Vanpooling: The Cost-Effective Commute Hampton Roads Needs
We’re not saying this group chat got leaked, but we’re also not not saying it’s leaked... 👀
Group chat: Commute (don’t love this)
Sun 8:57 PM
Barbara: Hello everyone. This is Barbara. HR suggested I connect us since we live near each other and work similar hours.
Sun 8:59 PM
Ashley: oh wow
Sun 9:00 PM
Noah: is this for tomorrow
Sun 9:01 PM
Frankie: Evening
Sun 9:47 PM
Jayden: I did not consent
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Mon 6:12 AM
Ashley: traffic already
Mon 6:13 AM
Noah: hasn’t moved
Mon 6:14 AM
Frankie: Accident ahead. 25 min delay.
Mon 6:15 AM
Barbara: I left earlier than usual. Same result.
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Mon 6:47 AM
Ashley: still here
Mon 6:48 AM
Noah: I hate everything
Mon 6:49 AM
Jayden: saw three people eat breakfast in their cars
felt intimate
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[This is a normal morning for a Hampton Roads commuter. Everyone inching forward alone. Same exits. Same timing. Different cars. No one remembers agreeing to this setup, but here it is.]
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Tue 5:38 PM
Noah: gas light
Tue 5:39 PM
Ashley: again??
Tue 5:39 PM
Noah: yeah
Tue 5:40 PM
Frankie: I filled up Saturday and I’m already back.
Tue 5:41 PM
Barbara: It does feel like I stop more often for fuel than I used to.
Tue 5:42 PM
Jayden: my car and i are no longer financially aligned.
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Wed 6:05 AM
Ashley: traffic is worse than yesterday… somehow?
Wed 6:06 AM
Noah: impressive honestly
Wed 6:07 AM
Frankie: Weather + volume. Bad combo.
Wed 6:08 AM
Jayden: why are there this many people
going to the same place
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[No one answers. Because the answer is obvious and annoying.]
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Wed 8:21 PM
Barbara: No pressure at all, but I wanted to ask if anyone has ever considered a vanpool. goCommute can help us get started.
Wed 8:23 PM
Ashley: like.
all of us?
Wed 8:23 PM
Noah: together together
Wed 8:24 PM
Jayden: feels like a social experiment
Wed 8:25 PM
Frankie: But does it save us money?
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[The idea of vanpooling isn’t introduced with excitement. It’s introduced because the current situation is exhausting and expensive and nobody wants to keep pretending it’s fine.]
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Thu 5:57 PM
Frankie: I looked into it.
Costs are split.
Schedule is what we want it to be.
Vehicle is provided.
Thu 5:58 PM
Ashley: I’m in!
Thu 5:59 PM
Noah: what’s the catch
Thu 6:00 PM
Frankie: There’s also a ride home option if someone needs to leave early.
Thu 6:01 PM
Jayden: emergency exit is crucial
Thu 6:02 PM
Ashley: retweet
Thu 6:04 PM
Barbara: Thank you for sharing this.
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Sun 7:46 PM
Ashley: so are we actually doing the van thing
Sun 7:47 PM
Noah: I think so
Sun 7:48 PM
Jayden: I’ll try anything once
Sun 7:49 PM
Frankie: Start date is tomorrow.
Sun 7:50 PM
Barbara: I’m glad we’re giving it a try.
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Mon 6:04 AM
Ashley: not driving
Mon 6:05 AM
Noah: same
Mon 6:06 AM
Jayden: sitting here like 🧍
Mon 6:07 AM
Frankie: Not bad with company.
Mon 6:08 AM
Barbara: Much calmer than usual.
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Tue 4:52 PM
Ashley: I forgot what traffic felt like
Tue 4:53 PM
Noah: same
Tue 4:54 PM
Jayden: I stared out the window for 30 minutes
Tue 4:55 PM
Frankie: That’s the benefit.
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Thu 6:01 PM
Noah: quick question
if something came up one day
Thu 6:02 PM
Ashley: ride home thing covers that
Thu 6:03 PM
Jayden: love a contingency
Thu 6:04 PM
Barbara: Yes, that’s part of it.
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[No one makes a big deal out of it. But there are fewer cars on the road now. Traffic eases a little. Air quality improves quietly. No one has to say anything about it.]
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For a lot of people, this is how commuter solutions actually work. Not with announcements but with trial and error. With one group text that slowly stops complaining.
A vanpool in Hampton Roads doesn’t ask you to care deeply. It just asks you to notice when something is easier.
And for a commuter, that’s usually enough.