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.

Current Stanford Vanpools

Manteca, Fremont, San Francisco, San Jose, Half Moon Bay, Tracy and more. View our Current Vanpools listing or our Carpool and Vanpool Listings page. Many vanpools allow a free trial ride, and some allow rides on an occasional basis for a small fee.

How does vanpooling work?

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. Vanpools can qualify for subsidies that cover 100 percent of the Commute with Enterprise van rental.

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

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

In case of an emergency

"What if my child gets sick and I have to leave immediately?"

"What if my vanpool driver has to leave for an emergency?"

"What if my neighbor calls to tell me that my home is on fire?"

The answer to these and other issues is Stanford's free Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program.

What if I need to run an off-campus errand?

Join Zipcar with your Stanford email address and you can sign up for a membership with no application fee and only a $15 annual membership fee.

Joining an existing vanpool

Contact information for each existing vanpool is provided on our Current Vanpools page. If there is capacity in the vanpool you are interested in joining, the contact will provide you with any necessary information.

Starting a new vanpool

If you don't already have four or more vanpool riders in mind, visit our Ridematching page to find Stanford affiliates to share your commute. There are a number of options you can consider to recruit riders.

• Post your vanpool on Stanford's Carpool and Vanpool Listings page to recruit Stanford affiliates. This page is designed to enable carpool and vanpool groups to recruit new riders. You can post and filter by origin and worksite, including SRWC.
• Contact us at commuteclub@stanford.edu to request targeted outreach to Stanford commuters.
• Post your vanpool on the Stanford Staffers or Staffers Village email listservs.

If you have questions about the service, or if it does not lead to a match for you, please feel free to contact us at commuteclub@stanford.edu. We may be able to help identify other alternatives available to you, such as carpooling, transit and/or biking.