Save Money and Reduce Pollution!
Be Part of a SMART Vanpool:In these arrangements, the vans are supplied by SMART and driven by volunteer drivers. Passengers and drivers sign up for the vanpool and pay on a monthly basis at the beginning of each month. Occupants of the vanpool agree on a time and a central location for pickup and drop-off. Each vanpool must have a minimum of three passengers and two volunteer drivers. Volunteer drivers must have a clean driving record, take two defensive driving classes and sign a waiver. Passengers must sign a passenger agreement and an indemnity/release form. What are the Benefits of Using a SMART Vanpool?Cost. Utilizing a vanpool is cheaper than using your own vehicle. Vanpool costs are currently set at $40.00 per month or approximately $1.80 per day if you commute by vanpool five days per week. Driving a private car to and from Montrose costs $0.58 per mile according to IRS standard mileage rates, which equals approximately $37.70 per trip. Parking. Utilizing a vanpool eliminates the need to deal with inconvenient and/or expensive parking regulations in Telluride and the Mountain Village. Stress Reduction. Utilizing a vanpool can reduce the stress of daily commuting and allow you to do other things such as reading, snoozing or socializing on the way to work. Carbon Reduction. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado. Utilizing a vanpool is environmentally friendly. The average individual car trip from Montrose to Telluride and back emits 70.49 pounds of carbon into the atmosphere. A vanpool with five passengers emits approximately 176.80* pounds less carbon than if each of those passengers drove alone. *This estimate is based on "Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle", produced in May of 2014 by the EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, a gallon of gasoline produces 8887 grams of CO2 and a gallon of diesel produces 10,180 grams of CO2. According to the Federal Highway Administration, the average passenger car gets 24.2 miles per gallon. The average car carried 1.5 people (from Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan. 2021. “Personal Transportation Factsheet” Pub. No. CSS01-07. The average Sprinter van gets 14.5 miles per gallon.
For more information regarding SMART vanpools, please email kari.distefano@smarttelluride.com
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