Carpooling lets employees share rides (and costs) with fellow commuters. Portland's Office of Transportation (PDOT) can help your employees find carpooling partners and discounted parking at select locations while helping your business provide employee subsidy options.

PDOT can help your employees connect with other people interested in carpooling. PDOT is a sponsor the CarpoolMatchNW program, which allows your employees to log on to CarpoolMatchNW.org and find carpool partners in the area. Contacting potential matches by email is just a click away!

Carpool Parking Policies and Procedures

This link is designed to give you an understanding of how to sign up for a carpool parking permit and information about the rules of the Portland carpool parking program. The Program offers discounted rates for parking in the downtown and Lloyd Center for carpools and vanpools.

Parking incentives

Motivate employees to use transit options by reserving parking spaces for carpools and vanpools near employee entrances. This has great appeal where parking is limited or lots are large. Put up a few signs, paint the parking spaces and promote yet another great benefit to your employees.

In certain locations, employees can take advantage of carpool parking discounts sponsored by the City of Portland. Employees must register with PDOT's carpool program at 503-227-7665 to qualify.

CarpoolCheck

CarpoolCheck allows companies to pay part of their employees' carpool parking costs at selected parking locations in downtown Portland where there is a monthly parking fee. Most of the operators in the downtown area will accept CarpoolChecks. Contact TriMet to create the Carpoolchecks after you have determined a monthly subsidy amount. Then distribute the Carpoolchecks so employees can submit them (with the balance of the payment due) to their parking facility each month. The parking facility will then bill your company for each voucher received. The parking operators will need to know your employer contact information for billing.

Financial incentives

Financial subsidies encourage employees to use commuting options. Most companies offering subsidies for carpoolers also offer cash, gift certificates or vouchers (like CarpoolCheck) that apply to the cost of regular automobile maintenance, gas or parking. Companies that offer employees carpool subsidies worth at least $10 per month are also eligible for TriMet's Emergency Ride Home program .

Vanpools

Metro is now providing discounts of up to 50% on vanpools to work sites in the Portland metro area. Vanpooling is a highly efficient and cost effective ride to work. A vanpool needs five to 15 commuters including a qualified driver. Drivers may drive for free. Metro will pay up to 50% of the costs, not including gasoline, of a basic van for eligible vanpools.