You are here: Home : Sustainable Transportation : Vanpools

Vanpools

Want a ride from your neighborhood to Stanford? Join a vanpool! They're currently running all over the Bay Area. Want to form your own vanpool? Our free Ridematching Services can link you with other Stanford commuters from your neighborhood.

Now serving Alameda, Berkeley, Manteca, San Francisco, Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley and Tracy.

What is a vanpool?

A commuter vanpool is a group of seven to fifteen people who ride to and from work each day in a comfortable passenger van. Vanpooling generally costs about the same each month as you now pay for gasoline alone. Arrive at work relaxed, refreshed, and ready for your day. Save wear and tear on your car, too.

You can ride most vanpools on a full-time or occasional basis, whichever fits your schedule. Full-time passengers have reserved seats and ride on a month-to-month basis. Occasional passengers ride on a space-available basis and pay a set fee per trip. And if you're the driver, you get free use of the van after-hours!

Incentive programs reward you for not driving alone.

Vanpool members can apply for Commute Club and qualify to receive up to $300 a year in Clean Air Cash.

Eligible employees may purchase commuter checks with pre-tax dollars via payroll deduction, and may use commuter checks to pay for part of their vanpool expenses! The exact amount saved by each individual will vary.

How does vanpooling work?

Drivers and riders benefit by:

receiving a free vanpool parking permit (valid only in designated vanpool spaces)
receiving a preferred parking space

Drivers are responsible for:

picking up and dropping off passengers at designated site(s)
collecting monthly payments from passengers to cover monthly expenses
filling the gas tank (before passengers are picked up)
keeping the van clean
arranging for free maintenance

Drivers are rewarded by:

usually riding free
receiving personal use of the van on evenings and weekends
having free insurance and maintenance coverage on the vanpool van
sustaining less wear and tear on personal automobiles

Riders are responsible for:

paying on time
arriving at pre-arranged pick-up sites on time
giving a 30-day notice if leaving the vanpool
helping to recruit new passengers for the vanpool

Riders are rewarded by:

being able to read the paper, sleep, daydream or socialize with new friends during the daily commute
enjoying a stress-free commute
potentially reducing personal auto insurance premiums
sustaining less wear and tear on personal automobiles
receiving up to $300 in Clean Air Cash

Get on the road. And stay on the road.

Once you're up and running, you'll be assigned consultants who are committed to the smooth operation of your vanpool. They'll help fill your empty seats, coach you through any personal conflicts that may arise, and even advise you on matters of "vanpool etiquette."

Stanford vanpool subsidy

Effective April 1, 2014, each official Stanford vanpool will receive a $300 per month subsidy to be paid by P&TS. This subsidy is intended to defray the cost of the van, subsidize gas expenses, subsidize empty seats, encourage the creation of a reserve fund to cover temporary periods of empty seat(s), or defray other operating costs of the van. Learn more about the vanpool subsidy program.

New vanpools

The following vanpools are looking for new members:

East Bay
A new vanpool is forming from the East Bay with an 8 a.m. arrival at Stanford and a 5 p.m. departure from campus. The origin will likely be in the Hayward or San Leandro area. If you are interested, please contact Alicia Ach.
Morgan Hill
A new vanpool is forming from Morgan Hill. Riders will agree upon the specific hours for this vanpool and the meeting location(s). If you are interested, please contact Cheryl Weissbart.

Current vanpools

Alameda (Ride), since 2015 (7 seats)
Pickups: Island Drive and Doolittle Drive at Veterans Memorial Park at 5:20 a.m.
Drop-offs: Stanford Main Campus (Pine Hall); Porter Drive
Arrive: Pine Hall at 6am; Porter Drive at 6:15 a.m. (or vice versa).
Return: Leave Pine Hall at 3:15 p.m.; Porter Drive at 3:30 p.m. (or vice versa); Arrive at Island Drive and Doolittle Drive at 4:30 p.m.
Contact: Ryan Coen at (510) 427-2917
Berkeley (Enterprise), since 1995
Pickups: Martin Luther King and Ashby (Ashby BART station) at 6:20 a.m.
Drop-offs: Main Campus (The Oval); Med School (LKSC/Beckman Lot)
Arrive: Main Campus at 7:15 a.m.; Med School at 7:20 a.m.
Return: Leave Med School at 4:00 p.m.; Main Campus at 4:05 p.m.; Arrive at MLK & Ashby (Ashby BART station) at approx. 5:30 p.m.
Contact: Linda Heneghan at (650) 906-2381. Visit the Berkeley vanpool website for more information.
Manteca (Enterprise), since 2015.
Pickups: Lathrop Target (Interstate 5/Highway 120) 3:50 a.m./Manteca JCPenny (Highway 120) 4:00 a.m.
Drop offs: Main Campus
Arrive: 5:30 a.m. Facilities/Bonair Siding (Maples Parking Lot)
Return: Facilities/Bonair Siding (Maples Parking Lot) at 3:00 p.m., JCPenny at 4:30 p.m., and Target at 4:40 p.m.
Contact: Jeremy Cook at (650) 444-8326.
San Francisco (Enterprise), since 1987 (10 seats)
Pickups: Corner of Miguel and Bemis 7:05 a.m./Glen Park Bart Station at 7:08 a.m.
Drop-offs: Medical Center at 7:45 a.m.; Encina Hall at 7:50 a.m.
Return: Leave Encina Hall at 5:05 p.m.; Medical Center area at 5:12 p.m.; arrive in SF at 6:00 p.m.
Contact: Adan Griego at (650) 723-3150 or Blakey Vermeule at (650) 783-2905. Visit the San Francisco vanpool website for more information.
San Francisco (Ride), since 2015 (7 seats)
Pickups: 19th and Ulloa Street; West Portal
Drop-offs: Stanford Main Campus
Arrive: Duena Street and Panama Mall at 7:30 a.m.
Return: Duena Street and Panama Mall at 4:15 p.m.; Leave by 4:30 p.m.; Arrive back to Sunset District approx. 5:30 p.m.
Contact: Ryan Coen at (510) 427-2917
Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley (Enterprise), since 1989 (10 seats – Two seats available! Test ride free.)
Pickups: Pasatempo & Highway 17 at 5:49 a.m., Scotts Valley Drive & Glenwood at 5:56 a.m.
Drop-offs: Leave Stanford at 6:45 a.m. (Serra and Galvez)
Van continues to Menlo Park and arrives at USGS at 7:10 a.m.
Return: Leave Stanford at 3:50 p.m., arrive Santa Cruz at 4:55 p.m. and Pasatiempo at 5:10 p.m.
Contact: Regina Roberts at (831) 251-5700 or Gil Ramirez at (650) 493-5000 x22918

Tracy (Enterprise), since 2013 (8 seats)
Pickups: Leave Tracy at 4:15 a.m.
Drop-offs: Stanford at 6 a.m. (315 Bonair Siding)
Return: Leave Stanford at 2:30 p.m.
Contact: Daniel Villalba at (650) 444-6740 or Art Chacon at (650) 444-6435

In case of an emergency

"But what if my child gets sick and I have to leave immediately?"
"But what if my vanpool driver has to leave for an emergency?"
"But what if my neighbor calls to tell me my house is on fire?"

The answer to these and other issues is Stanford's free Emergency Ride Home program. You are automatically enrolled in ERH when you join the Commute Club. Not eligible for the Commute Club? You can still pre-register for the Emergency Ride Home program if you meet eligibility requirements.

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

Join the Commute Club, and you're eligible for up to 12 free hourly car rentals a year. If you are a Commute Club Zipcar member, you also receive up to $102 a year in Zipcar credit.

Search form