What is RideShare?
RideShare is a publicly funded carpool matching service for anyone who lives, works or attends school in the greater St. Joseph area. 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.
Why Rideshare?
- You'll save money. The average commuter who drives 20 miles round trip to work or school each day spends more than $2,000 a year on those trips alone. Using your car less often reduces the amount of gasoline purchased and maintenance needed to operate it. 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.
- It's flexible. You don't have to rideshare every single day - simply choose days that work best for you. Riding with someone else is more convenient than you may think. Most carpool or vanpool arrangements are as near door-to-door as can be arranged, which means you don't have to search for parking or worry about parking fees.
- Driving less improves air quality. Carpooling, mass transit and combining errands result in cleaner air, less congestion and less noise. In fact, carpooling with one other person just three days a week can cut individual ozone-producing emissions by 30 percent.
How to Register and Find Carpool Matches
Register with RideShare by calling 816/271-4653 or by creating a personal account through our RideShare Connection online matching service. Once registered, there is no obligation to form or join a carpool or a vanpool. Using Carpool Connection, you can:
- Create a password-protected account
- Enter and manage your carpool preferences
- Get instant matches with other commuters who want to form or join carpools
- Send instant e-mail messages to your matches
- Access your account at any time to update your profile or search for more matches
Funding
The RideShare program is part of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Planning Organization's Long-Range Transportation Plan to increase mobility, improve air quality and to provide alternate means of transportation . RideShare is primarily funded through Federal Transit Administration funds. All of RideShare's services are available to individuals and employers at no cost.
