Sit Back, Relax, & Share the Ride

Carpooling is a simple and affordable way to share rides with others who have similar travel routes and schedules. By sharing the cost and responsibility of driving, carpooling can help you save money, reduce stress, lower vehicle wear and tear, and cut traffic congestion in your community. 

• Spend less: When carpool partners share driving responsibilities, everyone can save on fuel, parking, maintenance, and vehicle operating costs. The more people who share the ride, the greater the potential savings. 
• Sit back and relax: Taking turns behind the wheel means more opportunities to relax, catch up on reading, listen to podcasts, connect with coworkers, or simply unwind during your trip. 

Tips and Best Practices for Carpooling

How do I find a carpool to join? 

Get There Connect is a free app and desktop tool to help you plan your trips and match with other people for commutes or one-time trips. Here’s how to use Get There Connect to find and match with other carpoolers: 

1. Log in or sign up for a free Get There Connect account on the web or in the app. 
2. Go to “Pools” in the lefthand menu. There, you’ll find two tabs: ‘My Posts’ and ‘Search’. 
3. Select ‘Search’ to explore available ride options created by others. 
4. You can customize your search by: 
   • Choosing whether you want to be matched with all users or only within specific networks (such as your company or location). 
   • Using filters to include or exclude other types of pools such as vanpools, walkpools, bikepools, and transitpools. 
   • Adding your specific time schedule requirements. 
5. A list of Pool Matches will populate, if available. Click on the Pool Match card for details on the ride.  
   • For Carpool, each posting will specify whether the person is offering a ride (“I’m the Driver!”), is open to either driving or being a passenger (“I’m a Driver or Rider!”), or is seeking to be a passenger only (“I’m a Rider!”). 
   • Each card will also show how recently the person who posted the pool was active on Get There Connect, recently active users are more likely to respond to your request. 
6. Click “Message” to send a message to the Pool Match to coordinate your ride. Your message will be sent to their email inbox and your email will be provided to them to coordinate outside of the platform. 

Learn more here. 

 How do I post a carpool? 

1. Log in or sign up for a free Get There Connect account on the web or in the app. 
2. Go to “Pools” in the lefthand menu. There, you’ll find two tabs: ‘My Posts’ and ‘Search’. 
3. Select ‘My Posts’ to post a ride to share with others. 
4. Enter the date, time, starting point,  destination, and indicate if it is a one time carpool (for an event) or a regular carpool then click ‘Save’. Your carpool offer becomes part of the ridematching system, automatically visible to others in both ‘Explore Options’ and ‘Pools.’ 

How do I start a carpool? 

1. Promote your carpool: Find potential carpool partners using the free Get There Connect app or web tool and/or using this carpool card in English or Spanish. 
2. Meet up: Go for coffee or lunch with your potential carpool partner(s) prior to your first ride and make sure it’s a good fit. Trust your gut – if something makes you feel uncomfortable, consider finding a different carpool. 
3. Set ground rules: Establish policies with your carpool partner(s). Have a conversation about music, food/drinks, smoking, conversations, sharing driving responsibilities etc. 
4. Figure out logistics: Determine the route and schedule for the carpool, maximum wait times for being late, as well as any back up plans. 
5. Determine the costs: Set cost-splitting expectations and a method for payment. This includes how costs will be shared and how often payments will be made. Consider using a cash app to make easy requests and transactions. 
6. Establish communication lines: Exchange preferred contact information ahead of time. Make sure to get emergency contacts for each member of your carpool, just in case. 
7. Make a schedule: Schedule driver days/weeks/months and stick to it. 

Enjoy the ride!