All six of Iowa State's employee vanpools are opening the academic year with a vacant seat or two. If your work schedule is fairly consistent and you'd like to reduce commuting expenses, consider joining a vanpool, organized by ISU's transportation services.
Here are details on the six:
| Community | Employees' work schedule | Monthly cost | Stops |
| Ankeny | 7:30-4 | $75 |
(1) Near Delaware Ave and 1st St |
| Boone | 7:30-4 | $60 | Home pickup |
| Des Moines | 7:30-4 | $80 |
(3) Follows I-235 corridor: Valley West Dr, 42nd St, Iowa Events Center |
| Roland | 7:30-4 | $90 | Home pickup |
| Story City | 7:30-4 | $50 | Home pickup |
| West Des Moines | 8-5 | $90 |
(3) Follows I-80/35 corridor: University |
The monthly fee, which is deducted from employees' paychecks, covers fuel, insurance, parking and weekly vehicle service at transportation services. Variables in the rates reflect fuel consumption and size of the vanpool. The fee is waived for the vanpool's primary driver.
Vanpool riders receive 10 daily parking passes per calendar year for personal use when their work schedule varies and they're unable to ride in their vanpool. They also are guaranteed a ride home in the case of illness or a family emergency.
Transportation services manager Kathy Wellik said there is some interest in a Marshalltown vanpool (including the Highway 30 communities between there and Ames). Contact Wellik, 4-1657, for more information on any of the vanpools.
