For the past three years, Coast Transit Authority (CTA) and Van Pool Services Inc. (VPSI) have been providing “van pool” services to employees of Northrop Grumman in Pascagoula, MS. Each workday, 12 well-equipped, 10-passenger vans leave Northrop Grumman on their journey to pick up distant employees and then return them home at the end of the workday.
CTA has been providing quality public transportation services to the three coastal Mississippi counties since 1972. They have partnered with VPSI, a subsidiary of Chrysler Corporation, to establish, organize and maintain “van pooling” programs to local companies on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
In early 2007, CTA’s Executive Director Kevin Coggin met with Pascagoula Mayor Matthew Avara and Northrop Grumman officials to discuss the need for transportation options for employees, due to the high gas prices and longer travel distances post Hurricane Katrina. According to a recent article in The Journal of South Mississippi Business, VPSI’s team came in and surveyed Northrop Grumman and the employee commuting habits. They mapped out where all employees live, identifying distances and clusters of residences called “van pools.” From the employees interested in the program, VPSI was able to determine the number of vans needed to transport all participants, as well as recruit and train drivers from among the potential commuters.
The average monthly operating cost is $1,763. CTA subsidizes $400 and Northrop Grumman commuters pay $136 a month. This program gives employees the option of arriving to work without having to factor in high gas prices or fight traffic on their daily commute.
“Car pooling is effective for short distances. Public transportation helps. But for long distances, this is the answer,” Coggin said in the recent Journal article. “CTA is ready to visit any company interested in more information. There’s no obligation. This is worth exploring.”
