Ridesharing

Contents

• What is Ridesharing?
• Washington State Ridesharing Web Sites
• National/International Ridesharing Web Sites

What is Ridesharing?

Ridesharing is a congestion management tool that includes carpools, vanpools, ride matching services and other techniques for reducing commute trips, whether to work or school.  These techniques are geared towards commuters that either don't like to use mass transit or - because of location and/or work schedule - find it difficult to use mass transit.

Ridesharing techniques include carpools, vanpools, cab sharing, ride matching services, and shuttle buses or vans.  Virtually every metropolitan area has an agency or agencies that provide these services.  In addition, there are myriad private companies, non-profit groups or individuals that provide some ridesharing options

Washington State Ridesharing Web Sites

• King County Metro Rideshare Operations 
  • Includes links to Ridematch, Carpool, Vanpool, Custom Bus, and VanShare connector.
• RideshareOnline.com 
  • Many public agencies in Washington link to this site for carpool matching services.  In addition, Public Vanpool Providers are linked from this site.  
• C-Trans (Clark County) and other agencies in the Portland-Vancouver metro area sponsor CarpoolMatchNW.org
• Skagit Transit offers a pre-scheduled Dial a Ride service designed for people who are unable to get to the nearest bus stop or use a fixed-route bus.
• Pierce Transit offers (through 12/05) 5 free trips in its Vanpool Promotion. Also look at their RideOn electronic newsletter.
• Mason County Transportation Authority offers a Volunteer Driver program that serves individuals over the age of 60 who are unable to access the regular routed bus service.  WSDOT has a Volunteer Driver Guide.
• South Sound's Intercity Transit offers Specialty Van Programs, including Village Vans, Community Vans, and Van Grant Program.
• OneLessCarBellevue  One stop for all of Bellevue's ridesharing and transit information. Go directly to links specific to Bellevue commuters, employers, residents and students.
• Community Transit in Snohomish County has a complete set of Vanpool forms on its Web site.  CT also offers a Smart Connections reward program for trying vanpooling.
• Valley  Transit (Walla Walla) offers Job Connection service.
• Seattle offers several programs to reduce both commuter and personal vehicle trips under its Way-to-Go Seattle umbrella.

National/International Ridesharing Web Sites

• eRideShare.com is a FREE service for connecting commuters, or travelers going the same way. Their hope is that users will find this service a good way to commute or travel inexpensively, and maybe even make a few friends.
• Hawaii DOT provides a tongue-in-cheek Oahu Commuter's Survival Guide to transportation alternatives that are intended to make commutes less stressful.
• Victoria Transport Policy Institute (VTPI) - Ridesharing: Car and Van Pooling (Part of the VTPI Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Encyclopedia)