Thursday, March 19, 2009

How to Find a Car Pool in Your Area

With the fluctuations in energy and gas prices in today's economy, and the inevitable resurgence in the cost of oil that will bring about more expensive gas - it is a great idea to consider participating in a carpool. A carpool may be known by several different names, such as ridesharing or car share, but the principle is of course the same in all situations. A carpool involves the shared use of a car by two or more passengers, generally for the purpose of commuting to and from work.

A carpool not only helps those participating in it to cut down on the amount of money they spend in their daily lives, but it also can reduce the number of cars on the road, and therefore reduces the amount of pollution sent into the air. For these reasons and more, being a part of a carpool is a win-win situation.

The concept of the carpool has been around for some time, even as early as the second World War, when the United States government encouraged ride sharing to reduce costs and energy consumption. Typically, the members of a carpool will use their own private cars, switching off regularly so that each driver is using his or her car a fair amount. In many cases, each member of the carpool will contribute to the money used for gas for all shared journeys.

Carpool members may even be people who do not personally own a car. If this is the case, often that person will just pay a slightly higher amount of money for gas to the main car owner. It is relatively easy to find a carpool that works for you. It may even be as simple as speaking with a friend or neighbor who works near your own place of work to find out if he or she may be interested. If so, the two of you can plan your pick-up and drop off times and locations, and the manner in which you will divide driving time, private car usage, and the cost of fuel.

Forming a Casual Carpool

Becoming a part of a carpool is a wise idea for a variety of reasons. It not only benefits economically, in the form of money saved because you are spending less on gas, but it also helps the environment, and it can assist in the cut down of traffic congestion, resulting in a need for fewer parking spaces as well.

Joining a carpool, or forming your own, can be as simple as making a phone call to a friend. If you are organizing a casual carpool yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here, we have listed some key points below:

Figure out your route and the specifics of your schedule. Once you have at least one other member of the carpool, establish the morning pickup points and times for everyone involved, and try to make things as convenient for all parties as possible. Employ common sense. It is a poor idea to try carpooling with a person who lives or works a long distance from your route, as that would in essence defeat the purpose of carpooling in the first place.

Plan a schedule that evenly divides the driving responsibilities. If a member of the carpool happens to not have a car, figure out a way for that person to contribute to the carpool that seems fair to all involved. Perhaps that person paying for a bit more of the gas than the other members would be fair, for example.

Establish a fair reimbursement method for all carpool expenses. Keep track of all gas, and the number of miles put on a particular car in any given trip. Make sure everyone involved is in agreement about the reimbursement method so that no toes are stepped on.

Determine how long a driver will wait at a designated stop. Be sure to be punctual, but in the event that someone is late, make sure that everyone is informed as to how long they will be waited on so that no one ends up being late for work as a result of someone else's tardiness.

You can find out further information and develop a carpool by logging onto My CasualCarpool

Experience a Better Commute with Carpooling

Whether you love your job or not, it can be extremely frustrating to leave your home at the crack of dawn just to beat traffic. What’s even more discouraging is leaving early for work only to be stuck in traffic. After commuting for two years into New York City five days a week, I was better off carpooling with a group of people into Manhattan. However, I wasn’t aware of the benefits of carpooling. At the time, gas prices were barely above $1.49 per gallon and even then people complained about the high gas prices. I spent a total of $70 per day on gas and tolls. Plus, I kept my mechanic wealthy with regular oil changes and repairs.

I recall sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic one day and I wondered what it would be like to quit my job and work closer to home - eventually I did. Many commuters often contemplate quitting their jobs to work closer to home. What if you’re unable to find a job closer to home? You have one of two options available, either move closer to your job or just deal with it. Thankfully, there is a better alternative and that alternative is called carpooling.

How do you get involved in a carpool?

It's easy enough if you are going to school or working in an office. You could post a notice on an ad site like Craigslist with your number and see if anyone wants to form a carpool or if there are any carpools available in your area. Or you could just talk to people around the office or school and see if they want to drive together. A great idea for students in college is to form carpools going home for vacation which will cut down on the amount of cars traveling long distances. And if you're shy, you could always put in a suggestion to management to see if they will set up an official carpool system in the office.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Is Carpooling Really Environmentally Friendly or is it a Myth?

A friend of mine held a job at a library in a large, public educational institution and was being harassed by an environmental group on a weekly basis because the library was not purchasing recycled paper. The fact that this cost a good deal more than the paper they were currently using which would affect struggling students did not occur to the environmental crusaders. So, though we might like to think of ourselves as altruistic human beings, the fact is that most people are not willing to inconvenience themselves to make a seemingly small impact on the environment. Carpooling is good for the increasingly toxic air and also has some very tangible benefits for participants.

instant ridesharing is the sharing of a car by two or more passengers to save resources or help the environment. How beneficial is carpooling to the environment? According to a study performed in 1998, cars contribute 48% of the carbon monoxide emissions into the air. In addition to carbon monoxide, cars also emit greenhouse gases. Any fluid escaping the car inevitably is washed into the storm drains which contribute heavily to water pollution. Cars have also been proven to be the main cause of noise pollution in the cities which can cause sleep trouble and general agitation for residents. Clearly, cars impact the environment severely and in many different ways, and every single one that is taken off the road is beneficial to building a healthful environment.

