The program, administered by the Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development Agency and funded by the Federal Highway Administration, allows riders to share a van for the daily commute to and from work.

By not driving alone, participants can save money on gasoline and maintenance, as well as wear and tear on their personal vehicles.  In addition, riders are environmentally responsible citizens, helping keep single occupant vehicles off the road resulting in less air pollution for the community.

Currently, Ticket to Ride operates 84 vanpools throughout Greater Louisville. Four vanpools are in development that would commute to and from UofL directly each day.

Each vanpool in the region consists of a group of six to 12 people who commute together in a fully equipped 12-passenger van provided by Ticket to Ride.  The group meets at a selected park-and-ride lot and a designated participant drives each day with at least one additional participant serving as a back-up driver.

Monthly fares range from $75 to $150 depending on the vanpool’s monthly mileage and passenger count, which can be a major discount from commuting by personal vehicle.  The average cost per mile by driving your own vehicle is $0.50 per mile, by vanpooling, participants spend on average $0.09 per mile, which is a $0.41 savings.  If you commute 40 miles a day, 5 days a week, you weekly savings is $82.

Several information sessions are scheduled next week for those who might be interested in participating:

  • Elizabethtown vanpool – 10-10:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 18, Ekstrom Library W210
  • Shelbyville/Middletown vanpool – 11-11:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 18, Ekstrom Library W204
  • Southern Indiana vanpool – 8:30-9:15 a.m., Thursday, March 20, Ekstrom Library W210
  • Oldham County vanpool – 9:30-10:15 a.m., Thursday, March 20, Ekstrom Library W210

If you are interested in joining a vanpool to UofL, or would like more information on how to start a vanpool from your area, please contact Terri Rutledge at tlrutl01@louisville.edu or Elizabeth Bowling at 502.267.5400, ext. 101, toll free 1-866-822-7665, or Elizabeth.bowling@ky.gov. Please visit www.tickettoride.org.