It’s mobile. It’s multi-purpose. And we’re hoping it can motivate you to change your commute!
DATA’s Great Travelling Van Show, a Dodge Caravan wrapped in colorful graphics, hit the road in June bringing information on vanpooling to commuters right at their home or office. And with generous subsidies provided by DATA through a Vanpool!VA grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation – the first two months are totally free and there’s even a gas card included – there’s no better time to see if vanpooling is your “better way to work.”
The idea for the GTVS came from DATA’s years-long effort to encourage Westfields International Corporate Center employees to form vanpools to help reduce congestion on roads leading to and from the 1,100 acre Class A Fairfax County business park. And with the addition of residential and retail – including a 120,000 square-foot Wegmans – the need to reduce single occupant vehicle traffic has never been more pressing. Over the next months, this information kiosk-on-wheels will be visiting locations within Westfields as well as offices and residential communities throughout Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William Counties.
The van’s first stop was at The Aerospace Corporation where DATA’s Program Managers Liz Darak, Karla Nativi, and Sarah McGowan joined Enterprise representative Dayna Paszkiet in explaining the advantages of vanpooling. Employees learned that when 4-15 co-workers share a ride, they can each save on gas, reduce out-of-pocket maintenance expenses, lower car insurance, and shorten their commute by taking toll-free advantage of HOV and Express Lanes.
Vanpoolers typically share driving responsibilities, reducing the individual stress of fighting traffic day-in, day-out. Vans can be equipped with wi-fi, so riders can jump-start their workday…or, better yet, stream their favorite Netflix series!
Depending on the length of your commute, vanpooling can save you hundreds of dollars each month, cutting commuting costs as much as 80%!
In the next few weeks, you’ll see The Great Travelling Van Show at businesses like Northwest Federal Credit Union in Herndon and Oracle’s Reston location. Attending an outdoor fair or festival? Look for the GTVS (pictured) and ask how vanpooling might improve your commute.
If you think your employees or co-workers might benefit from learning more about vanpooling and the grant subsidies available right now, call DATA at 703.817.1307 and one of our Program Managers can help you schedule a visit from The Great Travelling Van Show.
There’s never been a better time to get moving.