Carpooling

There are a couple different ways for carpoolers to equally share the financial costs of a carpool. Some choose to take turns being the driver. Others have a consistent driver and the other members each pitch in for gas. If you fall into the second group and find it a little tricky to calculate what each person owes, here’s an app for iPhone and iPod touch that may help you out.

Carpool Cost Splitter lets you input the vehicle MPG, the current gas price, the total miles traveled, and the number of people in your pool to easily calculate what each person owes.

You can download Carpool Cost Splitter for $0.99 from the Apple iOS App Store.

Everybody’s feeling the pinch this year. Who wouldn’t like to have a little more ‘discretionary’ spending money? There’s still time to get started saving money for the things you want and need—not just for the holidays—but all year!

Try our Commute Cost Calculator and see how much you could save by making easy changes in your driving habits. Check out all of your options, including a free search for potential carpool partners and our Emergency Ride Home Program. Then, choose what works for you. Even 3 days a week makes a difference and keeps your money in your hands, rather than in the tank.

Visit the rest of our website or call toll free 1-888-454-7433 and let us help you be very merry this season!

If you’re new to carpooling or to the EZ-Ride rideshare matching database, you may find this set of frequently asked questions to be helpful.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: EZ-Ride is free to use; once you’ve found someone, you decide between you whether you’ll simply take turns driving or choose a driver and have riders chip in for gas.

Q: Do I have to carpool with the people on my list?
A: No. Matchlists are possible contacts; you decide who, if anyone, you want to call or email. Many times, you’ll find your list includes your neighbors and co-workers. For new folks, you may want to meet in person for lunch or a coffee break to discuss options.

Q: If I don’t drive, can I still participate?
A: Absolutely! Many people don’t mind being the driver and would welcome new riders to their pool. Commuter Services can help you find a convenient meeting place and provide tips on cost-sharing and other details that will make ridesharing a breeze.

Q: Do I have to carpool every day?
A: Do what works for you; even one or two days a week makes a difference. However, ridesharing at least 3 days per week will qualify you for the free Emergency Ride Home Program.

Q: What if I decide I want to quit?
A: There’s no obligation to continue. It’s courteous to give your carpool partners a week or so to make other arrangements. And, if you’d like to try a different pool, Commuter Services staff will be happy to discuss needs or preferences to help everyone find the right fit. Of course, you can drop out of the program at any time.

Commuter Services of North Florida is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation to encourage travel choices that are good for the economy and the environment. For details about all of our programs, which are free and available to the public, check out the rest of our website or call toll-free 1-888-454-7433. You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have placed a lot of emphasis on the importance of hybrid automobiles. Since automobiles account for the majority of mobile source emissions, the emphasis seems well-placed. However, a recent article on Yahoo! Green by Lori Bongiorno rightfully points out ways in which driving a hybrid is no more green than driving any other car.

Hybrid and electric automobiles do, in fact, reduce carbon emissions, but sometimes, what you drive is less important than how much you drive. Even if every American household switched to a hybrid automobile, it would do nothing to curtail traffic congestion. Traffic congestion, in turn, increases public demand for more roadways which, if built, can have a significant environmental impact. Furthermore, as some experts have noted, new roadway construction can lead to worse congestion and potentially worse environmental degradation.

Commuter Services of North Florida helps people reduce their dependence on personal automobiles. Locally, many agencies are working on policies that encourage bicycling, walking, carpooling, and public transit as part of an overall transportation planning strategy. In doing so, we can begin to maximize the capacity of our existing roadways. This lessens the financial burden on already-strapped federal, state, and local governments to build additional roadways.

Certainly, no one should be dissuaded from purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle. But perhaps, as Ms. Bongiorno’s article illustrates, it’s how you use it that determines whether or not it’s green. If you purchase a hybrid and carpool with your spouse or neighbor, the rewards are even sweeter.