More than 34,000
commuters live in
Volusia
County
and work in Brevard, Orange and Seminole counties. VOTRAN, Volusia
County's public transit system, offers four Commuter
Assistance Programs (CAP) which can benefit both employers
and employees. These include:
Guaranteed Ride Home
Volusia/Orlando I-4 Express
Park and Ride lots
RideShare matching
Van Pooling
I-4
Express
VOTRAN's
Volusia/downtown Orlando I-4 Express Service operates Monday-Friday
between the Saxon Boulevard Park and Ride lot in Orange City and
downtown Orlando. Three morning trips depart Orange City each half hour,
6:00, 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. and three afternoon return trips depart
downtown Orlando at 4:00, 4:45 and 5:30 p.m. The I-4 Express enables
commuters to
eliminate 14,400 miles
annually on their personal vehicle and avoid parking fees.
For added convenience,
Express riders can purchase 10 tokens
at a ten percent discount from the LYNX downtown terminal, Computers Plus in
Orange
City
and at VOTRAN. Several employers offer tokens for sale at their place of
business. To learn how you and/or your employer can shelter income from
federal tax, examine
transit commuter benefits.
In a recent survey, Orlando
Express riders were enthusiastic about the service, listing positive benefits:
"reduced stress, not having to drive on I-4,
saving
money/mileage on their car, saving up to ten percent on their auto
insurance, no parking headaches/expense, convenience, napping, reading the complimentary
newspaper."
One has to consider: "Do I want to keep investing hard-earned dollars into
an asset that depreciates with every mile driven, or would I rather reduce
my commuting costs and possibly my federal tax liability, resulting in more
discretionary income going into my own pocket?" Money saved could be used to
increase your 401K contribution (further reducing your tax liability) and
increasing your vacation budget simultaneously. Riding the I-4 Express
really does make "dollars and sense."
View
I-4 Express schedule
RideShare
matching
RideShare
matching is designed to match commuters with similar commuting time and
destination needs. Using EzRide, rideshare matching software, commuters
can connect with others interested in sharing a ride. Save time and energy
by finding a
RideShare match.
Van Pooling
This service
allows groups of four to eight passengers who travel at the same time with
similar points of origin and destination to obtain a commuter van. Van Pool
participants share the cost of the van and fuel expenses. Commuters can form
their own pool or VOTRAN can assist.
Volunteer driver application/agreement
(pdf format)
You must have an Acrobat
Reader to view the application. If you do not
have one, you may download one for free.
Park and
Ride lots
Park and Ride
facilities on Dirksen Drive in Deltona and on Saxon Boulevard, I-4 exit
111B
in Orange City, offer free parking for those commuters who wish to use
RideShare, Van Pooling or the Volusia/Downtown Orlando I-4 Express service.
For more information
or to schedule a group presentation, call VOTRAN Commuter Assistance at
(386) 761-RIDE (7433), ext. 4149.
