Frequently Asked Questions
- What is RideShare?
- How is Share-a-Fare different from RideShare?
- How is Dial-a-Ride different from RideShare?
- How do I use this site?
- What are RideShare's services?
- Why should I consider ridesharing?
- What geographic area does RideShare cover?
- How much does the RideShare program cost to use?
- How does the RideShare Connection online matching service work?
- Do I have to rideshare every day?
- What if I don't have a car?
- What can I do if I can't find a match through RideShare Connection?
- I am interested in biking to work. Can RideShare help me?
- What if I need an emergency ride home from work on a day I rideshare?
- How could my employer offer commuter benefits?
- As an employer, how can I develop or enhance a transportation program for my employees?
- What are benefits for employers that promote ridesharing?
- Is there a way to carpool my kids to their school?
- How much does it cost to park at park-and-ride lots?
- How much money could I save by ridesharing?
- Where can I get information about highway conditions and construction projects?
- Are there transportation services in the area for elderly or disabled commuters?
What is RideShare?
RideShare is a publicly funded commuter matching service for anyone who lives, works or attends school in the greater Kansas City area or or within 75 miles of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The service informs people about less expensive and environmentally friendly commuting alternatives. RideShare works in two main ways — assisting employers with transportation programs and helping individuals find riding opportunities with other commuters.
How is Share-a-Fare different from RideShare?
RideShare is a publicly funded commuter matching service that assists employers with transportation programs and helps individuals find riding opportunities with other commuters.
Share-a-Fare serves people who need door-to-door transportation because a disability prevents them from driving a car on their own, or prevents them from using bus service. The service provides complementary paratransit trips as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act throughout The Metro bus service area, as well as some other transportation services for eligible persons in Kansas City, Mo. Most people using the program are 65 years old or older. For more information or to join the program, call 816/346-0810.
How is Dial-a-Ride different from RideShare?
RideShare is a publicly funded commuter matching service that assists employers with transportation programs and helps individuals find riding opportunities with other commuters.
Dial-a-Ride (Independence, Missouri) serves Independence residents who are at least 60 years of age or have a disability. Call 816/325-7399 for application information. Dial-a-Ride (Kansas City, Kansas) offers service weekdays for Wyandotte County residents with disabilities. Call 913/573-8351.
How do I use this site?
- Are you an employer looking for information about offering commuter benefits?
- RideShare can help your company develop an employee transportation program, learn about work alternatives such as telecommuting and flextime, and schedule on-site visits to discuss options with your employees.
- Do you want information about commuting by carpool, vanpool or bicycle?
- Find out how to join a carpool or vanpool.
- Join RideShare Connection or call 816/842-RIDE to search for other commuters who may be able to carpool with you to work or school.
What are RideShare's services?
Carpooling & Vanpooling: Find out how carpools and vanpools work. Log on to our RideShare Connection Web-based matching service and search FREE for other carpoolers to share your commute.
Guaranteed Ride Home: RideShare provides eligible commuters with a free ride home in cases of illness, accident or emergency during work.
Employer Services: Let RideShare help your company develop an employee transportation program. Get information on developing an employee transportation program and work alternatives such as telecommuting and flextime. Schedule an on-site visit for RideShare to discuss options with your employees.
Park-and-Ride Lots: Use a park-and-ride lot to meet carpool partners or your vanpool. Many lots also offer easy public transit connections.
Commuter Resources: Get daily online road construction updates to assist in planning your commute. Use the What Does Driving Cost You? worksheet to discover the true cost of driving alone. Link to the KC Commuter newsletter for the latest news about transit alternatives in the region.
Why should I consider ridesharing?
- Less stress commuting to and from work
- Financial savings due to shared commuting costs
- Decreased personal vehicle maintenance and wear and tear
- Reduced demand for parking spaces at work or school
- Increased free time for riders
- Consistent travel times and routes
- Part-time travel options
- Improved air quality resulting from fewer auto emissions
- Reduced traffic congestion
- Flexibility in choosing days that work best for you to rideshare
What geographic area does RideShare cover?
RideShare is a commuter matching service for anyone who lives, works or attends school in the greater Kansas City area or or within 75 miles of downtown Kansas City, Mo. The program serves commuters from counties in both Missouri and Kansas.
How much does the RideShare program cost to use?
All of RideShare's services are available to individuals and employers at no cost.
How does the RideShare Connection online matching service work?
RideShare Connection is a free, Web-based service that enables commuters to:
- Create password-protected accounts for themselves
- Enter and manage their carpool preferences
- Get instant matches with other commuters who want to form or join carpools
- Send instant e-mail messages to carpool matches
- Access their accounts at any time to update their profile or search for more matches
Do I have to rideshare every day?
