We are proud to announce a new Carpool program for WVU Employees and Students!

Don’t let that empty seat go empty for long – let someone ride with you and save on transportation costs and get some neat parking benefits. The WE GO Carpool program is open to WVU faculty and staff including those employees that work in the Health Sciences Center or WVUH (Ruby Hospital). An employee that carpools with one other person and travels 50 miles round trip per day could save over $9,000 per year in transportation costs and reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 640 pounds. Benefits of the Carpool program include preferred parking available to the Carpool from 6:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. Monday through Friday in their assigned parking area; 18 free one-day parking permits for each carpool participant, and; two free Guaranteed Rides Home per year (July through June) for emergency trips.

Students do not get those previously mentioned carpool benefits but they do have access to the carpool matching software through Facebook.com. Carpool for students is not only beneficial for trips around campus but also for trips back to hometowns and away sporting events. Log onto WVU’s Zimride website at zimride.wvu.edu for more information on how to register for carpool matching.

Eligible carpools consist of two or more individuals sharing one permit per carpool (members can register more than one vehicle). When the carpool has been approved all carpool members must be present at the time the permit is issued. All carpool members are responsible for knowing and complying with the parking regulations on campus, including carpool regulations. If a member of the carpool chooses to leave the carpool or leaves employment with the University or its affiliates, a new carpool agreement must be signed by the remaining members.

If you are interested in being matched with someone to ride to work just follow these easy steps:

1. Review the WVU Carpool and agreement that are listed in the link to the right;
2. If you are looking for a match with others fill out Carpool Search agreement located in the link to the right including the Consent, Disclaimer, and Release;
3. If you already participate in a carpool and would like to take advantage of the WE GO Carpool program, return the Carpool Agreement form to the Transportation and Parking office.
4. It’s that easy!!!

Employee Carpool Rules

The rules that apply to Carpool participation include:

• At least one member of the carpool must be a current holder of a parking permit for one of the campus areas.

• There must be at least two members for the Carpool.

• All Carpool members must a be fulltime WVU employee, a employee of the Health Sciences Center, or the WVUH (Ruby Hospital). No students can be included as part of the Carpool.

• All members of the Carpool must sign the application and agreement.

• Preferred parking for Carpool permit holders will be designated on the Downtown, Evansdale, and HSC campuses. No preferred parking will be provided in the Waterfront or Mountainlair garages.

• Should the Carpool be disbanded, the parking areas that the Carpool holders had prior to the Carpool will be reassigned if available and if not available will be placed at the top of the waiting list for that area.

• The Carpool permit charge will be the general employee parking price. The Point of Contact (POC) designee will be responsible for payment of the permit costs. The balance of the Carpool member will pay the POC for their portion of the permit cost.

• Citations made on Carpool permits will be assigned to the car owner and not the POC. If the car that received the citation is not registered under the Carpool permit, the citation will be assigned to the POC.

Tips to Carpooling Success

1. Determine your route and schedule. Establish the morning pickup point(s) and a place to meet for the trip home.
2. Thoroughly check out your Carpool partners. It is appropriate to discuss driving history and the conditions of the vehicles to be used in the Carpool. Your personal safety is the highest priority and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
3. Ask to review your carpool partners’ vehicles registration and insurance records. Again, your personal safety is more important than any savings you get from the Carpool experience.
4. Decide on a schedule for driving responsibilities. Lay out who drives when and how often members take their turn driving.
5. Establish a plan for reimbursing driving expenses. If the driving is not shared equally among members, decide what a fair share is for those not using their own vehicle as part of the Carpool.
6. Be on time. Make sure all members of the Carpool have a way to contact one another in case someone is running late or needs to make alternate plans.
7. Establish policies concerning smoking, use of cell phones, music and volume, food and drink. Carpoolers who talk about possible irritants in the beginning have a better experience and are more likely to continue Carpooling with a positive attitude.
8. Determine the best way to communicate among members. If a driver is ill, or will not be going to work one day, an alternate driver should be contacted to make sure other Carpool members have a ride. If a member is ill or will not be going to work, the driver needs to be contacted as soon as possible.
9. Communicate about upcoming schedule changes. Be considerate of Carpool members and remember to give them plenty of time to make adjustments for vacations and days you know you won’t be going to work.
10. Drive carefully and keep vehicles in good working order. There should be an understanding that speeding, recklessness and driving impaired are unacceptable.
11. Make Carpooling the purpose. The group was formed to save expenses on commuting to and from work, do not allow members to use it as an errand service.
12. Respect your fellow Carpoolers. If one member really needs quiet time in the morning, respect that need. Members of successful carpools are in a continual give and take situation.