Welcome Smart Commuter

What is Vanpool?

A vanpool is a group of 3 to 15 people who share their work commute in a 7-, 12- or 15-passenger van. Our vanpools serve groups whose trip origin or destination is within Pierce County. Riders pay a low monthly fare and enjoy a cost-effective, safe, reliable commute.

Low Monthly Fares

Vanpool fares are based on the daily round trip commute miles of the vehicle. This means a simple, predictable, and consistent fare each month, regardless of how many people are in a vanpool group or number of commute days per week.

Monthly fares cover all commuter expenses, including fuel, cleaning, insurance, and maintenance.

Vanpooling Saves You Money

Vanpooling is an affordable solution to fight expensive commuting costs. According to AAA, it costs 61.88¢ per mile* to operate a personal vehicle. Multiply that by your yearly commute miles and the total cost can be staggering.
*Exchange.aaa.com based on 15,000 miles annually.

Enjoy the Benefits!

Many employers provide incentives for vanpooling ranging from a few dollars to a full fare subsidy, and offer preferential parking. Ask your employer about their Commute Trip Reduction program.

In addition to enjoying the possible benefit of an employer subsidy, you will also:

Save money
Reduce wear and tear on your car
Reduce commuting stress
Access HOV lanes
Emergency Ride Home option
Bike racks available, at no additional cost
Reduces pollution and traffic congestion

The convenience and ease of sharing the ride makes vanpooling a great alternative to driving alone.

Check out our Current Vanpools or form a new vanpool today!

We are here to ReConnect You With LIfe

As part of our commitment to keep our customers safe and our vehicles clean and disinfected, we will continue to: Disinfect our fleet of spare vans and vans that come in for service, focusing on “high touch” areas.

Maintaining a Safe Environment

Disinfecting services are now available 24/7 at Pierce Transit headquarters. The five vehicle disinfecting sites that were available throughout Pierce County are no longer in service.

If you would like to have your van disinfected, please call our office at 253.581.8000 (option 3, then 2) between 8 AM and 5 PM to schedule a time to come in. Further instructions will be provided during scheduling.

Your Safety Is Our Highest Priority

As a reminder:

Do not vanpool if you feel sick
Wear a cloth face covering as recommended by public health officials
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and/or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Cover your coughs and sneezes
Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces

Jason H.

Commutes over 50 miles each way in his van.

How long have you been vanpooling? 3 years

How often do you ride? 5 days a week

What’s your favorite part about vanpooling?
The savings (gas), it helps keep the roads less crowded, allows you to get to know your coworkers and strengthen relationships, which in turn makes work better by giving it a personal touch.

Happy Vanpooler plugging in electric vanpool

Ronda M.

Type of Ride: Rocks an electric hybrid van

How long have you been vanpooling? 20+ years

How often do you ride? 5 days a week

What’s your favorite part about vanpooling?
It saves wear and tear on her car, is helping the environment and allows her to visit with other coworkers.

What you would say to people who are interested in trying vanpool for the first time?
“Give it a try it’s worth it. You get to build relationships and have extra time to think about work. It’s a way of making a difference.”

Testimonials:

"I'm loving the vanpool. Everyone is so nice. The drivers are great, timely and safe. I'm glad to be in the vanpool, especially during the rainy dark seasons." Cynthia

"My vanpool coordinator is very informative, helpful and sweet person. I am impressed that the vehicles are taken care of regularly so I never worry about mechanical problems. I am very satisfied overall with all aspects of my vanpooling experience and always look to recommend this mode of transportation to others."

Trip Planner Help

Trip Planner Tips - Entering Locations

To create a trip plan you need to enter both a starting location (origin) and an ending location (destination). For information about stops, schedules, or service at a specific location, you only need to enter one location.

The Trip Planner recognizes most street intersections and addresses as well as many landmarks in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties. If what you entered is not immediately recognized, the Trip Planner will offer you a list of options. You can choose one of the options, but if your intended location is not there, select the "Revise Original Entries" link to return to the entry page and change the entries you have already made.

Addresses

You don't need to type in the city along with the address. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type 110 Jones instead of 110 Jones Boulevard.)
You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 1000 Main instead of 1000 S Main. But type 1000 West Viewmont for 1000 West Viewmont Way W.)
Some streets and addresses are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby location, such as an intersection or a landmark.
You should not enter the suite number or apartment number. Just the house number and street name (Example: type in 401 Broadway instead of 401 Broadway Avenue Suite 800).

Intersections

The "&" symbol is the only character used between two street names to show an intersection. (Examples: 1st & B, James & Madison)
You don't need to type in the city. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type Conifer & Jones instead of Conifer Circle & Jones Boulevard.)
You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 3rd & Main instead of 3rd S & S Main. But type 34th & West Viewmont for 34th W & West Viewmont Way W.)
Some streets are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby intersection or a landmark.

Landmarks

Government Sites: Pierce County Health Dept, Pierce Co Sheriffs Office, Tacoma City Hall

Major Commercial Sites: Tacoma Mall, Sheraton Hotel

Transportation Facilities: Sea-Tac Airport, Greyhound Bus Depot

Schools & Colleges: Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Community College

Sports & Leisure: Cheney Stadium, Pt Defiance Zoo

Medical Facilities: Group Health, Tacoma General Hospital