Community Developments

It may not look like it, but every day our streets are filled with a tremendous mass transit opportunity.  Look at any car commuting on I-81 into Roanoke, or check out the vehicle next to you while you’re crawling onto 220 north in Clearbrook one morning, and you’ll see it. In fact, there a good chance all you have to do is look in your own rearview mirror and you’re likely to see a way to move more people through the same number of lanes at twice the speed, all while cutting your commute costs by half or more: empty seats in every car.
Sure, commuting alone is unavoidable for many people, for many reasons. But for most folks, filling an empty seat is easy and has immediate financial benefits.

As an employee, you can work with your employer to find ways to encourage coworkers and even nearby companies to consider carpooling. But how to get started?
RIDE Solutions has some easy recommendations to get you going.

• Start at Work: Ideal carpool partners are those who already works in the same building, so start there. Ask for an employee message board in a common area like a lunch room or printer room were folks can post both rideshare needs and offers. If your company uses an intranet, ask about creating an online forum where your coworkers can make requests.

• Implement Incentives: Incentives don’t have to be complicated, or even cost you money.  Something as simple as reserved parking spaces for carpoolers can be highly sought after, particularly at worksites where parking is limited, or employees are paying for parking. You know what your challenges are in getting to work each day – talk to your employer about what they can do to help.

• Register with RIDE Solutions: Our carpool matching program is an easy way for you to find a match and we do all the work. You have complete control with how your information is shared by choosing to match only with coworkers or the public, and RIDE Solutions never provides your information to a third party. Once your request is made, you’ll receive a match list of other commuters matching your route and schedule, along with the contact information you’ve provided. And if you don’t have a match, we keep searching with every new member until we find someone, and we’ll let you know right away when you have a new match.

Carpooling is more than a way to save gas money – it can extend the life of your vehicle and even cut your maintenance costs and insurance rates.  Switching vehicles from week to week with other carpool members can cut the annual mileage on your vehicle. Fewer miles on the engine mean a longer life for the car, and many insurance companies offer discounted rates if a vehicle’s annual mileage is 12,000 or lower.

For more information on getting started in a carpool, growing an existing carpool, or managing carpool partners, visit www.ridesolutions.org.