Get in a Pace Van
Pace Vanpooling is an economic way to travel.
Plus, it's more environmentally friendly.
If your work commute matches to an existing Pace Vanpool or if you have a group of three or more carpoolers, consider the benefits of Pace Vanpooling.
Pace Vanpooling is a workday rideshare arrangement for commuters who live or work in these six counties of Illinois: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will. Pace Vanpools consist of individuals who live near each other and have similar travel patterns and work hours. Pace Vanpools operate similar to carpools except they include more perks.
Here's how it works:
A group of commuters decide to form a Pace Vanpool. One of the members volunteers to be the primary driver and at least one other person volunteers as the back-up driver. The group discusses details about pick-up locations, routing, times and parking. Then, they submit start-up forms and deposits to Pace and complete an approval process (which takes about 4-6 weeks). Once they receive the Pace vehicle, they are ready to save money and enjoy a better commute.
Pace supplies the vehicle and covers costs including:
- Fuel
- Tolls
- Insurance
- Maintenance
- Roadside assistance
- Van washes
- Guaranteed Ride Home
Riders pay a low monthly fare based on distance, number of participants and participation frequency (full-time or part-time). The primary driver rides for free and also receives personal miles each month! Backup drivers receive a monthly discount based on their rider participation status. Full-time riders who volunteer to be a backup driver get a $25 monthly credit while part-time riders get a $15 monthly discount for being a backup driver. Parking costs and details are arranged between the vanpool participants and the parking garage. Pace does not assist with parking arrangements.
Please note that vanpooling fares can be paid with pre-tax income by employees of companies that participate in a payroll deduction, transit benefit program.
A connection to the train station
In a Pace Feeder Vanpool, commuters can Pace Vanpool for the first or last mile to and from bus, train, and park-n-ride locations.
Searching for other commuters
A Pace Vanpool operates ideally with a group of 5 commuters of which at least one person is a primary driver and 2 riders are back-up drivers. At minimum, groups can start with a total of 3 commuters (a primary driver, two riders with one rider as the back-up driver). To find other vanpool commuters, here are some ways that Pace RideShare can help:
- Create an account, then start a Commute Search to find others to join your newly forming Pace Vanpool. To invite commuters, search under Commuters in the search tool and then write your matches. For best results, use the comment box on page 3 of the Commute Preferences to explain your routing, potential stops, travel times, number of open seats and parking costs. For more information, review the details on how the site works.
- To fill open seats in your existing Pace Vanpool, contact Pace RideShare staff to add comments about your existing vanpool that will appear in other commuter's search results. Also, you can create a flyer outlining the commute that you can share at work, through email and/or social media.
- Contact Pace RideShare staff to add comments about your existing vanpool that will appear in other commuter's search results and to invite others to join your vanpool by posting on the Pace RideShare Facebook page and related commuter chat groups.
- You may want to also approach your company's Human Resources department, Transportation Coordinator or Property Manager for assistance with identifying other commuters at nearby employers that might be interested in ridesharing with you.
