WEIGH THE BENEFITS:

6 reasons not to drive alone

SAVE MONEY
Sharing the ride with other people can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars a year on gas, parking fees, vehicle maintenance and insurance costs. What could you do with that extra money?

IMPROVE AIR QUALITY
Carpooling and transit use greatly reduce the levels of harmful vehicle emissions that pollute the air we breathe.

REDUCE CONGESTION
Fewer cars on the road mean less traffic congestion and fewer parking problems in crowded areas.

RELAX THE RIDE
Sharing the trip or using transit creates a less stressful commute, especially if you don’t do the driving. You can read, nap, chat with other passengers, or catch up on office work.

IT’S FLEXIBLE
You can carpool, bicycle or use transit as often as every day or as seldom as once a week and still reap the benefits.

MEET NEW PEOPLE
Alternative forms of commuting can help create new personal and professional relationships.

USE THESE 5 SIMPLE STEPS:

Start carpooling

1. Register FREE with the RideShare program. Visit our Web site and click on “RideShare Connection.”

2. Create a secure account, enter your schedule and carpool preferences, and search for a list of potential carpool matches. Contact your matches via private e-mail and set a time to meet in person to talk about forming a carpool.

3. When you meet with your potential carpoolers, discuss the arrangements (who drives, how often, pick-up and drop-off points, etc.). Find a park-and-ride lot near your home or workplace on our Web site and map a route.

4. Begin carpooling, maybe just once or twice a week to start. See what works.

5. And finally, contact RideShare at 816/842-7433 or online to register your carpool and get eligibility for the Guaranteed Ride Home program. The program offers two FREE taxi trips home per year for participants to use in case of an emergency or illness.

WIDEN YOUR VIEW:

Explore other commute options

Driving alone to work or school has financial and environmental impacts. In addition to carpooling, RideShare supports other forms of alternative transportation.

PUBLIC TRANSIT
Contact the Regional Call Center at 816/221-0660 for fares and bus route schedules for The JO, The Metro and Unified Government Transit.

VANPOOLING
Better for longer commutes. Contact AdVANtage at 816/346-0800 or VPSI Inc. at 1-800-826-RIDE.

BICYCLING
Visit www.marc.org/bikeped for maps, safety tips and resources.

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