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Vanpool Finder

OmniRide has established partnerships with other regional transportation organizations. Our collective goal is to improve the regional quality of life through reduced pollution and congestion. As an added benefit, this makes OmniRide passengers eligible to participate in several special commuter programs.

SmartBenefits®

SmartBenefits® is a tax free or pre-tax benefit, of up to $255 per month that companies and Federal agencies can provide to their employees. Using a convenient web-based program, employers assign the dollar value of an employee's monthly SmartBenefit directly to the employee's SmarTrip card. The benefit is also accepted in participating vanpools. The SmartBenefits program is administered through the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro). For more information, visit the SmartBenefits page on Metro's website or call Metro at (202) 962-1326.

Guaranteed Ride Home

The Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program provides commuters who regularly take transit, vanpool, carpool, bike or walk to work with a reliable ride home when one of life's unexpected emergencies arise. Registered commuters will be able to use GRH for unexpected personal emergencies or unscheduled overtime up to four times per year. There is no cost to register and the ride home by cab, rental car bus or train is FREE.

This program is administered through Commuter Connections, a regional network of transportation organizations. For details or to register call (800) 745-7433 or visit CommuterConnections.org.

Vanpool Incentive Programs

As a rideshare agency, OmniRide provides funding for the VanStart and VanSave programs. The VanStart program provides financial assistance on a temporary basis to new vanpools starting to build ridership. The VanSave program provides assistance to vanpools experiencing a loss of ridership that threatens the survival of the vanpool arrangement. Prince William County residents can also take advantage of the Personal Property Tax Relief program for vanpools. To participate in any of these programs, eligibility requirements must be met. Click on any of the below links to reach the program form or learn more about the program requirements.

General Eligibility Requirements for Vanpool Assistance Programs:

  1. The vanpool must register with OmniRide's Rideshare program by emailing Match@OmniRide.com or calling (703) 730-6664 or (888) 730-6664 or via Virginia Relay Center - TDD, call 711.
  2. The vanpool must be a non-profit operation.
  3. The owner/operator must certify that the van is appropriately insured under a Commercial Auto Policy or a Vanpool Policy in an insurance category different from a personal or family auto policy.
  4. The owner/operator must demonstrate continuous aggressive recruiting for new passengers. Additional recruiting assistance will be provided by OmniRide's Rideshare Assistant.
  5. Additional eligibility, monitoring, or administrative guidelines may be set by OmniRide based on:
    • Knowledge of the operator's history as a vanpool operator or passenger
    • Market factors
    • Funding limitations
    • Collective experience of the vanpools in the region
    • Origin and destination of the vanpool
  6. A van may apply for assistance only if 46% or less of the total ridership may have been in a vanpool which received State financial vanpool assistance in the past 12 months. For example, on a 15-passenger van, no more than seven (7) of the passengers may have been in a vanpool which received State financial assistance in the past 12 months.

Eligibility Requirements for the Van Start Program

  1. The vanpool must be in its first three (3) months of operation.
  2. The owner/operator must demonstrate that at least 50% of the passenger capacity is full by supplying the Rideshare manager with the names and telephone numbers (work and home numbers) of existing passengers for verification purposes.

Please print and complete the form below, which must also be notarized. For your convenience, notaries are available at the OmniRide Transit Center. Please call 703-583-7782 or via Virginia Relay Center, TDD, call 711 ahead of time to ensure that a notary will be available at your anticipated arrival time.

Eligibility Requirements for the Van Save Program:

  1. The van must be registered with the OmniRide rideshare database for a minimum of thirty (30) days prior to application for assistance.
  2. The van must have been operating for a minimum of six months and may not have received any state assistance funds for 12 months.
  3. The van must have lost at least 25% of its paid passengers for more than 30 days.
  4. The subsidy is available once per 12 months.

Please print and complete the form below, which must also be notarized. For your convenience, notaries are available at the OmniRide Transit Center. Please call 703-583-7782 or via Virginia Relay Center, TDD, call 711 ahead of time to ensure that a notary will be available at your anticipated arrival time.

Vanpool Alliance

The Vanpool Alliance program provides a monthly stipend to vanpools that report ridership data. The program is a public-private partnership between OmniRide, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) and the George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC).

Eligibility for the Vanpool Alliance program:

  1. The vanpool must be registered in, originate, terminate or pass through the program's target area.
  2. The vehicle used by the group must have a potential occupancy between 7 and 15.
  3. The owner/operator must certify that the van is appropriately insured under a Commercial Auto Policy or a Vanpool Policy in an insurance category different from a personal or family auto policy.
  4. The vehicle used must have fewer than 300,000 miles on the odometer and be less than 10 years old.
  5. The vehicle must have an occupancy level of 50% or greater.
  6. The vanpool must be open to the public.

For more information, and to apply for the program, visit Vanpool Alliance.

Vanpool Finder