Nancy Childress has saved thousands of dollars and made many friends by being part of a vanpool.
"It's much more fun than driving alone," said Childress, a Duke University Health System analyst who has commuted to work under the Triangle Transit vanpool program since 1995.
Now, Duke staff and faculty who join or form a Triangle Transit vanpool by June 30 will receive free vanpool fare for the month of July. Fares start at $41.81 monthly, based on the number of riders and average daily mileage.
"Free fares for a month is like icing on the cake because vanpool participants already save a lot of money on fuel, parking and maintenance costs by not driving their personal vehicles," said Colette Murphy, Triangle Transit vanpool manager.
Childress, the analyst, drives a van 70 miles roundtrip from Roxboro with 11 other Duke colleagues. Not only do they park for free in a reserved spot at Duke, but Triangle Transit supplies the van, gas, insurance and maintenance. And vanpool drivers don't pay the monthly fare.
At Duke, each vanpool participant also receives 24 free daily parking passes for when they need to drive separately. Commuters who use alternative transportation can also receive free vouchers from local taxi services and rental car agencies for emergency rides home.
Come this fall, Childress and some of her vanpool riders will be among about 800 PRMO employees relocating to a new office near Research Triangle Park. That means she'll have to form a new vanpool from Roxboro to Research Triangle Park.
"I've saved so much being in a vanpool, and I don't want to give that up," she said. "It's a great deal, especially since gas prices are going up again."
For example, if gas is $2.60 a gallon, a commuter who drives 50 miles roundtrip to work can save more than $2,000 a year in fuel and operating costs by joining a vanpool instead of parking in a premium lot at $64.50 a month. To calculate your savings, click here.
"That's a savings of about $200 a month," said Murphy, Triangle Transit's vanpool manager. "It really can help keep a lot more green in your pocket while also greening our environment."
In addition to the new Triangle Transit incentive, benefits-eligible Duke staff and faculty will be able to enroll in payroll deduction later this summer to receive pre-tax savings for monthly vanpool fare.
"By offering pre-tax savings for vanpools, Duke can help employees make a positive environmental and economical impact," said Melissa Harden, assistant director of Duke Parking & Transportation.