Saving Money by Ridesharing
Cutting down on transportation costs is one of the great individual benefits of ridesharing. The driver's costs for fuel, vehicle maintenance and tolls are offset by the money contributed by the riders. Riders can reduce wear and tear on their own vehicles, and thus their maintenance costs, as well as the cost of purchasing fuel. Riders may be able to give up car ownership altogether, vastly increasing their savings.
The amount that an individual can save by ridesharing varies by situation. For a one-time, long-distance, inter-city ride, the rideshare participants save on fuel costs or the cost of airfare. For a daily commuting carpool, savings will vary with the length of the commute. All ridesharing savings will increase as the number of participants in a particular rideshare increases. Other factors influencing rideshare savings include the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, the price of gas and the cost of tolls and parking.
A useful tool for determining basic commuting costs and rideshare savings is a commuting cost calculator. These are online calculators where individuals can enter their commute information, and receive an instant estimate of their current commuting costs, including both fixed and variable costs, and the amount that they could save by ridesharing. For example, according to one calculator, an individual commuting with one other person on a 30 miles roundtrip, in a 25 mpg vehicle, with gas at $2.50/gal, would save between $1,140 (including one-half of variable costs) and $2,042 (including one-half of all costs) annually. Commuting cost calculators exist on a variety of ridesharing sites, two of which are listed below.
RATIONALE
The cost of driving is one of the main motivators for individuals to rideshare. Ridesharing reduces the number of cars on the road, thus reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
EFFORT REQUIRED
Commuting cost calculators are simple programs to design. Creating an informative website about the costs of commuting and savings associated with ridesharing would require some basic research and knowledge of website design.
BENEFIT
Understanding the costs of commuting and the benefits of ridesharing is important for motivating the public to participate in rideshare programs.
ACTION AGENTS
Information Technolofy department to create a rideshare website.
COST
The time and resources involved in research and website design.
Greenhouse gases are a part of the Earth's atmosphere and are both naturally occurring and the result of human chemical processes. The most common greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and chlorofluourocarbons. These gases trap heat and thus contribute to the warming of the planet. See also CFCS and GREENHOUSE EFFECT.A method of transportation where people will collaborate on their driving needs in order to reduce the number of cars on the roads. An example of car pooling is co-workers who live near each other driving to work together. See also CAR POOLING.
