Carpool

Also called ridesharing or van pooling, it’s is an easy and economical way to commute to work. Carpooling lets you access the HOV lane for faster travel while reducing GHG emissions.

There are a variety of ways to find a carpool partner or two. Besides the classic approach of talking with colleagues to see who lives along your route online and mobile tools are now available.

511 is maintaining a list of private companies with carpool mobile apps.  Check out their list to figure out which best fits your particular travel needs. Arrange when and where to meet your next carpool partner through in-app messaging. Meet up, jump in the carpool lane, and share the cost of driving.

511 RideMatch Service:  An interactive, on-demand system that helps you find carpools, vanpools or bicycle partners. Here, you can quickly create a profile and find commuters who have similar travel routes and patterns and with whom you can share a ride. 511 RideShare also offers Vanpool and carpool incentives to encourage individuals to find matches and ride together.

High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, also called carpool lanes, are found on much of highway 101 in Sonoma County for anyone with 2 or more people. Start ridesharing and get in the fast lane! The hours for HOV lanes in Sonoma County are:

• 5-9 a.m. in the Southbound lane
• 3-7 p.m. in the Northbound lane

Additionally, many organizations provide preferred parking for ridesharing. For example, at the Santa Rosa Junior College, Lot C is reserved for carpoolers before 2:30 p.m.

Think of ridesharing as a community that gets better and better the more people join. You can hold an event at your workplace or school to activate others.

Going Further:

There are many benefits of carpooling:

• Improve your community and home planet by reducing traffic congestion, air pollution and GHG emissions
• Potential to save on fuel costs, parking fees, tolls, and auto insurance
• Reduce wear and tear on your vehicle by riding with someone else or in a third party van
• Relax and enjoy the ride when it’s your turn to be the passenger

Casual carpooling has taken off all over the Bay Area. Simply meet your rideshare match at local Park & Ride lots.

Be smart about car travel. Check out these simple tips to save time, money, and reduce congestion and GHG emissions:

1. Trip chain: plan your trips in advance to find ways to reduce the number of miles traveled (with combined trips)
2. See how you can combine transportation modes (e.g., carpool to the ferry, then take BART to your final destination)
3. Carshare. If you have a car, you can rent it out to others when you don’t need it. Visit GetAround or Turo to get started.

The Emergency Ride Home program takes the worry out of carpooling to work or school by reimbursing rides home in cases of a qualifying emergencies.