Frequently Asked Questions

A vanpool is a group of 3 to 15 riders sharing a van ride that starts and ends at similar points. Each vanpool needs a volunteer driver, back-up driver and a bookkeeper. Vanpool participants don’t have to work at the same location, but being close in proximity can help ease the commute time and mileage.

The cost of the vanpool is split between the riders, and you benefit from the savings of not operating a daily commuter vehicle. Vanpool vans are owned, maintained, managed, insured and licensed by transit agencies. 

There are a variety of factors that will determine your vanpool fare. The transit agency, the number of days you want to commute, the mileage of your commute, and the number of people in your van will all contribute to your vanpool fare. 

You can check out the Pierce Transit vanpool fares here or the Intercity Transit vanpool fares here. Riding with a different transit authority? You can find vanpool fare information on their websites using the links in the LEARN section above.

There may also be discounts available through your work by choosing to vanpool to work. Contact your HR, Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) or your transportation team to find out if your employer provides a transportation benefit for vanpooling.

If starting a new vanpool group, the group will decide together what’s the best route and schedule, including the pick-up and drop off for each rider. Many groups choose to meet in a conveniently central location, such as a Park and Ride lot, to reduce overall commute time and mileage. 

If you match with an existing vanpool, discuss the options available based on the existing travel route and see what modifications can be made to incorporate you comfortably into the vanpool.

In the rare occurrence that your vanpool breaks down, your transit authority is ready to help. Contact the transit authority of your vanpool right away. They will dispatch technicians and, if needed, a replacement vehicle as soon as possible. You may also need to call your work to let them know about the situation.

While all are a type of rideshare, vanpool is more formal and usually arranged through a transit authority. Vanpoolers pay their fare to the transit authority, and the transit-owned van is used, which includes maintenance, licensing and insurance.

A carpool can be informally arranged between two or more people who share a similar commute route. In a carpool, passengers pay the driver an agreed fare to fairly split gas, parking, maintenance, insurance, etc. or carpool members rotate driving their personal vehicle equally.