Between gas, parking, insurance, maintenance and repairs, driving your car can get pretty expensive. Add rush-hour traffic to the mix, and it can be stressful too. Luckily there’s a simple way to save yourself money and stress—just share the driving responsibilities with someone else. There are two easy ways you can rideshare in central Virginia. To find out more about them visit ridefinders.com or midpenrideshare.org.

• CARPOOLING Take turns driving with people who live and work near you. Carpool with just one person and your auto expenses are cut in half! Ride with more people and you’ll save even more.

• VANPOOLING It’s like carpooling, but with more people in a bigger vehicle. In many vanpools, one person does all the driving and the riders just pay a fare. With local van-leasing programs, you don’t even need to own a van to participate.

• NURIDE

Join the nation’s first ridesharing network that lets you earn free rewards every time you share a ride. It’s like carpooling, but completely flexible and commitment-free. Plus every ride earns you miles good for gift certificates to shops, restaurants and more. Click here to get started today.

BENEFITS

• Save money—when you share a ride, you share commuting costs too
• Reduce stress—stop fighting traffic every day
• Discover extra time—when you're not the one driving, you can work on your PDA, read the paper or take a quick nap
• Help the environment—by taking your car off the road, you’ll help reduce congestion and improve air quality

511 TRAVEL TIPS

• Starting or joining a carpool or vanpool is easier than you might think—here are three organizations in central Virginia that can answer any questions you have and help you get started for free:
• RideFinders – provides rideshare information for the Richmond area – (877) 451-1555   (804) 758-4847
• Middle Peninsula Rideshare – provides commuter and rideshare information for Essex, Gloucester, King & Queen, King William, Mathews and Middlesex counties – (877) 451-1555 (804) 758-4847
• VPSI Commuter Vanpools – provides information on vanpooling and help forming or joining a vanpool near you – (800) VAN-RIDE (826-7433)
• If you need a place to meet up with your carpool or vanpool, try Park & Ride lots—secure, convenient and free commuter parking lots with several convenient locations in central Virginia
• To find the lot nearest you, visit www.ridefinders.com/FrontEnd/HTML/index.asp?id=19
• You never have to worry about being stranded in an emergency situation when you sign up for the Emergency Ride Home Program, which provides you a reliable ride back to your point of origin for free if you ever have to unexpectedly leave work early or stay at work late