SACRAMENTO - Good news for commuters this summer has been few and far between. As gas prices continue to surge upward, relief at the pump has been nowhere in sight. Oddly enough, relief for some commuters has been found free of charge, online or by phone by using the Sacramento Region 511 Traveler Information Service to register for the Regional Rideshare Program.

Many people just don't know how to get started carpooling. It's easy in one of two ways. Simply dial 511 and you will be connected with a live agent who will take you through a quick five-minute process to match your carpooling needs in a regional database. Or Internet users can log on to www.sacregion511.org to enroll, and receive instant access to carpooling commuters in your area.

In the past five months of steadily increasing gas prices, monthly hits to the rideshare webpage at www.sacregion511.org have more than doubled, from 717 hits in March 2005 to 1,946 hits in July 2005. Rideshare staff expects that number to continue to increase in August, as gas prices steadily hover just below the $3.00 a gallon mark. From April 2005 to July 2005 more than 1,900 people in the region have called 511 to receive carpooling information.

"Not only can carpooling and vanpooling reduce the pain at the pump, it can reduce the stress of driving in traffic," said Ted Gaines, SACOG Board Chair. "You save money, time, and do your part for cleaner air and less traffic congestion."

Carpool/Vanpool Information

Carpool Partner Matching:
SACOG will send you a list of potential carpool partners who have schedules and commutes similar to yours. There is no obligation to carpool everyday-just do what works best with your schedule and lifestyle.

Vanpool Information:
If your commute is 20 miles or more one-way AND you work a consistent schedule, vanpooling is a great option. Let someone else do the driving while you get work done, nap, read the paper, or just enjoy the ride. ADDED BONUS: SACOG is now offering an incentive program to subsidize new vanpools commuting to workplaces within the six-county Sacramento region. SACOG will pay $300 for six consecutive months directly to a vanpool vendor for each qualifying vanpool, with the savings passed on to the vanpool members. In addition, a $200 gas card bonus will be mailed directly to the primary driver by SACOG after the sixth consecutive month of operation.

SACOG is the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the greater Sacramento region responsible for coordinated transportation planning and project delivery for the six-county region. The SACOG Board of Directors includes elected officials from Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Yolo, Sutter and Yuba counties and the cities within them. For more information, please contact Molly Wright, Rideshare Staff, at (916) 321-9000.

Additional Contacts:

Vanpool Information
Linda Lowry, Enterprise Rideshare:
916.480.4954
linda.m.lowry@erac.com

Terri Yarbrough
Vanpooler from El Dorado Hills to Sacramento
916.322.124
tyarbrough@sco.ca.gov

Kelley Williams
Vanpooler from Elk Grove to Rancho Cordova
916.845.3536
kelley.williams@ftb.ca.gov