Van Pools Blog

Image from ExploreGeorgia.org

Metropolitan Atlanta commuters face one of the worst daily drives in the nation, but nearly 4,000 Atlanta commuters are saving money and beating the stress of their commutes by vanpooling. A recent survey by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) and Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) provides some interesting insights. How do these compare with the vanpool experience in your area?

• According to the survey, participating vans carry an average of 8.6 commuters per vehicle
• Survey respondents reported an average one-way commute distance of 35.9 miles; the average trip home from work was 50 minutes
• The leading motive for vanpooling: financial savings and saving wear and tear on personal vehicles
• Sixty percent of respondents received some kind of financial assistance with their vanpool expenses; more than half said this came from their employer
• Qualifying VPSI vanpools in metro Atlanta are eligible to receive a subsidy offered by the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority to further reduce commute costs

In Georgia, the average cost of vanpool membership is $100 a month, according to the survey. The gas prices in Atlanta seem to be as high as they are everywhere else so we think you’ll agree vanpooling is a smart choice!

Read the full survey in PDF form here: 2010 Atlanta Survey.