Carpooling will help you save money on gas and parking by splitting driving costs among two or more commuters, allowing you to ride across bridges toll free and avoid traffic by using carpool lanes if they are available along your route. It’s a great opportunity to meet some interesting people while saving the environment and your sanity. Depending on where you live and work, you could also be eligible for county financial incentives and benefits provided by your employer, such as tax-free commuter benefits or preferential parking.
Carpooling is easy and fun. You can share the ride with co-workers or people you live with and carpool to work from home, a transit location, day care, school or Park & Ride lot. Depending on your schedule, you can carpool once a week or every day and share the ride round-trip or just one way
Generally, a carpool consists of two or more people, including the driver. You'll want to check requirements and hours of carpool lanes and bridges that are along your route - some require three people to be considered a carpool.
Carpooling can save you money by dividing the driving expenses between other members of the carpool. You can split the costs evenly between people in the carpool. Or, you split expenses by how often you rotate driving duties. If everyone drives equally, no money needs to change hands. If you are strictly a passenger, you can pitch in your share for gas and other expenses.
Before you start or join a carpool, it is very important to agree on the amounts, schedule, and responsibilities of each participant. Discuss expenses and responsibilities with all carpool participants.
Taking into account gas, upkeep, repairs, tolls and parking, you could save hundreds of dollars a year by carpooling. Savings vary and are based on your carpool and driving expenses. Savings will depend on vehicle MPG, price of gas, distance traveled, number of days commuting, plus any parking or tolls. When you join or start a carpool, be certain to discuss the driving rotation and expenses. This will avoid confusion and miscommunication among members.
Click here for a more detailed comparison of costs between solo and carpool driving for key Bay Area commute routes.
By logging on to the 511 Regional Rideshare Program's 511 RideMatch Service you'll be able to find other commuters who live and work near you and who have similar work schedules. The service is free and provides a list of potential carpool partners instantly. Once you register, you can access your account anytime, make changes to your commute information and access new matchlists.
In many carpools, a simple rule applies - each person takes turns driving his/her own car. Some carpools have one person who drives every day while other passengers contribute to the driver’s costs. Driver rotation, expenses and schedules should be discussed and agreed on before you start or join the carpool.
No problem. You can join a carpool that doesn't need a driver and pay your share of the gas and parking expenses. When you use the 511 Regional Rideshare Program's 511 RideMatch Service you can specify your preference to join a carpool as a passenger only.
If possible, schedule your appointments on the days you don't carpool or at least on a day that you're not responsible for driving. If the appointment is on a carpooling day, be sure to let fellow carpoolers know ahead of time and make appropriate arrangements.
Make the day care center/school your carpool meeting place, or arrange to carpool with other parents at the school. If there’s a Park & Ride lot near the school, you can also arrange to meet there.
On the days you drive, you'll have your car to get home, but be sure to let fellow passengers know about your situation as soon as possible, so they can make alternate arrangements. Ask if your employer offers a Guaranteed Ride Home program or click here for a list of county Guaranteed Ride Home programs. This voucher program ensures that if you need to get home for an emergency on a day that you use a commute alternative such as carpooling, you can take a cab or use a rental car at no cost to you.
Whether your commute needs have changed due to a new job or different work hours or you just want to switch carpools, you can easily make changes to your carpool arrangement using the 511 Regional Rideshare Program's 511 RideMatch Service. Simply log into your account to access a new matchlist of potential carpool partners or call 511 and say Rideshare to speak to a commuter services representative.
After you receive your matchlist, e-mail and/or call your possible carpool partners to begin the process of getting to know them. Try meeting in a public place before starting to carpool, and discuss driving safety. If needed, request contact information for personal references, and make sure to exchange emergency contact and any necessary medical information prior to starting the carpool. Don’t travel with someone you don’t trust. There are plenty of other possible matches available for you.
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