The University of Michigan has sponsored vanpooling for its faculty and staff since the 1970s. Up to six passengers and a driver meet each day in their community and ride in together. The vanpool program is very important to our department strategy for meeting the parking and transportation needs of the University and we want to make sure it continues as a viable, sustainable program.
Eligibility
You are eligible to join the vanpool program if you meet the following criteria:
- Full time status (32 hour appointment or greater)
- Permanent employment status
- Able to commit to riding on a full time basis, at least 4 days a week.
If you are not a full time U-M employee you may still be eligible for the vanpool program. The cost to join a vanpool if you are not a full time employee is $119.00 per month plus tax.
Cost
There is a $25 monthly fee to participate in the Vanpool program. The fee is eligible for pre-tax payroll deduction. As an incentive to drivers, the fee will be waived for primary drivers. If you have any questions, please contact Alternative Transportation below.
In addition to the monthly fee, vanpool members share in the cost of fuel.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Who do I contact in an emergency situation?
- If you have an emergency situation and need to get home, to your vehicle, or hospital, call the Division of Public Safety and Security at 734-763-1131.
- Who do I contact with maintenance questions?
- If you have a problem with the van – maintenance questions, hear funny noises, etc. Call Commute with Enterprise at 1-800-826-4967
- Are there a minimum number of riders that must ride on the vanpool on any given day?
- Even if a vanpool has 6 or more members assigned to its roster, there could be an occasion where a few riders may have days off that coincide leaving a reduced numbers of riders. In this case, under Federal Guidelines a minimum of at least three (3) must ride in the van for it to be considered a vanpool commute. This means a van should not be driven to work with two (2) or less people in the van (including the driver)
- Where are vanpool groups allowed to park on campus?
- U-M will provide a blue permit for the vanpool vehicle and a designated parking spot for the vanpool group. Additionally, vanpool vehicles are allowed to park in any blue, yellow or orange lot on campus as long as the blue permit is displayed. Since vanpools are not U-M vehicles , they cannot be parked in any business or service vehicle spaces. The vehicle will be ticketed if parked illegally.
- Can I still keep my parking permit–Gold, Blue, Yellow, or Orange?
- No. Daily Blue permits (AVI or hang tag with AVI chip) are allowed and can be purchased at either Parking Customer Services office. If you have a parking permit, it must be returned to a Parking Customer Services office within three days of joining the vanpool.
- Do vans really need to start with six (6) people?
- We need a minimum of six (6) people to begin a new vanpool to make it cost effective.
- How do I get home in case of an emergency?
- Each vanpool member is allowed six (6) “Emergency Ride Home” rides per permit year (July – June). To request this service, call Golden Limousine at 734-999-0468, identify yourself as a vanpool member, and give them pertinent information (name, exact pick up location, and destination). Logistics, Transportation and Parking will pay the fare, tipping the driver is at the rider’s discretion and expense. If you exceed the maximum allowable rides during the permit year, you must pay the cost of the ride yourself.
Emergency Ride Home rides for participants who are non-UM, or temporary employees are on a reimbursement basis. In order to get reimbursed, participants must obtain a receipt containing the taxi company brand (along with the driver’s signature) and then mail the information to TheRide’s main office. TheRide’s Emergency Ride Home Program.
