Loyola Chastain used to fight traffic every day on a 100-mile round-trip commute to UNM, but not anymore.
Chastain, manager of academic advisement at the Anderson Schools of Management, is in the University's vanpooling program.
"The vanpool is terrific," she said. "I get door-to-door rides and can work or relax during the trip."
Chastain lives in the East Mountains, the first area to have a vanpool.
Parking and Transportation Services started the program.
Students, faculty and staff from the East Mountains began riding to UNM together about four weeks ago.
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The department contracts vehicles through Vanpool Services Inc., said Cynthia Martin, coordinator for alternative transportation.
"We only have one van so far," she said. "We are looking for drivers and riders."
Ruben de la Garza, systems administrator for Parking and Transportation Services, drives the van that services the East Mountain area.
Garza, who lives in the East Mountains, said the department doesn't make money from the program. Riders split the cost of the van and the fuel, he said.
"I have 12 riders," he said. "It's an eight-person van, but some of them are part time. So we have open seats."
Garza said two of his riders are students, and the rest are faculty or staff.
He said those who ride five days a week pay about $2 a day, and those who ride only a few days a week pay $5 to $7 a day.
Chastain said she pays at the end of the month.
Garza said the cost pales in comparison to the cost of gas, parking, wear and tear on vehicles, insurance and repairs.
"I was paying $45 a month in gas alone," he said. "With insurance and car payments, it was costing about $500 a month to commute."
Garza said the program is flexible, and vanpool groups can establish routines that work for them.
"It's entirely rider-driven," he said. "We can get riders in touch with each other and into a van, and from there, the schedule, route, drop-off and pick-up routines are up to the drivers."
Garza's vanpool stops in Sedillo Hill, Zuzax and Tijeras before coming to UNM.
Garza said an added convenience for vanpools is on-campus parking.
"They can pick any parking spot on campus," he said. "We'll put a sign up for the van, and they can park there."
Vanpooling not only saves riders the stress and cost of commuting, but it helps cut down on pollution, Garza said.
"We want to do our part to ease parking issues and also to become sustainable and environmentally conscious," he said.
Chastain said helping the environment is a big motivator.
"I'm kind of a green person, and the more of this we can do, the better," she said.
Garza said there is probably a need for a vanpool in Rio Rancho, Grants, Santa Fe, Belen and other locations.
"Anyone who wants to get a vanpool together should call us," he said. "We will gather names and locations and get people in touch with each other to set it up."
To join or start a vanpool, call
277-0461.
