One month free if you share the ride

Tired of driving to work alone and paying rising gasoline costs? Perhaps the MaricopaXPRESS doesn’t stop near your workplace. If so, Pinal County, in partnership with Valley Metro, has a vanpool deal for you.

For any new vanpool that starts up between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31, riders will pay for the first month’s vanpool costs and will receive the second month free. The only expense during the second month is the shared cost of gas for commuters in the vanpool group.

Several regional transportation groups have developed a share the ride program, a free matching service to find riders who work near you. Share the Ride is a state-of-the-art ride matching system that allows commuters to quickly and securely find a partner for carpooling or vanpooling.

By sharing the ride, commuters can help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in Arizona, utilize the HOV lanes, save money, reduce stress and enjoy the companionship of colleagues or new friends. In addition, wear and tear on personal vehicles is drastically reduced.

Instead of driving to work alone, groups from six to 15 share the cost of gas and commute together, deciding on their own schedule and route.

Six passengers can keep more than 4 pounds of pollution out of the air every day they don’t drive alone. “A group of 15 vanpooling together equates to 140 trips each week that are not traveled by people driving alone. That keeps nearly 305 pounds of pollution out of the air,” says vanpool services coordinator Gary Roberts.

According to the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) one pound of pollution is generated every 45.5 miles by the typical vehicle.

For more on this limited time vanpool offer, contact Roberts, at 602-534-1808.

Submitted photo