Commuter Profile
Name: Shari Standiferd
Works at: University of Kansas
Lives in: Kansas City, Kan.
Commutes to: Lawrence, Kan.
Commute mode: Carpooling
Her story: Starting a carpool was easy for Standiferd. Maintaining it has been an exercise in dedication and commitment. An accountant in the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences office at KU, Standiferd was looking for ways to save money about a year ago and thought carpooling to work was a good option.
She ended up studying the KU staff directory and making a list of employees who were commuting from the Kansas City area. Using that list, she sent out an e-mail to 75 employees and immediately got three responses. The carpool formed easily.
Pool members chose a centrally located meet-up point near 87th Street and I-435, and each took turns driving for one week a month. It worked great, until one member moved and another got a job in Kansas City.
Since then, Standiferd has continued to carpool with another KU employee and continues to search for two more people to join it full-time. It hasn’t been easy. Standiferd has sent more e-mails and posted notices at KU and with RideShare. So far, she hasn’t found anyone who can carpool every day, but recently a KU student joined as a rider.
Why she carpools: Standiferd figures she saves over $100 a month by sharing the ride to work. But besides the cost savings, Standiferd cites the good company and feeling of security as benefits. “Actually, I’ve developed some really good friendships,” she says. Occasionally the carpoolers have dinner together on Friday evenings, and Standiferd also likes having others in the car during a commute in bad weather.
Advice for prospective carpoolers: Be flexible and creative when setting up the carpool. Establish a meet-up and pick-up schedule, and exchange cell phone numbers to inform each other of schedule changes. Set guidelines (maybe in writing, depending on the carpoolers’ wishes) about preferences regarding smoking, radio stations and food and drink. (For the record, in Standiferd’s carpool there is no smoking or radio, but food and drink are OK).
Does she ever think of giving it up? Not at all. Standiferd, who has worked at KU for eight years, says, “I always joked about why I didn’t do this years ago.”