Officials with the Denton County Transportation Authority plan to unveil a new commuter “vanpool” service later this month for county residents.

Project organizers said the van service will allow DCTA to reach suburbs and areas not reached on bus routes with a cost-saving transportation alternative.

“We have been working on this for quite a few months, putting together the program and finding the right vendor,” said Rusty Comer, a project assistant.

DCTA will be working with VPSI Inc., a Michigan-based company that has worked on vanpool services since the 1970s.

VPSI will provide the vans and insurance. DCTA will foot the bill for half of the vans’ cost and half of the fuel costs, Comer said.

The program will offer use of an eight-passenger van, at a monthly cost of $450; or a 15-passenger van, for $473 a month.

The driver of the van and the one who keeps the van maintained will ride for free, Comer said. The rest of the passengers will split the cost.

Drivers need only a standard Class C driver’s license. They must be at least 21 years old and must have had no moving violations within the last year.

People will be eligible for the service if their commute begins or ends in Denton County.

DCTA has not conducted any tests to check for the viability of such a program in Denton, Comer said; however, officials are looking at how similar programs fared when launched by Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority.

Though Hillwood Development Co. LLC — a developer of Fort Worth Alliance Airport, where 14 vanpools serve — has traditionally worked with The T, company officials are excited to work with DCTA.

“The biggest thing we promote to customers: It [a vanpool] provides workers with a reliable transportation source every single day for work,” said Christina Weeks, director of communications for Hillwood.

Weeks said using the service gives customers more disposable income — cutting gas costs and possibly reducing auto insurance rates because they no longer drive their cars to work — and it reduces the negative effects of clogged roads on the environment.

“It’s a starting point for public transportation,” Weeks said. “Vanpools can turn into bus lines, which can turn into train lines.”

DCTA officials have not set a start date for the program.

“Right now, we’re looking at later this month,” Comer said. “We’re finalizing a few things to hit the ground running. When I get the first names of people interested is when we will start.”

Another transportation tool DCTA is currently promoting is Tryparkingit.com, a website to connect commuters interested in ride-share opportunities.

For more information, call DCTA at 972-221-4600 or visit www.dcta.net.

BJ LEWIS can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is blewis@dentonrc.com.