In this van pool, sleep, 'social time' are extras
More explore sharing rides and driving duties as gas prices climb
F or this group of bleary-eyed commuters from the New Hampshire border, the morning ride is about blankets and pillows.
That's because the hourlong trip into Cambridge gives them - with the exception of whoever drives their van that morning - a last chance to get some precious sleep before the hurly-burly day begins at work.
On the late-afternoon trek home, the ride becomes "social time," says Massi Corba, a Draper Laboratory employee who lives just outside Nashua. "That's when everyone starts talking and catching up."
It's not all about sleep and chats, of course.
For the eight, sometimes nine, road warriors from the Nashua-Chelmsford area who've been riding together for about a year now, the van pool is also about saving money - thousands of dollars' worth of gasoline and oil changes they don't need when they commute together instead of driving into work by themselves.
Sure, there's the loss of a little independence in a van pool. But the commuters say there's also the estimated 6,000 gallons of gas they've saved over the past year and the six or seven extra vehicles they've taken off Route 3, the usually congested highway they use to get to their jobs in Cambridge.
And these days, it seems - with gas prices topping $4 a gallon - more commuters are inclined to agree with that sort of thinking. Jennifer Walsh Carroll, a spokeswoman for MassRIDES, a state program that helps Massachusetts commuters explore ride-sharing and public transportation options, says more and more drivers are looking into car and van pools.
Exact numbers are hard to pinpoint, but in the last two months MassRIDES has seen a surge in interest, with 20 to 50 people a day signing up for a database that matches up wannabe carpoolers, she says. Currently, there are 62 registered vanpools that carry 776 riders to and from their jobs in Massachusetts.
The MassRIDES website, commute.com, shows two van pools between Nashua and Boston each morning. But there are probably more than a few joint-commutes that don't show up on anyone's official list.
Anthony A. Cataluña, the main organizer of the pool from Nashua and Chelmsford, said his group has generated a good deal of interest among other commuters who say they can no longer stomach the cost and hassles of driving alone.
Cataluña, who also works at the Draper Laboratory, said his pool keeps it simple and convenient with one pickup at the Conway Ice Arena parking lot in Nashua at 5:40 a.m. and just three drop-offs in Cambridge. Its current route, with a stop in Chelmsford just before 6 a.m., also works around everyone's schedule: Most pool members work in Cambridge's biotech industry and keep similar office hours.
Monthly fees to ride the leased van run anywhere from $180 to $200, or about $2,400 a year. That's a significant drop from the estimated $9,000 a year in gas alone a commuter from Nashua would have to spend if he or she came into work in a car that gets around 25 miles per gallon, said Corba.
"This is so much better," said Rhonda O'Keefe, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology employee who is the designated van driver on Mondays. "I drove in alone for 15 years; I should have discovered something like this years ago."
The pool members take turns driving the van, which gets about 12 miles per gallon. Cataluña takes care of the vehicle's maintenance and helps recruit new riders. Currently, the van has nine riders, but can hold a maximum of 15. Cataluña, however, said the riders would like to keep their numbers to no more than 12, to give them room to relax.
That works out just fine for O'Keefe, who says she looks forward to spreading out and resting on the mornings she's not driving. During a recent morning ride, she was leaning against her pillow, propped comfortably against the window.
On the other side of the van, Troy Smith, a
"He can sleep through anything," joked fellow rider Debra Jean, who works for
Cataluña said he's enjoyed the van pool over the past year, but does miss the independence of leaving work on his own schedule. He said if he or others have to stay at work a little later than usual, the rest of the group sometimes agrees to wait a few minutes. If not, the late worker will have to find another way home.
Chris Ehrenfels, a scientist at
Those who live in or near Nashua don't have that option, as there is no commuter rail from Boston. To get home, they must either take the Manchester Airport bus and/or get someone to come get them, or spend $100 on a taxi.
Novartis employee Emilia Temple said most of the riders' companies will pay for a few "emergency options" a year, such as a cab ride, in case of a snowstorm or a late meeting.
"Somehow," Temple said, "we'll get home."
Russell Contreras can be reached at rcontreras@globe.com.
