The goal of the UMD Carpooling Program is to reduce the number of cars registered for a parking permit on campus. We are committed to helping improve air quality, safety and reducing traffic congestion in our area. In addition to the benefits to society and the environment, carpooling will also benefit individual carpool members by providing financial savings (parking, gas, and vehicle wear and tear), reducing commute stress and crash risk and eliminating daily parking hassles.
The UMD Carpool Parking Program is administered through DOTS, open to faculty, staff, and students currently employed or registered at the University who live off campus.
WHY CARPOOL?
Financial: Carpooling benefits the members by helping to save money, decrease vehicle maintenance, and reduce gasoline purchases. Participants receive 25% off their regular permit fees.
More options for parking: Carpool members will be able to park at any of the previously assigned lots that were given to each of their individual permits. For example, if one member was assigned to lot H and another member was assigned to lot A, using the carpool permit they can now park at lot H or lot A.
Go Green - The reduction of vehicles on the highways and roads means fewer pollutants are released into the atmosphere.
Carpool Lanes: HOV lanes greatly shorten commute times for carpoolers, and also shorten commute times for everyone else on the road, by reducing the volume of traffic.
Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH)- All carpoolers can sign up for the GRH program that is operated by Commuter Connections. Individuals can register by going at commuterconnections.org and be eligible for up to four emergency rides home each year.
GUIDELINES AND ELIGIBILITY
- Eligible carpools consist of two or more individuals sharing one permit per carpool.
- All members of the carpool must have a current affiliation with the UMD and live off-campus. Proof of residency at that address will be required.
- Cost per participant: 25% off individual permit price.
- Minimum of two participants. Members may have more than one vehicle.
- Carpool members are eligible to park in the lots previously assigned to individual permits.
EACH MEMBER MUST BRING IN THEIR CURRENT INDIVIDUAL PARKING PERMIT TO OBTAIN CARPOOL PERMIT. ALL MEMBERS MUST COME INTO THE OFFICE TOGETHER TO RECEIVE CARPOOL PERMIT.
- Daily parking passes: Each participant receives 10 free daily permits valid in certain lots. They may also purchase 10 one-day parking permits that cost only $40.
- Carpool permits are valid on a yearly basis only. Faculty/Staff carpool permits will expire on October, 31, 2010; Student carpool permits will expire on August 22, 2010.
REGISTRATION
Individuals wishing to become part of the carpool program can register by completing the application and bringing it into the transportation office along with their current individual parking permit. Carpool Regulations and Cancellation policies can be found on the application. Click here for the application.
- The application must contain complete information for each rider, including automobile information.
- All applicants must already possess an individual parking permit.
- Permit will not be issued until verification process is complete.
- Only one Carpool permit issued per carpool.
- Faculty/Staff can only form carpools with other Faculty/Staff members; Students can only form carpool with other students.
- Applicants must turn in all UMD parking permits before being issued a carpool permit.
- One member of the carpool is designated as the Captain. The person who is identified as the captain will be responsible for any citations given to the carpool permit.
- Charges will be payroll deducted or charged to student account. Eligible forms of payment include: credit card, cash, check, or can be transferred to student account.
- Ten daily permits per year will be issued to each participant.
- All carpool members are responsible for knowing and complying with the parking regulations on campus, including carpool regulations.
- Carpool members understand that if they give false information to obtain a carpool permit, they may lose their privilege to receive any transportation benefits from UMD, and may receive disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment or expulsion.
DRIVER RESPONSIBILITY
- Any type of falsification or improper use of a UMD carpool parking permit or persistent violations are grounds for citations, impoundment of vehicle, or revocation of parking privileges for a faculty, staff or student.
Falsification or improper use of a carpool permit may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment or expulsion.
- Participants must contact DOTS within ten business days if their University affiliation status changes. Failure to do so may result in notification of suspension of Carpool parking privileges, surrender of the Carpool permit and denial of future Carpool permits/privileges
- If the carpool dissolves, the members will be eligible for purchasing individual parking permits. Upon receiving individual permit, the normal parking permit fee will be payroll deducted for faculty/staff and fees will be prorated for students.
RIDE MATCHING
If you are not able to form a carpool of your own, the Department of Transportation Services is in the process of creating a database for staff, faculty and students to find carpooling matches. Once you enter your information and if there are people who match up with your conditions, you will receive notification and then can proceed with attaining a carpool permit. This database will be available at the beginning of the Spring Semester 2010.
