A better way to commute
Alright, let’s face it. Commuting isn’t any fun. For those of us
who travel half an hour or sometimes two hours one way, that’s time
away from home. Dinner is later, we miss time with our kids and we
deal with the stress of tail-gaters, accidents and bad weather. And
as gas prices increase, anyone who has to fill up their tank more
than once a week is certainly feeling it.
A better way to commute
Alright, let’s face it. Commuting isn’t any fun. For those of us who travel half an hour or sometimes two hours one way, that’s time away from home. Dinner is later, we miss time with our kids and we deal with the stress of tail-gaters, accidents and bad weather. And as gas prices increase, anyone who has to fill up their tank more than once a week is certainly feeling it.
San Benito County has a commuter solution that can at least save some money for people and maybe lower the stress of commuting. The first solution is a carpool database put together by Santa Clara and San Benito counties. Commuters can fill out their information to be paired with someone else nearby who has the works the same hours as they do in the same area.
The second solution is a fleet of seven vans available for lease to commuters – but right now less than half of those vehicles are being used.
There are plenty of reasons people prefer to drive alone. They can get right to the doors of their offices. They can leave for home in a pinch. They can come into work early or stay late without having to make arrangements with other people.
San Benito’s Ride Share program offers a bit of flexibility for riders. One of the great things about the vanpool program is that riders have a guaranteed ride home should a family emergency arise. Three times a year, the county will pick up the tab for a taxi from work to home for vanpool members.
Carpools and vanpools have other benefits. Riders can take turns driving, so those not at the wheel can use their laptops to get a jump on the day’s work. They can share conversation or catch up on reading.
Ride Share has other benefits as well. For every person in a vanpool or carpool, that’s a few less cars letting off emissions each day.
So next time you’re stuck in traffic alone, consider a call to San Benito County Ride Share and find some company to come along on the ride.