There are people who do not believe that the earth is in the bad shape that many scientists and politicians have been concerned with recently. It can be hard for some people to believe that their individual actions can make an impact. Carpooling can directly impact the quality of life of you and your neighbors which makes it even more rewarding. On average, a person spends $1000 a year on gas, SEO Services and if one were to assume that you were just sharing the car with one person and they were making you pay for exactly half their gas, you would be saving at $500. This estimate is a bit on the high side as only a portion of the mileage taken into consideration is used to get to and from work.

Additionally, not everyone volunteering their time will make you cough up gas money. Furthermore, most cars can seat at least four people, which can add considerably to your savings. Aside from monetary benefits, you will get a break from the stress often generated by driving in rush hour traffic. There is also the possibility of getting to know your colleagues better by spending some time with them every day out of the office. To find out how you can organize a carpool, visit MyCasualCarPool.com.

Getting Along with Your Car Mates

With the cost of tolls and gas beginning to eat into personal budgets, more people are turning to the carpooling option. Carpooling can help with cost cutting, but can drive you crazy if you don't get along with your carpooling mates. Before starting or joining a carpool, here are a few things that you and your fellow car poolers should consider to avoid driving each other crazy whether you have a full car or just one ride buddy:

Timing: Formalize a schedule of when and where people are getting picked up and always make sure to be on time! Don’t make your carpool group wait for you. Exchange cell phone numbers so everyone can keep in touch. Call the driver early on days when you’re not going to be using the ad-hoc ridesharing.

Car-keeping: It’s the driver’s car, so, whether you use just one car or rotate vehicles in which you travel, all passengers must respect the driver’s rules. No smoking is practically a given for most folks these days, but be sure to clarify if there’s any question. Spell out the rules with regard to morning coffee and breakfast for the passengers in your car. And don’t leave a seat full of crumbs or garbage on anyone’s upholstery. This includes tracking snow or dirt into someone’s car.

Music: There are several subjective options for this one. One group rotates the official CD supplier on a daily basis, and for another pool it’s the driver’s choice as far as musical selection goes. Some people just prefer their MP3 players. The carpool is a great chance to expand your musical horizons.

Expenses: If all car poolers take equal turns driving, then this shouldn’t be an issue. But if anyone is a passenger only, then it should be settled up front, how much and when they are expected to pay, and these payment arrangements should be adhered to .

By setting the SEO Services and following a few simple rules, you can save money on your daily commute without feeling like strangling anyone. The things outlined above are mostly a matter of consideration and common sense. Use both liberally and you shouldn’t have any problems. To find out further information about carpooling, visit MyCasualCarPool.com.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Car Sharing For Business Travelers

During tough economic times, everyone wants to save money, including the savvy business person. In the past, many business travelers wouldn’t think twice about using their vehicle or rent a vehicle to travel into the city to meet clients. From New York City to Chicago and California, many corporate executives and business in SEO India travelers are taking full advantage of car sharing these days.  

Business travelers receive huge perks from car sharing such as witnessing a considerable decrease in their travel expenses.  A traveler can enjoy all the conveniences and autonomy of a vehicle on demand with car sharing. Car sharing can be accomplished at a fraction of the cost of owning a vehicle or two. Car sharing gives the business traveler easy access to an assortment of automobiles parked in and around town; best of all, one can use the vehicle whenever he/she wants for as long as one desires. One pays for car sharing based on how much he or she drives the automobile.  

Car sharing and car pooling has become so popular that even car rental companies are joining SEO Services the car sharing band wagon.  One popular rental car company that offers a car sharing service estimate that each of the cars they devote to the program eliminates 14 personally owned cars.  This reduces traffic congestion and parking demand. Car sharing can save the business traveler money while he/she helps the environment. Whether one needs a vehicle for work, a weekend trip out of town, or to run errands, car sharing is a simple process that’s most effective.  

As a business traveler, car sharing will not only help you spend less money on travel, it will help you prevent unnecessary wear-and-tear on your vehicle. For  more information about the benefits of car sharing, visit RideshareOptimizer.com.

Ride Matching – A Better Commuting Plan

If you are interested in sharing a vehicle with others, you will need to find someone who is located closest to your home and place of work. In order to do this, you will need to find a dynamic carpool matching program. You might remember from college the many community and announcement boards peppered with postings from people seeking rides. This is a primitive form of ride matching, and while it can work at a small college, it is not sufficient if you live in a large city.

Today, if you are looking for others with whom to car pool, there are hundreds of resources available. With the large amount of information available on the Internet, you can find a ride matching service specifically tailored to your commuting needs.

Ride s programs can be found in just a few clicks by browsing the Internet. Many of these are operated by the metropolitan transit authorities of large cities. By finding a ride matching service in your city, you can more easily locate others who share your route. The beauty is that most of these are free, but they will require you to register so that you can find others and they can find you. Based upon where you live, where you work, and the times you need to travel you will be matched with others whose daily commute most closely resembles your own.

You do not need to use a ride matching service just for your daily commute to and from work, you can also locate others traveling to a specific event. By sharing the ride with others to an event, you do not have to worry about parking. The price of the parking fee and the cost of gasoline to the event can be split between everyone in the car pool. Daily parking rates for a typical workday can add up, but for special events charges of up to $50 or $100 for just a few hours are not uncommon. Event parking is not only expensive, but it can also be stressful seeking an empty spot closer than a mile to the event. Ridesharing will help you to save money and stress just from you not having to park your own car.

If you want to reap the benefits of ride matching, you just need to search the Internet to find a ride matching program near you. Once you locate others to share your ride, you can begin to save money and stress by not having to drive alone to work or events. To find more information about dynamic ridesharing, log onto RideshareOptimizer.com.