Rideshare
INTRODUCTION
VCTC’s Rideshare Program connects Ventura County residents and employers with practical transportation options that reduce costs, ease congestion, and support more sustainable travel. Whether you are commuting to work, planning daily trips, or looking to improve employee commute programs at your organization, Rideshare provides tools and resources to help you choose smarter ways to get where you need to go.
Explore commuter tools, employer programs, incentives, and support services below.
VCTC’s Rideshare Program helps commuters and everyday travelers explore cost-saving, time-saving, eco-friendly alternative modes of transportation to reach their destinations. If you’re thinking about leaving your solo commute behind – even only one or two days a week – VCTC can help. Use our tools to plan your commute, find carpool or vanpool partners and locate park-and-ride lots.
COST CALCULATOR
Driving alone costs more than you think—gas, insurance, parking, and maintenance add up fast. Use our Cost Calculator to see how much you can save by choosing smarter options like walking, biking, carpooling, or taking the bus.
Share your daily commute and save!
Carpooling to work or campus can save you money, wear and tear on your car, and the environment.
Create a profile at RideMatch.info to access a database of other commuters in your area interested in carpooling. And don’t worry, should an emergency ever arise, the Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program will provide you a free ride home.
Still not sure if carpooling is right for you, VCTC is here to help, simply call 800.438.1112.
A vanpool is a great option for those with longer commutes. Vanpools require five or more riders, designated pickup location(s) and similar work destinations and work schedules. Commuters who live 15 miles or more from their worksite are prime candidates for vanpooling.
Create a profile at RideMatch.info to access a database of vanpools in your area. Your employer may also be able to help organize a vanpool with fellow employees.
If no matches are found on RideMatch.info, contact the following providers for help finding an existing vanpool or setting up a new one that fits your commute.
And don’t worry, should an emergency ever arise, the Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program will provide you a free ride home.
Riding your bicycle to work is an ideal option if you live within five miles of your workplace.
If you have a longer trip, you can still enjoy bicycling as part of your commute – try combining bicycling with bus or train travel. Riding your bicycle can also provide attractive tax benefits.
Don’t want to bike alone? Create a profile at RideMatch.info to access a database of other commuters in your area interested in biking to work.
For help planning your bike commute, check out VCTC’s Ventura County Bike Map, an interactive display of all our region’s bike lanes and paths.
Bus
Public transportation can be a convenient option for many commutes. It is also an ideal back-up option because it’s dependable. VCTC offers eight intercity bus lines and connects to local bus service in every part of Ventura County.
Rail
Metrolink connects Ventura County with the greater Los Angeles area via stations at East Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Chatsworth, Northridge, Van Nuys, Burbank (Bob Hope Airport), Burbank (Downtown), Glendale, and Los Angeles Union Station.
Amtrak provides daily train service throughout Southern California, including a new weekday commuter trip between Ventura County and Santa Barbara.
Guaranteed Ride Home
With the Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program, you don’t have to worry about being stranded at work if an emergency comes up. We’ll provide you with a free ride.
Do you qualify?
Anyone working in Ventura County who travels to work by bus, train, carpool, vanpool, biking or walking is eligible to participate in VCTC’s GRH program.
Register
By calling 951.352.8229 or emailing cfranco@its-consulting.net and creating a profile at RideMatch.info.
How it Works
Once enrolled, you are eligible to receive a free taxi ride or one-day car rental on a day you carpool, vanpool, ride the bus, or use Metrolink to travel to work. GRH can be used up to six times a year under the following conditions:
- You become ill, have a child care emergency, or experience a severe crisis for yourself or a family member
- You have an unexpected request by a supervisor to work past your regular work-end time (“Unexpected” means not knowing about the request before arriving at work on the day in question)
- You are stranded at work because your carpool or vanpool driver had to leave due to an emergency (in this instance, each impacted rider in the carpool or vanpool is eligible for GRH)
You will be required to repay the full cost of any trip that is not eligible under Guaranteed Ride Home program guidelines.
To sign up or for more information, call 951.352.8229.
TAX SAVINGS
Ridesharing has many benefits and among them are pre-tax incentives. Effective January 2020, rideshare participants can receive $270 in monthly pre-tax money to assist with ridesharing costs. Contact your human resources/office manager or give us a call to learn more, 800.438.1112.
This pre-tax deduction can be used to pay for vanpool, bus, and train expenses – any mode of mass transit. These benefits can be provided by an employer by purchasing transit passes or sponsoring vanpools, offering a pre-tax payroll deduction, or providing a combination of the two options (IRS Code 132(f) – Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefits). Additional details are available in IRS Publication 15-B or from your personal tax professional.
PARK & RIDE
Park & Ride lots provide a secure, convenient place to park your car so you can transfer to a carpool or vanpool or—depending on the Park & Ride lot—possibly catch a bus or train.
Camarillo
- Pleasant Valley Rd. and Rte. 101
- 30 N Lewis Rd. at the Metrolink station
- 690 Ventura Blvd. at Los Posas Rd., adjacent to Rte. 101
East Ventura
- 6175 Ventura Blvd. at the Metrolink station
Moorpark
- Los Angeles Ave. and Collins Dr., adjacent to Rte. 118
- 300 High St., east of Moorpark Ave.
