Carpooling with WashU Rides
WashU Rides is a free resource to help you find others interested in carpooling and bikepooling with you. With WashU Rides, you can compare your travel options on an interactive map centered on WashU campuses; form a one-time or ongoing carpool or bikepool; and track how much money and CO2 you’ve saved.
To get started, visit rides.wustl.edu and log in with your WUSTL Key username and password. Once you’ve created an account, you can download the Commute Tracker app to plan trips, manage carpools, and more. Learn more about how to use WashU Rides on the Parking Transportation website.
It’s fun having someone to chat with. It definitely makes the commute seem shorter.
Jennifer Kraus-Smith, long time carpooler and WashU employee
Parking Permits
The Occasional Parking Program offers the opportunity to purchase discounted rates for daily parking permits. The program allows the WashU community the flexibility to rely mainly on lower carbon transportation alternatives with the option of commuting with a car when it may be necessary.
The Bearly Drivers carpooling program shrinks the environmental impact of several single-occupant vehicles to that of a single car and reduces the demand for parking spaces.
Participants receive reduced rate parking, prime parking spaces, and participation in monthly prize drawings to incentivize their collaboration.
Vanpooling
RideFinders’ vanpool program provides a vehicle, maintenance, insurance, and gas, for any group of five or more individuals who want to commute together. Available to all residents of the greater St. Louis area (9 counties across Illinois and Missouri), the goal of this program is to reduce emissions and enhance our regional air quality, while providing an affordable and convenient way for people to commute.
Learn more about the vanpooling program by reading the inspiring story of Gary and Donna, employees at the School of Medicine, who have been vanpooling for two decades.
Car Sharing
In lieu of the Enterprise CarShare program, Enterprise is offering a special daily rental discount to WashU students and employees. Details include:
- $35/day for up to a full-size car.
- Renters can be 18+ years old.
- Free pick-up and drop-off service to Rent-A-Car branches.
- Guaranteed vehicle if you book a reservation 24 hours ahead.
- Rental includes Roadside Assistance and a collision damage waiver. The collision damage waiver covers damage to the rental car only, not damage to other vehicles. Renters 21-years-old and up can add liability insurance for $15/day but renters 18-20 years old will need to secure their own liability insurance if they’d like insurance that covers damages to other vehicles and bodily injury liability.
No-Idling Policy
WashU, like the State of Missouri, the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, limited vehicle idling on campus as of April 2009. Motor vehicle idling endangers public health, pollutes the environment and wastes fuel and money.