Drive Less Live More

Rideshare

Catching a ride with someone to go to a concert, ballgame or party is pretty standard. There’s no reason to take two or three cars when you’re all going to the same place anyway, and with the cost of gasoline, it just makes sense to share the ride.

Well, that’s the same reasoning behind the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Rideshare Program. We help match people who want to rideshare to work or college, which are the most common daily trips people take in their cars. The program is available for free to anyone who lives, works or attends college in Montgomery, Greene, Miami, Darke, Preble and Clinton counties. You’ll receive a matchlist of others who live near you and are traveling to similar destinations at similar times. You can call them and make arrangements to meet up and share the ride. It’s that simple.

Ridesharing is one of the easiest ways to cut your commuting costs, reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. If you don’t have a vehicle, you’ll be matched with others who do so you can work out a schedule and reimbursement arrangements that are agreeable to both of you.

Plus, if you’re commuting more than 25 miles one-way, you might want to check out the vanpooling options. The Rideshare Program, in coordination with a vehicle provider, has vans available for lease on a monthly basis for groups of 7 – 15 people who are interested in riding together. The monthly lease rate is based on the size of the van (7-passenger, 12-passenger, or 15-passenger), number of people in the van and the daily round-trip mileage. Plus, MVRPC's Rideshare Program helps subsidize the monthly lease rate..

OK, so let’s say you’re a little bit hesitant to join a ridesharing arrangement because of what would happen if an emergency arose and you didn’t have your car. We’ve thought of that too! You can also register for the Guaranteed Ride Home Program (GRH).

This program provides ridesharers with a guaranteed ride in case of an emergency. Just pay for the taxicab ride, get a receipt from the driver and send it to us. You will be reimbursed 80 percent of the cost of a taxicab ride (up to four times in a 12-month period). You can use GRH if:

• You or a member of your family becomes ill.
• You must work past your normal quitting time.
• Your regular carpool/vanpool driver has to leave early.

If you like to bike to work or college, you could join our Pedal Pals Program which provides you with a list of people who want to commute by bike.

If you like cycling for pleasure or exercise, we offer a detailed map of the region’s bike paths and trails at www.mvrpc.org/recTrails. You can also request that a printed version of the map be mailed to you.

For your convenience, you can register for any of these great programs on-line at www.miamivalleyrideshare.org or call the Rideshare Program at (937) 223-SAVE or 1-800-743-SAVE.