Sarah Wolpow travels from New Gloucester every Tuesday. She carpools with a neighbor, who drops her off at the Portland campus. She gives him $2 for gas money every week. After her night class, she catches a ride home with a classmate who only wanted $10 for gas for the semester.
“I enjoy the company, I’m helping the environment, and I feel more connected to my community,” said Wolpow, who is studying for her master’s degree in community planning and development.
Wolpow hopes carpooling and vanpooling is a “go” for the USM community once the construction begins and parking becomes more of a hassle. In conjunction with Environmental Sustainability Services, Wolpow organized a program shadowing the Go Maine program.
The Go Maine program is sponsored by the Maine Department of Transportation, which promotes carpooling and vanpooling. It gives Maine residents the option to be matched up with carpools that are traveling to and from the same area. It currently has eight active vanpools.
The USM vanpooling and carpooling program is scheduled to begin in January at the beginning of the new semester. However, due to insurance issues, the University still has to determine the cost of the vanpool for riders, Wolpow said. The costs might have to be higher if one van is insured, she said, but overall the cost will be less than driving a car.
The vanpooling program is designed for the University community that has set weekly schedules. Motorpool vans owned by the University will be used for the vanpool service.
Vans will be driven by a trained volunteer commuter and will keep a regular, dependable schedule, five days per week, said Wolpow. The driver in the vanpool will not have to pay for the costs; however, other members of the vanpool will split the costs of gas and maintenance.
Routes and schedules will be determined by rider preferences. While there are no active vanpools to the University, Wolpow wants vanpools from Augusta, Auburn, Lewiston and southern Maine to come to Portland.
There will likely be three price levels: a monthly pass, a multiple-ride (probably 10 rides) pass and a one-way pass, Wolpow said. Pricing will vary by route.
The vanpools will serve the Portland campus. Parking for the vanpools will be located on Bedford Street behind the Steego building.
The program guarantees a person a ride home. It allows vanpool members who have to work late or have a family emergency to get a taxi 30 miles from Portland or a rental car, Wolpow said.
“This is available eight times a year, no more than twice a month and the person will be reimbursed.”
“Even if you split the costs, you save money. Vanpooling is much more efficient with gas and maintenance,” Wolpow said. “Typically, in a vanpool a person will save $1,000 to $3,000 [per year].”
Wolpow said there needs to be at least eight riders to break even from the cost of the initial startup.
Wolpow wants the program to ease the parking hassle and develop an understanding of environmental needs.
Carbon dioxide (is the largest contributor to climate change, and the transportation sector is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide, Wolpow said.
“Cars and light trucks emit 20 percent of the nation’s carbon dioxide pollution,” she said.
The United States transportation sector as a whole is responsible for almost 9 percent of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions she said. Often conserving is overlooked when many people drive in a congested area, she added.
However, if vanpooling does not fit into one’s schedule, Wolpow encourages the USM community to ease parking congestion and harmful pollution by carpooling.
Carpooling is a viable option when the Bedford Street lot loses 350 spaces.
“It’s an alternative to share the parking hassle, you only worry about parking when you drive,” Wolpow said. “It is also cost-effective and cuts down on the parking bother and eases the congestion.”
“Carpooling is a 10 percent reduction of environmental emissions,” she said.
Over the past month Wolpow has made potential matches for 25 people who are from the same area, have similar schedules and are interested in carpooling to campus.
“I’m not sure how many people followed-up,” she said
Wolpow is optimistic that more people will show interest once next semester begins.
“This is a great time to introduce carpooling and vanpooling because of the parking situation. I hope it is better receipted once people get into the habit and that they will continue it after the parking crisis is over.”
Wolpow is organizing an incentive for people who begin a carpool or vanpool each month beginning in January. A $25 gift certificate from a local business and/or restaurant will be awarded.
Wolpow also established a Web site to promote the program. At the Web site, www.usm.maine.edu/commuter/transportation/, USM community members interested in vanpooling or carpooling can fill out a survey to be matched with others interested.
To date Wolpow has received nearly 30 surveys from members of the USM community who show an interest in vanpooling and carpooling.