"Rewriting the Myths, Redefining the Realities"
A new partnership between the Denver Regional Council of Governments
(DRCOG) and the Regional Transportation District (RTD) adds vanpooling to RTD’s family of transit services while allowing DRCOG to increase the number and types of vans it operates, and to offer lower vanpool fares.
The joint effort between the two transportation partners is expanding the DRCOG RideArrangers VanPool Program by acquiring small vans and by offering fares approximately equivalent to RTD bus fares for vanpools whose routes are contained within RTD’s service area. The discounts, made possible through contributions from
RTD, make vanpools more affordable than ever.
Vans are now available for a range of vanpool sizes, with nine vans immediately available for vanpool routes. Through $300,000 in funding from
RTD, 11 minivans have been purchased and augment the fleet of 13 full-size vans already operated by DRCOG
RideArrangers. Fifteen of the 24 vans are already operating.
“DRCOG and RTD have combined to make vanpooling a very appealing option for commuters. It is our hope that more and more commuters will find out what makes vanpooling such a great way to commute,” said DRCOG Executive Director Bill Vidal.
RTD General Manager Cal Marsella said, “This partnership will make vanpooling more affordable to riders and will help provide one more transportation option to residents throughout the metro area.”
Vanpooling joins RTD’s family of services that includes light rail, regional, express and local bus service, call-n-Ride service, and access-a-Ride service for individuals with disabilities, and point-to-point service. RTD is looking to vanpools to serve areas of lower population densities or lower trip distances and also to provide additional alternatives for people during the T-Rex transportation project. The partnership further capitalizes on the expertise DRCOG has acquired from operating a regional vanpool program since 1992.
Vanpools not only benefit employees by enabling them to take advantage of speedier travel in high-occupancy vehicle lanes, saving wear and tear on personal vehicles and money spent on gas, they can also assist sponsoring employers with marketing of the company name and logo on a van.
Origin/Destination |
Work Hours |
First Pickup |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora/Golden | 6:00 a.m. | Aurora |
| (Rocky Flats) | 4:30 p.m. | Mall |
| Aurora/Golden | 7:00 a.m. | 9-Mile |
| (Rocky Flats) | 4:30 p.m. | Park-n-Ride |
| Boulder/Westminster | 7:00 a.m. | Table Mesa |
| (Lucent Tech) | 4:30 p.m. | Park-n-Ride |
| Brighton/ | 7:30 a.m. | Bromley & |
| Denver West | 4:30 p.m. | 76 |
| Colo. Springs/DTC | 6:30 a.m. | Chapel Hill |
| (I-25 & Arapahoe) | 3:00 p.m. | Mall |
| Denver/Boulder | 6:30 a.m. | 32nd & Steele |
| (IBM) | 3:30 p.m. | |
| Denver/Golden | 7:00 a.m. | 47th & Peoria |
| (Rocky Flats) | 4:30 p.m. | |
| Lakewood/ | 7:00 a.m. | Hampden & |
| Meridian | 4:00 p.m. | Wadsworth |
| Lakewood/ | 6:00 a.m. | Hampden & |
| Meridian | 3:40 p.m. | Wadsworth |
| Longmont/Golden | 7:00 a.m. | Hover Rd. & |
| (Rocky Flats) | 4:30 p.m. | 15th Ave. |
| Longmont/Aurora | 6:00 a.m. | I-25 & |
| (Centre Tech) | 3:00 p.m. | Exit 232 |
| Littleton/Englewood | 7:00 a.m. | Morrison & |
| (Inverness) | 4:00 p.m. | C 470 |
| Littleton/Aurora | 6:45 a.m. | Bowles & |
| Peoria/Illiff | 5:00 p.m. | Santa Fe |
| Loveland/Denver | 7:00 a.m. | I-25 & |
| 14th/Glenarm | 4:00 p.m. | Loveland Exit |
One-way miles |
RTD Monthly Pass Fare |
Minivan Fare |
Maxivan Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | Local $35 | $45 | $35 |
| 20-40 | Express $56 | $60 | $45 |
| Over 40 | Regional $85 | $75 | $55 |
* The fares above are based on research and experience by DRCOG RideArrangers and other vanpool agencies, and are estimates. The average occupancy for a minivan is five passengers and for a maxivan is ten passengers.
Copyright 2002 A&H Publishing Corporation