Rideshare - Every Monday Matters

Rideshare

Excerpted from Every Monday Matters by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza
Oprah.com | October 22, 2009

Ridesharing reduces gasoline usage, vehicle wear, traffic, stress, pollution, and dependency on foreign oil. With every 100 people who pair up daily and rideshare for a year, we keep 1,848 pounds of hydrocarbons, 1,320 pounds of carbon monoxide, 792 pounds of nitrogen oxides, and 2,376,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. You might even make a friend or two.

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TAKE ACTION TODAY

Find a rideshare partner. Ask a co-worker, fellow student, or friend.
Check with your company or school to see if there is an organized rideshare program.
Follow these guidelines:
- Meet new rideshare partner(s) before your first commute.
- Discuss preferences like seating arrangements, music, eating, cell phone usage, and smoking.
- Set up a probationary period to try out the arrangement.
- Provide information about your rideshare partner(s) to someone else in case of emergency.
- Create an equitable driving and cost arrangement.
- Be punctual.
Do something meaningful with the $2,520 you save.

FACTS

Only 10.2% of workers rideshare.
45.3 cents per mile is the average cost to drive a car due to fuel, maintenance, tires, depreciation, and insurance.
$2,174 can be saved annually by each person in a 2-person, 40-mile roundtrip rideshare.
12,000 gallons of gasoline would be saved each year for every 100 people who paired up into a daily rideshare.
20 pounds of CO2 is produced by burning 1 gallon of gasoline.
A 10% nationwide increase in transit ridership would save 135 million gallons of gasoline a year.
34% of roads are in poor or mediocre conditions due to heavy usage and lack of proper repairs. Save your car, the roads, and your tax dollars.

More Ways to Make Your Mondays Matter

Create, support and appreciate art

Prepare for an emergency

Change your lightbulbs

Printed from Oprah.com on Tuesday, May 21, 2013