Ridesharing
Ridesharing consists of carpooling and vanpooling. Carpooling is an informal agreement between two or more people to share a ride to work. You can carpool one day a week or five, share driving responsibilities or not, etc. The arrangement is between you and your fellow carpoolers.
Vanpooling, on the other hand, is a more formal arrangement between 5 to 15 people to share a ride to work using a van supplied by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). This program is administered through MichiVan, who fully insures, registers, and maintains the van. Riders pay a monthly fee depending on how many people ride in the van and how many miles are traveled to work. One person agrees to be the driver, MichiVan certifies that this person is qualified, and the driver rides for free (no monthly fee). Up to five alternate drivers are allowed per vanpool.
The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments provides a free regional RideShare program and information on other commute options.
There are many existing programs in place to make sure you are comfortable not bringing your car to work. For local errands you might need to run in the middle of the day, we have a free campus shuttle that will take you to many on- and near-campus locations. WSU also has a partnership with Enterprise that allows you to rent a vehicle at special rates.
For those concerned about family emergencies or unscheduled overtime, there is the Guaranteed Ride Home program provided by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG). Free enrollment in the program provides reimbursement for taxi fare or car rental in the case of personal or family illness, unscheduled overtime, or the unscheduled departure of the carpool or vanpool driver.
More information on ridesharing and how to find ridesharers in your area can be found on the links page.