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1. How do I find someone to carpool with?

You may want to put out the word to co-workers, neighbors and friends to see if anyone you know would like to share the ride. Ride Match also offers a free online carpool matching service, which gives you a list of people based on where you live, work, and your work schedule, who you can contact to set up a carpool. To get started, visit Ride Match.

2. A coworker and I have agreed to carpool. Now what do we do?

Before starting on any carpooling arrangement, it’s a good idea to meet over coffee or lunch to iron out details. Some of the ground you should cover:
-Arrangements for pick-ups and drop-offs
-Consider establishing a trial period of a week or 2 to give it a try and determine if you’re suited to carpool together, if adjustments need to be made, or if you need to find a different carpool partner
-Duties of the driver, such as filling up the gas tank before picking up riders
-How often you’ll carpool
-Whether smoking is allowed
-Who drives, and when
-Any other questions or concerns you may have

To find other carpool partners, visit Ride Match.

3. My commute already takes long enough - won’t carpooling just make it longer?

Quite the opposite; teaming up with someone else gives you access to time-saving carpool lanes. On average, Southland commuters using carpool lanes shave 36 minutes a day from the drive... a full 1/3 of their total commute time. That more than makes up for the few minutes it might take to meet with your fellow passengers. The farther your commute, the more time you’ll save. And, to get an idea of the money savings you may experience, use the Commute Cost Calculator.

4. What if I can’t carpool every day?

Some people like the regularity and cost-savings of carpooling on a daily basis, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only way to go. You can set up a carpool to operate any way that works for you and your carpool partner(s). Perhaps you’ll carpool Monday through Thursday and leave Fridays open. Even setting up a once-or-twice-a-week carpool is better than driving solo all the time. For more information, please visit the Commuter Services Website.

5. How many people should be in the carpool?

The more people in your carpool, the less you’ll pay for gas and the less often you’ll have to drive. It also means a bit more coordination making sure everyone arrives and is ready to go. People with consistent schedules do very well with 3 or 4-person pools. If you need more flexibility, a carpool with 1 other person may be more your speed. For more information, please visit the Commuter Services Website.

6. I don’t have a car - can I still carpool?

While the typical carpool involves people with their own vehicles taking turns driving, you may be able to set up an arrangement in which someone else does all the driving while you pitch in for gas and other expenses. For more information, please visit the Commuter Services Website.

7. Why would anyone carpool?

-Access to carpool lanes
-Less driving stress
-More time to get things done
-Qualifying for perks at work like preferential parking and rideshare bonuses
-Reducing auto wear and tear
-Saving money on gas

Maybe the question is why would anyone drive alone? For more information, please visit the Commuter Services Website.