What now? If you are interested in starting a vanpool, our program makes it a snap! You will enjoy peace of mind knowing that Bay Area Vanpool will help you every step of the way by working with you to: • Form your vanpool group. • Set a start date and create a time line to get your vanpool on the road. • Estimate your monthly vanpool expenses. • Confirm the route, the start date, collect your payment and… Go! Whether you are working to form a new vanpool group, or already on the road commuting with us, we are never more than a phone call away. It's our passion, and nobody does it better than we do! For more information on vanpooling visit The Tampa Bay Commuter or click here to register for a vanpool.