Why should I consider ridesharing?
- Less stress commuting to and from work
- Financial savings due to shared commuting costs
- Decreased personal vehicle maintenance and wear and tear
- Reduced demand for parking spaces at work or school
- Increased free time for riders
- Consistent travel times and routes
- Part-time travel options
- Improved air quality resulting from fewer auto emissions
- Reduced traffic congestion
- Flexibility in choosing days that work best for you to rideshare
How much does the RideShare program cost to use?
All of RideShare's services are available to individuals and employers at no cost.
How does the RideShare Connection online matching service work?
The free, Web-based service enables commuters to:
- Create password-protected accounts for themselves
- Enter and manage their carpool preferences
- Get instant matches with other commuters who want to form or join carpools
- Send instant e-mail messages to carpool matches
- Access their accounts at any time to update their profile or search for more matches
Do I have to rideshare every day?
You don't have to rideshare every single day - simply choose days that work best for you. Carpool as little or as often as your schedule permits. Start with a commitment you think is realistic. Pick one day a week and stick with it; you can always add more days later. If everyone tried to carpool one or two days a week, our air quality and traffic congestion would improve significantly.
What if I don't have a car?
No problem. You can join a carpool that doesn't need a driver and pay your share of the gas and parking expenses. When you create your online match profile using RideShare Connection, you can specify your preference to join a carpool as a passenger only. There is no guarantee that RideShare can locate matches for you. If the database is unable to find matches, you may want to consider changing your registration information to broaden the commuter pool.
What can I do if I can't find a match through Carpool Connection?
Please note that you may not have any matches when you first create your RideShare Connection account. This is a new online service, and it will take some time to build a comprehensive database of commuters. Check back often to look for matches.
You may also want to consider changing your profile information to broaden the commuter pool:
- Can you arrive at school or work earlier, leave later or change your hours slightly?
- Can you meet commuters in a different location or use public transit for part or all of the journey?
What if I need an emergency ride home from work on a day I rideshare?
One of the most commonly cited reasons for not ridesharing is concern about being stranded at work in the event of illness, accident or emergency. RideShare offers a Guaranteed Ride Home service for eligible commuters who rideshare. This program provides a free taxi cab ride home from work in case of emergency on a day that you use a commute alternative such as carpooling.
How could my employer offer commuter benefits?
Transportation programs help retain employees, reduce commuting stress, and add to employee benefits packages at little or no cost using pre-tax savings. Widespread adoption of commuter transportation programs would increase transit, carpool and vanpool ridership and decrease air pollution and traffic congestion in the greater St. Joseph area.
As an employer, how can I develop or enhance a transportation program for my employees?
Ridesharing can reduce commuting stress and decrease demands for parking among employees. Transportation programs with commuter benefits help retain employees, reduce commuting stress, and add to employee benefits packages at little or no cost using pre-tax savings. Read testimonials from other employers who use RideShare's services.
Your company could do any of the following:
- Offer the Guaranteed Ride Home benefit to commuters using transportation alternatives
- Share the cost of a ride with transit subsidy programs, pre-payroll tax decudtions, selling bus passes on site, etc.
- Promote teamwork by instituting perks for ridesharers
- Offer flexible work schedules to employees
- Promote healthy commute alternatives to reduce sick time
- Appoint an onsite transportation coordinator that can answer questions employees have about your company's transportation program
What are benefits for employers that promote ridesharing?
- Attractive and cost-effective employee benefit
- Reduced employee turnover and absenteeism
- Increased employee productivity
- Expanded recruiting market
- Reduced traffic congestion and parking problems
Is there a way to carpool my kids to their school?
RideShare's Carpool Connection service is not set up to arrange carpools for getting your kids to school. Contact your child's school to find out if they have any resources, "walking school bus" or Safe Routes to School programs.
How much does it cost to park at park-and-ride lots?
There are more than 35 free park-and-ride commuter lots throughout the Kansas City area. Reduce the stress of rush hour traffic by parking your car at one of these lots and either taking the bus, or riding in a carpool or vanpool.
How much money could I save by ridesharing?
Use the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority's online calculator to see how much you spend driving to and from work or school each month. Carpooling, vanpooling or riding the bus can help save you money in parking fees, gas, maintenance costs. 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.
Where can I get information about highway conditions and construction projects?
The RideShare program provides commuter news and road construction updates to assist in planning your commute. This information can help you to avoid construction areas, which improves rush-hour speed and lessens air pollution due to slow or idling traffic. You can also visit Kansas City Scout, the metropolitan area's traffic management system. It uses cameras to monitor the highways, sensors to gauge traffic flow and electronic message boards to send urgent traffic notices to drivers along the freeways.
Are there transportation services in the area for elderly or disabled commuters?
Learn about transportation options specifically for seniors and/or disabled commuters in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
