How much does it cost?
Who owns the vans?
What are the vans like?
Who takes care of maintenance?
Who drives?
What are the driver's responsibilities and benefits?
How are fares collected?
What about insurance?
What is my commitment to the van?
Does the van provide door-to-door service?
What happens if I am sick or go on vacation?
What if the driver is sick or on vacation?
What if I have an emergency during the day and need to go home?
How do we get more passengers on our van?
How do I get started?
How much does it cost?
A lot less than what you would pay to drive alone. Each passenger pays a monthly fare to ride in the van. Fares are based on the number of average monthly miles and the costs of operation, maintenance, insurance and depreciation. See our fare sheet for monthly costs per van and per rider, based on 14 passengers. (The driver rides free.) There is also a one-time, refundable $150 security deposit per van.
Some employers offer subsidies to employees who rideshare. Check with your organization to see if it will help pay your vanpool costs.
TTA also offers a seat-subsidy program to encourage formation of new vanpools. We will pay for up to 4 seats during the vanpool's first six months of operation.
Who owns the vans?
Triangle Transit Authority owns the vans and leases them to the drivers.
What are the vans like?
TTA purchases 15-passenger vans with air-conditioning, AM/FM radio, and automatic transmission.
Who takes care of maintenance?
TTA provides free preventive maintenance and repair work as well as a loaner van when yours is in the shop.
Who drives?
The driver is a commuter like you who has committed to taking fourteen other people to and from work each day. The driver may drive every day or share the driving with a back-up driver. Drivers must be at least 21 years old with a current North Carolina driver's license, and have a clean driving record and good credit history.
What are the driver's responsibilities and benefits?
Drivers and back-up drivers sign a lease agreement with TTA. Drivers must provide safe, off-the-street parking for vans. They must prepare and submit simple monthly reports on ridership and miles driven. TTA issues a credit card to drivers to pay for gas, and drivers submit their receipts on a monthly basis.
Because of the responsibilities they shoulder, the primary driver rides free in a vanpool and is allotted 100 miles per month of personal use of the van. Each vanpool is also covered by 24-hour emergency roadside service, provided by Allstate™.
How are fares collected?
Riders pay their monthly fee to the vanpool's driver or to another person approved by TTA to be the vanpool treasurer, who in turn sends the money to TTA. The driver or vanpool treasurer sets policy about whether he or she will take cash, checks, or both from the passengers.
What about insurance?
TTA pays for the van's insurance, including collision and liability. If the van's driver is responsible for an accident that causes damage to the van, he or she is liable for just $250.
What is my commitment to the van?
In most cases, the driver and riders make a month-to-month commitment. You may leave the vanpool at any time after giving a month's notice.
Does the van provide door-to-door service?
Vanpool riders and drivers may set their own policy about pick-up and drop-off locations, but because fares are calculated on miles traveled we encourage you to choose a central meeting place.
Often, churches and shopping centers will allow their parking lots to be used by vanpool riders. Be sure to check first, however. There are also a number of park-and-ride lots throughout the Triangle that you are free to use as a vanpool meeting place.
What happens if I am sick or go on vacation?
As long as TTA receives the total amount due from each van, vanpools are allowed to determine their own rules on sick- or vacation-time. Most often, however, riders are responsible for their fares whether or not they choose to ride the van every day.
What if the driver is sick or on vacation?
Each van has a back-up driver in case the primary driver cannot drive the van for whatever reason.
What if I have an emergency during the day and need to go home?
A vanpool riders and drivers are eligible to use the TTA Emergency Ride Home Program.
How do we get more passengers on our van?
TTA will help you recruit passengers and you are encouraged to look for potential riders at your workplace.
How do I get started?
Click here for information on how to start a new vanpool, or see if there are any existing vanpools that meet your commuting needs.
|