Oak View
- Oak View Community Center, 18 Valley Rd.
Ojai
- Ojai Ave. at Montgomery St.
Oxnard
- 201 East 4th St. at the Metrolink station
- 2621 E. Ventura Blvd. Rice Ave./Santa Clara Ave. at 101 Freeway
- Lockwood & Factory Outlet Center
Santa Paula
- K-Mart, 895 Faulkner Rd., adjacent to Rte. 126
Simi Valley
- 2501 Stearns St., adjacent to Rte. 118
- Swank’s Chevron, 2449 Stearns St.
- 5050 Los Angeles Ave. at the Metrolink station
- 2599 Sycamore Dr., adjacent to Rte. 118
- Tapo Canyon Rd., adjacent to Rte. 118
- Erringer Rd., adjacent to Rte. 118
Thousand Oaks
- Rancho Rd. at Routes 23 and 101
- 475 Rancho Conejo Blvd. at Borchard Rd., adjacent to Rte. 101
- Janss Rd. and Rte. 23
GO 511
For more information on ridesharing options, transit schedules and traffic conditions throughout Southern California, visit go511.com.
Welcome to VCTC’s Rideshare program, a one-stop shop for commute information for Ventura County employers and their employees. Our representatives will help you and your employees find transportation solutions that will not only make your organization more successful but improve the economic vitality and quality of life of the entire region.
We also provide FREE assistance to your organization in complying with Ventura County’s Rule 211.
Resources: Promote Commuting Alternatives in Your Office
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Carpool/Vanpool
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RULE 211
Rule 211 is the regulation that requires Ventura County employers with more than 100 employees to collect information about their employees’ commuting habits. It also urges employers to help take cars off the road by voluntarily encouraging their employees to carpool, vanpool, walk, bike or take the bus or train.
The goal is to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion in Ventura County.
If your organization employs more than 100 people at worksites in Ventura County, you must comply. VCTC can help and assistance is FREE.
WHY WORK WITH VCTC?
| Benefit | AVAILABLE WITH VCTC | AVAILABLE ON YOUR OWN |
|---|---|---|
| SURVEY ASSISTANCE | ||
| Online Survey Tool | Checked | |
| Digital data Entry for Paper Surveys | Checked | |
| Live, Personalized Help | Checked | |
| Survey Aggregation and Reporting | Checked | |
| Paper-based Survey Tool | Checked | Checked |
| EMPLOYEE RIDESHARE PROGRAMS | ||
| Free Ride Guides | Checked | |
| Carpool Matching | Checked | |
| Worksite Rideshare Promotion | Checked |
Download our Rule 211 brochure or call 951.352.8006 to learn more.
GUARANTEED RIDE HOME
With the Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program, your employees who participate in a qualified ridesharing option (vanpool, carpool, transit, biking) can rest assured that they will have a ride home should an emergency come up. The GRH program is offered at no cost to you as an employer or to the employee. We can also provide informational brochures for your employees free of charge.
To sign up or for more information, call 951.352.8229.
TAX BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYEES
Ridesharing has many benefits and among them are pre-tax commuter incentives. Effective January 1, 2014, rideshare participants can receive $130 monthly in pre-tax money to assist with ridesharing costs.
This pre-tax deduction can be used to pay for vanpool, bus, and train expenses – any mode of mass transit. An employer can provide these benefits by purchasing transit passes or sponsoring vanpools, offer a pre-tax payroll deduction, or provide a combination of the two options (IRS Code 132(f) – Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefits). Additional details are available in IRS Publication 15-B.
Bicycle commuters are also eligible to receive a $20 monthly “qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement” (up to $240 annually) stemming from the 2008 Federal Energy Act. This reimbursement can be used for bicycle improvements, repair, storage, or the purchase of a new bicycle.
Give us a call if you’d like to learn more about these incentives, 951.352.8006.
WORKSITE RIDESHARE PROGRAM
When you work with VCTC, our representatives will help your organization establish and maintain a worksite rideshare program. We have resources to encourage your employees to carpool, vanpool, bike walk or take transit to work. In turn, ridesharing helps employees get to work on time, reduce stress, save money and improve their health and wellness.
RESOURCES
This site provide users a database of individuals seeking a carpool or vanpool partner and offers personalized commute plans free of charge.
RideGuide
For those companies that use VCTC’s Commuter Services Program, VCTC will generate a personalized RideGuide for each employee. The RideGuide includes bus routes, park-and-ride lots and a list of potential carpool partners — all customized to the employee’s home location, work location and work schedule.
Rideshare Events & Promotional Materials
Throughout the year, VCTC will provide you with regular emails, newsletters and other promotional materials to educate your employees about commuting options and the benefits of ridesharing.
We’ll provide you with tools to run worksite events, like Rideshare Week and Bike to Work Week, where your employees can earn prizes for sharing their ride.
Bikeways Map
Ventura County has an extensive bike route system. VCTC offers an interactive Bike Map to help plan commutes to work or for leisure. Printed bike maps are available free of charge to distribute to your employees. Call 951.352.8006 to request.
ON THE GO
On the Go is a newsletter published for Southern California companies who offer a rideshare program or are interested in offering one. It provides help for employers to run a rideshare program at the worksite, including information on events, program updates, transit news and more. This publication is published every other month and is free of charge.