Commuters who drive several miles to work on Fort Leonard Wood met with a vanpooling representative Sept. 10 to 12, to learn more about the Army's Mass Transportation Benefit Program.
A representative for vRide was on post, to explain the benefits of their vanpooling program and collect names of commuters wanting to take advantage of the environmental and financial savings available.
"By sharing a ride, the participants are reducing their commuting cost: fuel, wear and tear on their car and insurance. In addition, Federal employees are eligible to receive a monthly tax free transit benefit of up to $245 per rider towards the monthly vanpool cost. Average savings per vRider is $5,000 annually," said Alice Lee-Cook, vRide national account executive.
Non-federal workers may participate in the vanpool; however they are not eligible for the mass transportation benefit.
The program allows groups of five to 15 riders to share the regular ride to work.
According to Lee-Cook, a van is provided from the vRide company, and the vanpool consists of volunteer drivers; a primary driver and alternate driver within each group. Everyone shares the monthly operating cost.
"The vRiders are able to simply sit back and relax while leaving the driving to someone else. Won't it be nice to catch up with work, reading, planning, listening music or sleep while vanpooling? All these reduces your stress therefore, your sanity," Lee-Cook said.
Mike Alley, Fort Leonard Wood vanpool program point of contact, said several shuttle operations have come and gone over the past 20 years in this area.
"Most were commercial enterprises. Previously shuttle programs were aimed specifically at our employees and service members in Lebanon and Rolla," Alley said.
Alley said the vRide vanpooling option is a government program that provides a reimbursable benefit to those who sign up with a vendor to participate.
"That's a huge difference from previous programs. This program has been around for 15 years and has been refined several times during that time. It's smart and management of it is efficient. It's become more and more paperless with debit cards being provided now in place of vouchers and other documents."
vRide currently provides commuter vanpools for Department of Defense employees and active duty personnel at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Fort Carson, Colo., and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Hawaii, just to name a few.
During the sessions people from Dixon, Licking, Richland, Rolla, Lebanon, Camdenton, Houston, Springfield, Crocker and Edgar Springs showed interest in the program.
"We've learned Edgar Springs, for example, is a hub for people from Salem, Houston, Licking and communities even farther south. Many of those people are driving 100-miles or more every day on two-lane roads. There is great cost savings in vanpooling for them," Alley said.
Those who were unable to attend the information sessions or would like to learn more can email Alice Lee-Cook at alice.leecook@vride.com, register online at www.vride.com or email Mike Alley at michael.d.alley2.civ@mail.mil.
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