AAA HOUSECLEANERS LLC

Starting or Joining a Carpool to Save on Gas

According to the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans spend more than 100 hours a year commuting. Although gas prices have just started to drop, they’re still averaging over $1 more per gallon than 2007 national averages, and car commuters are continuing to examine all sorts of ways to cut their commuting expenses. In this newsletter, you’ll find information about how joining or starting a carpool could help you save thousands of dollars a year.

How do carpools work? 
A carpool consists of two or more people who share rides on a regular basis. Each carpool works out its own arrangements -- how many people are involved and how many days a week they share rides, who drives, whose car they use, and how they reimburse each other for gas, tolls, and other expenses.

A growing number of communities also have vanpools, which can accommodate a larger number of people -- usually about 15 -- commuting to work together in a van instead of a car. In some cases, employers provide vanpools for their employees. In others, employees hire a van and driver from a private transportation company.

How much money can you save by joining a carpool or vanpool? 
Many state or regional transportation department Web sites have interactive pages that let you calculate the cost of your commute and how much you could save by sharing that cost with others in a carpool or vanpool. You can find these sites by searching for “commute cost calculator.” Here are two examples of how much you could save by joining a carpool or vanpool if you drive a car that gets 20 miles per gallon, which the Environmental Protection Agency has found to be the national average. (These figures were calculated using the Commute Cost Calculator at www.commutesmart.info, which is based on the 2008 edition of the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Your Driving Costs.)

Tips on starting a carpool at work 
If you’d like to form a carpool at work, consider the following ideas:

• Let co-workers know you want to start a carpool. Be specific about the kind of carpool you’d like to form, such as a five-days-a-week pool with rotating drivers and cars. Also discuss how many participants you’re looking for: Some cars easily accommodate five passengers, while others seat four most comfortably.
  
  
• Take advantage of work and community resources. Post a notice on an employee bulletin board or intranet site if possible. You can also post a notice on a bulletin board in your community or post a free ad on Craigslist at www.craigslist.org, which has many city-specific Web sites.
  
  
• Look into “rideshare” programs. Most states offer free “rideshare” programs that match commuters with carpools or vanpools that need riders. These services can be a great way to connect with potential riders in a large organization, where you may not know many of the people who might like to ride with you. You can usually sign up for rideshare programs by contacting a regional transportation authority. To learn about these and other programs, call your state department of transportation or visit its Web site. You can also search the Internet using the words “rideshare +” and the name of your city. Or, look at the national Rideshare Directory, which has listings for all 50 states, at  www.rideshare-directory.com.

Making your carpool work 
After you’ve found people who want to share your commute, you can avoid potential problems by taking a few steps as a group.

• Draw up a driving schedule. If you’ll share the driving, decide whether to rotate it on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. You’ll also need to plan for schedule changes: What will you do if one member has to work late, call in sick, or go out of town?
  
  
• Set ground rules. Talk about smoking, food and drinks, and cell-phone use. Be frank about your preferences for music and conversation: If you like to talk in the car and someone else would prefer to listen to music, can you work out a compromise, such as having a brief chat at the start of the ride instead of talking the whole time?
  
  
• Have a clear understanding about expenses. If some members will need to be reimbursed for expenses, work out a system that everyone agrees to. Make sure to create clear payment deadlines so that everyone will be paid promptly.

Pulling together a carpool or vanpool usually takes time, but the benefits go beyond the money you save on gas. Sharing a ride can make your trip to work much more enjoyable. Over time, it can also lead to wonderful new friendships with co-workers.