Expanding your Vanpool Routes

Vanpooling is a great way to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips, extend existing transportation corridors, and provide off-peak or reverse commute service.

Improved vanpool routing can result in more efficient usage of your vanpool fleet, better commuter service for all commuters in your area, additional multi-modal trips on existing fixed-transit routes, and better access to employees and talent for employers.

Connecting to an Existing Transportation Network

Vanpools can help extend the reach of existing subway, train, and fixed-bus routes while maintaining flexible scheduling with cost-effective vanpool vehicles. Vanpools can connect with existing transportation hubs and provide service farther from dense population centers.

Distribution centers, factories, and agricultural employers can utilize vanpools to fill “last mile” gaps in existing transportation networks to tap into a wider pool of talent – including potential employees that don’t have a car or other means of transportation.

Offpeak, Reverse, and Flexible Commutes

With 9 to 5 commutes becoming less and less common commuters and employers can use vanpools to provide flexible commuting options throughout the day.

Many employers such as hospitals, factories, and warehousing have differing shifts throughout the day that don’t always match the 9-to-5 peak commute schedule that fixed-route transportation often uses.  Employers can arrange vanpool schedules according to their shifts so employees can easily get to work on-time and return home quickly and easily.

With the rise of remote work and flexible scheduling many employees are no longer commuting to work on a daily basis.  Companies are beginning to institute flexible scheduling as they return to office. This means that some employees may only work several days a week (monday/wednesday/friday) and work the remaining days at home.

Where should my vanpools go?

Existing transportation hubs, terminals, and park-and-rides are an excellent starting point when planning a vanpool program.  Connecting these existing transportation nodes to employers, hospitals, universities, and other destinations can provide new and alternative transportation options for commuters in your area.

Where are your employees and commuters going? Just Ask them.

The MagicBus platform can help you plan your vanpool program by surveying potential riders about their commute.  The rider-friendly app allows commuters to suggest a new route based on their desired destination and commuting schedule.

The MagicBus platform captures this information to help plan new routes in your service area. Riders are matched by their pickup and drop off points, departure and return time, and what days of the week they’re commuting.

You can launch your vanpool routes once enough commuters have suggested a route and are ready to ride.