Carpooling and vanpooling are both optional modes of transportation. Carpooling means different things to different people: Commuters can carpool to their places of work, parents can carpool children to and from school and to sporting and recreational activities, and students and commuters  can carpool by hitching rides through ride-share programs.  Vanpoolers share the use of a van to commute to work and are responsible for its gas and upkeep, and they also take turns driving. Vanpools are offered by companies through public transportation agencies and by private individuals.  Slugging is another type of carpooling although it differs in that it is a more relaxed type of carpooling.  Commuters stand in line at selective locations to share a ride with drivers going to a specific location.  A commuter who has room in his or her vehicle drives to the selective location and calls out a destination point.  Those in line who want to get to that destination ride with that specific driver who can then use HOV lanes.

The benefits of carpooling and vanpooling and even slugging  are many: using less gas, fewer carbon emissions, less money spent on gas, less wear and tear on personal vehicles, use of HOV lanes, and a less stressful ride to work.  Ultimately, these transportation modes result in less traffic congestion because there are fewer single-occupancy vehicles on the road, particularly during rush hours.

Tags: automobile | carpooling | HOV lanes | ride sharing | slugging | vanpooling

Tags: carpooling | HOV lanes

Q:   Are there any carpooling or vanpooling programs in Hampton Roads?

A:   Yes, TRAFFIX.    Read more HERE about this local area program.

Q: What are the rules for using the High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on local highways?

A: Check out the VDOT website and FAQs on HOV use at http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hov-rulesfaq.asp.

Tags: automobile | carpooling | HOV lanes | ride sharing | vanpooling

Arlington’s Car-Free Diet
Arlington, VA’s site for alternative transportation, including links for carsharing (carpooling).

Carpoolworld
Developed in 2000 by the Datashare Corporation, this website provides free carpool sharing information, as well as access to software for setting up a carpool website for organizations.

Carpooling with Children
This page is from the North Dakota Department of Motor Vehicle’s website detailing the laws and safety tips for carpooling with children.

Earthshare
EarthShare, founded by its member charities in 1988, is an opportunity for caring employees and workplaces to support hundreds of environmental charities through workplace giving campaigns.

eRideShare
eRideShare is a free service providing travel connections between people, whether they are local commuters or cross-country travelers, in the United States, Canada, and fifteen other countries.

How to Start a Carpool
Fairly self-explanatory, this site delineates the steps involved in starting a carpool, as well as some resources to draw upon.

Green Living Tips
This article describes the benefits of carpooling and supplies some links to world-wide resources.

Mid-America Regional Council
Basic information for people considering carpooling as an option for commuting.

NuRide
NuRide is a free, sponsor- supported service offering reward to members who use alternative transportation modes like carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, walking, etc.

Parenthood.com: Carpooling
A parents’ guide to setting up a carpool.

Slugging
Northern Virginians and Hampton Roads commuters use this causal carpooling mode of transportation to travel long distances to work.

Traffixonline
“TRAFFIX is a cooperative public service designed to promote transportation alternatives” in the Hampton Roads area.

VDOT
VDOT rules and FAQs for Virginia’s HOV lanes.

Tags: carpooling | ride sharing