A vanpool is like a carpool except it holds more people, typically a group of 5 to 15 people who commute to and from work together in a van or SUV. The van itself is leased and paid for by the riders, with the primary driver being the leaseholder. Typically the lease is month-to-month, unless you want it for longer at a reduced rate. Vanpoolers usually meet at a central location that suits everyone. Typically vanpools cost between $150-$225/month per person plus gas, but SLOCOG can cover up to 50% of this cost for qualifying vanpools (up to $700). See our Vanpool Vendors page for more information. Vendors have competitive pricing that includes a complete service package, vehicle registration, insurance and maintenance. In some vanpools, everyone takes turns driving; in others, passengers cover the full commute costs of the driver. Drivers of vehicles with 11 to 15 passengers must get a DMV medical. The cost in 2021 for this certification is $140.
SLOCOG provides up to a 50% subsidy per month for some vanpools that have a minimum of 50% average occupancy, have an origin or destination within San Luis Obispo County and fill out and sign the vanpool application. Vanpool captains are required to log their vanpool trips each month, in addition to providing a list of all your vanpool riders, mileage reports, and information about your commute such as origin and destination details.
