Vanpool

You can ride most vanpools on a full-time or occasional basis, whichever fits your schedule. Want to improve your commute to Stanford? Join a vanpool! They're coming to Stanford from all over the Bay Area. Our rideshare profile page can link you with other Stanford commuters heading your way.

Read Cathy's story. She Vanpools 75+ miles each way.

On this page

• What is a vanpool?
• Benefits for Drivers and Riders
• Additional Benefits
  • Drivers
  • Riders
• Eligibility Requirements for Vanpools
• More About Rideshare

What is a vanpool?

A commuter vanpool is a group of four or more eligible employees who commute to and from work in a passenger vehicle that seats at least seven people. Two eligible part-time employees count as one full-time employee. Subsidies cover the Commute with Enterprise van rental for all current Stanford pools.

You can ride most vanpools on a full-time, part-time or occasional basis, whichever fits your schedule. Full-time and part-time passengers have reserved seats and ride on a month-to-month basis. Occasional passengers ride on a space-availability basis and may pay a set fee per trip, depending on the vanpool group.

Benefits for Drivers and Riders

• Receive a full Commute with Enterprise vehicle subsidy (if eligible), which includes free insurance and maintenance on the vehicle
• Enjoy reduced or free bridge tolls and express-lane access with FasTrak
• Reduce wear and tear on personal vehicles
• Reduce personal auto insurance premiums based on reduced miles driven each year

Additional Benefits

Drivers

• Meet Enterprise’s driver requirements
• Receive personal use of the vehicle on evenings and weekends
• Pick up and drop off passengers at designated site(s)
• Fill the gas tank 
• Keep the van clean
• Arrange for free maintenance
• Collect payments or ask another member to collect payments from passengers to cover monthly gas and toll expenses

Riders 

• Pay for gas and toll expenses
• Arrive at pre-arranged pick-up sites on time
• Give a 30-day notice if leaving the vanpool
• Read, sleep, work, surf on a mobile device, or socialize during the commute

Eligibility Requirements for Vanpools

To qualify for a Stanford vanpool permit and 100-percent vanpool subsidy, applicants must meet these requirements:

• Vanpool members must vanpool together for most of the commute and live in areas that would facilitate a reasonable and expected commute pattern.
• At least four full-time members of your vanpool must meet all the eligibility requirements listed below and not already have a long-term parking permit.
  • Your home address is 10 or more miles from your worksite address.
  • You do not drive alone and park near campus as part of your alternative commute, nor do you park at the VA Hospital, Stanford Health Care, or off-campus Stanford parking lots and properties.
  • Main campus commuters: You do not live in on-campus student housing or Olmsted Staff Rental Housing (including leased housing for Stanford coaches, faculty, and staff), and you are within the typical commuting range.
  • You are actively employed at Stanford's campus (main campus or Stanford Redwood City)or a postdoctoral scholar or registered student (students only qualify for registered quarters: minimum of 8 units for undergraduates and six units or TGR status for graduate students).
  • You are physically commuting to Stanford every week.
  • You would be required to purchase a Stanford parking permit if you were to park at your place of work or study.
  • You are not an evening-, night-, or swing-shift employee.
  • You agree not to use any Stanford parking permit except a daily permit, department service vehicle permits, and SH permits, if applicable.
  • Your primary commute is to Stanford's main campus or to Stanford Redwood City.
  • You must be at Stanford's main campus and/or Stanford Redwood City at least 16 hours per week during regular weekday business hours.

Please note that anyone whose principal place of work is at the VA Hospital, SLAC, or any other worksite that does not participate in Stanford's parking permit system or does not have an arrangement with Stanford Transportation is not eligible for these programs. For questions about eligibility, send an email to commuteclub@stanford.edu.

Residents of the faculty/staff leaseholder areas (designated areas only), Stanford West, and Oak Creek are eligible for commuter programs, assuming they meet all other eligibility requirements.