VANPOOL PROGRAM October 2012
News and updates OVERVIEW High pollution advisory dates Clean Air Campaign Awards & Luncheon Rideshare Month Commuter Club Cards Public Hearings Vanpool Program Recap Q & A 2
HPA UPDATE Sayounara Summer season! August 7, 9 & 10 - Ozone July 20 - Ozone June 1 - Ozone May 25 PM 10 May 20 - Ozone May 11 & 12 Ozone Winter Pollution Season is here! October 1 March 31 Particulate Matter & Carbon Monoxide 9 HPA days! 3
CLEAN AIR CAMPAIGN AWARDS Registration deadline is today! 4
RIDESHARE MONTH ShareTheRide Contest has GREAT prizes! Employer challenge was October 7 13! Winners to be announced soon. 5
FARE CHANGE MEETINGS Proposed fare increase for March 1, 2013 Valley Metro is considering a fare change to increase fare revenue to support operations. A fare increase is necessary to preserve service. List of public meetings and hearing at http://www.valleymetro.org/farechange. 6
CANAL CONVERGENCE BIKE RIDE Free event Sunday, November 11 at 10:00 a.m. Leisurely ride from Priest & Washington to Scottsdale Waterfront 17 miles RT Poetry, history, humor, brunch! www.canalconvergence.com or search Facebook for Canal Convergence bike ride 7
VANPOOL PROGRAM OVERVIEW
WHAT IS A VANPOOL? Six to fifteen commuters Drivers are volunteers Riders pay a monthly fare
FACT & FICTION What it is For daily commuting Typically long distance 15+ miles Minimal stops It s a big carpool What it is not A shuttle service Dial-A-Ride One-trip option Restricted to one employer
HOW VANPOOLS WORK Valley Metro owns the vehicles Drivers sign an agreement Someone takes financial responsibility Primary driver or your employer or a rider Fares are based on: 1. Van size 2. Number of riders 3. Monthly commute miles 4. Fuel costs
LOGISTICS Pick up points & route Food & drinks Smoking Seating Radio stations Each group sets its own Rules of the Road.
MONTHLY FARES INCLUDE Gasoline (paid by driver out of fares) Repairs, maintenance & insurance Roadside assistance, loaner vans Guaranteed Ride Home In addition to employer-provided GRH Two rides/year - Cab fare reimbursement
OUR FLEET Ford E150 & E350 vans 8-, 9-, 12-, 14- or 15- passenger vans V-8 Engine, automatic transmission Power steering & brakes Cruise control Front & Rear A/C Remote control mirrors Cloth seats, fully carpeted Fiberglass running boards with entry lights Tinted windows AM/FM radio & CD player
INTERESTING STATISTICS There are 370 active vanpools Average 9 riders/van traveling 34 miles one-way Average rider pays less than $25/week Reducing 126,000 miles daily Avoiding 5,755 pounds of air pollutants daily 15
SAMPLE - FARE CALCULATION Assume: 9 passenger van with 8 paying riders Traveling 30 miles each way Gasoline at $3.50 per gallon Commuting 5 days per week Each rider would pay $92.50 per month Or $23.88 per week
AAA COST COMPARISON OPERATING COST GAS, MAINTENANCE & TIRES OWNERSHIP COST INSURANCE, FINANCING, DEPRECIATION, ETC VEHICLE TYPE PER MILE COST MONTHLY SUV 22.31 /MILE $290 Mini Van 19.31 /MILE $251 VEHICLE TYPE COST PER YEAR MONTHLY SUV $7,738 PER YEAR $458 Mini Van $6,404 PER YEAR $369 VANPOOL $92.50 SOURCE: AAA 2010 YOUR DRIVING COST (WWW.AAA.COM)
THE PARTNERSHIP More than 20 years Manager: Becky Stull Dawn, Sarah, Shyla, and Trish Responsible for: Reporting National Transit Database Driver agreements Collecting fares Maintenance and incident management
DRIVER REQUIREMENTS Minimum age: 25 Valid drivers license (No CDL required) Good driving record last 3 years Established credit rating responsible person only or employer
DRIVER RESPONSIBILITIES Contact person for Valley Metro/VPSI Keep van clean & fueled Collect fares & make monthly payments Submit monthly report Schedule maintenance when due
DRIVER S BENEFITS Free commute Up to 300 miles personal use of the van (not including gas)
RIDER TIPS You ll save time, money and you ll have a built-in excuse to get out of late afternoon meetings! Ryan H. I always told myself my work schedule wouldn t fit (a vanpool). Now I find I m able to manage my time accordingly and am more efficient at work. Jonathan B. Be tolerant of the quirks of other riders. The best vans are full of people who like each other. Scott M. Join ASAP. Michael N.
RIDER FAVORITES When asked their favorite thing about vanpooling, riders said: It s so easy! I don t have to do anything but show up. Robert M. My commute costs are reduced 60 to 70% by vanpooling. Aaron C. I love it when I m in a meeting that runs long and I get to play the vanpool card. Gotta go catch the van! Carol S. I haven t had a car payment in 7 years. Doug C.
FINDING A VANPOOL Register at sharetheride.com Enter your commute profile Click: Then Click: Find van(s) that work for you and call vride or email vanpool@valleymetro.org
FORMING A VANPOOL No vanpools in ShareTheRide? Try matching with multiple carpoolers Talk to friends & co-workers Hang a Riders Wanted poster in your break room Talk to your Human Resources department
OTHER RESOURCES Valley Metro Business Services team Neighborhood newsletter Nearby businesses
QUESTIONS? (602) 262-RIDE (7433) vanpool@valleymetro.org
RECAP News & Updates Vanpool Program Questions? No in person meetings in November & December. Webinars November 28 & December 12. In person meetings resume in 2013 details to come! 28