How to Rideshare and Save Gas

With gasoline prices going through the roof, people have become really creative in an effort to cope. For example, ridesharing has been common in Europe for years, but it is quickly gaining popularity in the United States. In fact, there is now a publicly-supported national Rideshare Alliance that, through its website www.rideshare.us/, coordinates various activities to make ridesharing part of your life. The organization hopes to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower greenhouse gas emissions, while helping to reduce traffic congestion, commuter time, need for new parking lots, not to mention saving money. Here are some ways you can begin ridesharing and saving gas.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Introduce ridesharing where you work. Start by contacting your human resources department to find out what regulations you must follow. If you find that such a program does not exist there, by all means start one. Also, enlist that department's help in finding out where people live and who has vehicles that can be used for ridesharing. Ask about the procedure you must follow to announce this program on the company's bulletin boards.

2. If you do not work, or you work from home, create a ridesharing program to handle such things as getting your children to and from school, after-school activities, routine trips to grocery stores and shopping centers, to name a few. Tell your friends your intentions along with people associated with your church or the schools attended by your children. You can also visit www.Craigslist.org/ for ridesharing opportunities in your city.

3. Research the different ways other ridesharing programs deal with things like what to charge, methods for handling people who are late, scheduling, etc. You will also find the website mentioned above to be very helpful in this regard because it enables you to get in touch with others doing involved with similar programs.

4. Set up a line of communication. If a driver is ill, an alternate driver should be notified to ensure that other members or the carpool will have a ride. On the other hand, if a rider is ill, the driver must be contracted as soon as possible.

5. Make sure all participants have copies of everyone's home, work or cell phone numbers. And don't forget to tell your group about your vacation plans.

Tips & Warnings

• Not only is ridesharing a way to save money, it provides you the opportunity to widen your circle of friends.

[MargeG]

on 7/31/2008 Great post. I would add to step 2 that commuters should check and see if there is a free rideshare program in their city. Most metropolitan areas in the US offer some type of free ridematching service, usually through the regional planning organization (MPO) or transit agency.