Last modified Wed., January 17, 2007 - 06:02 PM
Originally created Thursday, January 18, 2007

New vanpool program starting at NAS Jax

By Bill Raspet, NAS Jax Environmental Department

Getting to work every day at NAS Jacksonville can be a real struggle! Everyone who drives knows the drill: race out your door in the morning, fight with traffic and listen to the radio to avoid traffic accidents. Fight with more traffic and then drive around for 10 minutes looking for a parking space. By the time you arrive at the base, you're already feeling the effects of a stressful, unproductive commute. Perhaps it's time to think about ridesharing either in a car or vanpool.

In an effort to reduce traffic and provide NAS Jax personnel some relief in rising commuting costs to work, the NAS Jax Environmental Department has partnered with the First Coast Commuter Services to provide car and vanpool services to civilian and military personnel.

What is a carpool? All you need is at least one other person who shares your general trip route and work schedule. You can take turns driving your own cars or a single driver can be reimbursed for trips. You can carpool a few days a week or every day, you and your carpool partners decide. By carpooling several days weekly, you are eligible for the Emergency Ride Program which provides transportation for defined and unexpected emergencies.

The Vanpool Program works by teaming NAS Jax personnel who live near each other and share similar work schedules and grouping them into seven-passenger mini-vans that include insurance and maintenance, roadside assistance and the Emergency Ride Home Program for unexpected and defined emergencies.

The Department of Defense Transportation Incentive Program (TIP), administered by the base, provides a transit voucher allowance of $110 per month to each TIP eligible person who rides in a vanpool to help cover the monthly vanpool fare.

"This is an excellent program, that is really a win-win situation for everyone involved," said NAS Jax Commanding Officer Capt. Chip Dobson. "Our Sailors and civilians incur minimal cost to participate in the vanpool and we reduce the number of vehicles entering the base."

Within the vanpool, one member volunteers to be the primary volunteer driver. The driver is given limited personal use of the van during off-duty hours for volunteering their time to pick up fellow workers and maintain the van. In addition to the primary volunteer driver, several alternate volunteer drivers drive during the primary driver's absence. Participating in the vanpool has the added attraction of saving you money on fuel and personal auto expense. By leaving your car or truck at home you will reduce its wear and tear and can possibly save some money on your auto insurance.

There is no long-term commitment to participate in the First Coast Commuter Services Vanpool Program. The van lease is provided on a month-to-month/30 day basis. The monthly vanpool per person cost depends on the distance the vanpool travels daily and the number of participants in the vanpool since monthly costs for the van and fuel are equally shared.

Personnel who are interested in organizing a vanpool and may know enough people in their residential area with similar work schedules may form their vanpool by calling First Coast Commuter Services Program Manager Prentis Clayton at 306-7504.

Personnel who want assistance in forming a vanpool may simply complete the attached survey and return it to bill.raspet@navy.mil. The First Coast Commuter Services has a database and will match the surveys with other NAS Jax commuters who reside in close proximity of you and share similar work hours. When there is sufficient interest collected from residential areas, group members will be contacted to get the vanpool registered and on the road.