FAU wants students and faculty to carpool. Starting this semester, the university is launching a carpool program, designed to encourage staff and students to share the driving load.

Coordinated through South Florida Commuter Services (SFCS), the program will consist of carpool parking and matching.
“We are constantly looking at ways to improve traffic flow on campus. Everyone who participates in the carpool program helps to reduce the number of vehicles driven
onto campus each day, making it easier to navigate the campus roadways and to find a place to park,” says Jim Johnson, FAU Traffic and Parking operations manager.

FAU Traffic and Parking has installed 57 parking spaces throughout the Boca campus designated for carpool participants. Carpoolers are required to register at www.get2fau.com, and SFCS will mail drivers special decals, issuing one per carpool. In order to park in the carpool spaces, vehicles are required to display valid FAU and
carpool decals.

Carpool spaces are currently located in the following locations: lot 1, lot 4, lot 6, lot 8, lot 9, lot 16, lot 19 and parking garage 2.

According to Johnson, the program was implemented to meet requests from FAU students, faculty and staff.
“Traffic and Parking works with FAU’s Mission Green, the campus sustainability committee, to reduce the university’s greenhouse gas emissions. The carpool program is one of several steps being taken to help reach this goal.”

Individuals interested in becoming part of the program will be able to register for free by using a matching service provided by SFCS. Once they have provided information
about their current commute, they will receive a list of possible driving partners.

Everyone registered will also qualify for the Emergency Ride Home program, which allows carpoolers to use a taxi service free of charge up to six times per year in emergency situations.
“We currently have 17 individuals registered for the [FAU] program and have received over 50 requests from individuals interested in finding someone to carpool with,” says Sabrina Glenn, an administrator with SFCS.

According to Glenn, she hopes for an increase in participation during the fall semester.
“We planned to launch [the program] during the summer so that it would give us an opportunity to work out any kinks, being that this is a new program and the first real
university carpooling program in South Florida,” she says.

Barbara Stern, a coordinator for the Office of Student Financial Aid, has carpooled for two years and has decided to sign up for the new program.
“[I] signed up because I think the special parking places are the best. I work in the Student
Services building, and it is often hard to find a parking space, especially if you must leave at lunch. Carpooling is great because I save on gas and also mileage on the car,” says Stern.

SFCS has been working with FAU to develop its carpool program for six months. Previously, it had partnered with the City of Boca Raton, Palm Tran and Tri-Rail to
enhance the Palm Tran service at FAU and Palm Beach Community College. Since the service has been modified, ridership on route 94 has increased by 80 percent.
“We believe that FAU will again serve as a model in the region for identifying ways to reduce their impact on the community and thinking outside the box to implement
solutions,” says Glenn.