- NuRide– Earn points with local businesses every time you carpool, take transit, telecommute, walk or bike to work. NuRide requires that you register through your employer or school, so it’s more secure than most services.
- ZimRide– The social network for carpooling. Like NuRide, you can join through your employer or university, but with ZimRide you can also register individually.
- eRideShare – Great for daily carpools, cross-country trips and even errands. This also has the option to register your own group or with your employer.
- Carpool World – Fill in your trip information, and they’ll find your matches! It’s easy to use, and for a small fee you can sign up with an organization or group.
- The Washington Council of Government’s Commuter Page – Links to federal agency and local ridematching services, private vanpool services and other resources.
AAA (the car people no less!) estimates that it costs nearly $10,000 per year to own and operate a car, but by exploring alternative forms of transportation you really can ease the burden on your wallet. Those savings really add up year after year – adding up to a down payment on a house, a college education or an investment in your own business.
Making Your Commute Easier and Cheaper
The average segment of the Beltway carries about 200,000 and 225,000 vehicles per day – no wonder traffic is so bad! But, you can make your ride go by a bit quicker by carpooling. Carpooling gives the opportunity for drivers to use the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes, plus you’ll save money on wear and tear on your car and gas costs.
If you’re having trouble finding a carpool, there are lots of networks you can use, and your employer may even have one. Here are a few:
As an example of how much you’d save by carpooling, NuRide users have saved a total of over $3 million, or about $400/person – wow! Think about what you could do with that extra money. Take a vacation, save for retirement or maybe even make a donation to your favorite nonprofit.
Another cool alternative to driving that you may not have heard of is our region’s own special twist on carpooling: slugging. Here’s how it works: Drivers looking to meet the minimum for HOV lanes stop at designated spots where a line of people (known as a Slug Line) wait for a carpool ride. The driver calls out his or her destination, such as “Rosslyn,” and people heading that way hop in. Some drivers also use signs to specify where they’re going. It’s easy, convenient and free.
Other Alternatives to High Driving Costs
Summary of Available Resources
We’re all trying to cut down on gas costs, and reducing the amount you drive is a great way to save money. In addition, “pay as you drive insurance” offers additional savings if you drive less, but it hasn’t been widely adopted yet. Check with your insurance company to see if this is something they offer.
Some alternatives to driving include walking, biking and taking public transit. You can use WMATA’s TripPlanner to map a transit route or Google Maps to map a bike route. Google Maps includes non-WMATA bus information, as well. NextBus tells when a WMATA bus is coming at any given stop, and if you’re a smartphone user, you should check out their great app. NextBus is also available for the Circulator, Fairfax CUE, Arlington Transit, and Prince George’s County routes.
As we mentioned in our last Smart Growth and You, there's a new bike sharing program in town! For just $5/day, $25/month or $75/year you can be a Capital BikeShare member -- that’s a lot less than AAA’s estimated $10,000. If you’re interested in really reducing your costs, check out Arlington’s Car-Free Diet. Their personalized calculator will give you estimates of how much money you'll save, calories you'll burn and CO2 emissions you'll reduce when you have the opportunity to use your car less, or stop using it altogether.
Get Started with ZipCar
You may find that the annual costs of owning a car aren’t worth it when stacked against actual driving time. That doesn’t mean you can’t drive. We love ZipCar, a service that lets you have a car when you need one. You pay a membership fee, plus an hourly fee for when you use a car – and nothing more. No worries about gas or insurance, plus you get 180 miles free.
Even better, did you know that CSG supporters receive a ZipCar discount? Join for just $25/year by signing up on the special CSG-ZipCar Webpage. Already a member? Let us know and we’ll have Zipcar add you to the CSG account so you get the same deal.
Capital BikeShare photo from the Arlington County Flickr Photostream.
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