TDM Toolbox

Mitigation Calculator

Subsector: Trip Reduction Programs
Vanpool Subsidies
VMT Reduction Potential: 4
Cost: 3
ROI: 3
StanCOG Relevancy: 4
Land Use Content: Urban, Suburban, Rural
Trip Type: School, Residential, Commute
Scale: Regional, Community
Timing: Short Term (1-3 years)
Implementors-Private: Educational Institutions, Employers, Property Managers
Implementors-Public: Municipalities, Regional Agencies, Transit Agencies
References: California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (2024), StanCOG StanisCruise Program, StanCOG Transportation Funding, StanCOG Federal Transportation Improvement Program

Description

This measure provides financial incentives or subsidies that reduce the cost of vanpool participation. Subsidies may be provided during vanpool startup periods to encourage ridership growth or may be maintained long term for populations with limited transportation options and long commute distances.

Implementation Details

  • Expand outreach for StanisCruise to major employers, agricultural businesses, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and other employment centers.
  • Target vanpool recruitment toward workers with long commutes, nontraditional work schedules, or limited access to fixed-route transit.
  • Coordinate with employers to identify groups of employees who could form new vanpools.
  • Provide introductory subsidies or incentives to help new vanpools establish stable ridership.
  • Develop targeted outreach for agricultural, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, and other sectors with large concentrations of workers.
  • Coordinate StanisCruise with employer TDM programs and commute reduction plans.
  • Track vanpool formation, ridership, commute distance, and vehicle trips replaced to evaluate VMT reduction.

Mitigation Potential

Vanpools can substantially reduce commute-related VMT by replacing multiple single-occupancy vehicle trips with a single shared vehicle trip. Subsidies increase participation by lowering the cost barrier for riders and helping new vanpools achieve sustainable ridership levels.

Related quantification methods for vanpools include CAPCOA, T-11. Provide Employer-Sponsored Vanpool, pg. 104-108.

Linked Strategies

Equity Considerations

Prioritize funding for low-income households and communities with low vehicle ownership rates. Ensure incentives support access to affordable and reliable multimodal options such as transit, biking, and walking. Monitor equity outcomes using disaggregated data on program usage by income and geography.

Funding Sources

Vanpool subsidies can be supported through CMAQ, Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning grants for eligible planning activities, local employer contributions, transit agency resources, and other state and federal TDM funding sources. StanCOG has already programmed CMAQ funding for StanisCruise, its regional vanpool/TDM program, making this strategy directly connected to an existing regional investment. StanCOG’s current programming includes $4 million for StanisCruise and additional CMAQ funding for StanRTA TDM rideshare activities.

Examples/Case Studies

CalHR Commute Program

The CalHR Commute Program provides various incentives to state employees to encourage the use of alternative transportation methods, including vanpools. The primary goal of this program is to reduce traffic congestion and promote environmentally friendly commuting options. By participating in the vanpool incentive, employees can receive financial benefits for sharing rides with colleagues, which helps decrease the number of vehicles on the road.

StanisCruise – Stanislaus County

StanCOG launched StanisCruise in January 2023 as the county’s regional TDM program. The program specifically includes vanpooling and carpooling and was designed to provide transportation options for workers whose schedules or commute patterns are not conducive to traditional transit. StanCOG has continued to fund the program through CMAQ, with $4 million programmed for StanisCruise.

CalVans Farmworker Vanpool Program

The California Vanpool Authority operates the CalVans Farmworker Vanpool Program in Stanislaus County and other participating regions. The program provides qualified agricultural workers with vans that they can use to travel together to agricultural job sites. Rider fares support vehicle maintenance, insurance, and replacement, while volunteer drivers operate the vanpools. The program provides a local option for workers whose job locations, schedules, or commute patterns may not be well served by fixed-route transit.