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The Downtown Fresno Clean Air
Express Vanpooling Program

If you work in downtown Fresno you may be able to participate in the city of Fresno’s Clean Air Express vanpool program. Commuters are currently operating 14 vanpools that serve downtown Fresno commuters on weekdays. The city also sponsors four vanpools that carry commuters from the Fresno/Clovis area to either Corcoran or Coalinga. If you are interested in participating in this program please call Fresno COG at (559) 233-4148 or (559) 441-7433 or email brendal@fresnocog.org.

The Clean Air Express Vanpool program has been underway since January 2004. It is part of the city’s effort to support Operation Clean Air by reducing traffic congestion and pollution in the Downtown Fresno Area.

Vanpools are formed on a first-come, first-served basis. Formation depends completely on where interested commuters live and their work hours. If you have a group of 7 to 12 commuters from the same area of town who also share the same approximate work hours you may be good candidates for the formation of a new vanpool! Call (559) 441-7433 to discuss your options.

The 18 vanpools currently on the road are as follows:

updated January 3, 2008
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Conventional Van Pooling

Vanpooling is a great alternative to driving alone. It's reliable, relaxing and economical!

Vanpooling can save you money and your sanity! Why pay the expense of commuting alone when you could split the commuting expenses amongst a group of 7 to 15 people who live in the same community and work in the same general area you do. You will log fewer miles on your own vehicle, so you save on personal operating, maintenance and insurance costs. Many times the total monthly cost of riding in a vanpool is equivalent to paying just the fuel bill for your own car. That means vanpooling adds up to huge savings for you! To calculate how much money you spend on basic commuting costs each month go to www.valleyrides.com/rideshare.htm.

Vanpooling also helps save you time by turning your commute time into high-quality personal time. You can sleep, read, write letters, or put the finishing touches on that report you've been working on. Fewer vehicles on the road means reduced traffic congestion and improved air quality. When you consider all the true costs of driving alone, vanpooling equals real savings!

Conventional Vanpooling options
Leased: A group of 7-15 commuters work with a vanpool leasing company to obtain a new model van with all of the modern conveniences. The group shares the responsibility of operating the van while the leasing company provides insurance, maintenance and roadside assistance. In exchange for services rendered, vanpool drivers often pay low or no fares and are entitled to 200 free personal miles on evenings and weekends.

Company-operated: An employer owns or leases the van and makes it available for employee commuting at a nominal cost. Usually limited by insurance restrictions to company employees and their spouses.

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Commuter Choice Tax-Free Benefit
Commuter Choice refers to recent changes in the Internal Revenue Code [26 USC 132 (f)] that permits employers to offer employees a tax-free benefit to commute to work by vanpool or public transit. There are several ways that employees may receive the benefit. The most attractive option to employees is for the company to cover the full cost of the transit benefit. Some companies offer the Commuter Choice benefit as a low-cost salary or wage enhancement. Others elect to provide a partially subsidized benefit in addition to their employee's current salary. The benefit would be free of all payroll and income taxes to your employees and the employer would deduct the cost from their business income taxes.

A second option is to offer Commuter Choice as a pre-tax benefit. You may permit your employees to have up to $65 per month taken out of their current monthly pay, towards the actual cost of commuting on transit or in vanpools before taxes are applied. Many employers prefer this option because the employee pays the cost. The employer’s share of FICA and unemployment taxes are also reduced. It's great for employees and it saves you money.

Third, you may share the cost of commuting with your employees. You may elect to pay for a portion of the taxfree transit benefit and allow your employees to pay the balance of the costs by having their share taken out of their salary before taxes. In each case, however, the total maximum amount eligible as a tax-free benefit is $65 per month, even when an employer and an employee share the costs.

For complete details about the Commuter Choice program see the Federal Transit Administration's website at www.fta.dot.gov and select Commuter Choice for further guidance or call Valleyrides for written information.

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What about emergencies?
At one time or another, almost everyone has to leave work early. Your company may have or want to develop a Guaranteed Ride Home program (see “Incentives” insert in this packet) to deal with this situation. Some employers keep vehicles available or offer a rental car or a taxi. You might be able to catch a ride with another employee leaving at a similar time. You should always be aware of your options in case of a family emergency or unexpected overtime.

Valleyrides can help your group of potential vanpoolers by

• Identifying leasing companies
• Helping you locate potential riders
• Identifying replacement riders as needed
• Getting the vanpool started--providing advice and materials to make the process easier

Call (559) 441-7433 for more detailed information.

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