A partnership of the transportation agencies of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties
	Starting a New Vanpool How do I know there’s enough interest to get a vanpool going in my area? One of the easiest ways is to go to our on-line ridematching service for a list of people who live and work near you and have a similar schedule. (Tip: indicate carpool as well as vanpool interest for the most comprehensive list.) If there are 10 or more “matches,” you may have a good pool of people to start a vanpool. Do I need to own a van to start a vanpool? No, in fact the vast majority (96%) of vanpool vehicles are leased through vanpool leasing companies that specialize in leasing vans for commuter vanpools. They not only provide vehicles but also offer information and assistance for recruiting riders and setting fares and policies. What’s involved with starting a vanpool? To get started, you need to determine a route, rent a van if you don’t already have one, set fares and policies, recruit riders and—if you’re going to also serve as driver—fulfill any legal requirements for driving a vanpool. Your vanpool leasing company is an invaluable ally in your efforts to pull together a vanpool. If I start a vanpool, do I have to be the driver? Not necessarily. Your duties can be limited to helping get your vanpool off the ground by recruiting a driver and alternates, finding riders, and investigating vans and pricing. From there, you can simply pay your fare and be another rider, or continue some administrative duties, such as collecting fares and overseeing paperwork. Are there benefits to driving? Usually. Since every vanpool sets its own rules, the benefits of driving will vary based on how you choose to organize your vanpool. A typical scenario is that riders split expenses while the driver rides free and may use the van on evenings and weekends in exchange for driving the van and handling maintenance. Other vanpools split the driving duties between several people, giving each of them a discount. Or your vanpool may prefer to run more like a “co-op” with everyone taking a turn at driving, collecting fares, handling maintenance responsibilities, etc. How much should fares be? Establish fares that reflect the real costs but are slightly on the high side. That way, the normal fluctuations in gas prices won’t impact fares—you’ll have a “reserve” in the bank. Don’t set them too high, however; the affordable cost of vanpooling is one of the incentives for people to sign on. I’m trying to start a vanpool, and by the time I recruit a new rider, someone else drops out. Will I ever get this off the ground? You may want to consider starting your vanpool with a few empty seats if riders are willing to pay a bit more. Once it’s up and running, it’s easier to fill seats.