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Free-Parking Promotion

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What will I receive by participating?

Wouldn’t it be great to park for free at Stanford? Now, you can!

Get a Free C-Carpool permit: Two-member carpools are eligible for a free C-Carpool permit. Use Ride to grow your carpool to upgrade your permit!

Get a Free A-Carpool permit:  Three-or-more carpool members are eligible for a free A-Carpool permit.

Use Ride to grow your carpool, and you could qualify for a premium vehicle and $300 per month subsidy!

Note:  You will apply for a Stanford carpool permit, pay for it, and receive Carpool Credit for eligible months at the end of each quarter as you normally do. New!  Ride will pay the difference between Carpool Credit and the full cost of either the A-Carpool permit or C-Carpool permit. When you receive both reimbursements at the end of each quarter, your carpool permit will be free!

New Guaranteed Ride program

By managing your carpool with Ride, you also will be eligible for Ride’s Guaranteed Ride program. Ride offers free vehicles on campus for eligible participants to use for almost any reason – run errands, work or stay late, pick up a friend or family member, or virtually any reason you need access to a vehicle, even if it’s overnight.

This ensures you have a free and convenient way to get around without your car and gives you the flexibility to change your schedule if necessary on days you carpool.


What do I have to do?

  • Identify one or more Stanford commuters to share your ride. (Don't have a carpool yet? Register with Ride at ride.com, and we can help you find others at Stanford going your way. It’s free!)
  • Complete your Stanford Carpool application as you normally do.
  • Complete our Free-Parking Promotion application
  • You will qualify for a free carpool permit if you do the following:
    • Agree to use Ride to manage your carpool (at least 15 days per month). Managing your carpool through Ride involves using a new Ride app, available in September for iOS. With the app, you hit “start your ride.” That’s it.
    • Maintain a two-person Stanford carpool to receive a free C-Carpool permit
    • Maintain or grow to a three-person carpool to receive a free A-Carpool permit

How does Ride work?

Ride helps to form, facilitate, and grow carpools. Using the new Ride app, expected to be available in September, carpools can. . .

  • View routes
  • Communicate with one another seamlessly
  • Share costs automatically and conveniently (optional)
  • Grow their carpools by bringing more passengers onboard.

Learn more about Ride or sign up to share your commute with others at Stanford by going to ride.com or contact Ryan Coen atryan@ride.com.


How can I learn more?

Our Ride team will be happy to answer your questions and provide assistance. Please contact Ryan Coen at Ryan@ride.com or 510.427.2917to learn more and to participate in this Free-Parking Promotion.

You also are welcome to contact Stanford’s Parking & Transportation Services team at commuteclub@stanford.edu.

FREE PARKING. Use Ride to manage your carpool, and you could receive a free A-Carpool or C-Carpool permit. To request a free parking permit, please complete the Free-Parking Promotion application or contact Ryan Coen to learn more about Ride and the Free-Parking Promotion.

Video testimonials

Why I Carpool video image
"Why I tried carpooling" (10 seconds)
Emily Erwin, Media Production Manager
Stanford Center for Professional Development

Why I like the Guaranteed Ride program video image
"Why I like the Guaranteed Ride program" (15 seconds)
Dylan Conn, Digital Media Associate
Public Affairs Administration