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Sharing a ride is a way to instantly reduce your carbon footprint while travelling by car – the more people in the car, the fewer emissions per person. Sharing a ride can make your trip quicker and more enjoyable too – you can split the costs, take the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, share a conversation, and reduce your driving stress. Ride-sharing may take the form of a regular daily carpool, or an occasional city-to-city excursion – with the advent of web-based networking it's easy to find a ride or offer one.

How to take action

  • If you have a car and travel regularly on your own, consider offering a ride. If you don't have a car and are considering buying one for regular travel needs (i.e. a work commute) – look into ride-sharing as an option before taking the plunge. Depending where you live, ride-sharing may be a more time-efficient option than transit, and sharing the driving can be a more pleasant option than battling traffic daily.
  • Ask the HR department at your place of work whether your company is already part of any ride-share networks, or operates its own. If not, ask if it would consider sponsoring a ride-share system for employees in some way, such as providing parking or a gas subsidy. An example of an employer-sponsored ride-share is that hosted by the City of Vancouver.
  • Get to know the basics of carpool etiquette – agree on costs in advance, don't be late, and more.
  • In British Columbia, the Jack Bell Ride-Share offers Canada's only large-scale public vanpooling service. The organization operates a fleet of about 100 ride-share vehicles as well as assisting drivers and riders connect on-line to carpool using their own vehicle. The organization allows employers to establish a ride-share "sub-site" on its website, and offers information to people wanting to start a ride-share program of their own. The organization welcomes inquiries from people wanting to establish a new group.
  • A variety of other ride-share services similarly offer ways to connect with drivers or passengers. Some of them are listed below. Search the sites to see if you can find a match. Most sites offer advice about how to connect, what to discuss, etc.
  • If you don't find a match on-line, post a note at work, or consider where your neighbours travel. You may find someone with a similar trip and schedule who will try ride-sharing with you.
  • If desired, establish your rideshare for a limited time at first (i.e. 1-3 months). Check in with everyone at the end of the trial period to determine if people wish to continue.
  • Read testimonials about people's experiences with the benefits of ride-sharing. Consider sharing your own story and spreading the word.

Why it makes a difference

  • Car-pooling helps reduce your costs. If you have a car, you can collect contributions for gas and (depending what you negotiate) some routine maintenance. If you don't have a car, you can avoid the high cost of ownership (estimated to be $7,500-$9,000 per year in Canada) and contribute instead just to the daily operating costs, saving you money.
  • Each litre of fuel consumed by a car releases 2.4 kg of carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change. Making those litres go further by carrying more people in one vehicle makes a significant contribution towards reducing our environmental impacts.
  • Fewer cars on the road is not only better for the environment, it also reduces traffic congestion. That means less idling, which also cuts greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information

Last Modified: Oct 26, 2010

 

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