CAVPOOL: How to Start a Carpool
If you're reading this then you're well on your way to making a economic and ecofriendly commuting choice. Carpooling can save people hundreds of dollars in fuel and vehicle maintenance costs per year, and now carpoolers can save even more money per year with the Cavpool program. The Department of Parking and Transportation has implemented the Cavpool program to reward carpools with discounted permit rates, free Occasional Parking Permits for those days when members need to drive seperately, and quarterly prize drawings.
Have Some Concerns About Joining a Carpool?
One of the biggest concerns commuters have when thinking about joining a carpool is "what happens if I need to get home in the event of an emergency?" Thanks to the efforts of RideShare, carpool commuters needn't worry about how to get home if their child needs to leave school sick, or they themselves get sick, or if any other emergency situation arrises. RideShare offers a free Guaranteed Ride Home Program that will reimburse carpool members the price of their rental car or cab ride home in the event of an emergency (up to five times per year). Please visit RideShare's website for more information about the Guaranteed Ride Home Program.
Another concern is getting around Charlottesville without a car if you're not the primary driver. Luckily for you, you can ride any University Transit Service (UTS) and any Charlottesville Transit Service (CTS) route FREE! The combined transit system will take you to virtually any area of grounds, and even out to popular shopping areas such as the Barracks Road Shopping Center, Rio Hill Shopping Center, Fashion Square Mall, and even Walmart. To make riding the transit systems even easier, both services have GPS bus arrival predictions to let you know how many minutes it will be before a bus arrives at a particular stop. CTS also makes it easy to plan your trip with their Google Transit feature.
By joining the Cavpool program, riders will also receive free Occasional Parking Permits. These permits allow a commuter to park in a certain lot for the day, making it perfect for those days when riders need to drive separately due to a change in schedule or even a doctors appointment. Riders will receive four "reserved" Occasional Parking Permits every six months for "reserved lots" such as the Emmet/Ivy Garage. Riders will also receive six "commuter" Occasional Parking Permits every six months for "commuter lots" such as U-Hall, which has several transit routes available with UTS to get you around Grounds. Riders can use the UTS Route Finder to find out how to get from U-Hall or the Emmet/Ivy Garage to other popular locations around Grounds.
How Do I Find People to Carpool With?
RideShare can also help you find an existing carpool to join with their carpool matching program. All you need to do is fill out their quick online form, and they'll match your information to other registered commuters who have similiar work hours and travel origins and destinations. RideShare will then mail you an information packet containing the names and contact numbers of those commuters who you may then contact to start carpooling.
U.Va Health System employees can also sign up on the Health System Ride Board to find other employees to carpool with. Signing up does not obligate you to drive or ride as you decide when you want to participate and when you don't. The Ride Board is part of the employee intranet which requires a valid U.Va username and password.
Cavpool Benefits:
| Total Riders |
Permit Discount |
Permit Location |
Occasional Parker Permits per Rider |
Quarterly Drawing |
| 2 Riders |
10% |
No Preferential Assignment |
4 in Reserved Lots
6 in Commuter Lots |
1 Entry Per Rider |
| 3 Riders |
25% |
Preferred Assignment |
4 in Reserved Lots
6 in Commuter Lots |
2 Entries Per Rider |
| 4 Riders |
100% |
Preferred Assignment |
4 in Reserved Lots
6 in Commuter Lots |
3 Entries Per Rider |
| 5+ Riders |
100% |
Dedicated Space |
4 in Reserved Lots
6 in Commuter Lots |
3 Entries Per Rider |
All plans include the Guaranteed Ride Home Program offered by RideShare. RideShare is a program of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District and is not affiliated with or administered by the University of Virginia. CavPool members' information will be shared with RideShare in order to enroll each member in the Guaranteed Ride Home Program.
RideShare may be contacted at rideshare@tjpdc.org or 1-888-974-5500.
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Cost Saving Example:
Tom and Martha currently carpool together to save money on gas. They have an A9 permit, which costs them $49 a month (or $588 a year). Since Tom sometimes has to go into work early, Martha buys Occasional Parking Permits for the Culbreth Road Garage (A9) which costs her $28 for 10 uses.
Tom and Martha heard about the Cavpool program, and decided to give it a try. In the first year of the program, they saved $58.80 on their permit. In addition, they received 16 Occasional Parking Permits for the Culbreth Road Garage ($44.80) and 24 Occasional Parker Permits for U-Hall ($24.00) to share between them for the year.
By already carpooling, Tom and Martha saved money on gas and by signing up for the Cavpool program they saved an additional $127.60! Also, since they have one A9 permit rather than two, they save an additional $588 per year by just choosing to carpool.
Think Carpooling Might Be Right For You?
Already In a Carpool and Ready To Join?
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