For More Information Contact:

Ted Burton, Public Relations Manager 389-7550

Web site: www.capmetro.org

NEWS ADVISORY: July 13, 2001

Record number of commuters choosing vanpools

Gas prices, traffic, convincing drivers to leave their cars at home

Higher summer gas prices and Austin traffic may help explain why a record number of commuters are leaving their cars at home and letting Capital Metro vanpools get them to work. “June was a record month for us,” said Shanea Davis, Capital Metro Vanpool Coordinator. “So many people are signing up for vanpools, we can hardly keep up with demand.”

Capital Metro placed 9 vans in service in June. The agency normally averages two vans a month. Metro officials are tracking the increase to see if the trend continues. “This is the fastest growing program at Capital Metro,” said Davis.

Capital Metro currently runs 130 vans carrying 789 members. This year the agency is buying 10 new vans and has plans to order 15 more in 2002. “Our vanpool program is growing by 16-percent. That’s really amazing,” said Karen Rae, General Manager. “Keep in mind, every vanpool carries at least 5 people. So for every vanpool we run, that’s at least 4 single occupancy cars removed from our roads. That makes everyone’s commute easier and it helps clean up our air.” For the third quarter of fiscal year 2001, ridership increased 15.2% compared to the same time last year. Ridership is up 8.2% for the year.

Capital Metro is working closely with Commute Solutions partners to promote vanpools as an alternative choice to driving personal cars or trucks to work. Partners include: the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), the Texas Department of Insurance, the State Energy Conservation Office, the City of Austin (COA), the Clean Air Force, the Austin Police Department (APD), the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS), and the Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA).

This month, Capital Metro is recruiting new vanpools members through “mixers” with the City of Austin. Workers get together and find out if they live near other commuters who want to share a ride to work. The city’s goal is to reduce the number of vehicle miles workers drive by 15% over the next five years.

Vanpools cost members $25 a month. Capital Metro provides the van, gas, maintenance, and insurance. People who live outside Capital Metro’s service area may also join vanpools. The agency recovers 100% of the out-of-service-area costs.

Some of Capital Metro’s largest vanpool partners include Farmer’s Insurance with 13 vans, AMD with 6, Motorola with 16, TNRCC with 15, and 27 at various state agencies. For information about vanpools, call Capital Metro at 477-RIDE.