You don't have to rideshare every single day — simply choose days that work best for you. Carpool as little or as often as your schedule permits. Start with a commitment you think is realistic. Pick one day a week and stick with it; you can always add more days later. If everyone tried to carpool one or two days a week, our air quality and traffic congestion would improve significantly.
What if I don't have a car?
No problem. You can join a carpool that doesn't need a driver and pay your share of the gas and parking expenses. When you create your online match profile using RideShare Connection, you can specify your preference to join a carpool as a passenger only. There is no guarantee that RideShare can locate matches for you. If the database is unable to find matches, you may want to consider changing your registration information to broaden the commuter pool.
What can I do if I can't find a match through RideShare Connection?
Please note that you may not have any matches when you first create your RideShare Connection account. The database of commuters is continually growing. Check back often to look for new matches.
We can send you "Carpool Wanted" signs you can post near your home, work or school to try to find people who may not be in our database. You may also want to consider changing your profile information to broaden the commuter pool:
- Can you arrive at school or work earlier, leave later or change your hours slightly?
- Can you meet commuters in a different location or use public transit for part or all of the journey?
I am interested in biking to work. Can RideShare help me?
Carpoolers, vanpoolers, Johnson County Transit riders and bicyclists registered through RideShare are eligible for the Guaranteed Ride Home service.
What if I need an emergency ride home from work on a day I rideshare?
One of the most commonly cited reasons for not ridesharing is concern about being stranded at work in the event of illness, accident or emergency. RideShare offers a Guaranteed Ride Home service for eligible commuters who rideshare. This voucher program provides a free taxi cab ride home from work in case of emergency on a day that you use a commute alternative such as carpooling.
How could my employer offer commuter benefits?
Transportation programs help retain employees, reduce commuting stress, and add to employee benefits packages at little or no cost using pre-tax savings. Widespread adoption of commuter transportation programs would increase transit, carpool and vanpool ridership and decrease air pollution and traffic congestion in the Kansas City region.
As an employer, how can I develop or enhance a transportation program for my employees?
Due to changes in federal tax laws for commuter benefits, employers can make it cheaper and easier for employees to commute to work. Ridesharing can reduce commuting stress and decrease demands for parking among employees. Transportation programs with commuter benefits help retain employees, reduce commuting stress, and add to employee benefits packages at little or no cost using pre-tax savings. Read testimonials from other employers who use RideShare's services.
Your company could do any of the following:
- Offer the Guaranteed Ride Home benefit to commuters using transportation alternatives
- Share the cost of a ride with transit subsidy programs, pre-payroll tax decudtions, selling bus passes on site, etc.
- Promote teamwork by instituting perks for ridesharers
- Offer flexible work schedules to employees
- Promote healthy commute alternatives to reduce sick time
- Appoint an onsite transportation coordinator that can answer questions employees have about your company's transportation program
What are benefits for employers that promote ridesharing?
- Attractive and cost-effective employee benefit
- Reduced employee turnover and absenteeism
- Increased employee productivity
- Expanded recruiting market
- Reduced traffic congestion and parking problems
Is there a way to carpool my kids to their school?
RideShare's Carpool Connection service is not set up to arrange carpools for getting your kids to school. Contact your child's school to find out if they have any resources, "walking school bus" or Safe Routes to School programs.
How much does it cost to park at park-and-ride lots?
There are more than 35 free park-and-ride commuter lots throughout the Kansas City area. Reduce the stress of rush hour traffic by parking your car at one of these lots and either taking the bus, or riding in a carpool or vanpool.
How much money could I save by ridesharing?
Use the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority's online calculator to see how much you spend driving to and from work or school each month. Carpooling, vanpooling or riding the bus can help save you money in parking fees, gas, maintenance costs. Some insurance companies offer discounts for reduced driving. If you lease a car, you may be able to reduce payments by leasing at a lower annual mileage figure.
Where can I get information about highway conditions and construction projects?
The RideShare program provides commuter news and road construction updates to assist in planning your commute. This information can help you to avoid construction areas, which improves rush-hour speed and lessens air pollution due to slow or idling traffic. You can also visit Kansas City Scout, the metropolitan area's traffic management system. It uses cameras to monitor the highways, sensors to gauge traffic flow and electronic message boards to send urgent traffic notices to drivers along the freeways.
Are there transportation services in the area for elderly or disabled commuters?
Learn about transportation options specifically for seniors and/or disabled commuters in the Kansas City metropolitan area.