CavPool is the University's rideshare program. Through outreach and incentives, we hope to make it easy for any UVA faculty or staff member to share the ride on their commute. The goal of our program is to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles that commute to the University daily, which provides benefits to all, including less traffic congestion, decreased parking demand, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Carpool
Carpooling is an easy way to reduce your commuting costs and carbon footprint. Anyone can form a carpool with their own vehicle, and CavPool makes it easy for participants to rotate among vehicles if they wish. By forming a carpool, you gain access to cost-reduced/free parking permits, premium parking spaces, and a guaranteed ride home in the event of an emergency.
Carpooling is a good fit for:
- Someone who already knows one or two people who want to commute together
- Someone who wants to use their own car to commute
- Couples or housemates who both work at UVA
To learn more about carpooling, visit the carpool page on our website. If you already have a carpool and would like to register for benefits, fill out the CavPool registration form.
Vanpool
Vanpools are like carpools with the added benefit of using a shared passenger van to eliminate wear and tear on your vehicle. The lease, fuel, insurance, and maintenance are all included in the monthly cost. Vanpools require at least 5 participants and can accommodate as many as 15. By forming or joining a vanpool, you gain access to a $500 monthly subsidy, free parking permits, and a guaranteed ride home in the event of an emergency.
Vanpooling is a good fit for:
- Someone who lives more than 15 miles from their workplace
- Someone who does not want to use their own car to commute
To learn more about vanpools, visit the vanpool page on our website.
Why CavPool?
Cost, Convenience, Conscience
Commuting to UVA can be challenging. The University employs people from all over Central Virginia who need to get to Grounds. Occasionally, we will hear from someone who was surprised to learn about an alternative transportation option that saved them time, money, or both. We want that for everyone, so we are constantly striving to make it more cost-effective and convenient for any University employee to make the conscientious choice and share the ride.
To calculate how much you are currently spending on your commute, use the commute calculator provided.
Average number of working days/month: 22 days
Average number of vehicle miles/gallon: 25 mpg
Virginia average fuel price/gallon: $3.35 (as of 9/27/2022)
Commuter lot parking permit price/month: $22
A Great and Good Transportation Model
Our recent modal survey reveals that 82% of all UVA staff and faculty commute to Grounds in their personal vehicles, which translates to over 14,000 vehicles daily. That many single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs) strains the University’s infrastructure, resulting in increased traffic congestion and parking demand. Given the University’s prospective growth, demand for parking is not expected to subside even as new parking structures are built, and it will lead to even more vehicles on the road unless there is a course correction.
Single-occupancy vehicles also put a tremendous strain on the environment and are one of the University’s leading causes of carbon emissions. The 2030 Plan for becoming a Great and Good University requires “setting ambitious sustainability goals and developing a realistic plan to meet them”. In aligning our department’s efforts with the 2030 Plan, we have set a goal to assist University employees in sharing the commute to and from work. This simple but effective measure will reduce the number of SOVs on the road, resulting in decreased carbon emissions (measured in vehicle miles traveled), less vehicles on the roadways, and decreased parking demand.
Sources: 2017 Mode Split Survey and The 2030 Plan