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Commuter Assistance Program (CAP)

Commuter Assistance Program (CAP)

Program Background

The Commuter Assistance Program is a statewide grant program for programs and projects that provide ridematching services and information on commute options to the public, encourage and increase the use of transit, vanpooling, and carpooling, mitigate congestion on Virginia’s highways and roads, and improve air quality.

Individually Administered Grant Programs

Operating Assistance

DRPT provides funding (80 percent state/20 percent local funding) to support the operation of local and regional commuter assistance programs that reduce single occupant vehicle trips and increase carpool, vanpool, and transit use. The commuter assistance programs provide the following types of services:

Ridematching services that match commuters and travelers in carpools, vanpools, and transit options
Commuter assistance websites, mobile applications, and phone numbers
Trip planning
Guaranteed/Emergency Ride Home programs to help commuters get home when they carpool, vanpool, or use transit to work and have to leave early or work late unexpectedly
Marketing and promotion of travel options to residents, commuters, employers, and employees in Virginia

Project Assistance

DRPT’s project assistance program is a competitive grant program (80 percent state/20 percent local funding) supporting local, regional, and statewide commuter assistance projects that mitigate congestion and reduce single occupant vehicle trips. This outcome-focused grant program requires all candidate projects to demonstrate that they will achieve measurable reductions in congestion by eliminating single occupant vehicle trips. This program supports employee outreach projects that:

Increase the number of private sector employers providing commuter benefits to employees who commute via public transportation or vanpools
Increase the number of private sector employers providing assistance to employees commuting in carpools or vanpools
Increase the number of private sector employees commuting via transit, carpools, or vanpools
Form new vanpools, increase the overall number of vanpools, and increase the number of vanpools riders
Create marketing projects that increase transit ridership

Application Resources and Timeline

For detailed information on the application timeline, goals, eligibility requirements, eligible expenses, and application process for all DRPT administered grants programs, view the resources below: