Carpooling can be a convenient and cost-efficient way to get to work. It gets you outside your drive-alone bubble, can save money on gas and other commute costs, removes at least one car from the road during rush hour, and makes for an all-around greener and leaner commute.

Finding carpooling partners is easy. Talk to your coworkers and neighbors. Plenty of people are willing to share a ride and the costs. Carpool permitted parking spaces are conveniently located throughout the downtown Vancouver area.

Customize your Ride

A carpooling arrangement can be anything the participants decide. Carpoolers can use one car exclusively (and pay the driver an agreed-upon fee) or share the driving without any exchange of money. Schedules can be flexible: carpool every day of the week, on a specified day or days of the week, or vary from week to week. The size of your carpool can range from two people to any number that is convenient for your schedules and vehicles. A carpooling plan is designed by the carpoolers: democracy on wheels.

Carpooling can save money, reduce travel time (HOV lanes are designed for this), reduce stress, and help make new friends or get to know neighbors or coworkers even better.

Finding Fellow Carpoolers

• Talk to your coworkers and neighbors. Some may live or work near you or near your route to work.
• Use the convenient and confidential www.carpoolmatchnw.org. After creating a login and filling out an on-line form, this free site will provide you with a list of possible matches. Connect via email to start talking about carpooling. Meet for coffee or lunch to see if you’re compatible and start working out the details.

Rules of the Road

Once you have found a carpool partner or partners, establish a few guidelines to ensure a successful arrangement.

• Set policies on smoking, radio, waiting times, driving rotation, and cost sharing.
• Draw up a schedule: will you be carpooling everyday, specific days of the week, or will the schedule vary?
• Map out pick-up and drop-off points and times.
• Set a plan for vacations or when someone becomes ill.
• Develop and share a list of each participant’s name, address, phone number (home, work, cell). This information will be handy in case of emergency or change of plans.
• Decide how much recordkeeping is necessary: mileage, gasoline, etc. This could prevent conflicts later.
• Be flexible and agree that rules can be changed by a majority vote.

Sample Carpool Rules | Sample Carpool Agreement

Carpooling is smart, fun, flexible, efficient, economical, and easier than you think.